It’s no secret that we love vintage ashtrays. Whether you need a centerpiece for a coffee table or a candy dish for your entryway, the unique colors, glazes and shapes of these pieces of midcentury smoking ephemera are a unique addition to your home. Luckily for you, ashtrays are a perfect flea market find, so keep a keen eye out this summer as you hit the markets and swap meets. Just in case you can’t find the one that sets your heart aflame, we’ve gathered 14 of our favorite designs from online sellers that you can buy today!
Organic, odd shapes were a trademark of the midcentury ashtray. And this aqua and gold-flecked piece from California Originals pottery is both indicative of the era yet totally timeless.
Designed by a California artist, this leaf-shaped (?) ashtray has that great glaze look that so many era pieces have. The combination of amber, yellow and orange makes this one perfect for modernist decor as well as spaces that skew more ’70s.
Another piece by Marcia of California, the vibrant avocado glaze of this organically shaped ashtray is a nice pop of color to a credenza or formica countertop.
While the maker is unknown by the seller, this dark turquoise ashtray has a rich hue that is a perfect addition to a space—and at 9.5 inches long, the uses for this beauty are endless.
Designed by two Swedish brothers out of Ohio during the ’50s, this Erickson Art Glass ashtray is designed with “controlled bubbles” and offers a different look to the mid mod ashtray collection.
Another classic California Pottery style, the cherry red glaze and scooped shape lend this ashtray both an iconic look as well as a unique design.
Designed by Aldo Londi in the 1960s, this unique ashtray with stylized leaves and foliage is a great addition to your collection of ashtrays—or even your collection of Bitossi ceramics.
One of the strangest ashtrays we found in this roundup, this pear-shaped brass ashtray from Israel is perfect for the Googie home or mod pad.
When it comes to vintage ashtrays, the glazes makes each piece unique. This ashtray from the ’70s has a true midcentury vibe with a dark and dramatic glaze.
Once again, California Pottery knocks one out of the park. Warm and tribal-esque, this funky ashtray is a desert modernism-friendly centerpiece.
Midcentury Mexican wares aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind, but they make for a standout in your collection. Using a technique popular of the era in Mexico, this metales casados (Spanish for “married metals”) ashtray is made by mixing three different metals: brass, copper and tin alloy.
Although Royal Haeger officially shut down in 2016, their vintage ceramic pieces, such as this orange triangular ashtray, are beautiful and highly collectible.
Well, at more than $1,500 (ahem!), we aren’t really expecting anyone but the most serious (and loaded) collectors to go for this French modernist tripod standing ashtray. But we just couldn’t resist showing this fantastic piece to you!
Again, while we can’t recommend you spend $775 on an ashtray, for the true Saarinen aficionado who has an original set of Tulip table and chairs, you need this Tulip ashtray he designed for Knoll to match.
