What was on TV February 24th through March 2nd, 1979

Tricolator

I'm in the process of shaking off the flu, but I still found the strength and an opportunity to run to an estate sale today.  As long-time followers of this blog might know, I'm a sucker for appliances, particularly toasters and coffee makers.  Modern appliances just lack style.

I found this "Tricolator" 42-cup coffee maker at a sale in Affton today.  I loved the design and it's brushed aluminum skin.  It's hard to see in the pictures, but it's gold-toned.  It stands a collasal 21 inches tall.

The base and lid are aluminum with a faux wood finish.  The handles and lid knob are real wood.

I love the offset lettering.

Google is pretty tight-lipped about Tricolator.  I couldn't find any information on when this was produced, but clearly from of the 1960's.

Now I need to find a home for my old coffee maker.  Always sad to let one go, but you have to make room for the next model.  I mean, how many multi-cup coffee makers do you really need?

What was on TV February 17th through 21st, 1980

Sorry, TV Guide fans, but this week's entry comes from the local St. Louis Post-Dispatch Television insert.  But I think you'll still enjoy.

What was on TV February 10th through 16th, 1979

Somehow I overlooked this issue and missed my window, but there were too many good things in it to hold onto it until next year.  Let's step back to the week of February 10th through the 16th, 1979.

Slip Sliding

Here in St. Louis, we've been living with snow on the ground and streets for the past month and a half and it just keeps coming and won't go away.  By this point, the joy of it is long gone.  But these pictures I came across reminded me that after the summer's heat, snow will once again be welcome.  These were among the same slides I previously published here and date from 1969.

I love how these were taken in succession and tell a story.

  The dreaded down-the-back-of-the-coat-collar surprise attack. A classic.

The chase is on.

 Sweet, deadly revenge.

No Gilliland is an Island

As Valentine's Day passes, let us keep in mind those whom Cupid's arrows have missed; those souls seeking unsuccessfully, perhaps even futily, a mate.

I found these postcards this past summer among a collection previously owned by Frances Julian of Easley, South Carolina  They were sent by James Gilliland Couch from Camp Croft in South Carolina and Fort Bliss, Texas during 1945 and '46.

I'm not sure what James' (actually, he goes by his middle name, Gilliland) intentions were toward Frances, but if he was seeking romance, he did it quite awkwardly.

I've transcribed the postcards, misspellings and all, below.

Wipe Away that Chuckle

I have found estate sales can provide a better glimpse into past cultural and societal viewpoints than any history book can hope to offer.  I found these "Chuckle-Naps" in the basement bar of a sale recently. Full of sexism, stereotypes, semi-bawdy limericks, puns and downright awful rhymes, I'm sure they weren't meant to be taken too seriously.  The fact that they were preserved unused is probably a good indication they were given as a gag gift rather than bought to be used with company.  These probably date from the early to mid 1960's. Enjoy, and if you find your mirth provoked and yourself chuckling, it's okay -- I did too.

What was on TV February 2nd through 10th, 1978

I'm running a couple days behind, but nevertheless, here is television as it was this week in 1978.

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah...

In 1963, Allan Sherman scored a surprise #2 hit with his song "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter from Camp)".  Set to the tune of Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" and telling the story of a boy's miserable time spent at summer camp, it went on to win the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Comedic Song.  Apparently, it was popular enough for Milton Bradley to base a game upon it which I found this weekend at an estate sale in Affton. 

Play begins by drawing 3 "Icky Animal" cards.  These are the animals you need to collect in order to win the game.

Players then take turns drawing cards that have various camp assignments ("GO TO THE CANTEEN to put salt in all the sugar bowls.")

Players are required to navigate a bus around the Camp to the site.  If the bus breaks down, you have to stop and are unable to complete the assignment.

The bus "breaks down" when the front radiator flips down.  This is caused by a cam on the front axle that when positioned right will bump the front down.  In order to avoid this, you need to keep the wheels centered on the bus.

If you make it successfully to your site and one of your Icky Animals is on the site, you collect it and place it at your Bunk House.  Icky Animals come with the game and appear to be the same as those you could cast with Milton Bradley's Creepy Crawlers toy.

The game ends when a player to collects all 3 of his Icky Animals and navigates the bus successfully to the "Exit Camp Grenada" sign.

 Some shots of the inserts.

• Icky Animals may stick to certain types of skin.
• Ingredients of Icky Animals include an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.
• Do not taunt Icky Animals.

Welcome to Gameland!  I have the feeling Mom and Dad are going to slam those giant game boxes closed the minute the kids pass through.

More fine games from Milton Bradley:

  

Sherman continued spoofing popular songs of the day, but never achieved the same success again.  Weird Al Yankovic has acknowledged Sherman was one of his inspirations, paying tribute to him on the cover of his first album.

Allan Sherman passed away from emphysema at the age of 49 in 1973.

Flintstones! Meet the Beatles!

Given this is the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, I was trying to come up with a Beatles-related Garage Sale Find.  I've picked up a few of their albums over the years, but there's really very little to say about that.  Then I remembered this piece I picked up about 10 years ago.

It's a metal Flinstone's target.  The kind you shoot those suction-cup tipped darts at.  I know, you're asking, what does that have to do with the Beatles?  Well, it's what I found on the back of the dartboard written in purple crayon:

Karen was an indecisive little girl.  But she knew the Flintstones could no longer compete.  Not when you could choose between the "Cute One" or the "Funny One".

I wonder if she ever made up her mind.

Hot Stuff

I collected comic books from a very young age through my early 20's.  Actually, I just read comics until my early 20's, then I decided I was going to get serious and invest heavily in comics, just like everyone else in the early 90's.  That didn't pan out so well, and I've divested myself of most of my collection.

I've tried to get my kids interested in comics, but haven't had much success.  Seems they just can't compete in the world of internet and video game immersion.

But I still try.  I came across some Harvey Comics at an estate sale this past weekend.  Actually, I came across a *huge* collection of Harvey Comics.  The problem I've found with estate sale companies is they are still living in the 90's when it comes to pricing comics.  The comics were all priced at $2 each, but being the second day were now priced at $1 each.  They probably weren't even worth that. They weren't in great condition, but I did pick out a few to try to entice my kids.

Here Comes the Jeep

No, not Popeye's freakish pet, the General Purpose vehicle that was borne out of World War II and made the transistion from the front lines to the home front and onto America's roads.  The most likely theory of its name is the slurring of G.P (General Purpose), but some maintain it is in fact named after Thimble Theatre's inter-dimensional traveler.

I found this book at an estate sale today.  It dates from 1951, so it's very early in the Jeep's career of serving the common cititzen.