The Princeton Closet

07/14/2026

Back in high school, the reason some of us burned incense was far removed from why Germans burned it in these smokers. Incense was important to residents of the German Ore Mountains for both religious and pagan reasons. The Catholic Church understood that the pagan practices were an intrinsic part of local culture, so rather than trying to banish old ways, the Church Christianized them. For example, Germans used evergreen trees for winter solstice festivals, and the Catholic church morphed those into the Christmas tree. Smokers, which evolved in design from the 1830s to the 1850s, had a similar genesis. The mining industry in the area had declined, and out-of-work miners turned to woodworking as a new vocation. They made these smokers that combined pagan, religious, and secular elements into an everyday item. The smoke warded off pagan threats. The incense represented the gifts brought to the baby Jesus, and the smokers themselves were originally secular everyday working-class folk heroes.

Our smokers are from the 1970s to 1980s. The chimney sweep and flower girl are a cute couple. The lady with the teapot seems to be missing her nose. The unpainted pair are a toy seller and possibly a shepherd. The pastry chef with the music box gingerbread house would be the most valuable if he hadn’t been repaired with foaming gorilla glue. My favorite is the small chimney sweep and chimney, mainly for that look on the sweep’s face–kind of like an evil Frosty the Snowman. Nutcrackers were also a product of the Ore Mountains, and our chimney sweep is a nice example. They’re $20 a piece.

Video shows how smokers are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbQMs1ANnMQ

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

We have a nice pair of women’s Ferrini cowboy boots. Ferrini is known for bringing their Italian shoemaking expertise to western footwear, and that skill is apparent in this size 7½ Distressed Floral Cross lightly used pair.
The first thing you notice about these boots is the well-done stitching. The lighter crosses stand out nicely against the darker flowers, and the browns of the leather and heel give a complete colorway. The boots are full leather, with the lining being cowhide (vacuno) and the rest unspecified leather (cuero).
I’m a sneaker guy, so asking Google about toes and heels opened up a rabbit hole I enjoyed falling down. Our boots have square toes and 1 ½ inch block heels. Heels can be slanted or square, which originally had to do with intended use, slanted being for riding and square for ground work. Heel height was also a function of use, with lower heels good for walking and taller ones better when mounted. As for toes, pointed ones slip easily into stirrups and wider ones are good for all-day comfort. Of course today the majority of boots are bought for every-day wear and fashion, so what kind of heel or toe somebody picks is more a matter of taste and style–form over function.
The block heels on these boots aren’t on the boot heel chart. That’s because they’re not traditional heels–they were created in 1954 to solve a modern problem and keep a Western sport traditional. In the early 1950s, rodeo calf ropers started wearing ball caps because they stayed on better and sneakers for faster running. The Rodeo Cowboys Association didn’t like the look, so it enacted a strict dress code. Ropers solved the hat problem by using a stampede string which went under the chin. They went to Justin Boots and asked them to come up with a boot that ran like a sneaker. Justin used old army boot molds to make a broad low heel, and the block heel was born.
These boots are $50 in the shoe department.

07/08/2026

Christmas in July week 2 AND a lot of new donations! Hope to see you.

Promotions:
🛒Basket Days Friday & Saturday - 12 Clothing items for $8 (includes belts, bras, hats, ties, socks & spring scarves excluding special price tags).
📀CDs, DVDs & Records Buy 1, Get 2 FREE

07/08/2026

We had a request last week for Christmas trees so check out a few in the video below. Week 2 of Christmas in July at The Princeton Closet.

07/07/2026

The last time I saw Deb, she said she had something to donate that I might like. I promptly forgot about it, but last week found a small white box on my self with a post-it saying it was from Deb Lindberg. I’d never seen a Super-Chief before, but knew right away he was something special.

The Blackstone Manufacturing Company of Chicago was a well-known maker of aftermarket and replacement auto parts and accessories going back to 1946. Their business concept was to make parts that were frequently replaced, like battery clamps, cables, and fuel lines, and sell them to shops and parts stores as some early “generics.” They also made some shop tools and invented the old “puncture spouts” that were mandatory for adding oil to your engine. But they’re best known for their light-up hood ornaments in general and the Super-Chief in particular.
The Chief’s neck, back of head, and headdress are cast and chromed metal. Blackstone could have made this part more formless, but knew it would be in constant view of the driver, so they made it in full relief. You can see the weaving of his braids and puckering of the material that makes the cap of his headdress. The scallops on the leading edge match up with the double layered white feathers. There’s a notched blue band painted along the INSIDE edge of the feathers where they meet up with the head, giving it even more depth. The Chief’s face is proud and strong, and wears a Mona Lisa smile.

The Chief was made from 1950 to 1955, designed primarily for Pontiac Chieftains and Streamliners. A safety law made red lights on the front of a vehicle illegal, so Blackstone stopped production, but because they were an aftermarket manufacturer, they didn’t have to recall the Chief or offer clear replacement parts like Pontiac was required to do.

I wish I could ask Deb how she got the Chief, who its original owner was, and if there was ever a plan to get a car to go under him. The original owner was probably either Deb’s dad or father-in-law. I can picture some guy in the early ‘50s, lusting after a Chieftain he couldn’t afford yet. Got the Super-Chief as a start, but life happened and the ornament stayed in its box until now.

What’s the Super-Chief worth? I tend towards the low end pricing most of the stuff I post about, but this isn’t your average piece. The box has deteriorated, but having it even as it is, along with the bulb and socket, mounting hardware still in the original envelope, and instructions with drilling template, is Certificate of Authenticity enough. When I checked eBay last week, the highest priced Super-Chief was $800, and that listing is gone now. There’s one for $680 with shipping, and the ornament is new but there’s no box. Another one has the box but is used. None are as complete as ours. I think $700 is a fair price.

https://grant-johnsonfh.com/obits/deborah-rae-lindberg/

07/06/2026

Will be adding FREE items all morning.

The Princeton Closet

07/05/2026

The Princeton Closet team will do our monthly price reductions and movement of merchandise. Items will be outside for FREE beginning at 9am on Monday, July 6th.

07/05/2026

Few more pics from the parade today! Thank you The Princeton Closet staff & volunteers for being part of this special day! 🇺🇸💙

07/05/2026

The Princeton Closet was excited to be part of the parade today. Thank you Princeton Tourism!