| Learn more about Thimbles with Slogans |
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THERE ARE 33 "LEARN MORE ABOUT..." TOPICS
Brass Advertising |
British Placenames |
British Royalty on Thimbles |
British Silversmiths |
Charles May |
Christmas |
Coalport
Dorcas Thimble Boxes |
Easter |
Gadgets |
Francesca |
Hallmarked Thimbles set |
Miscellaneous Thimbles |
'Mother'
The World's Greatest Porcelain Houses |
Royal Albert |
Royal Crown Derby |
Royal Doulton |
Royal Worcester Handpainted Thimbles
Royal Worcester Decal Thimbles |
S + H Foskett |
Silver Advertising Thimbles |
Spode |
Stratnoid |
SylvaC
Thimble Books |
Thimble Collectors Club |
Thimble Societies |
Thimbles with Slogans
Thimblefuls |
Victorian Silver Scenic Thimbles |
Wedgwood Jasperware |
Wedgwood Bone China
THERE ARE 21 PAGES OF THIMBLES & OTHER ITEMS TO BUY
aluminium 1 |
books 1 |
brass 1 |
china 6 |
display cases 1
needlework tools 2 |
other collectables 1 |
pewter 1 |
plastic 1
silver 3 |
steel & metal 1 |
unusual materials 1 |
wood 1
Click on a photo to see a bigger picture
INTRODUCTION -
THIMBLES WITH SLOGANS
| Introduction |
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I have always been fascinated with slogans, mementoes, inscriptions, mottos or keepsake messages on thimbles, with sayings using the language of love. It was only when I acquired my first MIZPAH thimble, that I began to look at these thimbles with lettering around the rims, more closely. Mizpah is a Hebrew blessing "May the Lord watch between me and thee whilst we are absent one from another". [Genesis 31.v49] Go back in time, when women were closely chaperoned, to the Victorian era and picture a young man in love. How was he to plead his love? A gift of a thimble with a word or phrase was not too personal and if it was accepted, he knew he could then pay suit. So we get a glimpse of this bygone era and its manners with these unique themed thimbles. Some of these tokens of love were given when parting and there may be several sad stories attached to a few of these messages. The messages on the 17th century thimbles have now passed into oblivion. By sheer serendipity when paging thru von Hoelle, on p296 I noticed his list of these inscriptions for the first time. So that's where this listing began and then I included those from Holmes from p180 and Zalkin p83-5. Di Pelham Burn produced a list of brass messages in the May 1999 issue of At Your Fingertips. I have now tracked over 134 different slogans or mottos. Where there is no photo, I have included where the reference was found. My perception of slogan thimbles was that they were Victorian and made of brass with a few made of silver. Now I know they were made mainly of silver, closely followed by brass. The thimbles are mostly English and produced mainly in the Victorian era. French has always been associated with the language of love, so there is a small collection of French slogans, followed by those in German and Spanish, with one or two in Italian, Norwegian and Dutch. I have included slogans from all countries, all periods, in all languages [including a rough translation - if I have gone wrong, please help]. The only example I have not included is for 'Souvenir' which tho very prolific, doesn't have the romantic implications of this thematic study. The most popular slogan is FORGET-ME-NOT. The material ranges from silver to tombac and brass but I have only seen two gold slogan thimbles [not many were made in case she didn't accept his thimble?] At the other end of the metal spectrum, I have only come across a few of aluminium and one plastic slogan thimble. Many of the brass thimbles were late 19th C and probably made by England's Charles Iles. As most of the silver thimbles were made pre-1884 when hallmarking for thimbles came into force in England, it is nearly impossible to know when these thimbles were made or who they were made by. The lettering is usually in upper case, plain letters, but Gothic lettering was also quite popular. I have also included the gold REGARD thimble - there is no lettering, rather the setting of six gemstones around the rim spells out the word Regard. Recently a 2nd one of this type emerged with DEAREST, created using 7 stones, tho no lettered message. With this subject already being such a big one, I have not included many slogan thimbles from the late 20th century [ie the Franklin Mint set], nor those made in reproduction. These replica thimbles of the 20th century are made mainly of pewter, tho there are a few in silver, like those made in 1986 by Charterhouse Mint. Political and advertising slogans are also out of the scope of this small study. In the Museum of Sydney, Bridge Street Sydney, there was a display in 1999 of base metal and brass thimbles excavated from The Rocks area. Where these thimbles have a message, I have noted this with the description. I notice that on some of the early silver thimbles - from 16th century - the slogan is lettered upside down. Was this so that the sewer could read the message whilst she sewed, as the message would be facing her? Three facets of Victorian life were FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY. This darling little boxed brass set of thimbles by Charles Iles, has a set of these values or slogans. Traditionally these also had symbols: faith by a cross - hope by an anchor - and charity by a heart.
I have only come across two examples of a slogan thimble where a Rebus image is used: where a pcitogram is used instead of words. See "Stick to me" and "Tho absent I..."! Have you ever been given a slogan thimble from a loved one? Some of the detail or lettering is so fine or feint, that you should click on the photo for a clearer picture. |
| Thimbles with Slogans |
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
a gift
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a gift of love
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a keepsake / a keep sake
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a present
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| a toi pour l’eternite
yours for eternity
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a token of friendship
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accept
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accept a trifle
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| acuerdate de mi
remember me [Spanish]
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| all for her
love
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always faithful
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always friends
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| amitie
friendship
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| amor
love
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| amor eterno
eternal love
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| andenken
remembrance or souvenir
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be happy
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be kind
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be merry & wise
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be not idell
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be trw in love as tvrtl dove
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benevolence
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blessing/s attend you
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charity
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constancy
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contentment
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dearest
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dinna forget
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do not lose me
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do unto others as you would have them do unto you
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| erindring
memory
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esteem
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ever dear
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ever true
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| ewig dein
ever yours
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excelsior
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faith
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faith till death keepe
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fare well
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fare ye well
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fear god / feare god
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fidelity
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for a friend
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for auld lang syne
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forever yours
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| forget me not
each thimble has a slightly different band
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friends
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friendship
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from a friend
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| gage d'amitie
bond of friendship
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| gedenke mein
think of me or remember me
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generosity
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gift of friendship
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god be with you
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god help us
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god is love
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good luck
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goodwill
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| gott mit dir
god be with you
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happiness
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happiness & home
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honour the brave
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hope
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humility
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i live in hope
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i love you
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i protect
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i shall return
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i think of thee
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i welcome thee
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i wis it better
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| ich liebe dich / vergiss mein nicht
i love you / forget me not
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i'll marry you
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in memory of
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in remembrance
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industry
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keep me bright
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keep sake
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| le temps passe souvenir
time passes memories remain [French]
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| lebewohl
farewell
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lende me not if you love me
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like mee
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live and let live
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live in love
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loose no tyme
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love
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love and live pray and prosper
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love forever
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love god
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love is all
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love one another
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love united us
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love vertue
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may happiness attend you
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may you be happy
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| mein gedenke
my thoughts
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| mi amor ceguira hasta la tunba
my love will continue to the grave [Spanish]
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| mizpah
this is Laban's prayer/blessing on parting "May the Lord watch between me and thee whilst we are absent, one from the other"
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my hart is yours
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| ne m'oublie pas
forget me not
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| n'oublions jamais 1914
never let us forget
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| pense a moi
think of me
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persevere
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perseverance
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| profitez du tems/temps
make the most of time
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prosperity
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protect
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providence
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| qui m'aime me suive
he who loves me let him follow me
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| recuerdo
memory [Spanish]
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regard
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regards
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remember me
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remembrance
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reward
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reward for me
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reward for merit
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| ricordo
memory [Italian]
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| semper fideles
always faithful
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sincerity
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soe not sleping
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| soyez heureux
be happy
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| soyons fidele a l'amour
let us be faithful to love
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stick to me
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ter na gedachtenis
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tho absent ever dear
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tho absent I forget thee not
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thoust my love in hert
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to my love
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| toujours fideles
ever faithful
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truth
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unis pour tourjours
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| vaartwel vergeet mij niet // vart wel vergiet my niet
farewell forget me not [Dutch]
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| vergeet mij niet
forget me not [Dutch]
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| vergiss mein nicht / vergissmeinnicht
forget me not
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| vinger in den hoed wie meedoet
put your finger in the hat [thimble] and play with us [Dutch]
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| wandelt op rozen
walk on roses [Dutch]
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welcome
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will you be mine
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will you try me
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with esteem
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with love
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with regard
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worcke is profitable
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yours truly
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| zum geschenk
gift for you
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| zur erinnerung
for remembrance
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DO YOU KNOW ANY MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIMBLES WITH SLOGANS?
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SLOGAN THIMBLES NOT MENTIONED? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SLOGAN THIMBLES NOT PICTURED or a CLEARER PICTURE? EMAIL thimbleselect@bigpond.com TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE. |
Contributors
Bernadine Biske | Carolyn | Sue Christensen | Helga Hill | C Hunt | William Isbister | Kit Froebel | Friedy Kamp | Caroline Meacham | Ray Nimmo | Ro Olbricht | Di Pelham Burn | Norma Spicer | Steve | Joanna Waciorski | Mickey Walbrun | Sue Wilson
References
Christina Bertrand Brass thimbles (TCI) 1986
Frederique Crestin-Billet La folie des Des a Coudre 2003
Cecile Dreesman Een vingerhoedje...A thimble full 1983
Edwin Holmes History of thimbles 1985
Magdalena and William Isbister The "merchant's warehouse" fable TCI Bulletin spring 2007
Diane Pelham Burn Brass message thimbles At Your Fingertips 15/1, May 1999; 15/2, Sept 1999
Norma Spicer Another rare and unusual thimble Stick to me TCI Bulletin spring 2006
Thimble Society [of London] catalogues
John von Hoelle Thimble collector’s encyclopedia 3rd ed. 1986
Estelle Zalkin Zalkin’s handbook of thimbles & sewing implements 1988
This listing of Thimbles with Slogans does not purport to be complete or accurate in all aspects. Rather it invites comment and contribution to add to our knowledge. My thanks to the contributors.
Enjoy!
© Sue Gowan
November 2005
THERE ARE 33 "LEARN MORE ABOUT..." TOPICS
Brass Advertising |
British Placenames |
British Royalty on Thimbles |
British Silversmiths |
Charles May |
Christmas |
Coalport
Dorcas Thimble Boxes |
Easter |
Gadgets |
Francesca |
Hallmarked Thimbles set |
Miscellaneous Thimbles |
'Mother'
The World's Greatest Porcelain Houses |
Royal Albert |
Royal Crown Derby |
Royal Doulton |
Royal Worcester Handpainted Thimbles
Royal Worcester Decal Thimbles |
S + H Foskett |
Silver Advertising Thimbles |
Spode |
Stratnoid |
SylvaC
Thimble Books |
Thimble Collectors Club |
Thimble Societies |
Thimbles with Slogans
Thimblefuls |
Victorian Silver Scenic Thimbles |
Wedgwood Jasperware |
Wedgwood Bone China
THERE ARE 21 PAGES OF THIMBLES & OTHER ITEMS TO BUY
aluminium 1 |
books 1 |
brass 1 |
china 6 |
display cases 1
needlework tools 2 |
other collectables 1 |
pewter 1 |
plastic 1
silver 3 |
steel & metal 1 |
unusual materials 1 |
wood 1
Any questions or comments?
thimbleselect@bigpond.com
I do not offer any type of valuation or advice on prices.
| Last updated 13 December 2011 |