Tuesday, December 31, 2019

A Toast to 2020

I make no excuses for my toaster obsession.  I don't know what it is.  Something about the comfort and civility of just eating some toast with a cup of coffee.

I picked up this GE toaster at an estate sale about a month ago.  It's getting to the point where I need to sneak these things into our home.  As I've mentioned before, there's really no good way to photograph chrome appliances.  They always look worse than in person.  This toaster displays very well in person.


Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas (in Ads)


While the above "00" was meant to be a place holder for the ad, it's appropriate today.  Wow, that went quick.  And while I didn't get anywhere near the number of posts out I wanted to, please accept my Christmas wishes and this minor offering of more vintage advertising from the slicks I bought a couple years ago.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Christmas Slides In: The Office Christmas Party

I found time (a little) for one more post this season.  From a slide lot I bought a year or so ago comes this look into an office Christmas party circa 1966.  I have no time to provide commentary so make up your own captions.

Merry Christmas!

Cool Toys I Never Got for Christmas

As kids, we know Christmas is all about the toys.  What did you get, what did your siblings get, what did your friends get? The anticipation to present opening was overwhelming to me. Fortunately, my family opened presents on Christmas Eve, so I didn't have to spend a sleepless night, although it made for an anxious day.  Occasionally, my mom would break down and let us open one present early.

But let's take a step back from the actual day (or eve).  Christmas really started for me around September when the Sears and J.C. Penney's catalogs arrived in the mail.

I immediately perused their contents, flipping quickly to the back where all the treasures awaited.  With pen in hand, I began circling what I wanted, never considering the price, size or age-appropriateness.  I'll admit, I aimed high, many times knowing I wouldn't get my circled desires.  There was always the largest slot car set, a train, or the latest electronic gadget.  But Christmas is about dreams, right?

I hit a sale this summer that didn't show much promise and to be honest, I almost didn't go in. But I know "you never know", so I committed to it.  I found a few things of passing interest before heading to the basement.  It was a cluttered, dark space, but there was enough down there to pique my interest.

At the end of the basement, I found a closet door. Opening it, I was stunned to see stacks of vintage games and toys.  Among those were some I recalled circling in a catalog long ago.  I built my pile and took it to the owner.  He charged me $2 a piece and I was delighted to pay.

I've paired up some of the toys from that sale along with their catalog entry that I had once circled.

Shoot Out in Space:

Monday, December 23, 2019

E.T. Will Be Home for Christmas

I found this ornament over the Summer.  It seems odd to me, but shows the breadth of the marketing push behind E.T. in the early '80's.  I decided to bring him home.


Sunday, December 22, 2019

Alpine Village Electrified Ginger House

I've long been a fan of the kitschy plastic 70's Christmas decorations.  Of course, they were what I knew in my formative Christmas years.  They were all over the Woolworth's I shopped at every Christmas.  This plastic Alpine Ginger Bread house is a great example of how Christmas decorations began changing in the '70's from the traditional paper and cardboard houses (Putz) into the more (then) modern plastic versions. I've had this one for years, a dollar find at a long ago garage sale.


Friday, December 20, 2019

What was on TV December 6 through 12th, 1980

After a long hiatus of TV Guide (not to mention regular) posts, I'm back with a look into television 1980-style.  The Guide had yet to make the leap to the square-bound, cable-thick version.  Sorry, it's still only 3 networks for you. Choose your television viewing wisely.


Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Christmas Is...Wondering What's on Television

My childhood revolved around the television set.  What was on tonight?  What was on this coming weekend?  Who's on Fantasy Island this week? What's on now?!

The holidays ramped up my television obsession.  When is "Rudolph" going to be on?  What about Charlie Brown? Will this be the year without "The Year Without a Santa Claus?!"

It all started on Thanksgiving Day with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  This was generally followed by an afternoon of odd assorted animated specials.  Sometimes they were those "Famous Classic Tales" like "The Mysterious Island" and "Gulliver's Travels", sometimes the similarly-themed "The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo" with Magoo playing the main character of classic literature, and sometimes it was those oddball Lutheran Television cartoons like "Christmas Is..." featuring "Benji" and his dog "Waldo".  This flex-disc mail giveaway promoted its appearance on local St. Louis television station KSD, channel 5 at noon on Christmas Day.