This book contains 1194 Coffee Mug images that were created by Anchor Hocking most containing the Fire King Logo and Mugs that were used in resturants across the world.
Collecting Fire King mugs is a relatively new, but rapidly growing hobby. Record prices have been paid for mugs over the past couple years. Mugs that have previously been unavailable to collectors are turning up at auctions, antique stores, collector’s shows, and especially on the internet daily. As for other hobbies there have been many resources for collectors to review and study for their collection. Because collecting mugs is a new hobby, there is little information and resources for collectors. The information in this book is valuable not only to the beginning collectors, introducing them to the wide variety of mugs that are out there, but is also a valuable tool to the advanced collector allowing him/her to know what his/her collection is worth on a secondary market.
Collecting coffee mugs is unique because they are found in virtually every household in America. We hope that this will introduce those people with collections hidden in their cupboards to the enjoyment this hobby has to offer. What makes collecting Fire King mugs so special is that of its cross collectability. Restaurants and other businesses made a wide variety of mugs over the decades. Many of the most popular mugs are those people remember from the years past. Many mainstream restaurants hold a special spot in collector’s hearts. For example, Burger King, McDonald’s, White Castle, Taco Tico, and many other franchised restaurants command top dollar when they come up for sale. Comic characters are also ones that bring in premium prices when they show up for sale. A few include Batman, Snoopy, Davy Crocket, and Bazooka Bubble gum. Many other collectors enjoy the various eye appealing colors Anchor Hocking made over the years. They not only made famous the plain white mugs with advertising decals, but they also made coffee mugs in virtually every color of the rainbow and often carefully and creatively blended colors to capture styles that were popular through the 1950’s to early 1980’s.
Fire King was marked on the bottom of Anchor Hocking’s coffee mugs from the early 1940’s to the early 1980’s. After the early 1980’s, Anchor Hocking simply marked their mugs with an Anchor and dropped the term Fire King. Some of those mugs not marked are starting to command a premium price, but die hard collectors only collect those mugs with the word Fire King clearly printed on the bottom.
Anchor Hocking made the term “oven proof” a household name in their day. Unfortunately, the invention of the dishwasher and its harsh conditions were the detrimental demise to many wonderful mugs. Collectors need to take this in account when adding new mugs to their collection. Condition and rarity are the most important aspects to determine a mug’s value.
Because of the high demand of certain mugs, collectors need to pay special attention to fantasy and unlicensed mugs. There are many hand painted mugs and those with new decals on vintage mugs fooling not only amateur, but advanced collectors. Hopefully, this book will prevent collectors from throwing away their hard earned money and allow them to invest into a vintage mug.