The Boom in Japan and the Charm of Novelty Mugs

Unlike in its home country of America, where the milk glass boom had various facets, in Japan, only Fire-King was initially highlighted, leading to its boom.
Due to its overwhelming production numbers and the fact that many were distributed as novelties for free in the 1960s and '70s, Fire-King was thought to have an inexhaustible stock. This background, coupled with the quiet start of the Fire-King boom in the late '90s, likely increased the number of collectors aiming for completion.

However, price guides published in America at the time already featured items easily exceeding $1,000, making the feeling of "too late" for completion undeniable. Particularly items that were not produced in large quantities within their series, meaning they were unpopular at the time—such as soup bowls from the "Jane Ray" series, or the subtly sized plates called soup cups and luncheon plates from the "Restaurant Ware" series—there were items within the mass-produced Fire-King line that never reached mass production.

What served as the entry point for collectors during the boom in Japan was the novelty mug, distributed for free in vast variations from the 1960s to the '70s, for companies, stores, and even presidential elections.
Many of these, covering everything from small businesses to government-related entities, primarily used milk white stacking mugs and D-handle mugs.
Though not widely known, what's interesting is that most novelty mugs had their graphics and printing handled by advertising agencies in the US, with Anchor Hocking merely supplying the Fire-King mugs without being involved in the final printing process.
Even after the Fire-King label ended in 1976, the company appears to have supplied mugs with the anchor imprint to novelty vendors until the 1980s.

The reason Fire-King mugs were so frequently used as a base for novelties was likely their stable supply and very low cost. Their excellent cost-performance made them an ideal novelty for advertisers.
Incidentally, during the same era, Glassbake supplied by Jeannette, and labels similar to Fire-King, were also widely used for novelties.

Even now, when I stumble upon an advertising mug from around the 1970s, perhaps from an insurance agency, with graphics that are far from cool, in an antique mall in a rural American town, I can't help but feel a sense of comfort.
While the types of novelty mugs are estimated to be in the tens of thousands, considering the solid historical context and distinct characters, I would unhesitatingly nominate the mug likely distributed to campaign staff during Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign as a prime example. This mug was also a large 10-ounce size (center of the photo above).

My Photo Book and the End of the Boom

In 2003, the peak of the Fire-King boom in Japan, my photo book "BREATH TAKING" was published.
In the same year, screenwriter Satoshi Yamashita also published "Fire-King Mug Encyclopedia." I contributed slightly to that book, and it seems he went to great lengths to collect the mugs.

My vintage American glassware photo book "BREATH TAKING" was the first of its kind worldwide to compile privately owned milk glass. With photographer Azuma Ishida and art director Naomi Hirabayashi on the team, it took over two years from conception to publication.

The goal was a beautiful photo book where the jade color would stand out as jade, so the composition was simple, featuring only Mr. Ishida's photographs and the product names and model numbers of the time. Housed in a cover with gold foil stamping of red polka dots, it is still quietly available for sale.
The initial print run of 5,000 copies seems to be nearing its end, but from the sales trends of the photo book, I infer that even after the boom has passed, there remain people who genuinely enjoy these charming glassware pieces, and new fans are starting their collections.

In the next installment, I'd like to focus on the early days of Fire-King and delve deeper into each series. Let's begin with "Jane Ray," the series that dominated American dinner tables.

※In the web shopping magazine "rumors," we have recreated "kitsch-n," a stylish and beautiful vintage American glassware shop that has now become a legend.
We will feature items mentioned in this series and those that are difficult to obtain, so please take a look.

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