Vintage 🐦 NOS 1950s “Wonderful Double Throat” Swiss Warbler Bird & Animal Call – Prairie Whistle Classic

🐦 This new‑old‑stock 1950s “Wonderful Double Throat” Swiss Warbler Bird & Animal Call is exactly what collectors hope to find: the original leather‑and‑metal whistle, unused, resting inside its printed paper packet with the full directions and bird logo still present. Often called the Prairie Whistle, it’s one of those small novelties that defined mid‑century fun.

To use the Swiss Warbler, the directions tell you to soak the whistle in water, set it on your tongue with the reed toward your teeth, and gently hiss air across it. Start soft, then increase the hiss, and you can create a whole range of chirps and squeaks that sound surprisingly like real birds and animals. The packet even “guarantees” that anyone following the instructions can imitate any bird or animal in just a few minutes—a perfect example of the playful sales copy of the era.

🕊️ A classic mail‑order and dime‑store item

These calls show up in 1950s novelty and sporting catalogs, described almost word‑for‑word as a small half‑moon of leather and metal with a reed, shipped in an envelope with printed instructions. Kids ordered them from comic‑book ads, and outdoor types tucked them into pockets for camping trips. Most packets were opened the day they arrived and used until the little reed wore out—which makes untouched stock like this special.

This example comes from older unsold inventory, so it has that perfect NOS combination: original graphics, crisp printing, and an unused whistle still ready for its first soak. It looks fantastic lying on a shelf, pinned in a display case, or framed with other mid‑century toys and smalls.

✨ Why this NOS Swiss Warbler stands out

• True 1950s Swiss Warbler / Prairie Whistle, matching period catalog descriptions.

• Packet carries the full “The Wonderful Double Swiss Warbler Bird Call” headline, tiny bird illustration, and complete usage directions.

• Unused whistle inside—no saliva, no wear, just mid‑century stock that never got its day in the sun.

• Great crossover collectible for bird‑lovers, hunting and camping decor, vintage toy fans, and novelty collectors.

📏 Details

• Item: “Wonderful Double Throat” Swiss Warbler Bird & Animal Call (Prairie Whistle).

• Era: Mid‑20th century, widely sold in the 1950s.

• Approximate packet size: 3½" x 2".

• Materials: Leather and metal whistle with reed, in printed paper envelope.

• Condition: NOS (new‑old‑stock) – unused whistle in its original packet from vintage inventory. Printing is clear, colors are strong, and both envelope and call present clean and well‑kept for their age.

Display it with old comic books and magic tricks and you’ve got an instant conversation piece from the heyday of mail‑order fun.