Ha-cha-cha-chaaaaaaa!

I was at an estate sale this morning rifling through a bunch of old photos and came across this autographed photo of Jimmy Durante.

What was in the News, January 4th, 1917

I typically see old newspapers at estate sales.  People like to hang on to the popular headlines like "Man Lands on the Moon", "Kennedy Assassinated", "Cards win World Series" (this is in St. Louis, of course).  But occasionally, I come across a seemingly uneventful newspaper preserved for decades for some unknown reason.  Sometimes, it's the result of something else being wrapped up in it, like dishes or Christmas ornaments.  Other times, it just seems someone set it aside for posterity.  I came across two century-old issues of "The Rolla Times" (Rolla is a small town 2 hours southwest of St. Louis known mainly for the University and Engineering School there).  While there were no memorable headlines, digging into the ads and text lead to some interesting tidbits.  Warning, this is a long one.  Sorry, but I just love this stuff.

Frozen

I picked up this Panasonic model RD-7433 at an estate sale for $3 a few years ago.  I tested it and found the turntable didn't work, but I thought I could tinker with it and get it going.  I liked the size of it and wanted to use it in my re-purposed mid century stereo console.

 It's probably from the late '60's and is made in Japan.

What was on TV January 9th through 15th, 1982

I'm running a little behind on this issue of TV Guide, so without any further fanfare, here's what we were watching 34 years ago last week.

Marvelish Monsters

I got really excited when I saw these at an estate sale this morning (what can I say?  I'm a major nerd).

Coke Light

Continuing my purge of backlogged blogs, I present this Coca Cola light fixture.

Reflections on the New Year

Long time reader and longer time friend FrankO was in town for the New Year (and a wedding) and we ended up meeting for breakfast New Year's Day morning.  After breakfast, we looked for something else to do, but being New Year's Day, not much was open.  I did find there was a sole estate sale open and it was only a few miles away, so we headed over to it (taking the "scenic" route as I made a wrong turn).  The sale turned out to be one of those where you worry about your health as you look through the dust- and mold-encrusted finds.  But I did manage to find a mirror hanging in the living room that fulfilled a need (and a space) my wife had been looking to fill.

It's probably vintage 30's or 40's and has a beveled edge.  Sorry for the lousy picture; there just isn't a decent way to photograph a mirror.  At least I made sure I was dressed when I photographed it!

Terrifyin' Tomatoes, Burger Chef!

As we find ourselves in the doldrums of winter once more with nary a garage sale in sight, it is time again to clear things out.  Time to post all those things I thought about posting, but never did.  A cleansing, if you will.

First up is this Burger Chef "Grand Prix de Burger Chef" race car.  

Warm Thoughts

We're experiencing our first stretch of frigid weather for the season here in St. Louis with temperatures in the teens and I thought it appropriate to debut this 1956 brochure for the Surfside area of Miami Beach I picked up a few months ago.  Nothing poignant here, just some fun pictures and ads.

Reader's Digest Condensed - January 1970

What was on TV January 3rd through 9th, 1981

We once again leap 10 years forward from our last TV Guide issue to the glorious golden age of television of my childhood.  Yes, I'm talking about the 1980's.  1981 to be exact.  Let's proceed.

What was on TV January 2nd through 8th, 1971

As it enters 1971, this TV Guide asks if we remember 1970.  I'm sure I remember some of it, I would have been 3, but I couldn't tell you a specific memory from then.  In case you weren't there or don't remember it because of youth or drug use, TV Guide will fill you in.  Spoiler alert: aside from Richard Chamberlain's helmet hair and mutton chops, it kinda sucked.

A Happy New Year