Dealing in original old crate labels from the late 1800’s to the mid-1900’s. Our endeavor is to bring these artistic gems to the public while also providing a space for learning and spreading knowledge of these little slices of history.
We provide an online shop, news, learning, and online society (coming soon).
Visit our NEW LOCATION! You can visit us 7 days a week at the Open Market OC at the Tustin Marketplace, California. We are two spaces to the left at the front of the store near the cash registers. Don’t let the smaller size at our new location fool you! We have MORE labels available than before!. Come visit us!
Second Sunday of the Month
See us at The Rose Bowl every Second Sunday of the month. The Rose Bowl Flea Market is one of the largest in the world. We are setup in the main inner circle (to the left) around the stadium.
Every third Sunday of the month. Come on over to the Long Beach Antique Market. A unique and intriguing antiquing experience. A definate stop for antique collectors looking for a rare or great find! Always great finds to be had. Free parking. Entry approx. $12 to $7.
Averaging two shows per year! This is an epic show. Don’t miss it when it happens. Please check website for latest dates. The Redo market is a vintage and maker’s market that lives up to the name they are making for themselves. Music, food, antiques, maker’s, shade garden, and so much more make this a definite stop for any vintage shopper. Free entry. Free parking in approved areas.
The story begins in the mid-1960’s when a 12 year old boy started working at a local citrus packing house.
After years of exposure to the artwork found on the familiar fruit crates of the time, Gordon McClelland began setting aside collections of crate labels. These labels were quickly becoming out of date when the “new”. cardboard box began to replace the heavier wooden crates used for the last 70 years of the citrus industry. But a few still recognized the artistic merit of the labels. Gordon was one of them.
After many years of selling and trading crate labels, Gordon began the Pacific Label Archives, which dealt directly with the business of crate labels. In addition, he co-authored two books on the subject of crate labels with Jay Last.
During this time, I, Austin McClelland, was watching the crate label business my entire childhood. There are many memories of crate labels filling rooms and displayed on the walls. Helping package labels for the Rose Bowl Flea Market that Gordon attended nearly every month are some of my earliest label memories.
Recently, I decided to begin my own crate label business,
The Crate Label
The focus of The Crate Label is to bring attention to these historic collectables. Their artistic merit, decorative quality, and historic significance make them particularly unique. We believe in the significance of these pieces and only deal original paper labels that were physically lithographed in antiquity. No Reproductions.
We hope to bring you the joy of collecting and holding these vintage pieces of history in your hands.
Always remember. The crate labels we sell are never reproductions.
Always original.