Overview
A framed mid-century promotional desk or wall display advertising Thompson Funeral Home in Lawrence and Paw Paw, Michigan. It integrates a liquid-in-glass thermometer alongside an original paper tear-sheet calendar from January 1958.
Identification
Vintage 1958 Thompson Funeral Home Advertising Desk Thermometer and Calendar
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Story
The Thompson Funeral Home wording and January 1958 calendar identify this as a promotional display associated with Lawrence and Paw Paw, Michigan. The calendar dates the advertising material, but the actual manufacturer and the display's assembly history are unknown. No notable maker attribution is supported. Regional funeral-home advertising appeals mainly to local-history collectors and buyers of mid-century promotional items.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
The supplied identification describes a framed display with a liquid-in-glass thermometer and a January 1958 paper calendar. No condition photographs or measurements are available here to confirm the tube's integrity, the paper's condition, or the frame's stability.
Full Research
See what it's actually worth.
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Market Analysis
Regional funeral-home advertising appeals mainly to local-history collectors and buyers of mid-century promotional items. Comparable thermometers and calendar displays appear in the roughly $20–$30 online resale tier, although the supplied prices are unverified. Intact, clearly dated examples are easier to present than displays with damaged paper or thermometer tubes. A local buyer may value the Lawrence and Paw Paw connection more than a general collectibles buyer.
Value Drivers
▲ The January 1958 calendar gives the advertising display a specific period date.
▲ The combined calendar-and-thermometer format closely matches the $18 funeral-home comparable.
▲ Lawrence and Paw Paw names offer a focused local-history audience.
Concerns
▼ Thermometer integrity is unconfirmed; a broken or nonfunctional tube could reduce buyer interest.
▼ Calendar and frame condition are unconfirmed; staining, tears, or instability could lower the price.
▼ All supplied comparable prices are unverified, and one is an asking price rather than a sale.
Best Venue
List on eBay in vintage advertising collectibles, with Michigan place names, funeral-home wording, and 1958 in the title. Try $29. 99 plus shipping, or price near $18–$20 for a faster sale; bundling with related local ephemera may be more efficient if shipping costs are high. Before listing, photograph the full display, thermometer tube, calendar, back, and dimensions, and test the thermometer without altering it. An unusually elaborate original frame or documented local historical significance would justify a closer review.
Upside Potential
An intact, functioning thermometer, clean original calendar, and sound frame would support the high end. A price above $30 would likely require a particularly interested Michigan local-history buyer or stronger evidence of unusual historical significance.