The manufacture of salt and pepper shakers began in earnest when an easy method of ceramic production was discovered in the 1940s. After that time, nearly every collectible category you can imagine had a set of salt and pepper shakers included with it. Given their small size and the need for only limited space to display, collecting salt and pepper shakers was quite a popular hobby and remains so today.
Reasons to collect
Several incentives exist for collecting salt and pepper shakers. Two reasons are that they are easy to collect and display, given their size, and they are relatively inexpensive to purchase. True collectors will amass hundreds of sets of every kind of salt and pepper shakers imaginable, and they will have stories about each and every set.

Bygone eras
Vintage salt and pepper shakers from days gone by can bring back fond memories for an earlier period. Salt and pepper shaker sets that are representative of former eras and allude to times past will capture your thoughts and help you reminisce about those earlier times.
The history of salt and pepper
Before salt and pepper shakers were introduced for the purposes we know today, salt was often kept in a family’s cellar, in a block. If you wanted salt, you had to go to the cellar and chip a section off. The very first salt shakers contained an “arm” of sorts inside the container to chip the salt into smaller pieces before it shook out as the salt was still in “chunks,” albeit smaller chunks, when it was first introduced to the shaker. You would then shake the smaller particles out for use. Those early models were called salt “mills.” You can still find examples of salt mills around today.
The same can be said for pepper, although there are many pepper “mills” still is use today. In fine restaurants, you will be asked if you would like your server to add some “ground” pepper from peppercorns to a food involved with your meal. They then proceed to turn a grinder which breaks up the course peppercorn inside the container into a more usable version of the fresh, spicy accompaniment for your taste buds.

Production materials
Salt and pepper shakers are manufactured from a variety of materials including ceramic, clay, glass, stone, plastic, and wood. A salt and pepper shaker set can be found to suit any taste, any mood, and any collection. The varieties are endless and allow collectors a multitude of choices.
Souvenirs
Travelers and tourists have been purchasing salt and pepper shakers as souvenirs of places visited for family and friends, as well as for themselves, for many years. They are easy to pack in luggage for your return trip home, and they make memorable collectibles that are great for gift-giving.
Collector clubs
Collectors of salt and pepper shakers enjoy sharing their treasures and stories with like-minded enthusiasts. When you join a salt and pepper shakers Collectors Club, you become a member in a group of people who have the same passion for collecting salt and pepper shakers as you. Club members get together to attend salt and pepper shakers collectible conventions where all kinds of exciting treasures and exotic finds may await you.
If you collect, well, anything, chances are quite good that you will be able to find several salt and pepper shakers that will fit right in to your particular category of collecting. If you collect frogs, roosters, pigs, cats, dogs, and the list goes on into infinity, you will enjoy looking for that next salt and pepper shaker set addition that will grace your collection so magnificently.

Alana Morgaine
Alana’s Cherished Treasures
Our Salt And Pepper Shakers