Sunday, March 09, 2008
Weekend 45.2
Tag Sales, Flea Markets and eBay
A list of my favorite second-hand treasures. I'm still working on the photographs.
(1) Hand-blown glass acorn (first referenced here). I found it at a tag sale for $5. I have no information on the artist or the purpose of its manufacture.
(2) The Holy Grail of Playmobil® Robots (first referenced here). The set was manufactured by LYRA® in 1976. The robot looks like R2-D2 and will be featured in my robot trading card series™. I found the set on eBay® for less than $15.
(3) The Official 35mm Camera of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was a version of the Snappy 20 or 50 manufactured by Canon. The camera was red, white and blue and emblazoned with graphics from the 1984 Olympic Games. The strap has an image of the mascot Sam the Eagle. According to Wikipedia, Sam the Eagle was designed by Disney animator C. Robert Moore. The back of the camera has very simple icons to depict events of the 1984 Summer Olympics. I found the camera on eBay® in its original box (with the warranty) for less than $10.
(4) The Wilkinson Household Fire Alarm was manufactured in England. I have very little information about this device. I paid a $1 for it at a tag sale. The alarm is the size of a donut and does not use circuits or batteries. It is hand wound (like a clock or watch). The alarm is triggered when a fuse (flint?) snaps a band and unwinds the mechanism inside. It's a tiny device but produces a surprisingly loud and annoying ring. I've done some patent research on the device and found this and this. The latter includes a drawing. The patent was filed in 1958. I found this treasure in its original box with the operating instructions.
(5) Playskool® Play Friend National Park. I found this 33-piece set at the Minks to Sinks sale in Wilton, Connecticut for $2 in its original box. I had this set as a child (the only remaining piece was the eagle). The people in the set were square! The set had 9 animals (rabbit, owl, deer, bear, eagle, squirrel, raccoon, skunk and beaver) with movable parts, 5 Play Friends, campfire, canoe, tent, park information booth, and 1 flocked, tear-resistant play mat (29 1/2" x 20 1/2"). Playskool® also made a Holiday Inn Familiar Places set which I've never seen but would like to find.
I don't really keep a list "stuff" I'm searching for. The acorn and fire alarm were true finds. While I won't ever have a house of chotskies I won't deny my love affair with toys and objects of antiquity (books and maps included).
A list of my favorite second-hand treasures. I'm still working on the photographs.
(1) Hand-blown glass acorn (first referenced here). I found it at a tag sale for $5. I have no information on the artist or the purpose of its manufacture.
(2) The Holy Grail of Playmobil® Robots (first referenced here). The set was manufactured by LYRA® in 1976. The robot looks like R2-D2 and will be featured in my robot trading card series™. I found the set on eBay® for less than $15.
(3) The Official 35mm Camera of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was a version of the Snappy 20 or 50 manufactured by Canon. The camera was red, white and blue and emblazoned with graphics from the 1984 Olympic Games. The strap has an image of the mascot Sam the Eagle. According to Wikipedia, Sam the Eagle was designed by Disney animator C. Robert Moore. The back of the camera has very simple icons to depict events of the 1984 Summer Olympics. I found the camera on eBay® in its original box (with the warranty) for less than $10.
(4) The Wilkinson Household Fire Alarm was manufactured in England. I have very little information about this device. I paid a $1 for it at a tag sale. The alarm is the size of a donut and does not use circuits or batteries. It is hand wound (like a clock or watch). The alarm is triggered when a fuse (flint?) snaps a band and unwinds the mechanism inside. It's a tiny device but produces a surprisingly loud and annoying ring. I've done some patent research on the device and found this and this. The latter includes a drawing. The patent was filed in 1958. I found this treasure in its original box with the operating instructions.
(5) Playskool® Play Friend National Park. I found this 33-piece set at the Minks to Sinks sale in Wilton, Connecticut for $2 in its original box. I had this set as a child (the only remaining piece was the eagle). The people in the set were square! The set had 9 animals (rabbit, owl, deer, bear, eagle, squirrel, raccoon, skunk and beaver) with movable parts, 5 Play Friends, campfire, canoe, tent, park information booth, and 1 flocked, tear-resistant play mat (29 1/2" x 20 1/2"). Playskool® also made a Holiday Inn Familiar Places set which I've never seen but would like to find.
I don't really keep a list "stuff" I'm searching for. The acorn and fire alarm were true finds. While I won't ever have a house of chotskies I won't deny my love affair with toys and objects of antiquity (books and maps included).
Labels: weekend
