A number of years ago, I did a post about my salt & pepper shaker collection. You can read that post
here. It tells about my grandma Pew and how my collection got started, so I'm not going to repeat much of that here. Last week I was at Cracker Barrel and I got a couple of new sets ($3.99 total for both sets!). I keep a list of all the sets that I have and when I pulled my list out to add the two new sets, I realized that I had forgotten to record the last several sets I received. That got me wondering how many sets I really have and how many I had forgotten to record. So in the end, I decided that I should go through all of them and make sure I had a complete record, and while I was at it get pictures of all of them too...well, the ones that I didn't already have pictures of, anyway. So here they are, in roughly the order that I acquired them.
This is the very first set I owned:
Grandma Pew wanted each of her grandchildren to have one of her sets, to help us remember her. The bunnies above are the set that I picked out from her extensive collection. I don't remember exactly when she gave me this set but it was probably sometime in the late 1970's. They remind me of Thumper in Bambi! (Except for the color.)
After Grandma passed away in November 1984, there were still about 25 sets left over, and I got those sets too. I remember that a few of my cousins (and even at least one of my siblings) had not had the chance to pick out a set yet, so I let them know that I had the remaining sets and that they could come pick one out and some of them did. In the end, I had 20 sets from my Grandma's collection (besides the bunnies). Here they are:
I'm not sure what these ones are supposed to be. Haystacks? Some kind of nut?
You may not be able to see it very well in the picture, but on the "P" it says "Kansas City MO", so this set must be from there.
And these ones are obviously from New Mexico!
Cute little chicks. :)
Some of them are very functional instead of fancy or clever!
It's a good thing the holes are in the shape of "S" and "P" on this set because otherwise, they look exactly alike!
Grandma had a number of sets that looked like kitchen objects, including these tea kettles.
The shaker on the left has the back facing the camera; the shaker on the right has the front showing.
Another set with "S" and "P" shaped holes.
One of my favorite sets...so clever! The shakers are the beaters.
Another fun kitchen set.
Probably the most unique set I have...push the buttons on the top and the stopper on the bottom lowers enough to leave a crack for the salt or pepper to get through. (See the earlier post for a better description.)
I'm pretty sure my family gave this set to Grandma (when we lived in Texas, of course).
Another of my favorites...I just think this set is really cute! (See the previous post for a mystery about this set.)
Little woodland creatures!
Fresh vegetables!
I loved the glitter, shells, and pink color of this set--it was one of my favorites to look at when I was a little girl. The writing on the left one says "Redondo Beach, California".
Grandma had a number of sets shaped like animals, like these ducks.
Another clever set...eggs in a basket!
The next set is the first set I purchased for myself. I actually purchased this set before I received the 20 sets from my Grandma's collection. I loved her collection and thought it would be fun to start my own.
I got this set when we were visiting the Grand Canyon in June 1984. I was not experienced at buying salt and pepper sets at that point, and it wasn't until after I brought them home that I realized that both shakers have a "P" on them...oops!! I've learned since then to always check to make sure I am getting a salt and a pepper instead of two salts or two peppers. I've also learned to check the stoppers on the bottom to make sure they fit properly.
My friend Paula Hansen (Bergeson now) got me this set from New Jersey when she went on a trip in the spring of 1986. I think it was a school trip of some sort...maybe for orchestra? Anyway, it was nice of her to help me add to my collection!
The two pictures above are the same set--I just wanted to show both sides since some of the pictures were different. Amy got this set for me when we went to Disneyland on choir tour in December 1984.
This set obviously came from Mt. Rushmore. We visited there in July 1985.
I got these seagulls at a gift shop in Orem, Utah in January 1986. I like them because they kind of represent Utah, since the seagull is the state bird. They are pretty fragile, though. As you can see, both of them have a broken wing.
Paula got me this set on the same trip when she got me the New Jersey set. Obviously, these ones are from Washington, DC. I really like clever sets like this that represent the location with objects. They are hard to find, though!
Shellie brought me this set from Chile when she returned from her mission in June 1986
Mom & Dad got me this set on a trip to Las Vegas in November 1986
I got this set from an Avon catalog in January 1987--Christmas elves
I saw this set of Sharpei dogs in a catalog that came to our house and they were so cute, I had to get them! (April 1987)
Hans went on a business trip to France in the summer of 1987 and he brought me this set.
I got this set at Glen Canyon Dam while on a trip to Arizona in May 1987.
I found this great Thanksgiving set in a catalog in September 1987. It's always fun when a set comes with something extra, like this turkey napkin holder.
I got these spotted cows from the same catalog as the Pilgrims (September 1987)
Dad gave this set to me for Christmas in 1987. Go Cougars!
One of my roommates at BYU, Tina Jones, got me this set on a visit home in September 1987. Yep, she was from Idaho!
This is another set that I got from a catalog in September 1987.
And another set that my generous roommate, Tina Jones, got for me. These ones are obviously from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She got these for me in July 1989. (We were only roommates for one year--1987/88--but we kept in touch.)
Tina also went to Mardi Gras and brought back these musical notes from New Orleans, Louisiana for me in February 1988.
She got me this cute set at the same time.
I found this awesome Halloween set in a catalog in August 1988.
Amy sent me this set from her mission in Alabama for Christmas in 1989. (Sorry, a bit blurry!)
I got this cute set at a RS Homemaking Meeting gift exchange in my first area on my mission...Winston-Salem, North Carolina...in December 1989. It was one of those gift exchanges where you can steal a gift from someone else, and I did steal this one but the person I stole it from wanted something else so everyone was happy!
The back of the chicken is a napkin holder, too.
I couldn't spend a year and a half of my life in North Carolina without getting a North Carolina set! I got this set in Winston-Salem also...in October 1989.
In my third area...Kernersville...there was this really cool glass museum / gift shop. We liked to visit it (and talk to people while we were at it). I found this pretty set at the gift shop in June 1990...the writing at the bottom says "Souvenir of Chimney Rock, NC". It turns out that Chimney Rock was close to my fourth area of Brevard, although I actually never went there.
Amy sent me this fun set from Alabama in August 1990.
The lady is a toothpick holder!
I got this set the same day that I got the Chimney Rock set shown above. They are antiques, although I have no idea how old they are. I remember struggling a little bit with the decision of whether or not to buy this set, because they were more expensive than I would normally pay, and especially because I was a missionary and trying to be frugal! (I don't remember how much they were now...probably around $25.) My one big splurge! :)
This is the last set I got from the glass museum...in August 1990. Unlike the set above, they were really inexpensive. Grandma Pew had a set of shakers that looked like soda pop bottles too...Curtis has that set. So it was fun for me to find a similar set to add to my collection.
I got this set in August 1990 in Cherokee, NC. We visited the Indian Reservation there on one of my P-days. This is after I was transferred to my fourth area of Brevard.
Brevard is a tourist area and there are lots of little shops downtown. We used to gt into the shops a lot to try to contact people, and one day I came across this praying hands set in a little antique shop.
In May 1991, Frank sent me a box of gifts from Hawaii, and this set was one of the gifts he sent. Unfortunately, when I was cleaning this set one day I inadvertently rubbed off the pictures! I didn't realize that they were just decals. You may be able to tell that the salt shaker had a picture of a pineapple on it, and you can still see that it says "Aloha" on the bottom. The pepper grinder is a lot worse. The picture on it was a hula girl and at the bottom you can see part of the word "Hawaii". Someday we are going to go to Hawaii and get me a new set!
Mom & Dad got me this set for my birthday in July 1992. It came from Avon. So clever...I love it!
A year later, they got me this set for my birthday. It's also from Avon. This is also one of my favorite sets!
When Ben came home from his mission in June 1993, he brought me this set from Dresden, Germany.
Amy and Nate got me this set in (obviously!) San Francisco, California and gave it to me for my birthday in July 1993. The smaller writing on top says "City by the Bay".
Frank's parents got me this set in Florida and gave it to me for Christmas in 1995. You can see the one on the right of the picture is damaged. It got broken during one of our moves, but I glued it back together.
We used to draw individual names for our extended family gift exchange (instead of giving to families) and I received these cute farmer bears from Erin for Christmas in 1994.
Frank, Scott and I took a trip to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in April 1996. I got this clever set at the Seattle Aquarium.
Frank's mom is a bargain hunter and she keeps her eye out for unique sets for me when she is at garage sales and flea markets. She found this cool set and gave it to me for Christmas in 2000. I would love to know where this set came from. It reminds me a lot of the wood carvings that Hans brought home from his mission (he gave me one of a child riding a water buffalo). Maybe this set came from Thailand or some other Asian country. You can't see it in the picture, but one of the "water buckets" has an "S" on it and the other one has a "P".
This is another set Frank's mom found and gave to me in September 1997. Looks Russian to me!
I got this set in Oregon, obviously, on the same trip that I got the dolphin set above (April 1996).
I got this set shortly before we moved away from New York, in August 1998. I looked around for something clever (like maybe shakers shaped like the Statue of Liberty?) but never found anything so I had to settle for these! Since we lived in New York for a year and a half, I felt like I needed to have a set from there. I got these from one of the "service plazas" on the New York State Thruway. It's a toll road, so periodically they have places you can stop for gas, food, and restrooms without exiting the thruway. These plazas often have gift shops as well, and that's where I got this set...at one of those gift shops.
I got this set while we were living in Delaware, in July 1999. Also at a service plaza, since Delaware has toll roads too. I like the picture on it, which includes the blue hen chicken...Delaware's state bird. We lived in Delaware for a year and a half also.
I got these lighthouses on a trip Frank and I took to Baltimore in April 2001. They are the only Maryland set I have, although I've lived in Maryland over 14 years now. But I think they represent Maryland very well, so I may never get another set from Maryland!
Frank's sister Dawn sent me this pretty set in February 2001. This was a difficult month for me, and she sent me a box with little gifts like this to cheer me up, which I thought was very thoughtful!
I got this set of garden houses from Virginia when we visited Mt. Vernon in August 2001. It was a very hot & humid day! Mom & Dad were with me and the boys on this day trip, since they were visiting us at the time.
Frank's parents gave me this great set for Christmas in 2004. The snowmen used to have little carrot noses, but they both came off. Sadly, a couple of years ago one of the boys dropped the pepper shaker on our new tile kitchen floor and it broke beyond repair. :( I still have the salt shaker and the stand, though. Haven't had the heart to get rid of them!
I saw this set at the gift shop at Cracker Barrel and fell in love with it. Frank got it for me for Christmas 2007.
This is another Cracker Barrel set that I loved! Frank got it for me for Christmas 2007 as well.
Frank's parents got this little set for me, but I neglected to write down when they gave it to me.
I think they may have given me these little plastic acorns, too. I forgot to write it down when I got them, and now I can't remember!
Here is another set that Frank's mom found for me. Again, I forgot to write down when she gave them to me, but it was probably sometime in 2008.
When we visited North Carolina in August 2008, Frank's mom gave me several sets that she had purchased for me. I was thrilled! This is one of those sets...she got it for me from Avon...and I love using them in the spring.
Here is another Avon set she got for me. I think it's so cute...love it! (August 2008)
And another darling Avon set that she got me. I love that these are winter themed, but not necessarily Christmas, so I can use them in any winter month. (August 2008)
She gave me this more functional set too. It's nice to have a few basic sets that I can use anytime! (August 2008)
These Santa boots remind me of the Santa boot candy holder we used to have when I was a kid (although it was green). (August 2008)
She also got me these great little Tom turkeys that I can use at Thanksgiving. (August 2008)
This is another set from Cracker Barrel. Frank got it for me for Valentine's Day in 2009.
This is another set I got from Frank's mom in August 2008. I had a hard time getting a clear picture, obviously! But this is a fun little set for fall.
Yet another Cracker Barrel set that I got in February 2009. Great for Easter! Frank knows whenever we eat at Cracker Barrel that he is probably going to pay for a salt & pepper shaker set or two, as well as the meal! He is very good-natured about it, though, and they usually have really inexpensive sets.
Frank got me this set for Christmas in 2009. He found it at Wal-Mart. He got me a couple of little serving plates that match this set, too.
I wanted a set for St. Patrick's Day and couldn't find one anywhere so I looked online and got this set through Amazon. There are little magnets that attach the leprechaun to the pot of gold. (April 2012)
A new grocery store, Wegmans, opened up near our house in summer 2011. I don't shop there often, but whenever I do go there, I look for salt & pepper shakers because they often have really cute ones. I got this great corn on the cob set from there in June 2012.
I also got this cute hamburger & hot dog set there in June 2012.
And this set of rainboots as well, also June 2012. Then I avoided Wegman's for a while! :)
I went through West Virginia on my way to visit my friend Marci in Kentucky in the fall of 2010. I didn't find a set in Kentucky, but I got these at a gas stop on my way back home.
I found this set in the seasonal aisle at a local grocery store...Giant Eagle. I do shop there a lot, but fortunately they don't have salt & pepper shakers very often! (Fall 2010)
Curtis & Julia gave to our family for Christmas 2012, and they sent us a fun box full of gifts from Texas, including this set of salt & pepper shakers from Austin.
Frank got me this mason jar set for Christmas 2012. It is his favorite set because since they are clear, there is no doubt which is the salt and which is the pepper! He doesn't always have a lot of patience with all my clever (but less functional) sets where it is often difficult to tell the salt from the pepper! (Hint: there is usually a different number of holes in the two shakers.) So to keep Frank happy, I always have this set out, in addition to the other sets I choose to use.
Mom & Dad gave me this fun set for Christmas 2012. (And thanks to Erin, who actually found it for them!) The two pieces attach to each other with magnets.
I got this set for Christmas 2012 as well. It came from Pier 1. The birds attach to the branch with little magnets, so they don't fall off.
Mom and Dad got a set like this on a trip to Arizona, and they very thoughtfully got a set for me, too. They gave it to me when I visited them in August 2013.
I forgot to record this set when I got it, so I don't know for sure when I got it...maybe fall 2012? I do remember that I found this set at Wal-Mart.
Another set that I forgot to record when I received it, so I don't know when I got it, but Frank's mom and dad gave it to me.
This is another set from Frank's parents that I forgot to record when they gave it to me. Brevard is famous for their white squirrels...one of the few places you can find white squirrels in North America.
I got this set from This is the Place Heritage Park in Utah in June 2014. I like that it has the bees on it...a symbol of Utah. I also got these because I knew Frank would appreciate the large "Salt" and "Pepper" labels on them!
One of the two sets that got me started on this post. I got them at Cracker Barrel in July 2014. Owls are very popular right now!
The other set that I got at Cracker Barrel on the same day. Now I'm all set for a beach themed party! :)
Another clever set I found at Wegman's...June 2014.
The lid is one shaker and the bottom of the pot is the other. Love it!
And finally, Ben & Dee included this awesome set in the Christmas package they sent us for Christmas 2013. This is another set that connects together with magnets. I love that this set is not only clever, but it also represents some family history, since our dad worked on computer programs for the space shuttle back in the 1970's.
That is my complete collection to date! I guess I will have to do more posts over the years as I add new sets. So did you keep a count as you looked through all the pictures? In case you didn't, I will tell you...I currently own 102 sets! I never expected my collection to grow this large when I began it, but it has been a fun journey. I don't remember now how many sets Grandma Pew had, but I think I may have her beat at this point. She had a lot, but I'm not sure she had 102. I have sets that I can use every season of the year and every holiday. Not all of them are functional...some are broken and many of them (especially the older ones) have lost their stoppers or the stoppers have broken or deteriorated...but they are all fun to look at. I like to use the ones that work, though, and usually have 2 or 3 sets out each month. I only buy sets now if I find one that I really love because I have so many! One thing I would like to add to my collection, though, is a set from each of the 50 states. I currently have 23 states, so I guess that is 27 more...yikes! I'm sure it will take me many years to acquire all of those ones, though.
It's obvious as you read through my descriptions that many people have generously contributed to my collection over the years which I really appreciate! I love this collection because it is fun and useful and it brings back memories of lots of places I have lived or visited. But more than that, it reminds me of people I love. First of all, of my Grandma Pew who got me started in the first place. And then, of all the generous family members and friends who have seen a set, thought of me, and been kind enough to get it for me. They have all added to my collection, but even more importantly, they have added so much to my life!
