This is a vintage TruAde picnic cooler in original, un-restored condition. TruAde was a non-carbonated fruit drink available in orange, grape, grapefruit and chocolate, as well as other flavors. The TruAde company was based in Chicago, Illinois, but the drink was bottled in Washington D.C. Although it was very popular, the drink disappeared about 20 years ago. Fortunately for TruAde lovers, the soft drink was released once again in April in the North Carolina area.

This picnic cooler is most likely from the 1960s. This is based on the logo design, as I was unable to find another cooler like this as reference. It has a great toolbox design to it, making this durable cooler useful in a garage or as an airline cooler.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is an Atlas 18 Picnic Cooler that was manufactured for the Royal Crown Company Inc. by the Atlas Tool & Manufacturing Company of Missouri. We restored this cooler some years ago at Vintage Vending. It is embossed with the Royal Crown Cola logo and painted in the Royal Crown colors. This model was manufactured in the 1950s. It can be difficult to locate one of these coolers in good shape nowadays.

Originally the Atlas 18 was available with a sandwich tray. There is a bottle opener and a drain located on the side of the cooler, and interlocking handles on the top. Atlas also manufactured a variety of other items including ice cream vending machines and household fans. These picnic coolers are not only very collectible, but are a lot of fun to use today for picnics or tailgate parties.

Dimensions: 17”L x 9 1/4”W x 15 1/2”H
Capacity: 18 bottles
Produced: 1950s

Manufactured by:

Atlas Tool & Mfg. Co.

5147 Natural Bridge Blvd.

St. Louis, Missouri

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is a Selmix soda fountain dispenser in its original, unrestored condition. It has a single head, or spout and was made by the Selmix Dispenser Corporation. This dispenser was made in the 1950s and was manufactured shortly after the original “outboard” style Selmix dispensers. Like the outboard model, this one was able to dispense a continuous flow of mixed carbonated water and soda syrup with one pull of the handle.

This machine bears the slogan, “The friendly ‘Pepper-Upper’” that was used by the Dr. Pepper/7-Up Company throughout the 1950s. The logo was changed from the original old-fashioned script to a more fun and friendly font. The chrome Selmix logo is visible in the second photo and is positioned toward the top of the machine.

This model soda dispenser was made for general use by a variety of soda manufacturers, such as Diet Rite Cola and Hires Root Beer, in addition to Dr. Pepper.

Produced: 1950s

Manufactured by:
Selmix Dispenser Corporation
St. Paul, Minnesota

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

These are a pair of Cavalier 96 soda vending machines. Back when we were in the restoration business, we did a custom restoration of these two vendors for the Texas supermarket chain, HEB. They were doing a drawing to give them away as a marketing promotion.

These machines were manufactured sometime in the late 1950s. The Cavalier 96 is a popular machine today because it was made with adjustable shelves that allow a variety of bottle sizes to be vended. Bottles ranging in size from 6.5 ounces to 10 ounces are able to fit into the machine. It’s also possible to change the amount charged per bottle; the machine can be set to charge up to $1.00 per bottle.

Vintage soda vending machines are great to use in your home or office since you can fill your drink box with your favorite bottled beverage. With a 96-bottle capacity, the 96 is a good size vendor to have in your home. It makes for a fun and functional piece that’s also a real conversation starter.

Dimensions:
67”H x 24 3/4”W x 21 7/8”D

Manufactured by:
Cavalier Corporation
1105 East Tenth Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This 1950s picnic cooler was manufactured by the Progress Refrigerator Company of Louisville, Kentucky. It has been restored and painted with the colors and graphics for the Hancock Oil Company of California.

This picnic cooler has an enameled steel exterior as well as a galvanized liner. On the interior there would have been a sandwich tray but it’s had to find a cooler today with the original tray. There are two handles on the cooler (one on the lid, one on the sides) that lock together for carrying. There’s also a convenient bottle opener mounted on the side, as well as a cap catcher on the cart. This cooler holds up to 32 bottles, as well as room for storing food above the bottles on the sandwich tray. This design was great, since it would keep the sandwiches above the bottles and ice, so the food could stay cool, but dry. There is also additional space on the rack below for uncooled bottle storage or empties.

Dimensions: 19”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The Predicta TV’s Space Age looks have made it a design icon of the mid-20th century. This innovative television was made by Philco from 1958 to 1960. The Predicta was available in console, tabletop and cabinet models. The TV’s modern design included a CRT that could both tilt and swivel.

Introduced in 1959, the 17-inch tabletops were the most common models. Their cabinets came in a variety of colors. These models were called the Princess and the Debutante. The Predicta Princess was available in a 17”inch or 21-inch B&W screen.

Many people collect the Predicta for its unique appearance, but from its early days was known as being a difficult television to repair. There are reproduction Predicta televisions being manufactured today with color TV screens. These are being sold under the Predicta Telstar name. Shown here is the Princess model, made to resemble the original 1959 TV.

Measures: 25.5”H x 26”W x 20”D

Manufactured by:
Philco Corporation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania