A cow creamer can make your day. Seriously. Learn why after the jump.
You know the typical morning drill. You stumble into the kitchen groping for your coffee. You inhale the steam, gulp it down and get your day going. You are moving, but you’re probably not oozing cheeriness at this point.
But what if you were greeted with a cow creamer. A vintage cow creamer. A goofy little cow creamer that kind of made you smile even though you weren’t fully awake. I mean, realistically, it’s kind of hard to remain grumpy while you’re pourin milk through a kitschy cow’s mouth. Next you’re out the door and smiling at people. They smile back and pretty soon you’ve got a happy day on your hands.
You’re not even thinking that your happiness had it’s start with a cow creamer. Of course it could be anything that makes you smile, but why not a cow creamer?
If you use milk in your coffee or tea you’re likely to use it every morning. It’s a reasonably sized collectible, and it’s reasonably priced. Plus you can find a cow creamer in many shapes, sizes, and materials although vintage ones are more commonly found in plastic or ceramic.
Plastic cow creamer
When I think of a cow creamer I think of Whirley Industries of Warren Pennsylvania. Whirley made LOTS of cow creamers – an admirable occupation. The little Moo Cow at the top of the post is a Whirley. I’m not sure of its exact age but I do know that Whirley filed a trademark for the Moo Cow Creamer in 1971.
The Moo Cow creamer is a completely functional creamer. Its durable and its head pulls off so that you can clean it out well and refill it.
This style of Whirley cow creamer has a few variations. I have seen them in tan, yellow and purple with different designs on the body plate. There are also Whirley plastic mugs with a cow head on top of them.
Ceramic cow creamer
A vintage cow creamer is most often found in ceramic. There are almost an endless variety of them. The vast majority are standing cows. Their tails are the handles and they are filled through a hole cut in the top of their backs.
The cow creamer shown below is owned by a friend and is a good example of a standing cow.
This one has kind of an attitude as opposed to the many that are whimsical in nature with happy faces and pastel colors. Many also have bells around their necks. A Delft cow creamer is also reasonably common as are made in Japan pieces from the 1950s.
You can also find sitting cows, cow heads and even cow pitchers.
Perhaps the best known cow is Borden’s Elsie the Cow who was became Borden’s brand image in the 1930s. She was modeled after a real cow and has curls on her forehead and daisies around her neck. If there ever was a cow super model, Elsie is it. You can find her on all sorts of vintage cow creamers including small glass bottles.
Share the cow creamer happiness
A cow creamer is one of those make you smile collectibles. There are some huge cow creamer collectors out there if you want to learn more. And if you know someone that needs a morning boost, turn them onto a cow creamer. It can start them on the track to a happy day. Until next time, Mooooooooo.
