of vintage Florida souvenirs and
advertising that are popular
collectibles. Among the more
popular categories are pennants,
decals, alligator products, ashtrays,
salt & pepper shakers, scarfs,
tablecloths,
tourist art,
matchcovers,
glasses,
View-Masters,
bumper
stickers, flip
calendars,
license plate
toppers,
orange
blossom
perfume,
lighters,
snowdomes…
the list goes
on and on!
The variety
of Florida souvenirs from this era
is astounding. While pennants and
decals were the staple of Florida
souvenir shops, collectors of
Florida memorabilia have a wide
range of interests. Many collectors
specialize either in a specific type
of collectible or concentrate on a
specific attraction.
There is no Florida attraction
that produced more souvenirs than
Silver Springs. From the 1930s
through the 1970s, Silver Springs
was the king of merchandising,
producing an incredible array of
fantastic souvenirs and advertising
material. I personally have over
800 different pre-1970 Silver
29
Springs
items. Of
course, my
favorites are
the many
unique
advertising
pieces Silver
Springs
produced,
such as the
1933 mini
diorama and
different
types of
mileage
meters they
placed in
restaurants and motels throughout
the south from the 1930s to the
early 1960s.
The Ross Allen Reptile Institute,
part of the Silver Springs complex
of attractions, was a leading
manufacturer and wholesaler
of alligator products and other
unique Florida souvenirs. The Ross
Allen gift shop offered an amazing
variety of native Florida souvenirs.
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