The simple answer would be "downtown stuff", including chips
A more detailed (and accurate) answer would be stuff with stories...especially downtown stuff with stories
This napkin is one of four that we bought together...souvenirs of a few clubs that "Irene and I" visited in November of 1943. "Irene & myself" were at the Apache Club with Lt. Harold McCabbie and Lt. William Lane, a couple of fly-boys from Tonopah Air Base. Some people wouldn't like the 4 napkins, because they're glued to a scrapbook page. I think the 4 napkins are so much better as a set, that I don't mind the glue.
Here's another one
This postcard, date-coded 1952, has an interesting story...
The Las Vegas sign was advertised as the highest sign west of the Rockies. Each letter is eight feet tall, and inside the sign was a special elevator that was installed to service the sign. That's not the intersting part, though...
At the time, Tutor Scherer was one of the owners of the Las Vegas Club. His wife wanted to be on a postcard, her wish was granted when she was photographed perched on the LVC sign. The cards were printed...but the Scherers were involved in a divorce before the cards were distributed. Tutor ordered the cards destroyed...apparently a few cards escaped. The only three cards known to exist ended up in the hands of the late Jim Gelette, who was a club member. One of those cards is/was in Martin Kenny's collection, one is/was in Jim Perlowski's collection. Doug Saito, who told this story, didn't know where the third card ended up. Our card didn't come from a collector. Maybe it was the third card...maybe it's a fourth one...I dunno', but it's a great card, with a great story!
Both of these cups came from the dump at Sunrise Mountain, which was used for about a year in 1950-1951. The cup on the left was found by a 'professional' digger, who consigned it to be sold on ebay, where we bought it. The cup & saucer on the right... well, my husband and I found out how to get to the dump and went there ourselves! We'd been warned to wear heavy boots, and we only had sneakers. We'd only been there for a very short time when some nasty looking clouds started rolling in, and we didn't want to risk getting caught in a flash flood. Also, there weren't any roads back there, and we weren't exactly sure how to find our way out...so we left. One of us found the half-cup, the other found the half-saucer. If we ever want to give someone half-a-cup of coffee...we're all set!
I don't know the story of these glass swizzle sticks...we bought them on ebay and the seller who sold most of them to us didn't know anything except that she often bought auction box lots and the swizzles we bought from her were in a box. (The rest of the swizzles were bought from ebay several years ago). What I DO know is that most of these clubs were in Las Vegas, and were listed in our 1939 phone book! Except the Pioche Club which was in Pioche, open from 1951-1961. I believe that some of these swizzles may be unique...and the clubs they came from have stories . For example, The Barrel House was at 22 Fremont and Fuller says it was open from 1934-1938 with slots, 21, craps & roulette. There was a hole cut in the wall between the Barrel House and the State Cafe, next door, so the State Cafe could serve drinks for Barrel House customers.
Top to bottom: (3)Overland Bar; Pioche Club; Fremont Tavern; Sal Sagev Tavern; Boulder Club Bar; Barrel House & Anchor Room; Paul W. Warner Cactus Garden; (next picture)Apache Club; Golden Camel; Mission Bar; Fremont Tavern; (2)Apache Bar
The peephole thingy in the middle of the picture, and the #69 keno ball, came from the Dunes. The story is in the Spring 2008 issue of the CCTN.
And I love the old phone books and the ads and information you can find...
I've told the story of these glasses before...
Actually....I think Steve Passalaqua ( uhhhh...sorry, Steve, I don't think that's how you spell your name, but it's how I spell it! ). Anyway, I think he's right...having fun is what it's all about. At the moment, the scanner may be my favorite thing, because it lets me share all the other cool stuff...and sharing is fun!
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