Collecting Novelty Salt and Pepper Shakers
Novelty salt and pepper shakers have been produced in every shape and style imaginable. Explore the following pages to discover the wide, wacky world of Novelty Salt and Pepper Shakers.
In this section you will learn about the different designs used to produce S&P's. You will also learn the "Shaker Lingo" collector's use when referring to the differant shaker types they collect. The definitions below describe the majority of the 'structural types' or forms of salt and pepper sets that our members collect in the general shaker lingo that we use. These definitions do not include the various 'design types' the shakers can be in such as comic or realistic animals, realistic or anthropomorphic objects or vegetables, and so on. That could be another entire set of web page definitions one day!
Included with each definition are several photos of different shakers within each form type. Many shakers can be more than one type - such as a Longboy which is also a One Piece, a Wired Set which is also a Hanger, or any type which was created as part of a Series of several like sets.
BENCH SITTERS
The shakers, usually two people, designed to sit on the benches that were sold with the set. The S&P's main characteristic is that they are in a sitting position with their knee's bent and feet hanging down.
CARRIERS
This terms refers to both the "Carrier" and "Cart" sets. The "Carrier" is usually an animal with baskets, flowers, barrels or tool S&P's hanging from their saddles or sides. "Cart" sets which are usually a one piece animal pulling a cart or wagon, which is the base, with the S&P's sitting on the cart. Many of this type of set also includes a sugar and creamer.
CONDIMENT
Complete Condiment sets include a third container with a lid and spoon - usually for mustard or sugar - and all three pieces sit on an original tray. The third container may be part of the tray as long as it has a separate lid, such as the Pixie's on a Tree Stump Condiment where the Stump is the mustard pot with a lid. The two little angels sitting on the blue Swan mustard or sugar pot are actually a 1-Piece shaker that also serves as the lid, so this Condiment only has three pieces. Very early Condiment sets would have the mustard pot but instead of separate shaker pieces, may have small dish shaped areas formed in the base from which salt and pepper would have been dispensed with tiny spoons.
LONGBOYS & TALLBOYS
Must be at least 6" tall or long. Usually animals with narrow, elongated bodies.
MECHANICAL
Shakers that have some type functional moving part(s) that aid in the dispensing of the spices. Includes any kind of "mechanical" working part that makes the shaker perform such actions as walking, lighting up, etc.
