Finding out the colors of merry mushroom tea kettles can be challenging when viewing catalog or online photos alone. Whistling tea kettles were gold in 1972, yellow from 1977-1982 and almond after that – though other items in their line also changed during this timeframe.

Color

Excellent vintage Sears Merry Mushroom whistling tea kettle from 1976-1977 is offered as part of their 2-quart tea kettle selection from 1976 to 1977, marking a transitional piece. Its shape resembles that of 1978-1982 2-quart kettles while still featuring black plastic knob and bent all-wood handle that will return in subsequent years; furthermore, its color varies between catalog photos and online photos due to yellowness being difficult to discern.

Merry Mushroom products were predominantly gold from 1972 to 1975, then yellow for 1976 through Spring/Summer/Wish Book 1980-1982 before finally switching back to Almond color for Fall/Winter 1980-1982; exceptions included round slow cookers which only came available in yellow.

Size

Merry Mushrooms was an expansive line that encompassed everything from kitchen coordinate jars and clocks to clocks, 5-in-1 cabinets and message center canisters. While most items in this line offered only one color variation (such as this non-whistling tea kettle with its Almond hue for a brief period before returning to Yellow), others (such as this two quart kettle with its curved spout and bent all-wood handle ) might display either Yellow or Almond depending on which catalog images they show; it would be difficult to tell from online photos alone!

Sears Merry Mushrooms collection is one of the most beloved thrift store finds among vintage collectors. Their whimsical mushroom design attracts large Facebook groups as well as numerous individuals on TikTok, Reddit, and other forums who devote themselves to hunting down secondhand stores in search of these rare finds.

Material

As the counterculture movement of the 1960s gathered steam, mushroom kitchen ware and decor became a trendy trend. Mushrooms painted in vibrant psychedelic colors with exaggerated forms were decorated with floral, gingham or paisley patterns for decoration.

By the 1970s, Sears offered an expansive collection of mushroom kitchen coordinates. Most lines were short-lived; most items only available for several years or so before being discontinued or imported from Japan. Lefton produced some early mushroom pieces made in America while imports came mainly from there.

This non-whistling tea kettle with its curved spout and bent all-wood handle was first produced from 1976 through the Spring/Summer and Wish Book 1980-1982, then in Almond for Fall/Winter 1980-1982. However, it can be difficult to identify its original color from catalog or online photos alone; perhaps the initial shade was lighter Yellow than other kettles or perhaps darker Almond; some collectors accept lighter Yellow pieces as transitional pieces while others insist upon darker Almond hues. On their bottoms were mushroom patterned bottoms stamped “Arnel’s” or “Arnel’s of Michigan.” There were also few pieces with labels bearing Empress by Haruta written on them – some even came pre-stamped by Arnel’s on them!