For sale is a mid-century SUNNY SLOPE FRUIT CRATE from Sunny Slope Farms Gaffney, SC. This original crate would have been used to ship Sunny Slope Brand peaches to market. Two sides of the crate interior have cardboard over the wood to protect the product. The crates long sides include text: “Sunny Slope Brand Carolina Peaches Fresh From the Sunny Side”. This sturdy wooden crate is in excellent condition. The crate holds a dozen wine size bottles and has two carry handles. The two short sides of the crate include the original color lithograph labels featuring a boy in a race car. The crate measures 20 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. A great advertising collectible.
Sunny Slope Farms started operations in New Jersey. In 1928, Vincent Caggiano and his oldest son, Tony bought 126 acres of land in Bridgeton, NJ to start Sunny Slope Farms. In 1943, three of Vincent’s sons came to Gaffney, SC to expand the family business. The Gaffney farm closed in the mid-1990s.
From the 1900s to 1950s fruit crate labels were used to market and differentiate fruit packer brands at farmer markets where people purchased most of their produce. This label was printed with the intention of being pasted on a wood crate. Crate labels are fairly abundant, most of what you see comes from left over warehouse stock. They have been gathered up over the years by collectors and dealers. Crate labels are wonderful reasonably priced works of art which look great framed.
