Boop-boop-boop-ee-doop!

Made of pen and ink, 

She can win you with a wink

Ain't she cute?

Boop-boop-boop-ee-doop!

Sweet Betty!

Betty Boop's theme song, Fleischer Studios, 1930s

Next-to-New currently has a bevy of beautiful Betty Boops ready to win you with their collective winks.  Betty Boop is best known as a very curvaceous flapper in a brief strapless dress and an always visible garter.  However this iconic Betty existed only for three short years and, despite the fact that no new cartoons staring the big-hearted (and big-headed) Betty have been produced for decades, she remains one of the most popular and recognizable cartoon characters.

Betty made her first public appearance in 1930 in the Fleischer Studios cartoon "Dizzy Dishes," as a night club singer in the form of an anthropomorphic dog with floppy ears and a black dog nose. Her ears soon evolved into hoop earrings and her puppy nose turned into her more familiar button one as Betty became the sometime girlfriend for Bimbo and often appeared with Koko the Clown. The black and white cartoons were designed for adult audiences and Betty's carefree and innocent sensuality made her one of the most popular cartoon characters of the era, resulting in her own series in 1932. However, the introduction of the National Legion of Decency and the Production Code in 1934 ended Betty's appearance as a flirtatious free-spirited flapper. Betty now wore a more modest dress, her winks, wiggles, and garter disappeared, and she was given a new cast of more wholesome friends, including a puppy named Pudgy and an elderly man called Grampy. The cartoons were aimed more toward children and the revised Betty quickly declined in popularity, the last Betty Boop cartoon appearing in 1939.  Unsuccessful attempts have been made over the years to reintroduce the Boopster, such as colorizing her original black and white cartoons, but the resurgence in her popularity is credited with the availability of her original cartoons on home video and the Internet.  Betty's colorful and curvy image can be found on a wide variety of goods, from clothing to decorative items, but the new Betty is often slimmed down and endowed with longer limbs and a more prominent bust to suit modern tastes.

One consistent Internet rumor about Betty Boop is that she was based on Esther Jones, an African-American performer of the late 1920s known for her scat singing.  This claim is often accompanied by what appears to be an authentic old photograph of a dark-complected woman in iconic Betty Boop dress and makeup.  However, the picture is not old, but a contemporary work by Retro Atelier, a photography collective that specializes in creating vintage-looking photographs and portraits.     There is an Esther Jones connection, however.  In 1932, singer Helen Kane, who was white, filed suit claiming that Betty Boop was based on her image as the "The Boop-Oop-A-Doop Girl."  During the trial, the defense presented evidence that Kane's vocal style was not unique and that Jones had sung in the same girlish manner, including the signature "boop-oop-a-doo," before Kane (in fact, Kane's manager during the trial admitted that Kane has seen Jones perform before beginning to "boop").

So... If you want to see 

Just a perfect little she. . . 

come by Next-to-New to. . . get a view of Sweet Betty! 

Iconic

It is not often that beauty and utility can be combined in one object, but this large and lovely  shoulder bag is as artsy as it is useful.  By the Los Angeles company Icon, this fine-quality leather purse has all-season styling, which makes it the perfect year-round accessory, from a carry-on for a summer vacation flight to attending the office holiday party.

Icon entered the fashion scene with a flourish in 1999 by introducing the first of its art-printed leather products, the Andy Warhol Campbell Soup Sneaker.  Icon incorporates classic and contemporary art works on its high-quality fine-fashion leather shoes, handbags, and accessories. Using only licensed art pieces, Icon's products are produced in limited quantities, ranging from 50 to 200 pieces per style.  So purse is both uncommon and collectible.  

This unusual and unique accessory is in excellent condition and comes with its own protective Icon storage bag.  It is truly next to new and it is on offer at Next-to-New for far less than its original retail price!  It is the perfect purchase for a fashion icon. 

The Wright Stuff

These delightful dishes in an array of enticing colors are the epitome of mid-century modern. They are examples of the American Modern line created by American industrial designer Russel Wright (1904 – 1976).  Wright was instrumental in introducing this sleek, sophisticated, yet casual, modern design to the average American home.  Beginning in the late 1920s, Wright designed everything from furniture to textiles and worked in a wide variety of materials, from wood and pottery to modern creations such as aluminum and melamine.  He considered the dinner table the center of home life and that is no doubt why he is best remembered for his dishware. 

In 1939, he introduced his American Modern dinnerware line, produced by Steubenville Pottery Company in Ohio. The unadorned pieces with a streamlined curves and array of mix and match colors were made in affordable earthenware and were an huge success. Produced over the next 20 years, American Modern was one of the most popular lines of tableware ever produced in America.

Many American Modern pieces have small firing flaws or bubbles in the colorful glazes, enhancing their hand-made appeal.  Although the earthenware made the American Modern line affordable, the low-fire material is sadly subject to chips.  However, this sensational set at Next-to-New is in amazing condition for this type of dinnerware.  

Although Steubenville stopped offering American Modern in 1959, this timeless style has seen a revival.  In 2001, Oneida introduced a line based on Wright's dish designs, including American Modern  (now discontinued) and Bauer Pottery of California is currently creating reproductions of the American Modern line.  However, you can see (and buy) the authentic originals at Next-to-New (and frankly for less than the contemporary copies).

Birds of a Feather. . .

. . flock together, except in this case these beautiful birds have feathers of glowing glass or crystal.  The first of this fascinating flock are from France, made by the Sabino Crystal Company.  The company was founded by Marius Sabino, who was born in Italy in 1878, but came to France as a child.  He studied at the L'Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs and the Beaux Arts de Paris, and following WWI, founded a factory manufacturing light fixtures.  It was there that Sabino developed his signature opalescent glass with blue and golden tones, depending on the light.  He expanded his production to include art deco-inspired figurines and sculptures.  Sabino died in 1961, but the company continues to produce opaline glass using his designs.  

Some of these charming chickadees carry their original Sabino labels, as well as the company's engraved signature.

Also flying in from France are these frosted delicate doves by Lalique.

This magnificent Murano glass seagull swooping over the curling crest of a wave immigrated from Italy.  Of glimmering glass, this hand-blown bird carries the Murano label and is signed and dated by the artist.

This stylized bird of brilliant blue glass was designed by artist Oiva Toikka and hand made by the Finnish glassware company iittala.  It is the epitome of the simple and clean lines of Finnish design.

Come by Next-to-New to visit these birds before they fly off our shelves to their new homes!

Good Scents

This beautiful bottle is by the famous French company Lalique. The stunning stopper is molded to resemble the fragile booms of the lily of the valley ("muguet" in French), an emblem of affection. The gleaming clear body of the bottle contrasts with the soft glow of the frosted flowers. This design was introduced in 1931.

Lalique, renown today for its fine crystal and jewelry, as well as other luxury goods, was founded by René Lalique in the 1880s, who began his career as a jeweler creating delicate and striking art nouveau designs. In 1905, he opened a new shop that offered not only jewellery, but elegant glass objects as well. Lalique soon began producing elaborate perfume bottles for makers such as Coty and by the 1920s, Lalique glass was considered some of the finest in the world. After René's death in 1945, the company passed on to his son, Marc, who began manufacturing Lalique's glass designs in fine lead crystal. This sensational scent bottle has never been removed from its original packaging, which proudly carries the Lalique label.