The Washington Post’s home and design reporter Jura Koncius recently emailed me, wanting to talk about TV tray tables. She was working on a feature to go with the launch of the new fall TV season: a what’s-old-is-new-again look at these throwbacks to the early days of television and how they still might relate to our lives today. Did I use them? What did I know about them? Are folks into them? It was a lot of fun talking to her! Read her story here.
And then, Open Thread:
Do you use TV tray tables? Do you have stories about growing up with them? Are you on the lookout for vintage, like the set above from ebay seller heathers684 (affiliate link). Even: What are you watching on TV this season that you’d like to recommend?
J D Log says
I have a couple of formica ones they were easy to make in their day
Lynne says
We had these in the 60’s. Ours were white with gold, if I recall. I think mom got them with Top Value Stamps. Anyone remember those?? Or S&H Green Stamps? We got lots of stuff from redeeming those stamps.
My Aunt Dar had a black set similar to the ones in the picture.
Fast forward to present day, I still have a set. But they are blonde wood, even the legs and stand holder thingy. Blonde wood-look Formica topped. Totally flat tops. Which is useful in a lot of applications, but that rimmed edge is a much better design with food.
Kelly Wittenauer says
Thanks for jogging my memory! Mom’s were off-white with gold legs. The pattern was like leaves or wheat – in gold & brown tones. And I do recall her redeeming “stamps” for them. Guess I’m getting old, as I remember pasting S&H Green Stamps into books as a kid.
Lynne says
I couldn’t wait to get home from the grocery store to paste those stamps in the book! Top Value produced a catalog of all their wares, and how many books it took to “buy” the item. I loved going with my mom to the redemption store. Great memories.
I’m thinking maybe we had the same set of tables!
Markie says
While growing up in the 70s we had them as a family. When my own kids were small we didn’t use TV trays, but currently sweetie and I will use vintage lunch trays when camping in our vintage trailer. It is a lot of fun to get them out and set with vintage melamine and colored aluminum glasses!
lynda says
I should think with the open concept floor plans, one could sit in the kitchen and watch tv in the adjacent family room. I also would not ever allow food, even popcorn in the family room when my kids lived at home! The trays are a fun retro memory to see again.
Chris says
My story is actually my Mother’s. She and my Dad were just dating, so this would have been around 1962-ish. My Dad was bringing her home to meet his parents and have dinner for the first time. She walked in the door, kind of nervous to meet my Dad’s folks. When they stepped in the living room, she was confused, because they were setting up TV trays. That first dinner with them consisted of fresh, homemade strawberry shortcakes (berries were in season and fresh from the garden) — enjoyed in front of the TV, watching Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color! My Mom said she was sort of shocked — dessert for dinner?! In front of the TV?! But she loved it!
pam kueber says
Wonderful story! Sunday nights with Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color: What a rush you just made me remember. EVERY SUNDAY, we were always there!
Maria says
Sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, my parents obtained a set of four metal TV trays that got heavy use over the years. They had a Fall leaf pattern (predominantly orange and brown) on the tray tables themselves, and the standard brass-colored legs that snapped on using the plastic grips underneath the trays. (Crestline, I believe, with the little metal knobs on the surface/ opposite side where the grips were attached) And, yes, they came with a metal unit to hold the trays. I’ve never been able to find this particular pattern, but there was a “Wildflowers” pattern on etsy once that looked very similar.
We also had the LaVada metal lap tray that you could use in bed, white with gold-colored swirls.
Every now and then, TV trays pop up in the metal recycling bin at our local transfer station, but by the time they’ve made it to that point in their life’s journey, they’re pretty well shot: bent and rusted, missing the plastic caps on the feet, with more rust eating away at the legs. I know that ours developed a good amount of rust on the legs and tray surfaces over the years.
Janet in ME says
I love these trays and sent my sister-in-law to a yard sale in another state to pick up a set I saw on craigslist. She has a summer home and the location was on her way up from CT and probably not too far from you in Massachusetts, Pam. It is black and doesn’t have painted flowers but is retro looking with clock faces in cream, lime and orange on it. Coincidently, when we stripped the dark walnut paneling off our living room walls, the paint underneath was lime and orange! I love these trays because the rim is high and they are deep. If you spill something, it doesn’t run off the edge, and projects I am working on don’t roll off either. The trays were most likely painted and provided by Nash. I think they are coming back in popularity now. That is a really beautiful set and sure brings back memories.
pam kueber says
Yikes, I should have added an Uploader!
yellow says
Pam: I wish you would! While the set we have probably isn’t too rare, I’d love to see some of these others – especially with their matching rolling carts : )
Linda says
Please!!! The tole set you showed was a bit rich for my budget, but I love seeing the vintage ones. My Grandmother had a set very close to the one you featured, but alas they “modernized” probably in the 80’s and went with those flat-topped wood ones. Don’t know what happened to the originals, have to ask my 89 year-old Mom!
Carolyn says
We didn’t have these growing up in the 1960’s – eat at the table was the norm and besides, our house was incredibly small to cram 8 people into, much less eat in front of the tv.
But DH and I used them (he was a shift worker w/OT). Olive green with gold floral and gold legs. Used them til the plastic snaps broke and tray got too rusty. Donated thinking someone else would refurbish/re-purpose and just find something else, preferably new.
Yeah, right! New ones were oak slabs so stuff would slide off or spills went right over the edge, extremely bulky taking up half again the space the metal ones did yet not enough surface area to use as intended. We’ve got a white plastic adjustable height one but the tray has that WONDERFUL textured finish that attracts and holds dirt – yech!
Very rarely would find original ones that had at least 2 trays AND the wheeled carrier that weren’t rusty/crusty, large enough and at a price I could afford.
You would need retro furniture for these to work since today’s furniture is so cushy it’s difficult to eat when your knees are up around your shoulders. Maybe that’s just me.
TV to recommend? “Blue Bloods” for Tom Selleck (looks even better now than he did as “Magnum,P.I.!) and the ensemble cast, “Around the Corner with John McGivern” and “WI LIfe” (WI PublicTV). Will check out the History Channel’s “Alone III” but now it’s set in a desert region…
How can we have access to so many channels yet have so little to watch?
In 2012, I binged on MeTV watching every “Dragnet”, “Adam 12”, and “Emergency” and could recite “This is the city, Los Angeles , CA. We were working the day watch out of Central. etc.”
Yeah, I’m annoying without even trying…
pam kueber says
No, you are wonderful without even trying 🙂
Jay says
Are you kidding? I have a retro game show channel so currently at 9PM there is a trilogy of B&W 50s/60s shows – Tell The Truth, What’s My Line and I’ve Got A Secret. No flashing lights, loud music and contestants jumping up and down screaming. It’s a cavalcade of people from the entertainment world – both the panelists and the guests. Great way to spend a few hours before bedtime.
Stephanie in MD says
BUZZR, right? I think my mom comes to visit me just to watch this channel. She says its to visit the grandkids, but I think I’m on to her…
I agree, it’s great to see the contestants, panelists, the hosts chain smoking, the advertisements, etc.
Nina462 says
I’ve been dying to see the old game shows….GameShow network only shows them on New Years. Thanks for letting me on to new TV network show! Look up Dorothy Kilgallen’s life – boy she was a doozy…my Mom says no one liked her.
Lisa C. says
I love seeing the vintage tv shows on Antenna Tv and MeTv. Also, current shows, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat are all great.
cheri says
Been on the look out for these over a year now. Passed up a beautiful set at a roadside yard sale & have regrets still over it. Now search for a better deal on a set than ebay offers with fingers crossed.
pam kueber says
Are there estate sales where you live? That’s where I typically find my best stuff! You could also put a “wanted” ad on craiglist — that’s worked for me before.
Phyllis says
No but only because we just installed new carpet so the “no food in the living room” rule is currently being enforced lol. However, if I may digress for just a moment – black metal objects with hand painted floral designs were popular in the 50’s. Those tray tables are fantastic examples. My grandmother had a powder room with a black and green linoleum floor, pink fixtures and black metal accessories sporting hand painted flowers just like this. I distinctly recall a TP tower so adorned that stood in the corner that I always loved.
Elizabeth says
“TP tower” – what an image! And so adorned! My morning smile!
pam kueber says
Yes! Now I need to find some relics of these!!!
Phyllis says
Actually a search on “vintage bathroom toleware” should bring up a few lol. “Toleware” being metalware, usually black, adorned with hand painted floral designs ????
pam kueber says
Great tip!