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  1. Adriana

    Adriana Guest

    I HAVE A DREAM!

    To build a database of as many vintage zippers as possible. I know this is a huge undertaking but my O my would it be handy .Hoping that this can be a bit of a brain storm session.

    2011_0113_131026-P1130060-540x405.jpg
    I found this photo online and thought how nice it would be to have a chart/database/list of sliders with corresponding dates of production, names, country of production and other information.

    Now I know that the zipper alone can not date a garment by it's self. They can be taken off and replaced and switched... so on and so forth.

    I have a fairly large collection of zippers in package and out. I plan on taking photos similar to the photo above.

    So! What I'm hopping for is to get some advice form all of you lovely people about how I should set this up. Laminated cards? like above or something else? Would you find this useful?
     
    Steve Marcus likes this.
  2. Jonathan

    Jonathan VFG Member

    I think the idea of a database of vintage zippers would be a great resource. I don't understand what it is that you have the picture of - is that something you did, or someone else did? I've never seen those before. I'm also not sure what you mean by laminated cards? Wouldn't you want to put them into an online database - because there will likely be updates and changes made as you continue.
     
  3. Linn

    Linn Super Moderator Staff Member VFG Past President

    This is a fabulous idea! I have the same questions that Jonathan has? Who compiled the photos you showed? I think an online zipper database with good clear pictures and dates would be fantastic.

    Linn
     
  4. Pinkcoke

    Pinkcoke Alumni

    Those sheets look like a zip manufacturer's catelogue pages for 'vintage' style zips. (We have a zip company in this town, they have similar pages online).

    How would it work? would you only allow examples from garments you believe to have the original zip they were made with?
     
  5. Retro Ruth

    Retro Ruth VFG Member Staff Member

    I also think this is a great idea.

    Sometimes you can find information for dating zips, like adverts, patents and so on, as in this thread, where I did a little research into the Koh-i-noor Kover zip. Also agree country of origin would be useful, and fairly easy to find out.
     
  6. Retro Ruth

    Retro Ruth VFG Member Staff Member

    Just found a site called steel zipper, that does actually have the beginnings of this kind of database, though only a handful of entries.
     
  7. Adriana

    Adriana Guest

    Ideally yes I would love to do it as an online database, I'm starting to think maybe I could set it up as a Wiki like the one that's going for Patterns http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.

    I was also thinking of how to do it as an in purse/bag flip card thing for when your at the store. Or and app for smart phones where you take a photo of the zipper slide and it identify's it.

    Pinkcoke: Your absolutely right about only allowing examples from garments with original zips.

    Hopefully I can get everyone to fill in the gaps of the zippers I'm missing. But I have a feeling that; that will need to happen later down the line, once I have something to build a base off of and show people all the empty spots.

    Some's sites that I've found

    http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Zippers.html
    http://www.thefedoralounge.com/archive/index.php/t-5809.html

    A book that I haven't picked up yet, but can't wait till I do!

    Talon Inc.; A Romance of Achievement
     
  8. Jonathan

    Jonathan VFG Member

    Well, I can tell you one thing - I won't be visiting that pattern site again anytime soom - WAY too much advertising and pop-ups and not user friendly, as well as not much content. I thought it might be an online library for pattern images, which would be GREAT...
     
  9. Pinkcoke

    Pinkcoke Alumni

    there is another one I've been to before, whose aim was to match images to all the pattern numbers the companies issued by year... I will post the link when I find it again.
     
  10. Steve Marcus

    Steve Marcus Registered Guest

    Adriana,
    I found your post by way of a "Google Alerts" for "vintage zipper" and I support wholeheartedly your dream of building a database of vintage zippers. This would be a HUGE boon to us collectors and dealers of vintage clothing and other items that made use of zippers.
    Photographs are great for zippers, but for documents you'll get better results by using a scanner. My area of speciality is militaria, REMOVED BY ADMIN. PLEASE READ FORUM POSTING RULES.
    I look forward to hearing more about your endeavor, and thank you on behalf of all of us collectors and dealers.
    Best wishes,
    Steve Marcus
    Prescott Valley, Arizona
     
  11. Pinkcoke

    Pinkcoke Alumni

    Having read this thread earlier, I've just been checking the contents of some vintage patterns I picked up recently and found an unopened 1959 Vogue pattern contained this advert:
    [​IMG]
     
  12. Rebecca

    Rebecca Registered Guest

    Are you talking about sewing patterns? Vintage Pattern Wiki has thousands of pattern images and is a really useful site. :]
     
  13. Pinkcoke

    Pinkcoke Alumni

    I thought it was the other day when I looked at it, but no I don't think so. The one I saw had a blog format, and the writer was listing pattern numbers issued by each company that they did not have an image for, and people would submit the missing scans. Possibly linked to the pattern wiki? but I can't find the original blog again. :(
     
  14. Rebecca

    Rebecca Registered Guest

    I think you may be talking about the blog " My Happy Sewing Place" that is written by a lady named Deb. She does McCalls Monday posts in order to find images to update the pattern wiki for specific years for McCalls patterns.
     

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