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Page 18 The Antique Shoppe October, 2019
THE RIBBON LADY RESURGENCE Making the wall art, at first the scraps

By: Dorothea Killian were attached by stitching. Later glue
was used in construction as well. Mostly
North Port, FL— Some old things are just examples will present on a dark background.
too good to not be new again. Take issue with In my research I'm intrigued that the artist's
an interesting phenomenon that used ribbons to personality is very evident in this Folk Art
create portraits known among collectors as the by the great variety and subtle differences
antique Ribbon Ladies or Ribbon in each creation. In the
Dolls. At least one hundred years examples shown here we
ago, our ancestors (usually the include some with real hair
women) cut images of current and tiny flowers made from
fashions from newspapers the thinnest of ribbons. If
and from magazines such as you look closely, you can
Godey's. Or some of these Folk see a pretty young woman,
Artists traced figures from a bridal portrait, and what To commemorate a
book illustrations. They all appears to be a lady of the bride’s big day.

A Ribbon Lady wall art made painstakingly planned out their high-born gentry. These
from a kit. designs and embellished them Ribbon Dolls were found
into charming wall art. This Folk at Vintage Finders Warehouse in North Port. As interest grows
Art was a pastime which enhanced a home's decor by using up in Folk Art of the past, we may want to check out some Folk
scraps of fabrics, laces, beads, buttons, feathers, hair, and what Art of the present there as well. There we can enjoy old and
have you. Often the finished projects were framed and became Very fancy lady of the gentry. new Folk Art, including a booth overflowing with Steam Punk
mementos of events, or treasured gifts for loved ones and friends. creations, or Diane and Dean
But a few are mementos of family members who had passed on. Castellano’s paint-to-order
This Folk Art thrived up and through Victorian times. In the 1920s-30s, furniture workshop. If you
kits were sold which included generic printed figures similar to paper dolls on are interested in old and
thicker paper with instructions to complete your three-dimensional wall art. new Folk Art look into their
One company was named Lee and they produced a kit without notions, for Vintage Finders Warehouse
only ten cents, if you had the sewing supplies at home waiting to be used. So, at 106 Innovation Ave, North
for many decades, this Folk Art flourished in homes across America as people Port, FL and on Facebook, or
used-up leftover materials and threw away fewer possessions. They'd remake call 941-228-8112.
clothing, construct quilts and rugs, neckties. My mother would save bits and
pieces of her sewing well into the 21st century because "Don't throw away Diane painting a
today what you may need tomorrow." cabinet to order.

Children Hobble-Wobbled Atop The Wibbler

By Larry LeMasters, LeMasters’ Antique News Service

Harold Katz, of St. Louis, After some serious market Wibble
Missouri, sat watching children research, Katz changed the name dance,
play with a Hula-Hoop in 1958 and of his toy from Wibbler to Hobble- or play
wished he had been lucky enough Wobble, which fit since to move Wibble
to invent such a wonderful and down a surface, a child sort of games”
moneymaking toy. Katz put all of hobble-wobbled atop the Wibbler. on the
his imaginative skills to use and Katz’s application for a patent Wibbler. Wibbler, walking toy, circa 1960, in original
invented the Wibbler, for which he stated, “In using the toy, the child store packaging. This unusual toy was offered
applied for a patent in 1958 and places his feet on the platforms on eBay for $13.
received the patent in 1960. and attempts to establish a valance
The Wibbler (manufactured by on the nonskid caps, which serve “Anything you can advertisement,
The Wibbler Company) (described as balancing points. Once he do on your own two which was printed
as “distantly related to stilts, half establishes balance, the child feet is lots more FUN in many magazines
from 1958 – the
cousin to a Pogo Stick, sister to the attempts to walk, much in the ON THE… Wibbler.”
Bongo Board”) sold an amazing manner of walking on stilts.” Suggested dances early 1960s.
Today a Wibbler,
55,000 units, at $1.98 each, in its Wibbler packaging stated a child and games included
first two months on the market. could “Wibble walk, Wibble race, Cha-Cha, Rock’n in mint condition,
epitomizes the lost
Roll, Charleston,
Wheelbarrow, Follow toys of the 1950s
and, with original
the Leader, and Race
Backwards. packaging, is
valued in the range
Wibblers were
made of hard plastic of $8 - $15 and can
usually be found on
and were colored
bright red or blue, so eBay.
collectors will want
both colors. Wibbler Wibbler advertisement
Reverse side of Wibbler packaging, showing the many fun things a child may do collectors also search in Modern Living
while atop a Wibbler—walk, dance, race, and dance. for original Wibbler magazine, circa 1960.