thank you for the photos and the posted comments! I have a hummingbird, but have not been successful finding it on any site
as a Takahashi, I am pretty sure it is the pinback is applied with the push pins mentioned..I imagine they did many hummingbirds. Any help would be appreciated. Cay

The Takahashis used to live down the street from me, I use to love hearing my mom tell me their story of creating the birds.

I have 15 birds, 9 signed, 13 in orignial box and card.

You should of seen the birds that they made when they were in the camps, large eagles, beautiful.

nice presentation
and w wonderful collection
Manon Kavesky

Many of the people who were relocated at the Poston Relocation Center in Poston, Arizona during 1942-1945 learned the craft of carving animals and making these bird pins to pass time.

Did anybody except Takahashi make similar birds?  I have a pair of little wooden bird pins that were my grandmother's; the painting is not as vivid as your Takahashis and the pin back is not attached with either push pins or screws; it was apparently set into a dollop of varnish and allowed to dry.  I know my grandmother had these birds in the 1950s; I do not know whether they were a gift from my aunt (who was living in Sacramento in the late 1940s), my father (who was in Korea at the end of WWII), or where else they could have come from.  I suspect they're either knockoffs (in which case they're OLD knockoffs) or independent creations.

Thanks so much for posting the photos and information about these wonderful birds! I immediately recognized the bluebird as one I have in my collection. the perching angle is different but the painting is identical and pushpins are used on the pinback. There is no signature.

contact Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo curator to see if they can verify whether you have a real Takahashi bird.

I have 2 of what I believe are Takahashi bird pins, one is a hummingbird and the other looks like an oriole maybe neither are signed, both had brass pinbacks with pushpins but one has lost a pin and the other back lost completely at this time (I am looking for it). These pins have been in my family my whole life and I am 47, I have no idea where they came from but that my great grannie had them and they possibly could have come from my grandmothers thrift store in Garden Grove back in the 50's and 60's. I have been looking for info as to how I can tell if they are originals and what value do they have. Please let me know if you have any info

V Meierl

I've known the Takahashi's my hole life.  The pins were all hand made and painted.  Hello to the boys.

I grew up in the house next to the Takahashi's home in Garden Grove.  I believe part of the reason you may find the signings on the birds inconsistent, is because they often welcomed visitors into their homes and would sign their birds for them, from what I'm told.

They were wonderful neighbors and Mr. Takahashi grew a mean tomato.

Hi Cathy, love your Takahashi pics, very helpful. Do you know if all of the pins were signed? Were any of them unsigned, and if so, what time period? Barb

Hi Cathy,
Beautiful presentation! I also collect these beautiful pins. Out of the over 230 bird pins that I own around 85 are Takahashi birds.
Take care,
Karla