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Vintage revolving concealed toilet paper holder — with ash tray inside!

Pam Kueber - Updated: August 8, 2021

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

New Old Stock revolving, concealed toilet paper holder — with Ferris wheel design ashtray inside — found at the late great World of Tile liquidation sale. Need I say more: Fantastic! My friend Ellen, a WOT co-conspirator, really wanted it for a new bathroom she’s working on. So, we bartered — I got a big tile mural of fishes. Photo closed — ready for some action:

revolving toilet paper holder with ash tray inside

Photo open — would you ever want to leave the room?:

revolving toilet paper holder with ash trayThere was no imprinted brand name, as I recall. We’ve seen many a vintage Hall Mack concealed toilet paper holder — and they go for steep prices. Imagine this one — WITH ASH TRAY. I value it at: priceless, including because of its World of Tile and Retro Renovation provenance, of course!

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  2. Joe Felice says

    At first, this seemed strange. Then I remembered that people almost always smoked when they went into the bathroom.

  3. Neil says

    This is TOO funny.
    I guess it was for people who like a visit to the throne to veer off into “just for grins”. And come to think of it, I’ll bet today’s “people under 30” that were mentioned in an earlier comment, who are smoking their wacky tobacky and not willing to put down the joint for even a minute, would get a ton of grins out of it. It makes a lovely “clank” too (coming like the Anvil Chorus through the bathroom door). Giggles galore!
    I know I’d be entertained…….
    But think about it: This paper/smoke ferris wheel thingy was one of those inventions thunk up in an era when America was imagining itself in a rocket-fueled futurama of smartypants ease. When even the most crude function of living would have become just another experience of having triumphed over nature with brainy science.
    You could picture Jane Jetson relaxing with a cig when she needed to escape her robot-maid Rosie’s incessant mechanical chatter…. and then picture the comedy of Rosie trying to empty the damn thing.

  7. Barbara says

    I want to know about that floor tile I’m looking at? What is the name, number and where to get it??
    Thanks!

    • Pam Kueber says

      That is my Azrock Cortina Autumn Haze – use the search box, lots of stories.

  8. Carolyn says

    So have we figured out why we call them woddities? Were not enough of them sold that more people can recall them? Are the people who see these every day not on RR?
    I don’t see them as much but run across periodically – the chrome multiple dispenser of foil & waxed paper (not sure paper towels were as ubiquitous as today). Maybe they were somewhat expensive but I wouldn’t term them woddities – yet.
    Do you know that a lot of people under 30 would not know what an ashtray was if you showed it to them? Maybe the square glass ones but the huge ceramic behemoths of the 1970’s look more like some weird art instead of functional. You can see the gears grinding trying to figure out who would smoke enough cigarettes, much less in the house.

  9. ineffablespace says

    I was thinking the same thing. How do the ashes not spill out, and how do you clean it?

    I think I see the obsolescence of this particular gadget.