To understand the history of these beautiful antique scales, one must know why they are used and where. Sweet shops are another name for candy and pastry stores that became very popular in the early 1900′s. Primarily found in the UK, sweet shops catered mostly to children, who are known for craving sweets at all hours of the day. Whether you were looking for Blackjacks or liquorice sticks, the sweet shops were always ready to accommodate any sweet tooth.
Most of these little shops were known by the name’s of the owners. “Mr. Kinkaid’s shop”, or “Mr. Tyson’s shop” and the store owners knew almost all their customers on a first name basis. You walked into the store, and were immediately hit by the sweet smell of sugar. When making a purchase, the owner would take your selection, place a specific amount on the sweet shop scales, and then expertly pour your candy into a nice little paper bag.
These antique scales can now be found in only a few places, or sold by collectors who fondly remember the sweet shop memories of their childhood. A company called Avery manufactured most of these beautiful vintage relics of England, and made these scales to only weigh up to two pounds of any given product at a time.
An old fashioned sweet shop in 1958 would have carried a line of Avery scales that featured a full set of seven brass bells to be used on one side of the scale. It was stamped with the Crown mark of Elizabeth II, and inset with a weights and measurements mark. These scales are still manufactured today, though now made by many companies who try and recreate the magic of the sweet shop scale for collectors who are looking for newer items for the vintage kitchen.
If ever in England, there are still some of the original sweet shops open for business. They have been passed down through generations of sweet shop owners and still carry most of the original products that children found so enticing many years ago. Try finding one of these stores to view an old Avery scale that may still be weighing the sweet treats of the young.
photo: infomatique
