Wooden dowel peg tray with cabinet handles MYSTERY

So here is the latest baffling item.  I don't think it's vintage but it has me puzzled.  It is a well made tray about 18 x 12 inches, with a pattern of holes on top. There are 2 handles firmly bolted on, and 4 good rubber feet screwed to the bottom.  The holes on top are slightly countersunk, perfectly cored and smooth. It is a very stout and heavy piece of wood that appears to be veneered.

Interestingly, in addition to the holes on top, there are holes on the side ends, with one side having 2 holes and the other side having 4 holes.  The pegs fit, but the holes are at least half a peg length in depth.  I am guessing some of the pegs are missing.

I have a few ideas but don't want to steer your thinking...   Anyone be of some assistance or offer outlandish guesses?  Perhaps someone can lead me to some definitive proof and get a surprise thank - you in their mailbox!

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Wood dowels

cabinet handles

holes

Wacky things

Tap-Icer vintage patent bar ware item

So I stumbled across this little gem called the Tap-Icer, "Cracks Ice in a Jiffy".  It has a patent that you can see here from 1962, which is a improvement over a similar invention from the 1940's.

According to the instructions you "Place an ice cube in your hand.  With the other hand vibrate the Tap-Icer with wrist action.  After a few light taps the ice cracks into many pieces.  The special spring action does the trick.  Vibrate about two to three inches above the flat surface of the ice... don't pound."

 

After trying it out, I understand somewhat why this item isn't in every household in America, because most Americans simply put ice cubes in a zip lock bag and hit them with hammers!

The vintage tap icer barware ice crushing tool pictured here has been sold.

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Ice

Bar ware

Utensils

Patent Art

Vibratory action

Vintage hand painted Ransburg Red Aster stoneware set ca. 1930 - 1960

This set is from the Ransburg Company’s “Red Aster” pattern, used on their popular stoneware from 1930 – 1960. Each piece was hand painted by a well trained decorator, at a time when most companies were exploring cutting quality for cost, Harper Ransburg invested time and money into training professionals that makes Ransburg quality unmatched with any of it’s contemporaries.

Harper J. Ransburg’s story is a testament to the American entrepreneurial system. He was born in Indiana in 1886, the son of German Quaker farmers. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade to help support his family. It seems he could have gone on to be a Professor in marketing at an Ivy-League school. He was one of the first to market items as "sets" rather than individual pieces, so in a way he is to thank for your cell phone “bundling” package! He also threw in free stuff such as selling cookie jars full of cookies. Ransburg figured out the importance of "cross-selling," and put it to good use. Ransburg developed a highly successful business with a range of product lines.

Instead of the college route, he founded a glass cutting business in Toledo, OH, and with a gamble on a loan, he moved operations to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1912. There, in short order he launched a multi-million dollar household products company, that at it’s peak was selling 250,000 hand painted cookie jars per year.

Ransburg products reflect pride and craftsmanship. The company had a large range of products made from all sorts of material, glass to metal, plastic to pottery, each one now drawing in collectors.  There are some great books on this company, check the Amazon links below.

For more on Ransburg Pottery history and collections

What about this stuff on Amazon?

Ransburg

Pretty flowers

Stoneware

Salt & Pepper shakers

S.S.S. patented metal doo-hickey mystery

Measuring about 3 inches x 3 inches this little doo-hickey has "S.S.S." stamped on it along with indications it has patents from July 1, 84, & May 12, 85.  My initial patent search turned up nothing, nor did any of my other searches for that matter!

By squeezing the wire pins that hold the arm in place, one can move the arm up and down a little bit, releasing the pins will hold it in that place.  There is an oval shaped ring on the pin side.

A confounding little piece!  Anyone leading me to the answers here might just find a little surprise package in their mailbox!

Update
Thanks to my uncle Bobby who lead us in the right direction, and thanks to the folks at Patent Place USA for knowing how to look for this and actually finding it!

It is a "Scarf Shield" from the late 1800's, designed to hold neck-ware in place.  My You Tube Video explains it in detail.

Here is the first patent, regarding the mechanism that is made to hang on buttons.
Here is the second patent, that is actually of this piece.




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doo-hickey
metal
Patent art  
Inventions
Scarves

vintage 1968 plaid fold away basket company highlander model Highlights for Children

This piece is not a complete mystery… in fact it isn’t much of a mystery at all.  At least on the surface.

Lets start with the box... which tells us this is the all purpose folding basket called "Fold-Away", a registered trademark.  I can’t find who had it registered.   It was mailed to an address in Massachusetts during the summer of 1968, according to the postage. The label tells us it was sent from the still operational magazine, Highlights for Children, out of Columbus, Ohio.

Which makes me wonder if this was a “reward” of some sort from the magazine? 

The wood handled basket lays flat in the closed position, measuring about 11 x 14 inches. Opened up the basket is about 10 x 14 and about 7 inches deep. Unfinished metal supports that simply push in place, give the basket it's structural integrity while open.

According to the metal post bracket on the inside of this basket, it was made by the Fold-Away Basket Company out of Madison, Indiana, and lists two patents: 2.042.977 & 2.228.248.

 

A very utilitarian piece with some interesting and mysterious history, perhaps someone out there can tell us more?

This item has been sold

Interested in...

Baskets

Picnics

Recycling

Plaid

Wooden Golf Club - Mystery

Well, this one isn't actually a mystery to me anymore.  When I first picked it up however I admit, I was utterly and totally lost as to it's purpose.  Then about 3 hours later, like the proverbial light bulb, I knew what it was! 

Do you? 

It's a bout 11 inches long, and quite beautiful in both form... and function.  Stay tuned and I'll shed some definitive light on this for those in the dark.





UPDATE!
For those of who who are being driven crazy with this mystery.... let's extend the agony just a bit further.  Here is a picture of another one  :

So take a moment, think about it....
...
...
Do you know yet?
...
...

Ok, fine,



Pretty cool, right?
Both of these are for sale for $12 apiece, but since their vintagicity (is that a word?)... since it is questionable, even doubtful these items are vintage they are not active on Etsy.  However if you want one, convo me at Etsy and I will put it on Reserve at Etsy for you to purchase.  Here's a link to one of these for sale elsewhere. 

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Wooden things
Golf Club
History of golf

More ceramic things with holes: hearts & owls - MYSTERY

Seems to be a theme....  first it was the unknown leaf cum tea bag holder, incense holder, button closure, flower frog etc.    Now these?

First Mystery
I recently sold this army of small ceramic owls.  Each one had a single hole on top of his head, and a set of holes in his back.  Each also had a rubber stopper on the bottom.  I to would seem quite clear that these were designed as  shakers of some sort.  Then comes the realization that the salt or whatever else you might wish to sprinkle out the hole on top, simply falls out the holes in the back, rendering this a pretty useless shaker! 

My guess is they are factory defects.  What about you?  Do you have any clues or guesses that might make sense?  Well as it turns out, Carohope is using them as terrarium decorations!




Second Mystery
 My suspicion is, that this one is relatively straight forward.  Apparently I’m just not that straight forward!  I have a guess or two, I’ve just yet to find any proof that my guesses are either correct or incorrect. One of these is marked "CALIF US" on the bottom.  I don't think these are a matched set.

What’s your guess?   Have you seen these before?  Do you know for sure?   First person to lead me to definitive proof of what these are designed for will find a little surprise in their mailbox-

UPDATE - MYSTERY SOLVED!
Thanks to Rachel from TheCuriousCrow  I now know that these are Coeur a la Creme molds.  Coeur means "heart," in French, and so the molds are the traditional heart shape.  The molds have holes in the bottom, for draining excess liquids, and should be used with cheesecloth, to contain the cream cheese, or cottage cheese. Be sure to place the molds on another dish, to catch the liquids.

Here's a recipe
Courtesy of Fantes Kitchen Wares

Coeur a la Creme with Sauce

Makes 6 servings.
5 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1.5" piece vanilla bean
    or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 pint strawberries
1/4 cup sherry
3/4 cup currant jelly
Soften the cream cheese and beat with an electric beater.
Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cheese.
Continue beating, adding the sugar gradually.
Whip the cream until stiff and fold it into the cheese.
Rinse out six pieces of cheesecloth in cold water and use them to line six small coeur a la creme molds.
(Or one large piece of cheesecloth to line the large mold.)
Spoon equal portions of the cream mixture into the molds.
Bring up the overlapping ends of the cheesecloth and fold lightly over the top of each portion of cheese.
Chill thoroughly.
Meanwhile, trim and rinse strawberries.
Drain.
Blend the wine and jelly and cook over low heat, stirring, until blended and smooth.
Combine with the strawberries.
Unmold the cheese onto chilled dessert plates and serve the strawberries and Creme Fraiche on the side.
Pass a sugar bowl for those who wish it.

Creme Fraiche

Makes about 1 cup.
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
Combine the cream and buttermilk in a jar with a screw top.
Secure the top and shake the mixture for a second or two.
Let the mixture stand 8 to 12 hours, or until the cream is lightly thickened.

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Owls
Hearts
Ceramics
Mysteries
Coeur a la Creme molds