Saturday, September 17, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Thursday, September 08, 2016
Duplicate Dwarves and Naughty Ladies
Eddie-tor's Note: This post contains vintage boobies. Nothing really racy by today's standards, but in its day, it was probably considered scandalous. You have been warned.
Remember that great trunk that I found at my one 127 stop? It had a TON of papers in it. Most of them were common records of every day life--receipts, bills of sales, policies, report cards, etc. I love that kind of ephemera, but they don't make for exciting blog posts.
There were a couple of more interesting items, however.
A gaggle of dwarves, for example. Why these two and why multiple copies, I couldn't say.
On the other end of the spectrum, there was a battered vintage girlie pin-up calendar with these wonderful illustrations! Here are three of the tamer ones. I love that some of them include pencil roughs.
There's a little verse on each page, along with a calendar for the given month. I can't find any indication as to the year, however. I also can't find any info on the artist. The signature is hard to make out. It looks like "Mac Pherson" but that could be just a last name. It could also be "Marc Thompson." I'm having no luck pulling anything up on anything I might decipher from the signature.
I love Miss December's strategically placed bow!
There were also some really awesome cards in the trunk, but they're for another post.
Remember that great trunk that I found at my one 127 stop? It had a TON of papers in it. Most of them were common records of every day life--receipts, bills of sales, policies, report cards, etc. I love that kind of ephemera, but they don't make for exciting blog posts.
There were a couple of more interesting items, however.
A gaggle of dwarves, for example. Why these two and why multiple copies, I couldn't say.
 |
| I would LOVE to have a full set of all seven like this! |
On the other end of the spectrum, there was a battered vintage girlie pin-up calendar with these wonderful illustrations! Here are three of the tamer ones. I love that some of them include pencil roughs.
There's a little verse on each page, along with a calendar for the given month. I can't find any indication as to the year, however. I also can't find any info on the artist. The signature is hard to make out. It looks like "Mac Pherson" but that could be just a last name. It could also be "Marc Thompson." I'm having no luck pulling anything up on anything I might decipher from the signature.
 |
| Miss March |
 |
| Miss September |
 |
| Miss December |
I love Miss December's strategically placed bow!
There were also some really awesome cards in the trunk, but they're for another post.
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Big Flea Finds!
Eddie-tor's Note: I had this post written last night and was getting ready to add the pics, when Blogger decided it was hungry and ate the post. (Burp!) This is attempt number two, which probably won't be as good as the ine you'll never see. Stupid Blogger.
Let's start with that box of comics from yesterday's post.
I always check all the vendors with comic books, even though there are some that I really don't like. One vendor in particular always has this guy with him that pesters every customer with the same questions over and over again: "Do you have any old comics you want to sell?" "Any old toys?" "Games?" "Magazines?" No. I'm looking to BUY thank you very much. It's pretty annoying.
So, I see this vendor, and thankfully the Interrogator is not with him. Plus, he has a box of dollar comics--just my price range. I pulled a nice stack out of the box, some for me, but mostly to sell. There were a lot of older Disney and Looney Tunes comics in the box in pretty good shape. I have a couple of regular customers who are looking for that kind of stuff, so I'm confident I can sell them.
There was a lot more in the box that I could have gotten, but it was only like the second or third stop, and I didn't really want to spend all my cash just yet. When I went to pay, the seller uttered the magic words that everyone longs to hear:
Why, yes. Yes, I would. Thank you.
And just like that, SCORE!
There are a few comics without covers in the box. Some of these I'll keep to use as placeholders in my own collection, until I can find a better copy. The rest I can sell. Coverless comics are really not worth that much, but I bundle them up and sell them in batches. If nothing else crafters might want them.
And, just like that, the theme of the day was set:
Buy three boxes of vintage ornaments.
Get the loose ones free.
Buy a bunch of 2 dollar comics (all for me).
Get the one dollar book free.
Buy a bunch of 4/$1 items.
Get a flat (much lower) price when the vendor gets tired of counting.
Yes, this is your bargaining tip of the day:
Buy some comics.
Get a bunch more of a quarter each.
I just grabbed a bunch of X-men, Spider-Man, and Batman titles. Sometimes it pays to stick with the sure sellers. I'll have to bag all of these, so the 25 cent price makes for a better margin for me.
Walk by a bunch of books.
Get them for free!
It seriously was that kind of day.
I also got a Brooke Shields doll. (No, I didn't squeal and dance over this one.)
A couple of DVD's for me.
And a bunch of random bits and bobs of awesomeness.
If I ever get cool enough to have my own posse, I'm going to call it the "Random Bits and Bobs of Awesomeness." Take that, Taylor Swift!
There is one picture you're not seeing: the vintage, three piece child-sized kitchen playset--stove, sink, and fridge--in excellent shape that was only $10.
The reason you're not seeing it?
Oh, I dithered and dathered over it. I dillied and I dallied. But I just kept thinking over and over again:
It wasn't until the close of the day when I realized that: a) the Fairgrounds has carts you can use and b) we could pull the van up to the front of the hall.
But, of course, by that time the set was GONE!
Yes, I am an idiot.
And that is why I will never have a posse.
People don't want to be in a posse with idiots.
Unless the idiots are young, rich, and pretty.
And I am none of these.
Well, I am kind of pretty.
But am I posse pretty?
The world will never know.
It would be cool to roll into a thrift store with a posse, though.
Let's start with that box of comics from yesterday's post.
I always check all the vendors with comic books, even though there are some that I really don't like. One vendor in particular always has this guy with him that pesters every customer with the same questions over and over again: "Do you have any old comics you want to sell?" "Any old toys?" "Games?" "Magazines?" No. I'm looking to BUY thank you very much. It's pretty annoying.
So, I see this vendor, and thankfully the Interrogator is not with him. Plus, he has a box of dollar comics--just my price range. I pulled a nice stack out of the box, some for me, but mostly to sell. There were a lot of older Disney and Looney Tunes comics in the box in pretty good shape. I have a couple of regular customers who are looking for that kind of stuff, so I'm confident I can sell them.
There was a lot more in the box that I could have gotten, but it was only like the second or third stop, and I didn't really want to spend all my cash just yet. When I went to pay, the seller uttered the magic words that everyone longs to hear:
"Would you like to buy the rest
of them for 25 cents each?"
Why, yes. Yes, I would. Thank you.
And just like that, SCORE!
There are a few comics without covers in the box. Some of these I'll keep to use as placeholders in my own collection, until I can find a better copy. The rest I can sell. Coverless comics are really not worth that much, but I bundle them up and sell them in batches. If nothing else crafters might want them.
And, just like that, the theme of the day was set:
Buy something. Get something
else for free or cheap.
Buy three boxes of vintage ornaments.
Get the loose ones free.
Buy a bunch of 2 dollar comics (all for me).
Get the one dollar book free.
Buy a bunch of 4/$1 items.
 |
| Tonka Trucks Galore! |
 |
| Instant Ancestors! |
Get a flat (much lower) price when the vendor gets tired of counting.
Yes, this is your bargaining tip of the day:
Wear them down!
Buy some comics.
 |
| Yes, that Isis. She used to have a comic. |
Get a bunch more of a quarter each.
I just grabbed a bunch of X-men, Spider-Man, and Batman titles. Sometimes it pays to stick with the sure sellers. I'll have to bag all of these, so the 25 cent price makes for a better margin for me.
Walk by a bunch of books.
Get them for free!
It seriously was that kind of day.
I also got a Brooke Shields doll. (No, I didn't squeal and dance over this one.)
A couple of DVD's for me.
 |
| Yes, that says "Ninja Cheerleaders." |
And a bunch of random bits and bobs of awesomeness.
 |
| Representative Sample |
If I ever get cool enough to have my own posse, I'm going to call it the "Random Bits and Bobs of Awesomeness." Take that, Taylor Swift!
There is one picture you're not seeing: the vintage, three piece child-sized kitchen playset--stove, sink, and fridge--in excellent shape that was only $10.
The reason you're not seeing it?
I DIDN'T BUY IT!!!!!!
Oh, I dithered and dathered over it. I dillied and I dallied. But I just kept thinking over and over again:
"I don't want to make that
many trips to the van."
It wasn't until the close of the day when I realized that: a) the Fairgrounds has carts you can use and b) we could pull the van up to the front of the hall.
But, of course, by that time the set was GONE!
Yes, I am an idiot.
And that is why I will never have a posse.
People don't want to be in a posse with idiots.
Unless the idiots are young, rich, and pretty.
And I am none of these.
Well, I am kind of pretty.
But am I posse pretty?
The world will never know.
It would be cool to roll into a thrift store with a posse, though.
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Come with me to the Big Flea!
Let's see what there was to see yesterday at the Big Flea! Wheeeeeee!
Here we are at the Kentucky Fairgrounds, getting ready to go into the West Wing. Whenever they have the Antique Wing added on to the Big Flea, it moves back to the West Wing. In the days before the South Wing was constructed, all the Big Fleas were held in the West Wing. For some reason, the show always seems bigger when it's in the West Wing.
During the fair, the West Wing is where the livestock is judged and displayed. The room where the Antique Wing is held is used for the small animals, like rabbits and such. The fair just ended last week, so I hope they got everything cleaned out.
This is a pretty big deal. The Fairgrounds raised the parking to 8 bucks a few years ago, and that has impacted the attendance at the Big Flea ever since. That's just outrageous and I go to all kind of lengths to avoid paying it. The half off deal is new. They experimented at first with only making purchases from certain vendors eligible for the rebate. It always seemed like it was vendors that Were of no interest to me, so I never did it. Now, any purchase at all qualifies you. And can make some purchases!
And, we have arrived at our destination! Please remain seated with seat belts fastened until the pilot has finished pulling into the gate.
Whoa! I just got here. How did all this get into my cart? I think Gran just attracts the stuff to her like a magnet!
Look Melissa! (Definitely not in your price range.)
I tried to take a bunch of pics of cool stuff, but this is the only one that turned out at all. The lighting in there sucks. As a result, this is kind of a boring photo essay. Sorry about that. i did have good intentions.
He shoots! HE SCORES! See tomorrow for the story on this one.
Rearranging the cart. Mavis the tote bag is photo bombing in the upper right corner, along with my knee in the lower right. I'm keeping the finds under wraps until tomorrow, because I'm a tease like that.
Overall, it was a good show for finds. I had to make an unloading trip to Mazda about halfway through, which is always a god sign. It could have been even better for me, but I lost my mind and did something stupid. More on that tomorrow too.
I heard from several vendors that it was a slow weekend. Some were already starting to pack up at noon. Several of my regulars weren't there, especially in the Antique Wing, which was only about 60% full.
And so we leave our day at the Big Flea. Come back for the finds tomorrow. They're adding a Halloween show this year, which I am really psyched about. There won't be an Antique Wing, but it will still be worth attending. They haven't done a Big Flea in October in several years. I always liked this show, because it is right before my birthday!
Here we are at the Kentucky Fairgrounds, getting ready to go into the West Wing. Whenever they have the Antique Wing added on to the Big Flea, it moves back to the West Wing. In the days before the South Wing was constructed, all the Big Fleas were held in the West Wing. For some reason, the show always seems bigger when it's in the West Wing.
During the fair, the West Wing is where the livestock is judged and displayed. The room where the Antique Wing is held is used for the small animals, like rabbits and such. The fair just ended last week, so I hope they got everything cleaned out.
This is a pretty big deal. The Fairgrounds raised the parking to 8 bucks a few years ago, and that has impacted the attendance at the Big Flea ever since. That's just outrageous and I go to all kind of lengths to avoid paying it. The half off deal is new. They experimented at first with only making purchases from certain vendors eligible for the rebate. It always seemed like it was vendors that Were of no interest to me, so I never did it. Now, any purchase at all qualifies you. And can make some purchases!
And, we have arrived at our destination! Please remain seated with seat belts fastened until the pilot has finished pulling into the gate.
Whoa! I just got here. How did all this get into my cart? I think Gran just attracts the stuff to her like a magnet!
Look Melissa! (Definitely not in your price range.)
I tried to take a bunch of pics of cool stuff, but this is the only one that turned out at all. The lighting in there sucks. As a result, this is kind of a boring photo essay. Sorry about that. i did have good intentions.
He shoots! HE SCORES! See tomorrow for the story on this one.
Rearranging the cart. Mavis the tote bag is photo bombing in the upper right corner, along with my knee in the lower right. I'm keeping the finds under wraps until tomorrow, because I'm a tease like that.
Overall, it was a good show for finds. I had to make an unloading trip to Mazda about halfway through, which is always a god sign. It could have been even better for me, but I lost my mind and did something stupid. More on that tomorrow too.
I heard from several vendors that it was a slow weekend. Some were already starting to pack up at noon. Several of my regulars weren't there, especially in the Antique Wing, which was only about 60% full.
And so we leave our day at the Big Flea. Come back for the finds tomorrow. They're adding a Halloween show this year, which I am really psyched about. There won't be an Antique Wing, but it will still be worth attending. They haven't done a Big Flea in October in several years. I always liked this show, because it is right before my birthday!
Monday, September 05, 2016
Monday Rambles
OH MY GOSH!
It was so nice this past weekend that I can almost envision fall being on the way. Woo hoo!
I was able to get out in the backyard and take care of several projects that I had been totally putting off due to the heat. Our junk pile for the set out at the end of the month is off to a nice start. The back porch is cleaned off and organized and I made a nice dent in the shed.
After all that, I think I deserve a little Big Flea action today. Don't you?
NEW NEIGHBORS
With the milder weather, I've started taking walks again. My doctor is really pushing for motre exercise on my part. Apparently, pushing a shopping cart down the aisle of the Peddlers Mall doesn't count.
Other folks are starting their early junk piles, so some finds are popping up here and there. I'll take my incentive wherever I can get it.
I did discover that Gargoyles are moving into the neighborhood.
I'm going to start researching to find out what kind of food I need to leave out to attract one to our back fence. We could use the extra security. Someone pushed in our back gate last week and ransacked two of our sheds. Thankfully, they did not get into the biggest one, but they did take our chainsaw and spare window AC unit.
I want the kind of security that will eat the soul of the next bastard that tries to do that. You know, like a Gargoyle.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND
No less than five new construction dumpsters have moved into the neighborhood recently. I'm checking them daily and it's paying off.
I love the handles on these windows.
Sadly, one dumpster is in front of the house of the neighbor we haven't seen in a while. They are rehabbing his house so hard that they're almost rebuilding it. I'm fearing the worst now, which makes me sad.
Our across the street neighbor would know for sure what happened to him, but we haven't had time lately for a good chat. He's the kind of neighbor you have to lay aside a solid hour for conversation, even if you only have a simple question.
THE BOOTH
The last week of August was one of the most consistently strong weeks I've had in ages. I ended the month pleasantly surprised and very happy. I am looking forward to fall sales. I have a van load of hay bales and pumpkins ready to festoon the place with autumnery!
I am also finally going to begin my big redo project. I ended up scrapping my plans last week to stay at home and do much needed work in the house. I have a hard time balancing house needs vs booth needs some times, and usuallu my time gets slanted in favor of the booth. It was good to have some productive time at home for a change.
I'll be doing before and after pics here, so watch for that. This is going to be a near total top-to-bottom, side-to-side, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, back-to-front, and any other way-to-any other way that I might have forgotten reworking of my spaces.
Plus, a complete restocking. I've been just letting things go without bringing in a whole lot of new in order to make room for the fall, Halloween and Christmas stuff that's on the way. I've got lots of holes to fill!
TRADING SPACES
The other day I was going through some paper goods for the booth and came across a stack of booklets full of trading stamps. You know, like you used to get at the grocery store.
I realized that one of the booklets was empty and that I also had an envelope full of loose stamps. The next thing you know, I was licking and sticking and pasting until I filled that sucker up!
It brought back a lot of memories. I used to help my grandmother do that when I was a kid. She would put the large denomination stamps in and leave the singles for me to do. My grandmother was serious about her trading stamps too. A couple of pieces of furniture in her living room came from the trading stamp store. When my parents got married, she got them a pair of lamps with her stamps. (She also liked her poetry.)
Of course, we never did the stamp books while watching low budget 1980's Italian apocalyptic sci-fi movies like I did that afternoon. Grammie preferred that her cinematic visions of dystopia come from Poland. She was a bit of a cinema snob.
I will say that the glue on those things was nasty. I was worried that I might end up repeating the envelope scene from Seinfeld. It's probably not a good idea to go around licking 40 year old glue. I think I'll make a note of that, just in case.
MUSIC!
You enjoy some music for Monday. I'm going to get ready and scoot to the Big Flea. Wish me luck! I picked this song out so you'd be thinking especially about me.
Look for posts all this week, but expect things to get a little silly. I'm in one of those moods.
It was so nice this past weekend that I can almost envision fall being on the way. Woo hoo!
I was able to get out in the backyard and take care of several projects that I had been totally putting off due to the heat. Our junk pile for the set out at the end of the month is off to a nice start. The back porch is cleaned off and organized and I made a nice dent in the shed.
After all that, I think I deserve a little Big Flea action today. Don't you?
NEW NEIGHBORS
With the milder weather, I've started taking walks again. My doctor is really pushing for motre exercise on my part. Apparently, pushing a shopping cart down the aisle of the Peddlers Mall doesn't count.
Other folks are starting their early junk piles, so some finds are popping up here and there. I'll take my incentive wherever I can get it.
I did discover that Gargoyles are moving into the neighborhood.
I'm going to start researching to find out what kind of food I need to leave out to attract one to our back fence. We could use the extra security. Someone pushed in our back gate last week and ransacked two of our sheds. Thankfully, they did not get into the biggest one, but they did take our chainsaw and spare window AC unit.
I want the kind of security that will eat the soul of the next bastard that tries to do that. You know, like a Gargoyle.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND
No less than five new construction dumpsters have moved into the neighborhood recently. I'm checking them daily and it's paying off.
I love the handles on these windows.
Sadly, one dumpster is in front of the house of the neighbor we haven't seen in a while. They are rehabbing his house so hard that they're almost rebuilding it. I'm fearing the worst now, which makes me sad.
Our across the street neighbor would know for sure what happened to him, but we haven't had time lately for a good chat. He's the kind of neighbor you have to lay aside a solid hour for conversation, even if you only have a simple question.
THE BOOTH
The last week of August was one of the most consistently strong weeks I've had in ages. I ended the month pleasantly surprised and very happy. I am looking forward to fall sales. I have a van load of hay bales and pumpkins ready to festoon the place with autumnery!
I am also finally going to begin my big redo project. I ended up scrapping my plans last week to stay at home and do much needed work in the house. I have a hard time balancing house needs vs booth needs some times, and usuallu my time gets slanted in favor of the booth. It was good to have some productive time at home for a change.
I'll be doing before and after pics here, so watch for that. This is going to be a near total top-to-bottom, side-to-side, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, back-to-front, and any other way-to-any other way that I might have forgotten reworking of my spaces.
Plus, a complete restocking. I've been just letting things go without bringing in a whole lot of new in order to make room for the fall, Halloween and Christmas stuff that's on the way. I've got lots of holes to fill!
TRADING SPACES
The other day I was going through some paper goods for the booth and came across a stack of booklets full of trading stamps. You know, like you used to get at the grocery store.
I realized that one of the booklets was empty and that I also had an envelope full of loose stamps. The next thing you know, I was licking and sticking and pasting until I filled that sucker up!
It brought back a lot of memories. I used to help my grandmother do that when I was a kid. She would put the large denomination stamps in and leave the singles for me to do. My grandmother was serious about her trading stamps too. A couple of pieces of furniture in her living room came from the trading stamp store. When my parents got married, she got them a pair of lamps with her stamps. (She also liked her poetry.)
Of course, we never did the stamp books while watching low budget 1980's Italian apocalyptic sci-fi movies like I did that afternoon. Grammie preferred that her cinematic visions of dystopia come from Poland. She was a bit of a cinema snob.
I will say that the glue on those things was nasty. I was worried that I might end up repeating the envelope scene from Seinfeld. It's probably not a good idea to go around licking 40 year old glue. I think I'll make a note of that, just in case.
MUSIC!
You enjoy some music for Monday. I'm going to get ready and scoot to the Big Flea. Wish me luck! I picked this song out so you'd be thinking especially about me.
Look for posts all this week, but expect things to get a little silly. I'm in one of those moods.
Saturday, September 03, 2016
Friday, September 02, 2016
The Greatest Find EVER. EVER! EVER! DO YOU HEAR ME???? EVER!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
It is no secret by now that I am a HUGE Batman fan, I think. But over and above and beyond and before that I am a Wonder Woman fan.
So when I found this at a parking lot sale on Saturday, I took to skipping and singing and squealing all over the place, despite the heat.
She's missing her tiara, bracelets and boots, but I don't freaking care. Her arms and legs have been glued back on, most likely because the band holding them on gave way with age, but I don't care about that either. She's absolutely, totally, perfect to me.
She's seen a lot of action, my little Amazon princess. Most likely, it was fighting evil gods and monsters, overthrowing dictators, and, of course, whaling the ever-loving shit out of her enemies with her Throwing Wheel.
According to the Wonder Woman collector site, this doll was produced in conjunction with the 70's TV show, but I have some questions about that.
For one thing, I am pretty sure I remember seeing these dolls advertised a few years before the show aired. For another, this part of a set that included Nubia, a character from the comics in the early 70's, who never appeared on the show. Finally, even on the WW collector site, they show a picture of this doll in the box WITHOUT the Lynda Carter image.
Personally, I think these were produced pre-TV show and, later on, a new box was produced with the Lynda Carter graphic to tie in with the show.
One of the things I love most about my Wonder Woman is her painted on top. A later version had a cloth top. Also, her blue eye shadow.
Speaking of the WW collector page, I was tickled to see some other things on there that I also have, like this mirror, and this beach towel, which I have had since I was in 7th or 8th grade. There's also this invisible plane toy, which I had when I was a kid, but don't own any longer, sadly. Also in the "former possessions" category is this album. I remember that the bullets bouncing off her bracelets were recorded as this odd tinkling sound.
And before you say anything, Shara. Yes, she is a doll. But she's NOT creepy. Wonder Woman is NEVER creepy. Only fabulous. ALWAYS fabulous.
PS Dig those eyelashes. They are so stiff that her hair gets stuck in them. Awesome.
All together now:
So when I found this at a parking lot sale on Saturday, I took to skipping and singing and squealing all over the place, despite the heat.
BEHOLD!
 |
| You seriously have no earthly idea how long I have wanted one of these. |
She's missing her tiara, bracelets and boots, but I don't freaking care. Her arms and legs have been glued back on, most likely because the band holding them on gave way with age, but I don't care about that either. She's absolutely, totally, perfect to me.
She's seen a lot of action, my little Amazon princess. Most likely, it was fighting evil gods and monsters, overthrowing dictators, and, of course, whaling the ever-loving shit out of her enemies with her Throwing Wheel.
According to the Wonder Woman collector site, this doll was produced in conjunction with the 70's TV show, but I have some questions about that.
For one thing, I am pretty sure I remember seeing these dolls advertised a few years before the show aired. For another, this part of a set that included Nubia, a character from the comics in the early 70's, who never appeared on the show. Finally, even on the WW collector site, they show a picture of this doll in the box WITHOUT the Lynda Carter image.
Personally, I think these were produced pre-TV show and, later on, a new box was produced with the Lynda Carter graphic to tie in with the show.
One of the things I love most about my Wonder Woman is her painted on top. A later version had a cloth top. Also, her blue eye shadow.
Speaking of the WW collector page, I was tickled to see some other things on there that I also have, like this mirror, and this beach towel, which I have had since I was in 7th or 8th grade. There's also this invisible plane toy, which I had when I was a kid, but don't own any longer, sadly. Also in the "former possessions" category is this album. I remember that the bullets bouncing off her bracelets were recorded as this odd tinkling sound.
And before you say anything, Shara. Yes, she is a doll. But she's NOT creepy. Wonder Woman is NEVER creepy. Only fabulous. ALWAYS fabulous.
 |
| Can you say "FIERCE"? |
PS Dig those eyelashes. They are so stiff that her hair gets stuck in them. Awesome.
All together now:
AMAZON SISTAHS HOLLA!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Someday Rambles
IT'S BACK!
After a kind of moderate last week, the heat is back with a vengeance this week. Ewww! COME ON FALL! Eddie's sweating and waiting! (TMI?)
It's so hot right now that we went to a large outdoor sale on Saturday with dozens of vendors and I just flat gave up in the middle of it all and quit. I ain't built for this any more. I did make one super-fabulous find, though. Check back tomorrow to see it.
Not only is it awesome, but it's a total keeper.
I put off starting my big booth redo for a couple of days to finish up some things here at the house. Part of that work is outdoors, and I am dreading it.
Speaking of the booth, I think the summer sales slump is wrapping up. I've had really good sales all last week, except for one day. Lots of potatoes and bigger and bigger ladles of gravy. Yum! I'm going to come out of this month well ahead of where I've been the last three. It's still not where I like it to be, but any improvement over recent history is welcome.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND THE OTHER DAY!
Just the table, not the junk on it. It was sitting on the curb at the bottom of the hill the other day as I was rushing to catch the bus. I figured it would be gone by the time I got home, but it was still there. It was kind of hidden by some tree branches. I wouldn't have seen it originally if I hadn't been walking down that side of the street, which is not something I usually do.
I got one of those looks from Keith when he saw it, so I told him that it was "perfectly primitive." That's also what I put on the tag.
HEY PAM AT VIRGINIA RETRO!
I'll see you your painted turtle and ladybug rocks....
And raise you one painted barn rock!
Okay, so you really did paint yours, and I just found this one, but I thought it was cool and it did make me think of you.
Those that can, paint. Those that can't, buy.
Check out Pam's blog, if you haven't already.
THE THINGS YOU LEARN WHILE DINING OUT
Pikachu likes Mexican food.
My last latte appointed me a professor. Of what, I have no clue.
And the most recent fortune cookie wisdom.
DVD OF THE WEEK
This is an absolutely charming short animated film from 1966, directed by the wonderfully talented Gene Deitch. The full title is Alice of Wonderland in Paris. Alice meets a mouse named Francois, who takes her to Paris so she can fulfill her dream of meeting Madeline, of the children's book series. Along the way they swap stories, which become the various segments of the movie. Art for each story is provided by creators such as Ludwig Bemelmens (creator of Madeline), Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber. There's not much else in the way of plot, but the whole thing is just too sweet and totally endearing. (I'm also a great fan of both Thurber and Johnson, which adds to the film's appeal for me.) Highly recommended, if you can find it.
By the way, Crockett Johnson is going to pop up here again in a few weeks.
WRAPPING UP
Not a whole lot happening this week, it seems. Let's make up for that with some music for Monday.
Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend. I'll be heading to the Big Flea! It's antique wing time.
After a kind of moderate last week, the heat is back with a vengeance this week. Ewww! COME ON FALL! Eddie's sweating and waiting! (TMI?)
It's so hot right now that we went to a large outdoor sale on Saturday with dozens of vendors and I just flat gave up in the middle of it all and quit. I ain't built for this any more. I did make one super-fabulous find, though. Check back tomorrow to see it.
Not only is it awesome, but it's a total keeper.
I put off starting my big booth redo for a couple of days to finish up some things here at the house. Part of that work is outdoors, and I am dreading it.
Speaking of the booth, I think the summer sales slump is wrapping up. I've had really good sales all last week, except for one day. Lots of potatoes and bigger and bigger ladles of gravy. Yum! I'm going to come out of this month well ahead of where I've been the last three. It's still not where I like it to be, but any improvement over recent history is welcome.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND THE OTHER DAY!
Just the table, not the junk on it. It was sitting on the curb at the bottom of the hill the other day as I was rushing to catch the bus. I figured it would be gone by the time I got home, but it was still there. It was kind of hidden by some tree branches. I wouldn't have seen it originally if I hadn't been walking down that side of the street, which is not something I usually do.
I got one of those looks from Keith when he saw it, so I told him that it was "perfectly primitive." That's also what I put on the tag.
HEY PAM AT VIRGINIA RETRO!
I'll see you your painted turtle and ladybug rocks....
And raise you one painted barn rock!
Okay, so you really did paint yours, and I just found this one, but I thought it was cool and it did make me think of you.
Those that can, paint. Those that can't, buy.
Check out Pam's blog, if you haven't already.
THE THINGS YOU LEARN WHILE DINING OUT
Pikachu likes Mexican food.
My last latte appointed me a professor. Of what, I have no clue.
And the most recent fortune cookie wisdom.
DVD OF THE WEEK
This is an absolutely charming short animated film from 1966, directed by the wonderfully talented Gene Deitch. The full title is Alice of Wonderland in Paris. Alice meets a mouse named Francois, who takes her to Paris so she can fulfill her dream of meeting Madeline, of the children's book series. Along the way they swap stories, which become the various segments of the movie. Art for each story is provided by creators such as Ludwig Bemelmens (creator of Madeline), Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber. There's not much else in the way of plot, but the whole thing is just too sweet and totally endearing. (I'm also a great fan of both Thurber and Johnson, which adds to the film's appeal for me.) Highly recommended, if you can find it.
By the way, Crockett Johnson is going to pop up here again in a few weeks.
WRAPPING UP
Not a whole lot happening this week, it seems. Let's make up for that with some music for Monday.
Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend. I'll be heading to the Big Flea! It's antique wing time.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Stars on 45???
Getting the obvious reference out of the way first:
I do realize that there are no actual 45's in this post. Despite the small size, these are all to be played at 78 or 33 rpm. Also, none of them have the larger hole in the middle. Still, in my mind they are the size of 45's, so I can call them 45's. Technicalities be damned.
So we left off the record haul with this mystery photo:
This stack actually comprises the bulk of my purchase. I saw them and I just had to have them. I have no clue whether or not they'll sell, but they brought me right back to my roots, in a sense.
Whenever I look through a bunch of singles, I try to look for the brightest colored sleaves, cardboard sleeves or booklets. That will usually lead me to what I most want: vintage kids' stuff. In this case, it was an unexpected motherlode.
It's not really a children's record set until you find some made on bright-colored, unbreakable plastic.
All of these are Southern Baptist recordings, dating from the 70's, or so I would guess from the cover art. Nothing is dated. Broadman Records is a branch of Broadman Publications, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Church when I was growing up. More on that part later.
Like many of you, I had music classes in elementary school where the teacher would drag out the record player and we would sing along to the songs. Well, they used to do that in Sunday School too. All of these records are for children five years old or younger. They were apparently quite popular. I have worked in a lot of different churches in a lot of different places teaching kids for Sunday School VBS and the like, and I have seen these things everywhere.
Heck, I even found a few of them kicking around in church resource closets as late as the 90's. They were sitting in dusty stacks, along with a record player, and sometimes, even an autoharp, which for some reason was a standard instrument for Southern Baptist children's departments back in the day.
Side note: I really want to find an autoharp at a yard sale some day.
What gets me most about these records is how trippy the covers are. Especially for kids' records. Extra-especially for kids' religious records. Seriously. Take a look.
This one about the most normal one of the bunch. It's also my favorite. Despite the title, Louis Armstrong is nowhere to be found. Pity.
And now, the trippiness begins. The girls on front look okay. The freaky grassy petally stuff could be explained away by perspective. But....
These dudes on the back are definitely on something!
AIEEEEE!!!! Flee the terrifying instrument people! Flee! FLEE!
If you check out these credits, you'll see that the same people are responsible for these records. In fact, the same crew did just about everyone I found. Southern Baptist Sunday School music was a steady gig back in the day, it seems.
Also, most of these recordings were made in New York. Nothing too odd about that, until you stop and think a minute. Broadman Publishing is based in Nashville, a city with a recording studio on every corner.
Please don't kiss me, scary North Wind dude. Please.
All the records I found had a code written on the front, like for a cataloging system. I thought it might have been a church library (Remember those?), until this fell out of one sleeve.
The Sunday School Board is in charge of, you guessed it, Sunday Schools for the Southern Baptist Churches. They produce the curriculum and materials that are used in classes. It makes sense that they would have a library with copies of these records, because the Sunday School lesson books used to call for a certain song to be used with a certain lesson. The lesson would also include the title of the record the song came from, as well as its ordering number, if the church didn't have them. Some of these songs were used over and over again for years.
The Sunday School Board is also based in Nashville. My comic shop is part of a very small chain, which includes a store in Nashville. For these special sales, sometimes the stores will trade off stock with each other, which is more than likely how these ended up here in my shop.
By the way, these agencies have reorganized and renamed themselves a few times over the years. I have used the original names here, because:
1. It's what's printed on the records.
2. Those were the names used when I was growing up.
3. I'm too lazy to look up all the changes.
4. It would take up too much room to explain it all.
5. It's largely irrelevant to this post.
6. It gives me an excuse to make a list. I like lists.
I have no clue whether anyone will want these. I definitely let a bit of nostalgia crowd my thoughts. Still at 25 cents a pop, I'm not out too much if this turns out to be a bad idea. I had fun going through them all, at any rate.
One final question;
Why is one of the men in black on the cover of a children's record?
I do realize that there are no actual 45's in this post. Despite the small size, these are all to be played at 78 or 33 rpm. Also, none of them have the larger hole in the middle. Still, in my mind they are the size of 45's, so I can call them 45's. Technicalities be damned.
So we left off the record haul with this mystery photo:
 |
| Whatever might it be????? |
Whenever I look through a bunch of singles, I try to look for the brightest colored sleaves, cardboard sleeves or booklets. That will usually lead me to what I most want: vintage kids' stuff. In this case, it was an unexpected motherlode.
CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL RECORDS!!!!!
It's not really a children's record set until you find some made on bright-colored, unbreakable plastic.
All of these are Southern Baptist recordings, dating from the 70's, or so I would guess from the cover art. Nothing is dated. Broadman Records is a branch of Broadman Publications, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Church when I was growing up. More on that part later.
Like many of you, I had music classes in elementary school where the teacher would drag out the record player and we would sing along to the songs. Well, they used to do that in Sunday School too. All of these records are for children five years old or younger. They were apparently quite popular. I have worked in a lot of different churches in a lot of different places teaching kids for Sunday School VBS and the like, and I have seen these things everywhere.
Heck, I even found a few of them kicking around in church resource closets as late as the 90's. They were sitting in dusty stacks, along with a record player, and sometimes, even an autoharp, which for some reason was a standard instrument for Southern Baptist children's departments back in the day.
Side note: I really want to find an autoharp at a yard sale some day.
What gets me most about these records is how trippy the covers are. Especially for kids' records. Extra-especially for kids' religious records. Seriously. Take a look.
 |
And now, the trippiness begins. The girls on front look okay. The freaky grassy petally stuff could be explained away by perspective. But....
These dudes on the back are definitely on something!
AIEEEEE!!!! Flee the terrifying instrument people! Flee! FLEE!
If you check out these credits, you'll see that the same people are responsible for these records. In fact, the same crew did just about everyone I found. Southern Baptist Sunday School music was a steady gig back in the day, it seems.
Also, most of these recordings were made in New York. Nothing too odd about that, until you stop and think a minute. Broadman Publishing is based in Nashville, a city with a recording studio on every corner.
Please don't kiss me, scary North Wind dude. Please.
All the records I found had a code written on the front, like for a cataloging system. I thought it might have been a church library (Remember those?), until this fell out of one sleeve.
The Sunday School Board is in charge of, you guessed it, Sunday Schools for the Southern Baptist Churches. They produce the curriculum and materials that are used in classes. It makes sense that they would have a library with copies of these records, because the Sunday School lesson books used to call for a certain song to be used with a certain lesson. The lesson would also include the title of the record the song came from, as well as its ordering number, if the church didn't have them. Some of these songs were used over and over again for years.
The Sunday School Board is also based in Nashville. My comic shop is part of a very small chain, which includes a store in Nashville. For these special sales, sometimes the stores will trade off stock with each other, which is more than likely how these ended up here in my shop.
By the way, these agencies have reorganized and renamed themselves a few times over the years. I have used the original names here, because:
1. It's what's printed on the records.
2. Those were the names used when I was growing up.
3. I'm too lazy to look up all the changes.
4. It would take up too much room to explain it all.
5. It's largely irrelevant to this post.
6. It gives me an excuse to make a list. I like lists.
I have no clue whether anyone will want these. I definitely let a bit of nostalgia crowd my thoughts. Still at 25 cents a pop, I'm not out too much if this turns out to be a bad idea. I had fun going through them all, at any rate.
One final question;
Why is one of the men in black on the cover of a children's record?
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
You Spin Me Right Round
Getting the obvious out of the way...
I've always said that there's an 80's pop song for every blog post.
On Saturday, there was a music sale at the comic shop. They had a room full of albums, singles, CD's, tapes, music mags and sheet music for 25 cents each. That's a price too good to resist, so i had to go.
I don't carry a lot of records in my booths. Most of what I do have is stuff I have found or that has been given to me. I sell a few from time to time, and they do serve as a draw to get some people into the booth to check them out. There are three or four serious music vendors in our mall with booths full of records. I don't have the knowledge base to really compete with them, so I don't even try. instead, I look out for freebies and bargains. And the weird stuff that fits in with my overall booth vibe.
So I set off Saturday on a quest for the fun stuff. Here are some highlights.
How cruel is it that the pattern on your argyles will always clash with the plaid of your tartan?
I have a CD of JP II praying the Rosary set to electronic beats. He was one happening Pope.
Would you let this man repair your marriage? I think the cover would be much cooler if he was holding a roll of duct tape.
I want to draw your attention to this line on the cover:
I'm torn between searching for a Polka Toddlers album and the fear that it might have a tag line on it that says "Formerly the Polka Infants."
Speaking of show biz families.
My husband had a HUGE crush on David Cassidy when he was younger.
From Popes to Presidents. It was a well-rounded day.
We close with sweaty mice. And whatever Goofy is.
This one actually still has the booklet with it. Yay!
I got a few other things, but this is the cream of the crop. Boxed record sets--opera, classical, Christmas, and country--do sell well for me, so I scoop them up whenever I can. I also got some Christmas albums.
But wait!
There's more!
Tune in tomorrow.
I've always said that there's an 80's pop song for every blog post.
On Saturday, there was a music sale at the comic shop. They had a room full of albums, singles, CD's, tapes, music mags and sheet music for 25 cents each. That's a price too good to resist, so i had to go.
I don't carry a lot of records in my booths. Most of what I do have is stuff I have found or that has been given to me. I sell a few from time to time, and they do serve as a draw to get some people into the booth to check them out. There are three or four serious music vendors in our mall with booths full of records. I don't have the knowledge base to really compete with them, so I don't even try. instead, I look out for freebies and bargains. And the weird stuff that fits in with my overall booth vibe.
So I set off Saturday on a quest for the fun stuff. Here are some highlights.
How cruel is it that the pattern on your argyles will always clash with the plaid of your tartan?
I have a CD of JP II praying the Rosary set to electronic beats. He was one happening Pope.
Would you let this man repair your marriage? I think the cover would be much cooler if he was holding a roll of duct tape.
I want to draw your attention to this line on the cover:
I'm torn between searching for a Polka Toddlers album and the fear that it might have a tag line on it that says "Formerly the Polka Infants."
Speaking of show biz families.
My husband had a HUGE crush on David Cassidy when he was younger.
From Popes to Presidents. It was a well-rounded day.
We close with sweaty mice. And whatever Goofy is.
This one actually still has the booklet with it. Yay!
I got a few other things, but this is the cream of the crop. Boxed record sets--opera, classical, Christmas, and country--do sell well for me, so I scoop them up whenever I can. I also got some Christmas albums.
But wait!
There's more!
Tune in tomorrow.
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