A Toast to the Sunbeam T-20A

I recently told of my estate sale quest for a toaster, so I won't repeat that, but I'll give a little background on why I was obsessed with my mission that day.

For one thing, I've been obsessed with vintage toasters for a long time.  I've owned many different models over the years and it's always fascinated how many variations there can be for the same simple task of toasting bread.

I've previously owned a couple different Sunbeam models that featured automatic lowering and raising and radiant control including the model T20-B and T35.  Over the years, my toasters have come and gone, either due to selling them or them simply wearing out.  It was easier letting go of toasters back then as no one was interested in them and were easily found for $1 at sales.  Times have changed.

When I saw this ad in the December 1951 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, I knew I had to own one again.

Escape to Christmas

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today.  And even if you don't celebrate, I think you'd still enjoy a visit to The Escape Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale for a Christmas dinner, circa 1950's. All for the paltry sum of $3.50. Bon Appetit!

Home For Christmas

When I was a kid, aside from the magical appearance of the Sears and J. C. Penney Christmas catalogs in our mailbox, nothing signaled the oncoming of Christmas more than the appearance of commercials promoting record album collections of Christmas music from K-Tel, Reader's Digest and Time-Life.

One particular album that fascinated me was the 1977 "Home For Christmas" album.

It wasn't the song content that fascinated me, although I loved Christmas songs, it was the pop-up interior.  The commercial boasted it was a "wonderful, unique decoration for under the tree, or as a holiday centerpiece" while songs by Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Ray Conniff and Mahalia Jackson played in the background.  

We never mailed away for things when I was a kid.  Plus my mom already had her staple of Christmas albums from A&P and Firestone she played while we decorated the Christmas tree.  So I never had this album or its pop-up house.  Until this summer when I found it at a garage sale.

I was already familiar with the cover, so I'd kept an eye out for it at sales for years.  I'd come across it before, but the interior was always missing.  Then I found this one in mint condition.

Uncanny Finds -- Christmas Edition

I've previously blogged this can, but it's been nearly 10 years, so it deserves another look.

This can of powdered A&P Egg Nog was still about 3/4 full when I found it, hinting at its potability.  "A Sterilized Product".  Thank God it can't reproduce.

 

Mary with Santa

 This past summer, I came across this vintage Real Photo Postcard of a young girl with Santa Claus.

Saving Life Savers

I'll be the first to admit I've come across some weird things at sales.  I'll even admit to buying some of those weird things.  This is one of them.

Angels We Have Heard on High

I've been very lax about publishing any Christmas content this season (I know, big surprise), but I'm off this week, so hopefully I can give you some last minute presents.

Today I'll show you some Christmas angels I've bought over the past year.

Up first is this Timco light-up angel from the 1950's or '60's. It was made in Japan.

Jet O Matic Brewing

Yesterday was a particularly good estate saling day, and it happened all at one home.

It began with my weekly perusing of the listings on estatesales.net. There weren't many sales in my area, but one was particularly close and while looking through the posted photos, I saw this:

Saturday Evening (Christmas Blog) Post

It's been a while since I posted a magazine, but this one had so many great ads and Christmas ones to boot, so here it is.  I picked this magazine up at an estate sale over the summer.  It has a lot of issues, not the least of which is the red ink bled through most of the ads.  But they're still fun to look at.  And of course with the ads come my poor attempt at humor.  Please bear with me.

And so, here it is, from December 8th, 1951, The Saturday Evening Post (ads only).

Cover art by John Falter who did a number of covers for The Saturday Evening Post.

Let's Get this Christmas Thing Going

I know you've been asking, where's Tom been lately?

Okay, you probably weren't asking that, but I'm back after a mostly on-hiatus November.

Let's kick off the Christmas season with a few finds from the past year (and there were a lot of them).

Up first are these 3 "melted plastic popcorn" decorations.  They're actually called "Glitter Plaques".  They date from the 1970's.