Everyone Had One In The 1900s — Now Savvy Shoppers Are Snatching Them From The Thrift Store

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Throughout the decades, calendars have often served a dual purpose of keeping the date and expressing personal style — like a kitschy cat calendar displayed above your desk or a "word of the day" flip book for bibliophiles. The calendar as a desk accessory emerged in the 1900s (and for younger folks who consider anything prior to the millennium the 1900s, we mean the turn of the 20th century), when perpetual calendars became widely accessible. Today, people are snatching up these early date keepers in thrift shops and antique markets in a return to analog, vintage style.

After the Industrial Revolution, keeping track of the time and date became a matter of necessity. In 1889, Patek Philippe patented the perpetual calendar as an automated wristwatch (a technology still available from the Patek brand today), and by the 1900s, manual desktop calendars were a widely used accessory. Now, a great way to incorporate a calendar into your design aesthetic is to score one of these unique vintage styles.

Thanks to the early days of mass production, vintage and antique desk calendars are widely available today on secondhand sites like Etsy, eBay, and 1stdibs. Some of them can be worth a pretty penny. The earliest styles were made of wood, featuring multiple paper scrolls, turned by knobs to adjust the day of the week, date, and month. These ornate designs have a high value, and can go for anywhere from around $100 to around $1,000.

Leather styles from the 1930s often feature skillfully embossed leather and retail for $70 to $100. By the mid-century, brass calendars became popular, and these are the most accessible today, costing $30 to $50 or more, depending on condition and design intricacy. By the 1960s, novelty desk calendars were created as tourist souvenirs, displaying artwork from an array of destinations, from Holland to Niagara Falls to Japan. They typically retail between $50 to $100 and are most beloved for their collectibility. 

The hack to making thrifted antiques work in your home is to lead with function, and perpetual calendars are perfect for that. Pick one that calls to you, and then style it with other items that will keep your desk organized and clutter-free. To keep the vintage feel going, look for Victorian-era brass letter trays, a wooden mail sorter, or mid-century modern organizer caddies. Your desk will look so much more grown up, organized, and personable than with the kitty-cat calendar.