We restored this generic Progress picnic cooler as an accessory for a 1957 Chevy show car. Painted the same color as the car, it was set out next to it during cruise nights. This was a fantasy piece; Progress never made a Chevrolet picnic cooler.
The Chevrolet gold emblem was probably purchased from a supplier of [...]

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Vintage Cups, Glasses and Mugs
It’s interesting to see the different promotional and corporate products made over the years. Every week we will feature a cool retro cup, glass or mug from our large collection. We’ll share what we’ve learned about them and welcome your additional input and comments.
This is a waxed paper cup from Burger [...]

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We have a copy of a Manley Aristocrat popcorn machine manual available for download at the Retroplanet.com PDF Library. The Manley Aristocrat is a classic 1940’s deco-style popcorn machine that was used extensively in movie theaters and anywhere else large amounts of fresh popcorn was sold. Also in this blog is a photo of an [...]

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Carta Blanca beer is produced by a Mexican brewery that has been in business since the late 1800’s. So it is no surprise that they know how to market their products, and in the 1950’s that included colorful coolers.
We restored this cooler about 6 years ago. It was in very tough shape, but they are [...]

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These two ads were part of an advertising series appearing in a trade publication from 1949. They feature Coca-Cola button signs manufactured by Temco Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee. The signs are pictured in these ads with the Taj Mahal and Stonehenge to illustrate how “timeless” and long-lasting Temco porcelain enamel signs are. I also came [...]

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The VMC 72 is a considered a small machine to have dual bottle chutes. It may be the smallest ever made. Typically the dual chute design appeared only on the larger soda machines. The VMC 72 has a very large Coca-Cola logo that manufacturers believed would attract more customers. It has the same coin door [...]

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