Vintage Holt-Howard Collectibles

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In 1949, three college friends launched the Holt-Howard Company with a family loan of $9,000 to import and sell kitschy decorative objects. Robert Howard was in charge of developing products and sourcing, his brother John Howard handled sales,...
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In 1949, three college friends launched the Holt-Howard Company with a family loan of $9,000 to import and sell kitschy decorative objects. Robert Howard was in charge of developing products and sourcing, his brother John Howard handled sales, and their friend Grant Holt managed the financial side of the business. Beginning with lines of Christmas decor, like the candle-powered spinning chimes dubbed “Angel-abra,” Holt-Howard’s brand of cute housewares quickly took off. Most of the company’s business was done through specialty gift shops, department stores, and directly through its catalogs. During the mid-1950s, Holt-Howard opened a showroom in the Manhattan Gift Center and began to shift its production from the United States to Japan to save on costs. While Holt-Howard continued to turn out a variety of Christmas-themed tableware—such as its Santa or angel-shaped pitcher-and-mug sets, candle holders, planters, salt and pepper shakers, ashtrays, and cookie jars—the company also branched out into non-seasonal ceramics, such as the Pixieware line of condiment containers that debuted in 1958. Featuring tops mounted with elfin cartoon heads, Holt-Howard’s Pixieware was such a success that the Davar Company produced a line of detailed knock-offs in 1959, along with a plethora of lesser imitations by Lefton, Betson, Napco, and more. Other popular Holt-Howard series included the Cozy Kittens, Merry Mouse, and Red Rooster “Coq Rouge” dinnerware. Many vintage Holt-Howard ceramics are marked with a date and copyright, and some pieces included an oval or rectangular foil label reading “HH Japan.” The company caused a brief uproar in 1973 with the release of its Nixon coffee mug, which featured an image of a three dollar bill with former President Nixon’s face at the center. Though it was a hot seller, federal agents notified the company that the design violated currency laws and seized several unsold shipments of the mugs. The Holt-Howard Company was...
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