Dear Helaine and Joe: I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this toaster? It belonged to my grandmother and she said she received it as a wedding present about 1920. It is marked "Hotpoint" and has the "Edison Electric Appliance Co." and the "General Electric" symbol. It still works and has its original cord.
Thank you. — B.D., West Jordan, Utah.
Dear B.D.: It is amazing how many collectors are interested in kitchen items that may seem commonplace to many of us. There are, for example, people who are eager to own vintage cast-iron skillets, old cooking utensils with painted wooden handles, earthenware mixing bowls, glass refrigerator storage dishes, juicers, coffee pots, waffle irons, and yes, toasters.
Electric appliances did not really start becoming standard equipment in most American kitchens until after the end of World War I. In the 1920s they became chic, and magazine ads touted their glamour as well as their usefulness.
In a 1929 ad for Hotpoint the focus was on a drawing of a group of people — two women in elegant gowns and a man in a tuxedo — and under the image is the statement, "Here are the gifts to delight the modern woman's heart. She'll take pride in their beauty . . . and joy in the daily convenience they afford."
Around the image of this sophisticated group there is a coffee urn set, a range, a waffle maker, an iron and the toaster just like the one that now belongs to B.D. It was described as the, "Hotpoint 2-slice "Automatic" Toaster with the new Toast-Over Knob."
It was offered in "Hotpoint Chromeplate" for $9.75, and it was said that it made toast, " . . . 'perfectly' every time — without watching, without burning."
The pierced front covers and the shiny chromeplate were very smart by the standards of the late 1920s, and today's collectors find items such as this to be fascinating examples of American Industrial design.
The toaster belonging to B.D. appears to be in relatively good shape. So many we see look like they were greatly used and abused, but this one is still bright with just a few scratches here and there to show that it has actually been used over the years.
As for the cord, it does indeed look to be original and in excellent shape, but we want to warn everyone who owns vintage appliances, lamps or radios not to plug them in until the old cord has been thoroughly checked out for safety considerations. Plugging in an old frayed cord can cause everything from fire to death, and replacing a cord does not — repeat DOES NOT — hurt the value of a vintage item.
The monetary value of old toasters has been going up in recent years, and some extremely rare models have soared over the $5,000 mark. The one belonging to B.D., however, currently has a modest value and should be insured for between $100 and $125.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.