Featured "Foreign" Drinks Trolley

Discussion in 'Furniture' started by mark737, Jan 26, 2023.

  1. mark737

    mark737 Well-Known Member

    Picked up this little drinks trolley at a thrift in Dallas yesterday. Based on style, assumed it was 20's or 30's vintage. Only marking is a "Foreign 7B" stamp under lower shelf. I did a Google image search and found a few others online, with most listing them as British c. 1930s. I tried to research the "foreign" stamp online and didn't find anything definitive. One site said US tariff laws from 1893-1923 required a "foreign" stamp on imported goods, but then after 1923 required the actual country of origin. Another site mentioned British law requiring "foreign" to be stamped on goods made outside the Empire up until 1973. Does anyone know what a "foreign" stamp on furniture likely indicates regarding age or country of origin? Thanks
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    judy, johnnycb09 and Any Jewelry like this.
  2. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    British and it generally means the country of origin was one of those on the Axis side in WWI - Germany in particular. Not sure about post WW2.
     
  3. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Sorry, I've no info about the FOREIGN stamp, but...
    Wouldn't a drinks trolley (aka bar or serving cart) have a lip or edge or something around the perimeter of the flat surfaces to keep the drinks/glassware from falling off?
    What are the measurements?
    I'm wondering if your item is actually a TV cart.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2023
    judy and Any Jewelry like this.
  4. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    It does seem that West Germany was stamping things meant for export as "FOREIGN" well into the 1960s, especially ceramic vases.

    I also came across this mid-century chair on Pinterest, unfortunately the link is broken:

    Screenshot (121).png
     
  5. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    It isn't British made, we'd never have stamped FOREIGN. There wasn't a law as such, but it was a Thing that stuff from countries we'd had a barney with got stamped Foreign because at varying times, Germany, Japan and Italy weren't acceptable. Germany, after both wars, Japan and Itally after WW2.

    I've seen little tables of this shape a fair bit. Usually called ocasional tables.
     
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  6. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    I think the OP called it a trolley because it's on casters.
     
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  7. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    I can see that's the reason. We had one very similar, but I think the wheels were only there so you could move it more easily.
     
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  8. mark737

    mark737 Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the replies. It's 21X20 inches and 25 inches high. I looked again and most of the ones I found for sale online listed them as an Occasional Table/Drinks Trolley, i suppose to broaden their potential market.
     
    bluumz likes this.
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