cat bank

Kitty Savings

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Pam’s Pictorama Post: This plastic bank crossed my path recently and although it is a bit newer than most of my collection he wasn’t expensive and I recently purchased him on eBay. There are no markings on him save an almost indecipherable Made in Hong Kong on the bottom on the removable black plug which allows for coins to go out as well as be saved within.

My guess is that he is a premium of some sort, however the lack of markings make him a sort of poor one in that regard. Perhaps at one time he sported a missing piece of advertising. He is unusual as far as I can tell. I have not seen another nor can I find another searching for identification so the survival rate seems low. Perhaps if we knew where he came from more would pop up.

I have a few other banks in my collection, all of which display their commercial ties better. A rather wonderful one can be found here. There are a few non-feline entries and a few of those can be found here and here.

Yet another wonderful (non-kitty) bank at Pams-Pictorama.com. From an October 2021 post.

This bank is made of plastic and while it isn’t incredibly fragile it isn’t really sturdy either. I have seen more ephemeral things survive, but I assume that’s why there not more of his brethern around. This would be even more true if you started filling him up with coins I think. My guess he is of the vintage when I myself could have had him as a child, the 1960’s. The seller described him as made from a plastic blow mold which is a term I was not familiar with, but is pretty much what it sounds like.

Eyebrow holes above the eyes. Wonder what went in there?

Unarguably he has a jolly smile and his red bow tie really adds something. There are tiny holes above each of his eyes and I somehow think he must have sported eyebrows – red maybe? That would change his look quite a bit and I am having trouble imagining it. There are impressed indications for legs, feet, whiskers and a button nose. Coins can be inserted at the back of his big round head.

He is modeled on a certain kind of cartoon kitty of the time I think. He is more Top Cat than Felix, both in design and in vintage. Kitty is very perky, big eyes and pointy ears. His tail curls around into a snail shape.

I can’t help but wonder if small children today still take joy in banks and pressing a few precious coins in now and again. I am not sure what intriguing things the few dollars you might fit in such a toy bank would buy these days. I wonder if the appeal remains and banks seem somewhat fewer as I look around – not to mention interesting premiums. And I wonder if those days of piggy banks lead to a life of savings accounts and retirement funds. Those of you with small children let me know if they still enjoy them. I am curious.

Spare Dimes Many Times

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Pam’s Pictorama Post: Today’s item is the rare sort that I fret I mostly miss due to the absence of flea markets, garage sales and antiques marts in my life these days. I did manage to acquire it by chance and creative trolling online and I couldn’t be happier with the find. This splendid little bank is no longer change-worthy as its bottom is long removed, but this bulldog-ish kitty is a great addition to the Pictorama collection. Below where he urges you to Feed the Kitty there is tiny lettering which appears to read Trade Mark Reg U.S. Post Office and then my favorite part, Spare Dimes Many Times below that. I didn’t see that until he came in the mail and I love it.

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This bank is small, indeed it is really dime-sized with a grinning cat mouth just big enough for that denomination of coin, and a tummy just big enough to match, designed especially for small change. Somehow that makes this even better in my opinion – and the white metal of kitty is also dime reminiscent to match. He is very heavy, even without loose change added. His expression is a bit enigmatic, despite the smile, and lightly be-whiskered. He has lost the tips of both ears, as well suffered some scratches, with flecks of white paint on his back, but the overall effect is still shiny and jolly. His tail is neatly tucked around him and he sports slightly over-sized paws. I like to think that his presence entice a few generations of children to employ some thrift over the decades.

A tiny plaque has been affixed to the  back bottom of the little pedestal he sits atop. It reads, The Bridgeville National Bank, Bridgeville, PA. Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. I like to imagine this item being presented to me as a small child after opening a savings account and, at least for a little while, enjoying the rigors of saving my dimes (and perhaps here. nickels and pennies) here.

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A First National Bank appears to still claim turf in Bridgeville, PA, but it is hard to know for sure if it is a descendant. It is currently housed in a modern brick building according to a quick internet look. Their website declares, We’re not just your bank, we’re your neighbors! I looked under a tab labeled Community Involvement to see if they might say how long they had been in existence and instead found, among other things, an explanation of a somewhat unusual program where they evidently allow employees to wear jeans to work in exchange for a charitable donation. I am not entirely sure what I think of that – I am of the old-fashioned variety of person who wants to see my banker dressed like one, nor is it clear to me how much of a charitable donation is expected in exchange for this privilege. Nonetheless, they get points for a kind of creativity I guess. Unfortunately, no cat banks in sight however.

As a fundraiser I may bring this fellow to my office and employ him there, subliminally wooing a new generation of adults to feed the kitty in an entirely different way.