Collectibles-General (Antiques)/Good Luck thimble

Advertisement

Expert: - 5/1/2011


Question

GOOD LUCK thimble
May 1, 2011
Hi Irene,
Seeking your expertise...
My grandmother gave me many thimbles years ago. There is one in particular  that I cannot identify the metal, year or manufacturer. It is lightweight metal. Silver. It has a banner like scroll with the words GOOD LUCK engraved in it in a nice font. I cannot locate any other markings on the interior or other areas. Could you help me learn its history. I have attached 1 image - I can send additional if you prefer.
Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards,
Diane

Answer
Hello Diane,
Firstly, let me apologize for not responding sooner.  We were away this past weekend and upon arrival home, my IN box was overloaded with queries and business.  Your query seemed to have got buried and I did not find it until this morning.

Thank you for including detailed information and for the photo -- this helps a great deal.  Your thimble I believe is not silver but rather what we call "pot metal" or perhaps aluminum.  It dates to the Victorian Era (1837 - 1901) and I'd peg it at late 1800's.  Because there are no markings on the thimble, it is difficult to be 100% sure of the Provenance but from the style and appearance it appears to be American.  

This type of thimble, with the text would most likely have been a give-away or premium. When ladies purchased an item from the likes of the Needlewoman Magazine or Homecraft Magazine, they were enticed to buy by the free premiums.  Many of these premiums were thimbles or other needlework tool.

Regards,
Irene
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentIrene provided very good background information for an item that I had difficulty gathering.


  • Add to this Answer
  • Ask a Question

Irene Schwall

Expertise

I have been a collector of antique sewing tools and thimbles for over 30 years. I am also a dealer in this field and sell on eBay under the name -- serengeti2. I am NOT, and I repeat NOT an expert on antique or vintage domestic household sewing machines used for everyday home sewing. I can offer help when it comes to TOY or miniature collectible sewing machines ONLY.

Experience

See information provided above.

Organizations
Thimble Collectors International
SCTC - Southern California Thimble Club
SDTC - San Diego Thimble Club
OTS - Ohio Thimble Seekers
Priscilla Nutmeggers - CT/MA/NH
Dorset Thimble Society - UK
Rund um den Fingerhut - Germany
www.925/1000.com
Cyberthimble on Yahoo



Publications
I belong to Thimble Collectors International & I chair the committee 'Publishing/Grants' and oversee the research and publication of booklets relating to sewing tools and thimbles. I have also had articles published on needlework related topics.

Education/Credentials
See information provided above.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.