The Six Million (- $5,999,997) Dollar Man

I found this Six Million Dollar Man action figure at a garage sale yesterday.  They were asking $5, but with a missing arm, I offered $3 and they accepted.  

Johnny Thunder, Gunslinger, Bodyflinger

I found this All-Star Western #109 comic from 1959 in a box of $1 comics at a garage sale this morning.  The 10-cent cover price is what caught my eye.  When I took it up to buy it, the lady running the sale insisted it was a mistake and shouldn't have been in the box as it was worth at least $15 (it's not).    After being assured by her husband that it was okay, I bought it.

Boys, I Hardy Knew Ye

Growing up, we had a collection of the 1960's editions of "The Hardy Boys" mysteries in our library.  By library, I mean a box we kept in my bedroom closet.

The covers always fascinated me and promised great adventure, but for some reason I never read them, even though I read practically every other book we had.  Everything I knew about the Hardy Boys came from the 1970's TV show starring Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy.

I found a few of the volumes this morning at a garage sale.

"The House on the Cliff", 1959

The GIGO Effect 1983

I found this among some other papers at an estate sale a while back.  The cheesy computer image on the cover caught my eye along with the fact that it dates from the earlier days of home computers.

What was on TV July 12th through 18th, 1980

TV Guide is back again with this week in 1980.  How mad do you think John Schneider was when he heard the Duke Boys (and Gal) were going to appear on the cover of TV Guide only to find his face covered by the address label?

American Home, Summer 1967

The latest issue of American Home has arrived and this time, it's Summer of 1967.  It was the summer of love, but you wouldn't know it from this issue, unless it was love of wood paneling, vinyl flooring and Jello molds.

The Devil's Shortening and other Uncanny Finds

Another one of my odd fascinations (and there are many) is with vintage cans and containers.  I usually find these holding miscellaneous nuts and/or bolts in the garages of estate sales.  I previously wrote of a few finds here and here.  Here a few recent finds.

Crisco

Artcrest Cabinet

I found this Artcrest metal cabinet rusting away in the basement of a recent estate sale for $7.  The bottom had been standing in water and was severely rusted.  I ended up reinforcing it with a 2x4 frame and screwing into the frame through the base.  The rest of the cabinet was lightly rusted (and extremely dirty).  I used a wire brush cup attachment on my angle grinder to remove the rust.  Primed and spray painted, it turned out pretty nice.  Again, I broke a cardinal rule and didn't take any before pictures.  Sometimes, when the mood strikes me, I start into a project and don't take time to take pictures. 

It stands a little over 5 feet tall and a little over 2 feet wide.  It probably dates from the '50's.

I couldn't find out anything about the Artcrest company.

I'm using it to house my vintage cans (a blog post for later) and other kitchen related items.

Erect

In 1911, Albert Carlton (A. C.) Gilbert, while watching the construction of railroad girders, was inspired  to invent his most popular product, the Erector Set.  A former Olympic Gold medal winner (Pole Vault for which he held a world's record) and amateur magician, he originally founded his company on the production of magic kits under the name Mysto Manufacturing.

When World War I came along, Gilbert, like many manufacturing firms, was requested by the United States government to switch its production to war materials.  Gilbert consented, but later regretted the decision.  When the Council of National Defense proposed banning the production of toys all together in 1918, Gilbert successfully argued before Congress resulting in the rejection of the proposal earning him the title, "The Man Who Saved Christmas", the story of which was later made into the movie of the same name.

I found this Erector set at an estate sale about a month ago, picking it up for $10.  Based on the research I've done, it probably dates from 1948 to 1953.  The set (a number 6 1/2) seems fairly complete with numerous various parts, electric motor (although it appears to be locked up) and the outbuilding used in many of the builds.

Curbside Dinette

Driving home last week, I found this 1940's dinette table in pieces and put out for trash at the curb of a home in Webster Groves.  It was in the same neighborhood where I found these curbside treasures.  The legs were already off, so it fit fairly easily into my hatchback.  Not that I needed a table, I just couldn't stand to see it go to the trash.

What was on TV July 5th through 11th, 1980

Welcome to this week's TV Guide for 1980.  On our cover this week is the cast of "Little House on the Prairie", if they were poorly rendered, 2-dimensional characters vaguely resembling themselves.

Happy Independence Day, 2014!

Happy 4th of July to my American readers (and everyone else too, they just might not care!)  

From a set of postcards I picked up this past year.

It kind of looks like his lipstick is smudged, and too much rouge, but we'll forgive him of all that.  Thanks George!

And if you're celebrating with some fireworks today, remember: Light and Get Away!

American Home, Summer 1968

Summer is rapidly approaching the half-way mark.  Enjoy the 1968 Summer edition of American Home.  Maybe it will give you some ideas for the remainder of Summer.