Wednesday, November 19, 2008

CAR BUD VASE

Car Bug Vase







Q: I have two hollow glass "cones" that have a flower design on all four sides. They are 6 1/2 inches tall. I've been told they may be car vases or wall vases for the home.


A: You have a pair of vaseline glass bud vases that were meant to be attached to the inside of a car. They were often found in electric cars made from c.1903-1920. Electric cars were thought to be more suitable for women and usually had fancier interiors. Also they were cleaner and easier to operate because they didn't require cranking to get them started. Bud vases were also available as accessories for gasoline-powered cars in the 1920s. Volkswagen offered bud vases ("blumenvasen") as optional accessories during the 1950s and '60s. A plastic bud vase with an artificial flower was an optional accessory in the 1998 Beetle. You can buy bud vases today that are held onto the dashboard by a suction cup or that attach to a vent on the dashboard. A pair of old car bud vases like yours are worth about $150-$200.

3 comments:

KADES676 said...

I have a pair of hobnail milk glass but no holders... I wonder if they are car vases also, and what they are worth. I can send a photo if interested.

KADES676 said...

I have a pair of hobnail milk glass but no holders... I wonder if they are car vases also, and what they are worth. I can send a photo if interested.

Anonymous said...

When I lived in France from 1958 to 1960, the Paris taxis all had bud vases mounted on the posts between the front and back seats; and many people had them in their own cars. I don't know when the practice stopped, but probably when they got rid of the old Citroen cabs (great cars)!!