Spittoons for Sale Online - Buy a Spittoon for America!

There's plenty of spitting going on today, whether it's spitting saliva from chewing tobacco, amalgam from a visit to the dentist, or wine or coffee from a formal tasting.

The professionals--the dentists and the wine and coffee tasters--manage spit appropriately. They buy spittoons and cuspidors to keep their premises free of the vibrant bacterial and fungal life that thrives in spit. Thanks to their diligence and also to their compliance with local health regulations and anti-spitting laws, there is a solid professional spittoon economy in this country.

But what about the casual spitter, the guy or gal who either must spit or chooses to spit at home and in public? Where does that spit go when no toilet or sink or hankie is available? Is there an opportunity for the casual spitter to contribute to America’s economy just as the professionals do?

The American Spittoon Economy - Can We Resurrect It?

In the heyday of spitting in America, a bustling economy existed to promote, support, and manage spitting. From the early nineteenth-century well into the twentieth, ceramics, glass, and metal manufacturers produced an astounding variety of spittoons.

The spittoon industry provided jobs for engineers and artists to design spittoons, workers to fabricate them, and advertising copywriters to describe them. News publishers took in advertising revenue to display ads for these products. Then, spittoons were purchased by businesses and homes. The spittoons were cleaned by janitorial and domestic workers. Since everybody was spitting, mostly men, although women participated as well, spittoon supply and maintenance was every bit as much a contributor to economic growth in those years as food production. Lots of people had jobs based on spitting and spittoons.

The demise of this early economic success began with the court’s decisions about liability. The barbershop may have provided spittoons for the convenience and health of its patrons, but eventually, a patron tripped on a spittoon placed on the floor and broke a leg, and the barber was liable. Public spittoons disappeared in short order by the 1940s.

Today, casual spitters can both bolster our domestic economy and contribute to public health and safety by resurrecting our country’s former spittoon economy through creating a new demand for these sensible products.

Among today's smartest spittoons are the portable and pocket spittoons, which are handy for spitters-on-the-go. For the most part, portable and pocket spittoons are dish-washer safe (top-rack) and designed to be almost spill-proof, not to mention how much more stylish they are than a soda can, pop bottle, or Styrofoam cup.

I'm anxiously awaiting couture models strutting the runway, portable spittoons in hand, accessorizing designer fashions with coordinated portable spittoons. That would be one heck of a shot in the arm not only for the American but the global economy as well. Imagine Wall Street and 5th Avenue in the vortex of this trend!

Whether you are a spitter on-the-go or not, consider a modern beauty of spittoon fabrication and function to grace your home. If you don't have domestic staff to clean a spittoon, that’s the burden you will bear. But spittoons do look good and serve the noble purposes of containing spit and encouraging economic growth.

The best source I've found for new spittoons (other than portable and replica spittoons) is thefind.com, even though you'll have to plow through the listings to find new spittoons.

Now, isn't that the best proof of the need to resurrect the spittoon industry in America? Major online sellers like Amazon and eBay return few to no spittoons when you search "new spittoons". And new, non-portable spittoons are crafted mostly according to the designs of the nineteenth century. If you readers know of deco, modern, and post-modern spittoons, please let us all know in the comments section below.

Here's a challenge to American educators and students. Research the history of and current need for spittoons. Encourage innovative approaches to design and marketing. There is a huge spitting population in this country, not to mention in the rest of the world.

I'm looking forward to the First American Spittoon Design Expo!

For some, collecting antique spittoons is a passion, as it is for Jim Kinner. In June of 2008, his collection of more than 350 antique and vintage spittoons was considered by experts to be the largest spittoon collection in America.

Every spittoon tells a unique story through its design, material, and age. Take for instance the elegant Dr. Dettweiler cobalt blue glass pocket spittoon. The good German doctor designed this most attractive spittoon to capture the sputum of tuberculosis patients, thereby lessening the spread of the disease. In its time, this pocket spittoon would have been a relatively expensive item. Today, it is one of the most desirable spittoon collectibles, commanding an excellent price.

Antique spittoons are also rather versatile: they can be displayed in a collection or re-purposed for use as planters, vases, and umbrella stands.

When shopping online for antique spittoons, eBay is an excellent place to start. Merchandise moves rapidly and pricing is competitive. In addition, sellers sometimes write quite detailed information as part of the item description, so there's a wonderful opportunity to learn about spittoons. However, always exercise caution wherever you buy antique spittoons online. Read descriptions carefully, especially being mindful of how the word "antique" is used in the item description, and check out seller ratings before you commit to a purchase.

Buy a spittoon and set an example. There is more spitting around the world than you and I can imagine. Buying a spittoon, antique or new, portable or not, could be a healthy shot in this country’s economic arm.