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A Few Planets Short of a Solar System
AKA, my search for Waechtersbach "planet mugs"

mugs

Have you seen mugs like these?

I don't doubt that close friends and family could, would, and already may have used this phrase to describe me, but alas, I am not describing myself (this time). Instead, I am referring to my collection of mugs (mmmm, coffeeee), which is short a few pieces. Certainly, if you're a planetary scientist like me, you know about the "planet mugs". They're variously colored mugs emblazoned with very simple outline drawings of our nine planets, the Sun, and the Moon. Text on the mugs indicates the name of the object, and a brief description of key factoids, such as diameter, distance from the Sun, notable features, etc. I haven't done an official survey, but I'd bet good money that there's at least one person in just about every planetary science department in the country who's got at least one of these mugs.

I started collecting these mugs many years ago as a graduate student, and own most of the set (see above). Sadly, Waechtersbach stopped production of these mugs several years ago, before I was able to complete my set (I was a poor graduate student and had to pace myself!). The worst part of my little tragedy is that the planet I now spend virtually all of my time studying (Mars) is one of the mugs I never obtained. Snif.

Although I search periodically for these mugs on eBay, and even have called the kind folks at Waechtersbach, I've had no luck yet in filling out the set. I'm posting this page in the hopes that someone out there has the mugs I need and might be willing to sell them to me (at a reasonable price, of course). I'm most interested in mugs in excellent condition, but will consider mugs with minor flaws or chips if they don't compromise the appearance or usability significantly. These mugs are readily identified by examining their underside - they prominently display the name "Waechtersbach" and the country of their production, which oddly enough, is "Spain".

WANTED:

  • Mars Found on eBay 09.04.03 - Thanks for spotting it, Jennifer! See it.
  • the Moon Found on eBay 05.04.09 - Thanks for the heads-up, Sarah! See it.
  • Uranus
  • Pluto (& Charon)
I already have the mugs listed below; if you know of others in the set not included on either list, please let me know so I can add it/them to the "wanted" list.
  • the Sun
  • Mercury
  • Earth
  • Venus
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Neptune

(And just so I make myself clear, I'm not interested in imitations or any other collectible mugs, dinnerware, Fiestaware, tea cozys, shot glasses, cute figurines, Pez dispensers, etc., so please do not contact me unless you have exactly what I've described here. My already overworked spam filter thanks you.)


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pages last updated: 4 May 2009