11/12/2026
When thrifting, I'm constantly flipping things over. Why?
Because maker's marks on the bottom of items can tell you a LOT about an item's time period, brand, and history! Here's some more info about marks you may see on the bottom of pieces while thrifting:
-- Stickers: Often contain information on the brand or country. Even the sticker itself can be a clue, as sticker shapes, colors, and fonts change over the course of a brand's life and can be used to help date pieces. Sometimes, even the presence of a sticker vs. a stamp can help date a piece (like with Fenton).
-- Trademarks: Knowing some common trademark symbols, like these intersecting crosses for Homco, can help identify pieces even when a sticker has fallen off. And, like stickers, trademarks often change slightly over time and can therefore be used to help date pieces.
-- Mold Numbers: Typically tell us the specific mold used to make a product. Searching the mold number can usually tell you the specific name of the piece and pull up images of that piece. These images can help you figure out if an item is missing any parts.
-- Country: Knowing a bit about history and import patterns in your country can help you learn a lot about a piece! For example, because this sticker says "Made in Taiwan" and not "Made in Taiwan, ROC" or "Made in ROC," it's more likely to be post-1971. Because production of these types of items shifted to mainland China in the late 1990s (when Taiwan became more of a hub for electronic manufacturing), it's also likely that this item is pre-1996.
While these pieces are more common and it's fairly easy for someone who thrifts often to recognize these as granny's 80s holiday trinkets, these principles hold true across a variety of vintage and antique pieces, so flipping items over is a good habit to get into!
