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Draw
and Draw Die to
make 2 1/8 inch
closure
for 2 1/8 inch closure
closure
closure with thread Die,
which is a hockey puck that
has 40 tons of pressure
put on it to force the
threads on Die
blank ready to press in the
threads
around local flea markets. He decided if he was going to attend these things he should have something of
interest to look for. So wandering thru one of the booths he ran upon an object he remembered from his
childhood, a small glass dog that had come with candy pellets in it and had a cardboard closure. Thinking back
he remembered that he had been the owner of several different ones of these containers, a car or two, a tank, a
plane, and the list began. Making this venture into collecting proved to be easy as his wife began buying at
auctions and estate sales then setting up to sell items she had found at shows in Indianapolis, Louisville and Ft
Wayne.
Along the way another seller told Mike about reference books by Jennie Long, even gave him her address where
you could send a check to purchase both books. So when the much anticipated books arrived with a nice
welcoming message from Jennie herself, she told him of a club that you could join, go to a convention and meet
other people that loved these little toys as much as he did. The rest is history.
Mike and Jo attended their first convention in 1987, were so impressed they have not missed one since. Mike
became good friends with Clifford Stroning who at that period of time was making tin parts for many of the glass
containers. This was of great interest as Mike was at that time a Tool and Die Maker for General Motors
Corporation. For a few years Mike studied and talked with Clifford about the making of parts. There came a point
where Mike talked with Cliff whether he would mind if he (Mike) made a 2 1/8 inch closure which fits over 55 of
the glass containers and which Cliff did not make. So in 1989 Mike set up at the Convention swap meet with
glass candies for sale along with several of the 2 1/8 inch closures. It was only a couple years later that Clifford
decided that there were things he wanted to be doing in his life and not tied down with orders. With that opening
Mike began working on making dies to expand his range of closures and parts to sell at the Convention.
There are many stories to be told to those who have not heard them yet which would take up too much space
here. But if you're a member of the club and would like to hear about where the first tin for the closures came
from, where the tiny caps for certain containers came from and why do they keep a box of hockey pucks handy
just ask us when you attend the next Convention.
At this point in time Mike makes well over 500 tin and cardboard parts for Glass Candy Containers. ( With Mike's
mastering of computer cloning, etc, the cardboard parts have made their way into our catalog). From the time
Mike started to make the closures till he retired in 1999, he has made and completed over 100 different Dies
especially for the making of tin parts and closures. Also over 100 templates, drawing for sizing the closures. We
keep over 50 colors of paint to be sprayed on them once Mike is finished with them. His shop holds everything
but the 40 ton press which is in our garage, including a paint vacuum system to pull the fumes out. All of this is
contained in a space 4 ft. X 8 ft., which is half of Jo's laundry room. He now spends anywhere from 4 to 6 hours
per day (when not out antiquing or traveling with Jo) making parts and closures.
Jo Baldwin