2020 – Last Minute Christmas Gifts?
(Ignore April 30, 2017 publish date – this was published on December 23, 2020)
And they all came from this little brown store:
Considering what 2020 has been like, it would seem that this Christmas would be an ideal time for some of this stuff to hit the market. I’m not really selling any of it, but it gives me a good excuse to present the next round of finds that Mom held on to.
Let’s start with this sure-to-impress-your-friends lovely phone receiver cover (might need a spot of polish):
I can’t believe it, but I actually found another one here on Etsy: https://tinyurl.com/SuchClass
So if you’re looking for a non-working Princess phone that wears protection for 20 bucks, I’ll understand if you pass mine up.
Perhaps I could interest you in a sure-fire way to quickly find the right key on your key ring:
No? Well, surely this Stretch Strapper is up your alley (can be used as emergency handcuffs………..in private):
Traveling back to 1975 any time soon? You’ll want this unopened “Crossroads of the Revolution” commemorative license plate to attach over your front New Jersey license plate. Don’t live in New Jersey? Move!
While you’re still in the patriotic mode, consider purchasing an America’s Heritage Liberty Bell candle (also unopened). Perhaps you can use it to illuminate your rear New Jersey license plate:
Flying to Australia in the near future? While it may not be patriotic (or permitted, given the current air travel restrictions during the pandemic), just mix in a few local words like “mate” and wallaby” into your conversation as you wave your (unopened) Qantas Travel Kit in the faces of any authority figures in your way. You will be welcomed with open opens that will promptly throw you into a quarantine cell:
A couple of Dad items: Who isn’t into fire alarm boxes and Indian head/Buffalo nickel decanters (while still smelling their best)?
This is the one you’ve always heard about, but could never get your hands on………Avon’s Fire Alarm Box “Avon Spicy” after shave:
Even better………… Avon’s Indian Head/Buffalo Nickel after shave, aptly-titled “Wild Country”:
You’d rather smell bad? Then try this United States Tobacco Company tankard (or maybe it’s a personal hand-held spittoon to keep yer tabacky juice off yer duds):
This might actually be a rarity. I’ve found similar ties online, but none with the “Larry Hagman – Karl-Lorimar Home Video” label (Hagman starred in the “Dallas” TV show and narrated the 1987 smoking cessation video that this tie refers to):
Impress your friends! Make believe you’ve been to Taiwan with this lovely souvenir:
Mom and Dad were smart. They bought this one pair of somewhat rigid shoes that all their children wore while learning to walk. We all may walk a little funny these days because of that, but Mom and Dad must have saved at LEAST 10 bucks on shoes for each of us:
You’ve all probably heard of “Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club”, but did you know that it ran for 35 years on radio and TV (1933-1968)? Neither did I (nor do I care that much). But Mom was apparently a fan – I found this 1947 Yearbook of DM’s BC:
And while I had no real interest in its content, one page caught my eye:
A blowup of the story:
“…the day when television is an everyday reality” just sounds so strange.
Can you imagine watching TV with friends this way?
A little earlier in that decade, Mom and Dad met at IBM World Headquarters in Manhattan. She saved some postcards of the time (I used to collect these and I’ve NEVER seen these ones before…………and none of them are currently on eBay).
This is where they worked – 590 Madison Avenue:
These are images of the Employees’ Club Room and Club Library. If you look very closely at the first two, you might be able to make out “THINK” signs on the far end walls:
These pictures are of the IBM facility in Endicott, NY – about 150 miles northwest of Manhattan (quite a haul just to get to work). I know I have pictures of Mom being there:
I also found a lot of stamps, but only one small group was meant for postage – these 10 from Greece:
The items in Mom’s collection were from decidedly non-postal sources:
She even saved a newspaper article telling her where to redeem them:
So why are they still here?
That’s it – I hope you enjoyed this trip through the………….……………wait!
I just found one more useless thing under all the other junk. I can’t imagine why she’d save this (or who’d want to buy it):
(Thanks, Mom.)
I am truly laughing out loud at this piece!! This is a classic …thank you Bob! I enjoyed the narrative as much as I did the photos.
Have a Happy Pandemic Christmas.
Interesting useful items. Let me know when you’re available to go through some of my old things !
This was a lot of fun! My parents had some of this stuff too. Hope you are doing well!
My brother Brian got an acoustic guitar from a Plaid Stamps store in Hackensack I think…
Thanks for sharing these delightful useless items!