Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year. I’m a huge football fan, and there is nothing like watching the best teams in the league compete on that stage. And even though we won’t be getting the Lombardi Trophy in Detroit this year (insert crying emoji), I still have faith we’ll get it someday. In Dan Campbell we trust (IYKYK). The excitement of the Super Bowl got me thinking about trophies and the appreciation I’ve always had for them.
Why I Love Them
I found this 1942 Trophy on Etsy and loved its stature, its pretty wood base and that it was awarded to a fella named Joseph L. Lewis, once upon a time. I placed it on the bookshelf in my office, right next to a framed piece honoring a special golfing memory I have with my Dad.
Ironically, I’m not an athlete and have never earned one myself, but I’m really drawn to them. Trophies personify a significant accomplishment at some level to the awardee, and there is a story behind all of them. Naturally, I especially love vintage trophies. They have a classic appearance and were often made with more quality materials and better craftsmanship than they are today. I get so excited when I find a decades-old trophy with a gold or silver aged patina, a special engraving, or the winner’s name. You can almost get a vision of them smiling when it was presented to them or holding it up for a photo.
How to Display Them
Vintage trophies can bring so much personality to a space. I have a few of them – a couple are a permanent part of my décor, and I bring out another on occasion to serve as a unique vase. Jill also loves trophies and displays them in her antique barrister bookcase. Trophies come in all shapes and sizes and can really tell a story. Here are a few ideas on how to display them in your home:
Jill’s group of vintage trophy’s featured in her Barrister bookcase – closeups below
Small trophies – These little loves look great as a layering piece to a styled bookshelf, especially surrounding vintage books.
Large Trophies – Used as a focal point in a tablescape or a console table, they can be a nice conversation piece.
Trophy Collections – Grouped together in a meaningful way can make a statement. For this look, try mixing in other vintage items to add variety and purpose. Another option, group smaller trophy collections on a tray to ensure the collection looks more purposeful and less cluttered.
I love this sweet little Loving cup trophy that I usually fill with fresh flowers and display on an accent table, like this one in my living room.
Loving Cup Trophies – This style trophy adds another layer of décor possibilities. Loving cups are usually cup-shaped and on a pedestal, with two or more handles, and are often made from silver or silver plate. I have a small, cute tennis cup that I love to put fresh flowers in. I’ve also seen larger Loving Cup trophies used to store kitchen utensils or pencils in an office. They make great vases for seasonal arrangements as well. In a bathroom they could hold Q-tips, cotton swabs or makeup brushes.
Entertaining – Large trophies or plates make great centerpieces as mentioned earlier. Small Loving cups would also make cute place settings with personal floral arrangements for each guest. For holiday displays, they would look great holding bottle brush trees.
Themed Room – Trophies would be the perfect addition to a sports-themed room, whether a study or a bedroom. They tend to have a masculine energy, especially the older trophies and would give a classic Ralph Lauren look to a space.
Where to Find Them
It’s the most fun when you come across these gems while sifting through the aisles of an antique mall, thrift store, flea market, or estate sale. There is nothing like the thrill of that score, wondering where it came from while you’re admiring it in your hands. But the really old and special trophies are rare and can be hard to just happen upon. Etsy is a great place to find vintage trophies – I’ve found special old awards there and they always have a good selection of beautiful old Loving Cup trophies. Expect to find those at a cost though…rare and special aren’t cheap. Ebay and online auctions are other options, and you can save a lot of time if you want to find something now.
This was the listing for the Loving cup trophy I found. I thought it was the perfect size to put a little floral arrangement in or display on a stack of vintage books as they have pictured here. I love it.
My best advice, if you come across an incredible trophy (especially if it’s a reasonable price), don’t pass it up. You will find a place or a use for it and you will not regret it. These treasures are a piece of the past and a part of someone’s story. I, for one, am honored to keep their story thriving in my home.
~ Beckie
Pheobe Kong Trophy Saga
I’d be remiss if I didn’t share Zack Wickham’s incredible thrift store discovery of Pheobe Kong’s trophies and how his TikTok’s led to the return of her awards and a new friendship. While shopping at Goodwill in LA, Zach came across several of Pheobe’s trophies, all trumpeting her successes in piano and tennis. It broke his heart that someone donated these treasures, so he made a TikTok video on it.
Still thinking about the trophies, he returned to Goodwill a short time later only to discover all but one of them were gone. He was heartbroken because he wanted to find Pheobe or her family and return them. A salesperson from Goodwill assumed a set designer had come and scooped them up. Pheobe became aware of the viral social media activity around her trophies, so she identified herself in a TikTok video showing photos of herself with them as a kid and confirming that she had donated them herself.
And then…Zach was shocked when Pheobe posted a video of her MOM buying back the trophies! She was the one. Zach ended up making a shadow box for the trophy of hers that he bought that day. They became friends through this experience, and she later sent him an autographed photo of herself as a kid holding that trophy. The moral of this amazing story – trophies are to be cherished.
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