Witco Furniture

Hello: I am new to posting on this site. Here is a link to my Witco Furniture. At least I think it all is Witco. The Tiki bar and stools says Witco on the bottom. The Leopard has been redone on the bar and the large chair cushion. This was my parents furniture new in 1968 (the bar and stools & large chair). Then another guy had it for 20 years and covered over the Leopard. I got it back and redid the Leopard. It looks better than the photos. The flash really washes it out. The original Leopard was exactly like that on the King chair with arms. Also there is a Giant Leopard lamp shade for the lamp it just isn't on it in the picture. All of this stuff came out of the same store in Pa. The other pieces I have been collecting. I am the only one I know with this stuff so I was just curious on your thoughts. I have seen a few of the pieces on ebay over the years but some I have never seen before. thanks Scott
http://community.webshots.com/album/277581721zJZDsS

Very nice collection. I've been hitting some stores in Shrewsbury when I do work up there. Usually find a mug or two. Looks like I might have to cruise further north to find the better stuff. :)

Nice collection. What do you want to sell??

There are some good finds in shrewsberry. There are Antique malls all over south central Pa. Finding this stuff really is just luck. Not much was sold around here. The store where this stuff was sold closed several years ago. I only shop when I really have the time. Some finds are friends who go out all the time and tell me what they saw. My Parents stuff took me years to buy back from the guy who had it. That is what really got me looking for more. Our room is really full now with this much stuff in it. I need to find more stuff to hang on the wall.
I am not looking to sell any of this stuff. It took me to long to find it. The only thing I might sell is bar #2. I had to take that with some other pieces to get those. I don't really need a second bar. Just not sure what I am going to do with it yet.
I didn't post to sell stuff. I just don't know anyone else who collects Witco stuff. Just thought I would post to see your thoughts on the stuff. Thanks, Scott

Wow, that is a fine Witco collection, escpecially because it is so Tiki heavy! You were born with the Tiki version of the proverbial silver spoon in the mouth.

Which part of this was owned by your parents? I am very interested to find out the history of first owners for my upcoming Witco book. Could you please ask your parents the following:

1.) WHERE and WHEN did they buy the bar and stuff?

2.) WHY did they buy it? What did they like about it, and where did they put it?

I think Neptune Tiki was only joking with his "buy it now" offer. Neptune, did you get my envelope?
Sven

Hey Sven, Yes I recieved your envelope yesterday. . Thanks for the pictures they turned out great. I had some luck lately on some witco finds. I will post pictures of them when I get some time. thanks again. neptunetiki....was i kidding????

Hi Sven; The Tiki Bar like in your book and the large backed chair (my mom always called it the naked lady chair were the pieces my parents bought new. They also had some masks and spears with tear dropped shaped points on the ends. There was a big picture like my globe picture with a orange backround with a wood outrigger style canoe on it. (My mom probably yard saled those items in the 70s.) These items were purchased at Youngs Furniture in York Pa. They always sold the more modern and unusual furniture. The store is still there with the big letters on it. It was in town on a corner. They had a few show windows. The church my dad went to was just down the street. He said he saw it on a Sunday morning and went back that week and bought it. My parents would have been 25 or 26 years old. The furniture was in there den in the house they had then. Then we moved in 1971. It was in the living room then. We also had a tiger skined rug with a head on it with its mouth open with plastic teeth and tounge. His head unzipped to clean the rug. Also a 60s single black fur type material chair. The ones that are made out of one piece that goes up high on the back down almost to the ground at your butt then up at your legs. Has the sliding pillow on the back. I still have this couch. That was the only piece my dad kept when they moved to florida for a few years before divorcing. Anyway my mom redecorated to an oriental them in the mid 70s. The bar, stools, chair and outrigger piece went into my dads office at his car lot. In 1980 he sold the car lot and moved to Florida. The furniture stayed at the office. The guy who bought the lot had it untill last year when my dad finally convinced him to sell it to me. He had it in storage. He was using the bar as a shelf in the store room and had it to the wall backwards. He had recovered it with tan velour. I redid it when I got it back. The large chair originally had a orange cushion made out of a real rough burlap type of material. My dad started going to Daytona Beach in 1967 to see the car races. It was the bars of the time there and hotels that inspired him I think to have his own tiki bar. Funny thing is neither of my parents were drinkers. The other pieces I have gathered from Antique shops within 30 + miles of my home. It is Very hard to find around here. Mostly a farming and industrial area so not alot of wild taste back in the day. I am sure most of it came from Youngs.

Great story Tikicar. You will find lots of fellow Witco collectors here.

I am dumbfounded...York PA? You found Witco in York PA?? That boggles the mind!! Just thinking that there is a Witco bar 40 miles away from me has got me all warm and fuzzy feeling! Wow, that's a great collection! I didn't know the Amish up there decorated with Witco... :wink:

Hi John, Yes there were a few people with taste in this area. Still are but they are hard to find. There are some cool mid century modern houses in York. You just have to know where to find them. Our house is a typical brick rancher on the outside but inside it has some really cool touches of 50s-60s modern homes. We looked at some really cool homes but they were way out of our budget. We love the house and it fits our taste and style and most importantly our budget. When I started collecting furniture and stuff years ago it was hard. Now that it is popular it is really tough. Most people bought colonial furniture around here even in the 50s. I can't tell you how many estate sales I have gone to over the years with Heywood Wakefield listed to find out when I got there that it was dark old colonial furniture not blonde modern. If you Md. guys get up this way give me a shout. I am less than 10 minutes off rt 83.

Thanks Scott for the extensive post. Do you have an idea where your parents got the knack for this exotic stuff (given that your mom went oriental in the 70s)?

That outrigger wallhanging was one of Witco's big sellers, there should be quite a few out there still.

I was wondering, could one find old newspaper or magazine ads for Young furniture in York? I'd love to get an original slogan from them. The name YOUNG is so perfect, because it seems to me that the people who bought Witco were often young professionals who celebrated their financial freedom from their parents' generation by buying furniture their parents would have dismissed.

Do you know http://www.atomic-ranch.com ? It is a really well done new magazine for people like you and me who like vintage architecture and decor, and it purposely features not just high brow name designer (Eames/Miller/etc) stuff. Every issue shows well renovated mid century homes and their interiors, with lots of tips, and ads for good retro stuff. It's quarterly, I have all four issues so far, and I can really recommend it to everyone.

Hi Sven: That is an interesting question. My dad says he picked out the bar and furniture. He went to church my mom didn't. He pretty much bought the set the way it was displayed. But I wouldn't really say my dad has any taste in furniture. My mom was the person who decorated all the time. My dad worked alot of hours when we were kids (still does and I work with him) He would come home after 9 or 10 at night. He did come home for dinner at 5 then went back to the car lot. It was just a mile or so from the house. Anyway he could trip over the furniture when he got home because my mom was always rearanging stuff. The stuff my dad picked out was always more fun I guess you would say. The second house we lived in the Tiki furniture was in the living room. Mostly Christmas or get togethers is when it was used. I remember opening presents on the tiger rug in front of the fireplace with Christmas decorations on the bar. I wish there were pictures. My mom tossed everything. There are probably only 10 or less pictures of me and my brother as kids. The Tv was in the family room. That room had a 50s theme. Happy days on TV and my parents were kids in the 50s. We had a old seeburg jukebox, A large bowling machine that took up half the wall on one side. Then the other half of the room a more country theme with big wood furniture. Wagon wheel coffee table (I laugh everytime I watch when Harry met Sally) An orange ski resort style modern fireplace. It was cool as a kid but now I think confusing. So your answer I think my parents liked stuff but as for style. Well no. I don't think either one had the best taste or at least could really put stuff together. We all hated the Oriental themed living room except my mom. That is why I like the stuff I do. We try to have our house furnished like you lived in it. Not a store. So we have some extra pieces in the basement but if we find something we like better we replace something. The Tiki room is taking shape but it takes time. We have only been in this house alittle over a year.

Now don't think I am busting on my parents. They did a good job raising both my brother and I. My brother was born two weeks after my dad graduated high school. They were actually secretly married the last 3 months of high school. This was 1962. My dad worked hard to provide for us. He was a very succuessful buiness owner. And a very honest one and still is. I was born in 1968. Another mistake child. My parents stayed together untill I was 13. I think that was long enough. I hold no bad feelings about their divorce. I actually feel sad because of all the stuff they missed out on having all that responsability so young. Also as you know life was different back then. Kids went outside to play. Even in the winter time. No cable or video games. I was on my motorcycle at age 5 and as long as my school work was done. I was riding.
According to my dad. There were three Young brothers. I drove by the store yesterday. It is all boarded up. but all the signs are still on it. In youk we have a big Fair in September. It is the countrys oldest Fair and it is huge. Up untill about 10 years ago the Fairgrounds were only used a few times a year. Now they call it the York Expo center and has stuff going on every weekend. Anyway. Youngs always had a furniture display in a room in the bottom of the Grandstands. They always had pictures around the walls of years past. I never saw any show Tiki stuff but lots of modern stuff. I will try to get to the Library and see if I can find some old ads for you. They were a small store so I doubt they had the budget for big newspaper ads.
I will check out that magazine. I used to subscribe to Atomic magazine. I guess it folded because they stopped sending them. Also Echos was a good magazine as well. Thanks for the Tip. Scott

Scott, thanks for the additional info. Judging by the paint, pieces like the "Tahitian" Tiki chair and table and the "Aztec" chair were sold in the mid 70s, that's when Witco started using bolder colors.

It's a bummer that there are no pics of your youth left, I would love to have shots of actual people of the time period with Witco furniture. Would any relatives have any, maybe from Christmas?

Also, yes please take some photos of Young's for me, both of the sign and also of the whole place with boarded up windows.

Mahalo, Sven

Will do on the pictures of Youngs. Try to do it this week when we get a nice day. I have to check with my dads parents. I doubt it though. We usally went to thier house for Christmas with them. My family was never big on picture taking. If it were not for some school photos there wouldn't be any. That and my brother was a photo nut then went to college for Art and Photography but the furniture was gone by then. He just found a few of us as kids but no furniture. I will keep searching.
I was wondering about the brighter pieces. Also the chairs with the bighter paint are not painted on the backside. The large Naked Lady chair is painted front and back.
I was out getting some parts today. While I was out I stopped by one of the used furniture shops I hit on a regular basis. In the back room was a Witco wall hanging piece. three pieces. Two kind of spoon shaped pieces with faces with chains holding a canoe with a wave type of wood carving around it. I posted a pic of it on my webshots page. Excellent shape. $37.00 Also a box of two aluminim Tiki torches in their original box. Only one was ever used and that it looks like only once. $9.50 so It was a good day. Later, Scott

Sven: I talked to a friend who is on the York Heritage Trust. She is looking into finding The Young brothers or surviving relatives to see what photos etc. they have. Also going to help find old ads etc. at the library. Did you get the photos I sent? Scott

On 2005-02-21 22:28, bigbrotiki wrote:
Do you know http://www.atomic-ranch.com ? It is a really well done new magazine for people like you and me who like vintage architecture and decor, and it purposely features not just high brow name designer (Eames/Miller/etc) stuff. Every issue shows well renovated mid century homes and their interiors, with lots of tips, and ads for good retro stuff. It's quarterly, I have all four issues so far, and I can really recommend it to everyone.

Marian and I are still fans of this magazine -- we have all of their issues as well -- but we have to observe the issue we just recieved was kind of disappointing; especially because it is only a quarterly publication.

The April issue is chock-full of advertising by some great small companies -- including some of our favorite vintage and tiki-related enterprises -- but their selection of homes for the feature articles, or maybe the photographs of these homes, left us disappointed.

Surely there are more eye-popping examples of mid-century homes that could be documented by this publication. Perhaps these homes are owned by members of this board and they would be willing to have their homes documented....

Not that the homes they featured this month aren't special in some ways... its just the overall content and layout seemed to fall flat this time.

If anyone on this board feels their home is worthy of a photoshoot, I would strongly suggest contacting the editor and offering to send a few photos of your place.

We want this magazine to suceed (we even gave friends a gift subscription for Christmas), but they need more compelling homes, bigger photos, and more eductional editorial if they are going to keep us as subscribers.

Also, they need to drop the small, artsy close-up photos of flowers and plants, and show more interesting structural detail and really outstanding mid-century furnishings.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2005-03-16 09:05 ]

This seems like a good thread to announce that the recently auctioned Witco sofa and loveseat offered on e-bay will now be gracing the lobby of Geoff and Marian's Honolulu Lounge.
To transact the deal I flew out of Orlando at 5:30 this morning and was greeted at the Asheville, NC airport by sellers Tad and Suzanne. What a wonderful couple! They drove me to the bank and to two places so I could find a rental truck, and then helped me load the set. After saying goodbye, I drove for nine hours to get the set to Orlando.
Here's some photos of the furniture (we plan to put different upholstery on it) from the e-bay listing...

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2005-03-24 19:46 ]

Kailuageoff, congratulations on such a great score, that is awesome !

Oh that is just so fantastic!
And what a great story!

Do you know what pattern you're going to upholster it with yet? Some kind of animal print would look great, I'm sure you'll be able to find out what was originaly on there. Or maybe you have something different in mind already :) How exciting!

Wow! That's one hell of a sofa! Great story and an unbelievable score!

Thanks for the praise on these pieces. According to Tad, this set apparently came to North Carolina from Baltimore.

We're not sure what fabric we are going to recover it with. Before I saw the set in person, I thought the sofa had been recovered. After examining it up close, it looks like the fabric is still attached with the original upholstery nails... so maybe the fabric was original. Regardless, we need something that will look better with our other furniture so we may go with leather as opposed to animal print. I'll post photos once we have it re-done.

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2005-03-25 06:31 ]

Hearing that it came from Baltimore gives me hope that there may be a Witco enclave somewhere close-by which hasn't been tapped yet. I always thought those of us in Baltimore weren't hip enough to own any Witco! :)

On 2005-03-25 06:30, Kailuageoff wrote:
...After examining it up close, it looks like the fabric is still attached with the original upholstery nails... so maybe the fabric was original. Regardless, we need something that will look better with our other furniture so we may go with leather as opposed to animal print.

I looked trough the catalogues I have and did not find it, though Witco did use more "normal" fabrics at the time (they made this furniture between 1971-76), in contrast to their Leopard/Tiger/Zebra/Furry animal materials. There is a crushed velvet curry colored fabric that looks nice, but my vote goes for what clearly proved to work in Neptune's home: A clean red.

Any brownish/beige/golden tones will make it look like you are trying to turn the pieces towards "good taste", or "antique", softening the radicalness of it. The red really makes it look stylish, vintage and bold. Maybe a wine red leather/vinyl?

Bigbro,
Yeah, I was thinking something like red leather or vinyl as well. I really need to take Marian to Neptune's Palace so she can grasp the full potential of Witco as a comprehensive approach to home decorating....
As you can imagine, Neptune was a major motivating force behind this purchase, but I don't have plans to attempt a whole home conversion.... yet.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2005-03-25 12:58 ]

On 2005-02-20 15:56, tikicar wrote: a 60s single black fur type material chair. The ones that are made out of one piece that goes up high on the back down almost to the ground at your butt then up at your legs. Has the sliding pillow on the back. I still have this couch.

is it the corbusier chaise? yee gads!

does any one know of WITCO ever made a mask(about 3') tall with a spear coming staight out (up)(about 4' tall dver all. a second hand store here has it,$100.00. is that a good price if it is WITCO? thanks TD

They made two kinds, with spear heads sticking out at the top AND the bottom, sometimes the bottom one is missing.

One is a simple mask with converging lines forming the eyes and an "o" shape mouth, and the other one has a "u"-shaped cut-out on top and on the bottom, with a frowning teethed mouth.

I would get it, I have a picture of Roy Orbison in his midcentury home with the first kind on the wall.

Here's the fabric we are thinking of using to recover the Witco sofa and loveseat. It has kind an animal skin look, plus the colors we already have in the room. We looked at burgundy leather, but decided dark solid colors would hide the wood, and we want the wood to "pop" against the fabric.
KG

I love the couch and love seat. That is a great set. I was watching those on Ebay. If I had the room I might have been in there bidding with you. I would love to find a set of the chairs like in Svens book to go on each side of the small table I have. I hope to go get the large outrigger picture that was my parents this week. The guy who had the rest of the stuff told me he found it. We just havn't been able to get together yet. There is a cool Witco wall lamp on ebay now that I hope to get. The guy is pretty close to me. We will see.
as to your earlier post. I would like to see more real world modern houses featured in magazines. Not just High buck show houses. We love our stuff and use it. Thats what it is made for. Funny the best thing about commercials these days are most are set in really cool mid century houses. Later, Scott

About Atomic Ranch... Yeah, I don't mean they need to feature big buck homes, I just want better examples of mid-century homes well decorated and photographed. The other issues hit the mark. The latest one did not, in my opinion.

I understand what you mean. Our house is a 1965 rancher. It has some really cool mid century features about it but not a real cool design. From the outside it looks kind of boring. We would have loved to buy a more radical mid century designed house but in our area there are not alot to choose from and those that do come up for sale are in a real high end neighbor hood so the prices are through the roof. I can tell you that I am sure most just have the look on the outside only anymore. The people buying the houses usally gut the old interiors. It is a real shame. That is why we loved our house. Everything is original from the appliances to the flooring. I have every reciept since new including the plans. The guy who built it was an engineer so it is way overbuilt.
What part of Florida are you from. My brother lives in Daytona. Scott

We live in Lake Mary on the northeast edge of the Orlando metro area. We're about 45 minutes from Daytona. There are some nice mid-century houses around here that are pricey, but not as pricey as the McMansions they are building as fast as they can scrape away the landscape.

I got it ,it is the one with 'U' shaped cut outs and 2 spears ,top and bottom(one is missing but easy to reproduce)got him down to 60 bucks. TD

I finally got the Witco outrigger picture from the guy who has had it since 1980. This was the last piece of my parents original stuff he had. There is a drawing of this piece in Svens book of tiki. It is pretty big since it is longer than the bar it is leaning on. It will need some restoration. Glad he didn't keep the bar where he had this. The carved wood is fine. The frame has some mud on the one side and might need restained in that corner but it is not warped. . The back board will probably need replaced and new orange cloth recovering that. The out rigger that is held on by two dowl pins is sitting on the top of the frame. Just needs new pins. He didn't charge me for it. I think he felt bad at how it looks. Finding material like the original will probably be the toughest. Oh well, I am glad it is home. Scott

http://community.webshots.com/album/277581721zJZDsS

Wow! That outrigger is huge! As you described it looks to be in decent restorable shape - when it's done it's gonna look awesome! Let us help you find the fabric for the backboard - is it wool upholstery fabric?

Thanks to Ken Pleasant "Keigs". There was some of the fabric for sale on Ebay. All I have to do is paint it orange. Looking at the original it was painted this way also. You can see some of the holes in the fabric are plugged from the paint. It is called osanburg. I can't wait to get the fabric and tear it apart. Scott

That's good news! Can't wait to see the restored outrigger in all its glory!

Well, found another wierd Witco today. This one is a small stool carved like an alligator. Almost too cute for the Tiki room. The cushion is the same material as two other pieces I have. It is in real nice shape. He is missing two teeth on the right front. Those of you with Witco catalogs might know its real name. Check my link above to see the picture. Scott

Hello Tiki Car, I have been looking for one of those stools and I was wondering if you would like to sell it. Let me know. thanks...

Hi Neptune, I don't have any plans on selling it at this time, but thanks for the offer. Scott

Well I finally got the time to get my Witco Tiki fountain working. The water comes out his mouth at his tounge then into the pot he is holding in his hands then runs down into the bowl with the rocks and fogger then back into the tank in the square stand. Got a new pump and ran all new hoses. I got this really cool fogger with a red led light at the pet store for lizards. It looks really cool and just puts a haze of fog over the top and the red light looks like it has fire water or lava rocks. The picture doesn't do it justice. You can see the red glow under the rocks in the center. Put in fresh stones that won't wash off chalky water and some shells and fake vines. Looks pretty cool. Can't wait to see it at night.
Scott
http://community.webshots.com/album/277581721zJZDsS

that fountain looks great. Good job.

I just scored the same bar {your album.tiki bar # 2}it came with 4 bar stools.and 2 wall hangings ,the wall art looks just like WITCO {long carved faces} ,but not the same wood,mounted on plywood coverd in the leopord cloth,just like my other WITCO bar.they have sculped iron on the top and bottom of the backing board. did WITCO ever do this?thanks

I LOVE that Gator! I have the turtle and hippo stool and my son loves to sit on them while he plays video games, watches TV, etc. They make great kids seating or ottomans.

How many other animal stools are there out there?
I haven't scored any Witco in a looong time (no room, no $$$$) Oh, well!

Thanks Turbogod. I love the way it looks.
David it sounds like Witco but I am no expert. Post a picture, There are others out there with more knowledge than me about Witco. Someone with catalogs might help you. EEL the Gator is the only little animal I have ever seen. Again I would love to know what all of my stuff is really called sometime. Maybe when Svens book on Witco is done that will help alot. I really don't have much more room for Tiki furniture. I want space around the stuff so you can see it. I am only really looking for more stuff for the walls. Bar #2 is in the basement right now in my wifes fencing room. (you know a sword, not white picket or stolen stuff!) We want to start looking for the conqistador stuff for that room so we might keep the bar#2 for now. My next project is to restore the outrigger picture. I have the correct cloth I just need the time to tear it apart and do it. As far as finding Witco it is a crap shoot. Sometimes I get lucky. I don't really like buying on ebay. The thrill is in the search. Scott

Tikicar - the fountain looks fantastic! Did you use one of those pond misters to get the fog effects? You're giving me ideas here! :)

The wall art is WITCO,I found an old thread with pics from an old catalog {back&white}there they were hanging in the back ground .they must have benn sold in sets.the guy a bought these from said he bought them in HAWAII 36 yrs. ago had them shipped home to CLEVELAND. But i don't think the shields and the bar /stools go together.i too am awaiting the arrival of the BOOK of WITCO.I scored alot of it in the last year.as too pics,when home projects are complete,i'll be working on new comp. with all the bells and whistles,and lean HOW to post pics thanks TD

I have another question for the WITCO fans.What do you consider to be the top 5
[or more}WITCO finds,and in what order?thanks TD