329. DAVY CROCKETT GLASS

Davy Crockett was Disney's hit TV series which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes, starring Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend, George Russel.The first 3 episodes were edited together as the 1955 theatrical film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and rebroadcast in color in the 1960s when the Disney program went to NBC.This series and film are known for the catchy theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett".

Disney capitalized on its success by licensing the sale of various types of Crockett paraphernalia, including coonskin caps, coloring books, bubble gum cards--and even 50s glassware such as this, which was part of a set that one had to collect.

Other Davy Crockett drinking glasses came free--in the form of packaging for Welch fruit jelly products. There were glasses of milk white color too, plus related items such as cups, saucers, plates and cereal bowls. This particular example is harder to find as the glass is fluted at the bottom and taller than most plain Crockett glasses.

Fess Parker claimed that his contract called for a percentage of the sales from Crockett collectibles but that this was voided by his contract being with Walt Disney personally,  rather than with the company, costing him millions of dollars of lost royalty from the huge success of Crockett merchandising. As King of the Wild Frontier, he could have gone on a wild rampage!

284. SANTA CLAUS GLASS CANDY CONTAINER

We've had this Santa glass container for the longest time, stored in an old book cabinet in our home since the 50s. It is a figural glass figure of Santa Claus, with a bag of toys on his back. I couldn't quite figure out what it was, as it had rims on the bottom, so I presumed it's a container of some sorts, but why should the lid be on the  bottom? When I moved house, I took Santa with me to my new home and has been with me ever since. Years back, I finally saw a similar example at a Makati Cinema Square second-hand shop, but with Santa's features painted on. It turned out that my Santa a candy container, for doling out sweets to kids during the holidays. And I thought I was a collectible expert. Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas everyone!

122. CAFE PURO FOLK-DANCE GLASSES

Back in 1967, Cafe Puro, a local coffee brand--offered these glasses with folk-dance inspired designs. Native dances, from Singkil, Itik-Itik to Pandanggo sa Ilaw and Tinikling, were immortalized on these glasses which became popular collectibles. Consumers tried their best to complete a set, but I think we only managed to get 3 glasses. The colored promo ads are featured below, from a 1967 issue of The Sunday Times Magazine.

These Instant Cafe Puro glasses were made really well, and a lot survived to this day. My glass was found in a Cubao thrift shop--I found two, but only this one now survived, featuring a dance called "Kalapati", an Ilocano folk dance that mimicked the movements of doves. Cafe Puro as a brand still exists today, made by Commonwealth Foods Inc. Cafe Puro comes in foil packs now, no longer in pretty glasses such as these ones. They make better freeboes than those pricey mugs that today's brewed coffee shops sell--all you get is their company logo. In 1967, you get to drink and dance with Cafe Puro!

115. PEPSI GLASSES FOR YOUR PEPSI DAYS!

Good old Pepsi Cola ahve always given Coke a run for ts money. At one point, it was the no. 1 selling softdrink brand in the Philippines, endorsed by the country's top stars like Nora Aunor and Torso Cruz (Remember, 'Have a Pepsi Day!'). Coke countered with its "Coke Is It!" campaign, and Pepsi answered back with "The Pepsi Generation". Like Coke, Pepsi offered an oddball assortment of advertising premiums--but these glasses, stamped with the graceful Pepsi Cola script, were common functional giveaways. They were collected through crown or 'tansan' redemptions, and were favored premiums for canteens, restaurants and carinderias. I found a whole set of 12 glasses at my favorite antique dealer--and now these pop-art Pepsi glasses repose in my old cabinet, ready to be used in case I feel like having a 'Pepsi Day'!

89. LIGHTING UP XMAS

A pair of Santa Claus Christmas figural lightbulbs, from the 1930s-40s, made of glass with hand-painted features. These were part of a string of figural holiday lights that also included a snowman and assorted fruits, made in Japan. Now, non-working, I let them hang on my Xmas tree anyway. Nobody makes Christmas lights like these anyway. A belated Merry Christmas!

67. Bottled Wellness: AGUA DE CARABAÑA

Long before we were introduced to mineral water in plastic bottles, Filipino in the peacetime era were discovering the many health benefits of Agua de Carabaña, mineral water in clear glass or aqua bottles, from the Carabaña Springs of Spain. The water was believed to have curative and medicinal properties that it was soon being commercially bottled in the early 20th c. to America and Europe. Agua de Carabaña was available only in boticas and farmacias in the Philippines and was used to cure all sorts of ailments--from kidney problems, stomach ills and even as an abortifacient!

Today, mineral water is so commonplace in the Philippines and its only use is to assuage thirst. Old colored bottles with the familiar Agua brand name in relief are easy to find; but unlike plastic bottles which are being resold for recycling, Agua de Carabaña bottles are for antique collecting!

52. PLAZA LUNCH Advertising Pocket Mirror

Celluloid pocket mirrors were favorite advertising giveaways of establishments like Plaza Lunch, a Manila restaurant established in 1914, touted as "The Only Place In The Orient"--whatever that means. Though popular in its time, I have not uncovered much information about Plaza Lunch, but a lot can be told about its manager-founder, American Fred M. Harden. Harden married Filipina Esperanza Perez in 1917, and together they started several successful businesses, acquiring prime real estate and valubale property. In 1938, they stopped living together. In connivcance with another Filipino, Fred spirited away cash and assets from his wife, thus committing fraud in the administration of their conjugal ownership of properties. Sued by his wife in a case that reached the Supreme Court, Harden was subsequently jailed at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.

"Mirror, mirror in my pocket, whose criminal case is in the docket?.."

35. THE INSULATOR COLLECTOR

When, as a kid, we used to go to Manila via the old MacArthur Highway, I would often see these aquamarine-colored glass knobs on top of the electric wooden poles lining the road. I would often wonder what those pretty little things were, until I found a similar piece in my grandfather's tool cabinet. I was the told that these were glass insulators used to insulate wires. Technology has made obsolete these glass insulators, but not to collectors who rediscovered these as late as the 1970s and turned them into hot collectibles (a rare glass insulator sold at a staggering $22,500 at a U.S. auction) .

Coming in different colors, various sizes, and unusual shapes, they are often used as paper weights or as sun catchers, to be displayed alongside other bottle collections. I only have four examples, of clear and aqua-colored glass. But there are other color variations like amber, pink and cobalt blue. Expect to pay from 50 to 500 pesos for a glass insulator --that is, if you can find one here (I did find one, at Makati Cinema Square).