Arguably the most innovative decade of the 20th century would have to have been the 1950s. Cars had tailfins, sofas became angular and the dishes dinner was served on went from porcelain to the new wonder plastic, melamine.
Melamine, often referred to as Melmac, was first produced in the late1930s but met with a lukewarm response. The buying public had a bad taste in it’s mouth from previous attempts to popularize plastic dish sets. Bakelite, while sturdy, tended to discolor and casein dried out and cracked, so why should they trust Melamine?
It was an uphill battle but with massive ad campaigns and frequent factory inspections to assure quality, eventually Melamine dishes and bowls would not only become accepted, they would become the top selling dinnerware in America from 1950-1970.
One of the top collectibles in this category are the spatterware bowls from the Plastics Manufacturing Company base out of Dallas, Texas. These inexpensive bowls, manufactured from the late 1950s through most of the 1980s, were a part of the line referred to collectively as Texas Ware.
The kitchens of the ‘50s tended to be short on cabinet space. Realizing this, PMC designed their bowls with small groves in the bottom which made them easy to stack. Adding to their practical design was the fact that they were very difficult to break and their original price of $2 for a set of 3 and it is easy to see why they were and instant hit with mid-Century housewives.
Texas Ware is very easily identify by a molded, raised logo which will read: TEXAS WARE-Plastics Manufacturing Co.-Dallas, Texas USA in a circular pattern. Printed horizontally under the circle you will find the words TEXAS WARE. It is also common on mixing bowls to find a number stamped under the logo to denote the size.
Of particular interest to collectors are the spatterware or confetti-patterned bowls from the Texas Ware lines. These bowls will be a multi-color design on a white or beige background. This “spattered” effect was created by collecting scraps of Melamine from the solid color lines produced and adding them to the final mold process of the last few bowls at the end of production each day. They were, in fact, more of an after thought than a part of their regularly produced lines. These bowls have become highly desirable to fans of vintage kitchen wares who are paying $25-$40 to acquire them.
As we entered the 1980s, the use of microwave ovens and dishwashers became widespread and the popularity of melamine dishes and kitchenware quickly died.
Texas Ware is great fun to collect and safe to use if you remember these 2 facts. First, all Melamine dishware will discolor if exposed to extreme heat or acidic food and second, Melamine will shatter if placed in the microwave.
REPRODUCTION ALERT: In 2007 Rachel Ray (a long time collector of vintage Melamine) released a line of spatterware mixing bowls. Her line of “garbage bowls” are very popular and easy to find online or in department stores. They very closely resemble the original bowls from Plastic Manufacturing Company so make certain to check the bottom to see if you are looking at the real deal, or the reproduction. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com.