In the I Love lucy episode Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her
which first aired on November 5, 1951, Ethel demonstrates her fortune telling skills using her Bicycle Fan back playing cards. These had a distinctive design on the reverse that incorporates a fan and bicycle design originally issued in the 1890’s called “The New Fan Back” as opposed to an earlier fan design.
The fan back design is currently seen in the Canasta set available on the website HERE 
Vintage Sets can also be found on eBay HERE
Category Archives: Ethel Mertz
Ethel’s Royal Copley Vase
In the episode Ethel’s Birthday Lucy is seen in Ethel’s living room after she has helped Fred to buy Ethel a birthday present. On the left is a Royal Copley vase with a relief design of leaves. Royal Copley china was made by the Spaulding China Company of Sebring, Ohio, from 1939 to 1960.
Click HERE to see the Royal Copley vase with leaf design on Etsy (US)
See one on eBay HERE
Ricardo’s Bookshelf: Lucy & Ethel’s London Guide Book
In the Season 5 episode Lucy Meets the Queen the Ricardos and the Mertzes arrive in London, and Lucy and Ethel go to the palace in hopes of seeing the Queen. Ethel is seen referring to a copy of the Britain 1955 edition of Fodor’s Modern Guides – Lucy is hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen but gets distracted when she tries in vain to make one of the palace guards smile, and as a result she misses her chance when the Queen does come out.
The guide book Ethel refers to is titled Britain 1955 from the Fodor’s Modern Guides series – Fodor’s Modern Guides, Inc was founded in 1949 to provide practical information for tourists, with updated yearly editions . For that era, this was new concept in guides books which became essential for the 1950’s traveler.
Find Fodor’s Modern Guides at amazon
Currently there appears to be a copy at :
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=8649948430
Find Fodor’s Modern Guides on eBay
The Mertzes in Newport: Florence Ceramics Charmaine
When the fictional Fred and Ethel Mertz moved to Newport they lived in an apartment on the Ricardo’s property. On the mantelpiece behind Desi Arnaz on the set of the Mertzs’ apartment we can see a Florence Ceramics (Pasadena, Ca) figurine “Charmaine”.
I have seen versions of the Charmaine figurine in green and pink. Continue reading The Mertzes in Newport: Florence Ceramics Charmaine
Lucy & Ethel’s Metlox Watering Can
The METLOX POPPYTRAIL BLUE HOMESTEAD PROVINCIAL WATERING CAN is another prop that pops up here and there on the I love Lucy set First it goes from Lucy’s apartment to Ethel’s when Lucy gets her new furniture and gives her old stuff to Ethel, and then back to the Ricardo’s new home when they move to the country. Continue reading Lucy & Ethel’s Metlox Watering Can
Lucy & Ethel’s Royal Copely Rooster & Hen
The “I Love Lucy” set props included a pair of Royal Copely rooster & hen figurines. We first see them in the living room of the Ricardo’s apartment on top of the bureau. Continue reading Lucy & Ethel’s Royal Copely Rooster & Hen