During the period of 1880 to 1925, there was one place in every town that was the principal gathering place for men from all walks of life.
Part service station, part town hall, the barbershop was a place where men could get their daily shave or monthly haircut, hear the local news, make contacts, and be a part of their community.
Despite the steady decline of the barbershop since the introduction of safety razors, continued interest in this classic institution has led to the current peak in the market for barbershop memorabilia.
Barbershop memorabilia includes anything originally used by barbers and their patrons during the heyday of the American barbershop.
Search for barbershop memorabilia on eBay.
These items include shaving mugs, barber bottles, razors, horsehide and leather strops, furniture, towel steamers, blade receptacles, paper vases, shaving bowls, shaving brushes, advertising items, brushes, and combs.
Although interest in this field is at its current peak, collectors of barbershop memorabilia have been around since the 1930s and 1940s.
The marketplace for barbershop memorabilia centers around a few specialized dealers, traditional auction houses, and of course, eBay.
One traditional auction house, Glass-works Auctions in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, has been handling collections of barbershop memorabilia for years and produces beautiful color catalogues for their twice-yearly sales.
Collecting Shaving Mugs
Intricately decorated mugs that depict an unusual image or occupation are at the top level of the market. While most shaving mugs can be found in the $200-300 range, collectors pay a premium for wonderful images and intricate designs.
One collector paid $4,510 for an occupational shaving mug in 1999 that depicted a barbershop scene. A rare and unusual mug with a wonderful image in great condition can bring as much as $6,000-8,000 at auction or in a private sale.
The set of nine painted shaving mugs pictured at the top of this page sold for USD $3,750 in 2016 through Heritage Auctions.
Collecting Barber Bottles
Decorated glass barber bottles are another great example of the market for barbershop memorabilia. These bottles originally contained witch hazel, hair tonic, toilet water and shampoo, among other liquids.
Like the mugs, they are beautifully decorated, but tend to be less individualized. Prices vary according to the rarity of the form and decoration and can range from $50 to $5000.
An attractive but common colored glass barber bottle would be one having a simple form, with a dot pattern and floral spray decoration.
Examples of unusual decoration would be a barber bottle decorated with a woman holding a guitar, or a pair of crossed American flags. A recent rare example with beautiful decoration sold recently in the February/March 2000 sale at Glass-works Auctions for $2,860.
Barbershop Furniture
Barbershop furniture such as hydraulic chairs circa 1900 can be found on eBay in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.
A back bar is another essential piece of barbershop furniture. The back bar was used as the barber’s work station, and is an elaborately carved piece of furniture fitted with a large mirror, small drawers and towel bars. And of course, no barbershop would be complete without at least one mug rack.
Avid collectors of barbershop memorabilia have been known to re-create barbershops in a specially designated room in their home.
A large collection of shaving mugs and bottles looks best in its natural setting, and these collectors enjoy re-creating the feeling of a late 19th/early 20th century barbershop.
For those steeped in nostalgia, it’s the next best thing to being in this authentic American meeting place, one that has all but disappeared.
Search for barbershop memorabilia on eBay.
Further Reading:
The Shaving Mug & Barber Bottle Book: With Value Guide by Keith Estep
The American Barbershop: A Closer Look at a Disappearing Place by Mic Hunter
Barbershop: History and Antiques by Christian Jones
The Barbershop Singer: Inside the Social World of a Musical Hobby by Robert Stebbins
The Vanishing American Barber Shop: An Illustrated History of Tonsorial Art, 1860-1960 by Ronald Barlow
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