New & Limited Edition

For many years, our Cyber Monday sale has been an exciting time for our customers to find special deals on their favorite items. This year, we’re taking it a step further by adding exclusive products available only during our Black Friday and Cyber Monday event, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving. Here is a little bit about how and why we choose the products to share with you.

While Cyber Monday has traditionally been a huge day of deals for our customers, it has also been a time for us to add a couple of extra items to the catalog. Sometimes these items have gotten lost in hustle and bustle of rapidly filling carts. This year, with more new items than ever, we decided to highlight those starting on Black Friday. 

Selecting New "Old" Items for Samson Historical

Selecting and finding new items for holiday specials, and some that may be permanent additions, is one of the most fun and rewarding tasks for us. A short while ago we sent out a survey asking about the needs of the historical community. We took the answers and went straight to the drawing board. This includes diving into artwork, dictionaries, existing artifacts, and period writings to ensure we have it right. 

One of my favorite items we found is a seasonal one, the Christopher Ludwick Gingerbread cookie. There are actually two cookies to choose from, both made on replica 18th century molds with a very big history. If you want to know more about the history of these cookies that built America, you can check out our blog "A Christmas Cookie" for links and details. You will also find a weekend special single piece French rolling pin to aid in your own cookie making. 

Break Bread Together

Another area we felt we can improve as a company is with table service. As a family we frequently incorporate our love of the period into our home through both antiques and reproductions. Table service is an area that has been a struggle. Pewter, and wood are the easiest to provide because of local craftspeople. However, the arguably most common type of middle and upper class place setting would have been a creamware, or China setting. Both of which were heavily imported from Europe and Asia, produced specifically for a western market.

To fill this gap and better portray our shared history we are finally launching three new dinner sets that can be incorporated into your historical life or your modern table. The Queen Ann Creamware is perfectly elegant and traditional. The soft off white color incorporates easily in any setting. The Spode transferware plates are almost the opposite. They have a very simple structure but a complex design. This particular Blue Italian design you may recognize, at it has been in production since 1816, safely making this a classic.

The Delft style dinner set is my personal favorite. Delft pottery originally was produced by the Dutch, heavily influenced by the Chinese porcelain that was being imported through the 17th century. These designs can sometimes be found in red or purple, but by and large the most common color is blue. Some delft is exceedingly intricate, but much is simpler and relies on simple borders like the design we bring to you now. 

 Light The Way 

Candlelight is the obvious choice for the 18th century. One thing we often forget in the world of historical reproductions is how many options were out there, especially for something as common as a candle stick. The entire world was operating off of candlelight. So to add to a broader selection, we are bringing you 6 new candle holders over Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend.  Two of these are brass and contenders to be permanent additions. Both fit our standard 6" taper perfectly. You may be surprised how much formality switching to the 9" taper will add. I personally love the look of the shorter, 3.75" inch candlestick with a 9" taper, paired with the 5.5" candlestick with a 6" taper. 

If brass is not the right feel for your home, the rustic look of the common wrought iron candlesticks, of which we have added three limited quantity items, may hold more of a connection for you. The wrought iron candlestick and wrought iron candle holder both have a smaller cup, and the normal 6" tapers are a very snug fit. I personally love the detail of the finger hold on the wrought iron candlestick. The wall mount wreath holder is a historically inspired Christmas addition and exudes what we call the "Dickens Christmas" feel with the solid black metal. 

Handmade From the Heart

 Hands on historical experiences are important to us all. The ability to try out heritage skills and crafts gives us a baseline for appreciation of those who forged a lifelong before us, and those who keep the crafts alive today. People have always endeavored to fill the world with color and during the 18th century, those coloring agents came from the natural world. Natural dying sounds daunting to many so adding three kits to introduce either yourself or your crafty recipient to the world of plant-based dyes is very exciting. The Indigo kit and natural dye kit are both geared toward complete newbies. The step by step instructions will guide even the least experienced to a satisfied end. The kits do not come with the physical fibers to receive the color, so we have added three different types of undyed yarn that are perfect for these. The Bluefaced/Corriedale yarn is likely to give you the brightest color, while the British Farm Traceable is more rustic and muted. For a truly different, heathered, look try the Linen Wool blend as the two fibers take the dye differently.  

Deck the Halls

Maybe your family, like ours, has an annual ornament tradition. Hanging each ornament on the tree helps us to reminisce and remember those who gave them to us and the year they represent. Knowing how important this tradition is, there are 9 different ornaments or ornament sets in this years Black Friday Cyber Monday limited stock collection. Maybe you need something more traditional like snowmen or holly, or you could be looking for something more quintessentially 18th century like the teapot ornament sets. Either style we have a variety of colors and options to choose from while supplies last. 

Cheers to Another Year

As we herald in another season of change and togetherness, it is also a season of toasts. Wine was prolific in the 18th and 19th centuries, therefore wine glasses could be found in styles and colors beyond what we might imagine. To better represent this we will be toasting this year with Deep Red and Smokey Green wine glasses. Whether you celebrate with red, white, or simply water, the two different colors evoke a festive feel.  For those of you celebrating as our forefathers did with punch, toddies, and cocktails, the wooden citrus reamer and round topped muddler make perfect barware gifts, even if the treat is for yourself. 

There are many more limited quantity treats to be found within our weekend only deals, starting on Black Friday. Items in this collection are not subject to additional discounts so do not wait and risk missing out while supplies last. If you think one of these should become a permanent addition to the Samson Historical offerings, feel free to comment, email, message, or call and let us know. We look forward to seeing you. 

The Samsons