Leftovers Part 4 -- O Solo Mio

I'm not sure if this lighted, plastic gondola was a decorator piece or tourist item or both. The gondolier detaches from the boat. It's marked Hong Kong.

Leftovers Part 3 -- Bugs

Today's leftovers come directly from the dime store, still in their packaging. The suggested gag is to place the bugs in your friends' drinks. The plastic in the bugs is probably more toxic than an actual bug.

Leftovers Part 2 -- Lions and Tigers and...well...no Bears... Sorry...

Today's leftovers: Circus Animals (and some filler). These are flocked plastic toys and were probably carnival prizes. The lion has plastic jeweled eyes.  The tiger probably did too at one time, but has gone blind.

Leftovers Part 1 -- It's a Trap!

After writing this blog for 7 years, I've accumulated a lot of things that just never warranted blogging about. But still, they interested me enough to buy them from various garage and estate sales over the years.  I generally photograph or scan everything I buy, but most languish in my "Garage Sale Finds" folder, unloved for years.  But no more.  I'm going to unleash a flurry of misfit garage sale finds the likes you've never seen over the next few weeks (or until I get bored with it).

Nothing much to say about these, just fun to look at it.  First up: Booby Traps. Enjoy!

Holiday

I know it's not like you would notice it, given the infrequency of my posts lately, but my family and I are going on vacation this week. In the meantime, enjoy this vintage 1960's Johnson's Holiday Car Washing Cream bottle.  I don't know why those cars don't have windshields. That'll really mess up your hair.  See you when I get back!

Between the Covers

I recently wrote about judging a book by its cover. But I've learned over the years, you can't always trust the cover to reveal the true contents of a book.  And I'm not talking about the story inside.

Over the years, I've found many things hidden among the pages of books I've bought, from cash to four-leaf clovers to store receipts to hidden school tardy slips.  On rarer occasions, you might even find a story within the story.

The Little Screens

This recent New York Times slideshow introduced me to the photography of Lee Friedlander, specifically his series of photos featuring images of television shows and commercials as seen on actual TVs in the early 1960's.  Oddly enough, I found my own cache of similar images at an estate sale recently, the work of another TV fanatic from 1964.  I'm not sure if he was inspired by Friedlander, but looking through the various images, I can tell what did inspire him.

Featuring random shots of mainly talk show programs, this photographer leaned primarily toward the female guest (and often her figure). Most shots are labeled with the program name and broadcast date.