How you ask? It’s very simple actually. In Hake’s Americana & Collectibles' current auction, we are offering an impressive selection of caricatured mugs featuring movie stars of the 1940s.

Drink in style with mugs depicting Joan Crawford, Frank Sinatra, Pat O'Brien, Barry Fitzgerald, Jimmy Durante, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope as well as Robert Mitchum, Gabby Hayes, Red Skelton and others. The handles are often whimsical in nature, with the Crawford mugs having an Oscar statuette-like handle and Sinatra mugs with a swooning teenage fan for a handle. Each of these mugs is rare on its own, so an offering of this many at once is unheard of. 

While seeing your favorite celebrity’s image plastered on merchandise isn’t a rare occurrence these days, in the 1940s, it was a bit more difficult to obtain that special piece emblazoned with the movie star of your choice.  Luckily, there were artists like James Warren and companies like Barclay that produced lines of these mugs.  While the designs are in caricature, these stars remain easily recognizable to fans.

Hake’s auction is now open online and closes March 19-21, 2013. For more information on these items or to see the other 3,000+ items up for bid, visit our website. And be sure to check out Hake’s Facebook page, which features various sneak peeks and items available for purchase.