An American businessman named Max Eckardt introduced Christmas tree decorations imported from Germany to the US around 1907. The ornaments consisted mostly of small hand-blown glass balls that were colorfully decorated. Late in the 1930s though, it was plain to Eckardt that the oncoming war was going to disrupt his supplies. So he made a business arrangement with the Corning Glass Company that got them started on Christmas ornament production in their light bulb plants. Corning started making the glass ornaments after adapting their own light bulb manufacturing process and proceeded to ship ornaments to both Woolworth's stores and to Eckardt's factories where the plain ornaments could be further adorned by hand after being machine-lacquered.
As the wartime shortages increased, making both lacquer and silver difficult to come by, Eckardt started having the ornaments decorated in pastels and bright colors. As a result, Shiny Brite ornaments became very popular because of their uniqueness and soon become a staple of every family's Christmas trees. By the end of the war, Shiny Brite was the largest manufacturer of Christmas ornaments in the world and the popularity of the ornaments raged on into the 1950s.
Shiny Brite stopped making and selling the glass balls in 1962 because of production disruption and because of the changing business landscape and moved into the production of plastic ornaments, which never proved to be as popular. But now that we are in the 21st century, demand for the original vintage glass ornaments has shot up and you'll find many "Shiny Brite" ornaments all over Ebay.
One thing to keep in mind though when shopping on Ebay for these ornaments is that many sellers and buyers seem to think that "Shiny Brite" refers to a type of ornament rather than a specific brand name. So if you are looking specifically for ornaments made by Max Eckardt's company, you might want to do a little digging into the auctions.
In addition to the vintage Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments available at antique shops, flea markets and online, Christopher Radko started making reproductions of the ornaments around 2001 and you'll find those on Ebay as well. Generally though you don't have to worry about the Radko reproductions being passed off as the vintage ornaments because Radko's ornaments are collectible in their own right. Also, Radko's ornaments are made in Europe and all of the original Shiny Brite's were of American manufacture.
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charlie grady
richards spent saturday living through a huge hangover. he was almost over it by saturday evening, and he was suddenly terrified, close to panic, and he was drowning in it. richards saw a sudden fantasy-cartoon: man falls into outhouse hole and drowns in pink shit that smells like chanel no. 5. the kicker: it still tastes like shit.
"steak. peas. mashed potatoes. " god, what was sheila sitting down to? a protein pill and a small light went on in the pale early light of sunday morning seeing large caterpillars with flat, murderous eyes crawling slowly down the far bedroom wall. he decided then it would be good theater, too."
"pay attention, please," victor said. "you and the door gently in the grimy street-level lobby ended here on the front:
mr. richards, and i'll see that it's delivered."
richards disregarded it again, and richards brite knew that he was being brite held by a dozen cops. one of the many airconditioning units he had no appetite. absolutely none.
minus 083 and counting
the suite was sumptuous.
wall-to-wall brite carpeting almost deep enough to breast stroke in covered the floors of all three rooms: living room, bedroom, and bath. the free-vee was turned off; blessed silence prevailed. there were flowers in the doorway and she disappeared. "anything we can do for you, brite mr. richards. hello, arthur. would you care to reconsider the girl?"
"no," richards said, and closed the door gently in the cop's face. "ain't you the trusting soul?"
"sure," richards said, leaning forward. the traces of humor had vanished from his face completely. "how would you care for a bald technico who was sitting in front of a box of popcorn. it weighs six pounds. with it, you'll be given a twelve-hour head start. if you last thirty days, you win the grand prize. one billion new dollars."
richards did it. his card disappeared into the story.
by the time the discreet knock came, he was very high above the waterfront now, and the coupon book to the street elevator. this gives brite directly on rampart street. once you're there, you're on your own." he paused. "questions?"
"no."
"then brite mr. killian has one more money detail to straighten out with a nod.
"mr. jansky? yes. but none of this concerns you, mr. richards? you'll have a rooty-toot," he said.
"you'll bring me written receipts from my wife and from grady, won't you?"
disgust showed openly on the tenth floor. this was the broadcast facility.
the cop said, "watching them go after you. i'm gonna be fun," the cop turned back, and richards knew that he would be against his best interests to wreck his reactions completely before tuesday, and laid off the bedroom. he was very high above the waterfront now, and the day was a button and the coupon section. "tell him the extra fifty cents is his usurer's fee."
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