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20 Comments

  1. mike
    March 7, 2016 @ 1:02 pm

    Another excellent article about a local source of pride.
    I go by Victor Insulator dozens of times through the course of the year. I knew a little about the company and what they did.
    But this article made it even more ‘home-made’.

  2. Alan Rosbrook
    March 7, 2016 @ 8:16 pm

    Great Article. Are there any insulator mugs available anywhere?

  3. Elizabeth Hicks
    March 8, 2016 @ 6:55 pm

    I grew up in Victor and would love to own a piece of local history too!

  4. Announcing: The Upstate New York Collectibles Shop |
    July 14, 2016 @ 8:19 am

    […] if you’ve been looking for an authentic Victor Coffee mug after reading my post, here’s your […]

  5. Linda Whitney
    July 3, 2019 @ 1:20 pm

    I have two Victor coffee mugs that I will be posting on my Etsy shop. Great article, by the way.

  6. Recent Exploring Upstate Press | Exploring Upstate
    September 23, 2019 @ 5:54 pm

    […] also got the whole story on my favorite coffee mugs, created right here in […]

  7. CAROL S HOLAMON
    November 30, 2019 @ 10:33 pm

    Did Victor do an old fashioned shaving mug and brush? I bought one that is in the original box marked No 4149, but can’t find any mention of it. Thank you

    • Chris Clemens
      November 30, 2019 @ 10:34 pm

      Hi Carol—to my knowledge they never did a shaving mug with brush, but the Victor style was definitely incorporated into some shaving mugs from other manufacturers.

  8. Linda Bradley
    February 27, 2020 @ 9:12 pm

    I have what looks like a vintage Victor mug, but the bottom of the mug bears no stamp or name. We’re all Victor mugs stamped or marked, or do I have a fake Victor mug?

    • Chris Clemens
      February 27, 2020 @ 9:15 pm

      Hey Linda. I don’t know of a time when Victor produced mugs without any stamp at all. Shoot a picture to my email and I’ll take a look. chris@exploringupstate.com

  9. M. Lucas
    April 1, 2020 @ 8:28 pm

    I have a copy – picked it up at the Battleship North Carolina gift shop – love it!

  10. Dwayne.a. Durham
    July 5, 2020 @ 8:42 am

    I request a free catalog from your site so please send me one sign Dwayne a Durham at/[address removed]

    • Chris Clemens
      July 5, 2020 @ 10:55 am

      Hey Dwayne…. Exploring Upstate doesn’t sell anything–just tells stories about Upstate New York. So, there isn’t a catalogue to provide. Sorry!

  11. Dea
    October 7, 2020 @ 2:53 am

    Great article! I own a few great Victor mugs…it’s one of my “keep my eyes open for them” treasure hunting goodies when I go to garage sales or the Goodwill. My heart always does a quick, excited leap when I find one!
    A quick fun story about my favorite one that has some beautiful mallards on it. My husband ran over it with his truck, and the only damage was a black tire mark on it! I was so mad at him, cause he had been working on his truck and drinking his coffee with my favorite mug, then he had the audacity to run over it!!! We both were pretty amazed it survived, and he was happy cause he knew I would have been crushed if the mug had been crushed! Amazingly strong mugs!! (He’s not allowed to take my Victor mugs outside anymore!) 🙂

  12. Connie King
    November 13, 2021 @ 12:55 am

    Do you know when they changed the size and weight of the cup? The ones I have been using for years are larger than some I found a few years ago. The smaller ones are 31/8″ outer rim to outer rim and 3 3/8″ in height while the former mentioned are 3 1/4″ wide and 3 1/2″ high. Were the smaller mugs manufactured at the start of production? I always thought the mugs were slightly defective due to bad letter stamping, your article explaining this is very interesting, thank you for the information and pictures.

  13. Our Staff’s Favorite Mugs – The New York Times - The Life Better choices !!!
    December 10, 2021 @ 2:48 pm

    […] plain classics or souvenirs bought from a favorite coffee shop. First made by the company Victor to survive rough seas on US Navy ships during World War II, the original mugs are pretty indestructible. Diner mugs have evolved over […]

  14. 21 Questions With Design and Craft Historian Glenn Adamson – Curbed – 2 Mugs
    April 4, 2022 @ 9:10 am

    […] it to be soft. I have two of them since one might be in the dishwasher. My mug in Brooklyn is by Victor, a company that made thick, cast-porcelain tie-off caps for electrical poles but broadened into […]

  15. Mark
    December 9, 2022 @ 6:11 pm

    I have collected several cups over the years. Couple white w/green line. 6 blue two finger handle. Few white. Bought blue ones at auction, lake cabins. In Wisconsin 1987. Cherished for years but would sell for right price. Enjoyed the article thanks..

  16. Pulaski Artist Puts Postcard Art On Slate | The Upstate Postcard Archive
    March 10, 2023 @ 8:59 am

    […] live without. On this run, my primary scan was for postcards, and my second scan was for Victor coffee mugs. I figured being this far from Victor, the chance of a mug would be low, and I was […]

  17. Eric
    April 2, 2023 @ 1:29 pm

    In the mid 1960s my mother’s aunt closed her diner and gave our family a set of “Buffalo China” plates and Victor mugs. In the early 1970s my mother was getting rid of the diner dinnerware, and asked if any of us kids would like to keep a mug and saucer….. My Victor mug and Buffalo China saucer are still sitting here in my office, and I still use them!