The Star Made Me Buy It

Today marks our second TSMMBI with George Burns and Gracie Allen, this time shilling for Spam:

Without Gracie, I think George Burns would be one of those forgotten comedians from the vaudeville era.  Think Frank Fay, Joe Penner, the Ritz Brothers, etc. etc. etc.

The Tuesday Song of the Week

I've been watching Ms. Fisher's Modern Mysteries (google it!).

It takes place in the early 1960s.  Even if you're not interested in shows where some genius investigator solves mysteries, it's worth it just to see the clothes.

Which are a) 100% faithful to the period - as are the make-up and hair styles- and b) are just plain fabulous.

On the second episode, one of the main characters, a young Italian lady named Violetta Fellini - sings our TSOTW.  

I wish I could have found the clip from the show - also fabulous - but came up empty.

So here's an earlier version of the song.   

 

                                                             'Tintarella di Luna' by Mina

November 2025's First Haul of Antiques and Untiques

The last six months, antiques and untiques-wise, have been so SO awesome, in terms of finds.

Wanna see? 

                                              Kosta Boda yellow art glass tulips

Note that what looks like a clear area on the right tulip is merely a trick of the light.

BTW, suh'm fun, to wit: I got these at Perkie*.  I mentioned to the vendor that was once married to Kosta Boda.

He was all 'REALLY???'

Me: 'Na, I'm just being stupid.'

His buddy found great entertainment value in the fact that his friend actually believed what I said. 

*Perkiomenville Auction and Flea Market.  Us in the trade refer to it as Perkie.

Google it!

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                                                     1875 Victorian wall sconce

There are several similar items on eBay, many of which claim their for use with oil lamps.

As near as I can tell, this is an oil lamp:

I cannot figure out you can have an oil lamp on the sconce above.

In any case, today it would look super marveloso having a chunky fat candle sitting in the bowl part.

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                                                  sterling silver Cocker Spaniel brooch

 Somebody you know would be absolutely THRILLED to have this.

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                                                      circa 1910 cold weather gal

Someone you know would LOVE to add this to their vintage Christmas decor.

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                              History's MOST BEAUTIFUL mixed media brooch

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                                                      sterling silver tiger

This one's a nice size, just over 3".

Someone you know would be thrilled out of their gourd to get this.

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Thus ends today's collection.

Until next time, see more, get more here:

                                                         AntiquesUntiques.Etsy.com

Mug of the Month

Beautiful!

Colorful!!

NOISY!!!

                                                                    It's a peacock !!  

Well, it's intended to be a peacock.  I'm pretty certain actual peacocks don't wear blue/red capes.

And while it's not true of the peacock on the mug, real peacocks are NOISY.  Somebody in my nabe had peacocks, or peacocks just decided to hang around on her property.   It's about a half mile away, but you can still hear them.  

Fortunately, that doesn't bother me all that much, since I became immune to loudness early on. The neighborhood I grew up in should have been called 'Screaming Kids and Barking Dogs,' rather than what it was actually called, i.e.  Tacony.  

Then we'd have had the Screaming Kids and Barking Dogs-Palmyra Bridge, and the Screaming Kids and Barking Dogs Baptist Church.    

Getting back to the mug, it can be found here: www.zazzle.com/fun_peacock_print_coffee_mug-168958863881410656

Lucky Dip

Starting today, amma post Lucky Dips when I have time to, rather than promising to post them on Fridays, which I obviously - if you've been watching this blog - rarely get to.

So. here we are, Tuesday, November 4, election day.   

I hope you voted.  

If not, you're not allowed to see this MAAAHvelous Lucky Dip.  Please close this window, and GO VOTE.  

There.

Now on to what you voters came for:

                                                     Uncle Sam is in the house! 

AND on a necktie !!!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/1940s_heroic_uncle_sam_print_neck_tie-256867484893290971

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                                                        The circus is in town !!

 AND on a clock!!!

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/the_circus_is_coming_to_town_square_wall_clock-256124542011902288

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                                                               Squirrelly !!!

on a wallet !!!!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_squirrel_print_trifold_wallet-256295677545894389

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                                                        good hair day !!
 
 On a button !!!

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/alice_doing_her_do_button-145177226498691259

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                                             The late Middle Ages !!!

on a pillow!!!

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/13th_century_heraldry_print_lions_rampant_and_bird_throw_pillow-256619613784777710\

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                                        A more exciting than normal wine bottle label !!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/ad_1600_swiss_soldier_print_wine_label-256464569940598859

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Thus ends today's Lucky Dip.  

More next week.

Until then, come see all the THOUSANDS of my items here:

                                     www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/products 

October 2025's haul of antiques and untiques

 I'm so sorry I missed the last several months, but I was doing tons of flea markets, thereby selling TONS of stuff, so very little of it ended up in my Etsy shop.

But some of the very very very best merchandise did, as you can see:

          The above happy little guy is looking forward to having a home in your wine bottles.

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Next, onto something big...

to wit, our Big Pig.  

Correction: our papier mache and fabric Big Pig.  

19" from snout to tail.  Which is pretty big, in papier mache terms.

Big Pig is not just a BIG PIG, Big Pig has a wonderful personality, and will make a wonderful roommate and/or someone to enhance the warmth and awesomeness of your home.

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And now something REALLY neato, to wit...

                                                Satsuma moriage espresso set.

 The two photos above show the fronts and backs of the cups.

You're getting the whole shebang: pot, creamer, sugar bowl, six cups, six saucers.

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Next up, something a super neato 1950s Loft's Candies tin

 

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Next up, a high Victorian necessity...

Actually, these were necessities until at least until..., um, I'm not exactly sure, but I do remember my grandmother opening up her oven with a lit match in order to light the pilot light.

 

Thus and therefore, these necessities would be mounted above the stove, to give the housewife easy access to the matches needed to light their gas stove. 

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We be having unicorns !!!

Two unicorns, one music box (found under where the unicorns are chillaxin').  The music box plays 'The Impossible Dream.'

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Lastly, but hundreds of miles from leastly, we have this AWESOME sterling silver brooch:

This utter marvel measures SIX INCHES from top to bottom.

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Until next time, see more, get more here:

 

AntiquesUntiques,Etsy.com  

Tuesday Song of the Week

one day late. 

But super mega worth waiting for, boy howdy.

Because today we have...  

                                             Casino Royale - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

When I was a kid, we had EVERY Herb Alpert album. 

Whenever I hear one of their songs, my brain immediately travels back to the living room, where my mother would be dusting the blinds or whatever, while this song would be playing.   

The Tuesday Song of the Week

 I wish the oldies stations would play today's TSOTW more often.

I swear, if I hear 'Crocodile Rock' one more time, I will not be responsible for what happens next.   

Now on to what you came for: 

                                       'I'm Burnin' for You' - Blue Öyster Cult

If you were to take the umlaut over the O in Oyster seriously, it would mean that Oyster would be pronounced uhrster.  

The Star Made Me Buy It

 Today we got our first ad with Irene Dunne, who's hawking Royal Crown Cola.  

Would anyone actually wanna learn '...how she picked Royal Crown Cola' ???

In the unlikely event you do, here it is:

The movie that the ad mentions (see it at the top of the ad) is 1942's Lady in a Jam, which is probably one of the 1942's top ten most ridiculous movie titles.  

Amma check today to see if the supermarket I work at (YES, the Full-Service Bohemian has a part-time gig as a supermarket cashier) has RC Cola.  

I think I had it maybe once.  So maybe it's time to check it out again.  

Or not.  

I'll let you know.   
 

Mug of the Month

We're all aware that Halloween is coming, right?

And we're all aware that Halloween is a holiday that's kinda skeleton-intensive.  (although probably not as intensive as the Day of the Dead, i.e. Dia de Los Muertos).

So skeletons...

Or rather skeleton.  Singular.

Wanna see?

I'd give you a larger view of this, but lately Zazzle is displaying things kinda blurry-ish.  I guess to minimize people stealing other people's images.  Weird, and kinda stupid.  

I actually own this mug, but made the mistake of putting it in the dishwasher one time too many.  So rather than show you that, this is the image of the mug in my Zazzle store.  

Thus and therefore know that it looks wayyyy better in person.  

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/busy_skeleton_print_coffee_mug-256647938704406175 

Tuesday Song of the Week

 FUN STUFF! 

                                         The Kiffness - 'Look I'm Gay'

Lucky Dip

 For today's Lucky Dip, we have things that are blue
. Or mostly blue.

Wanna see?

 Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/1950s_seed_packet_white_squash_print_crossbody_bag-256399396108312661

See all (I hope all.  Zazzle sometimes doesn't show all) my tote bags here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/shopping+bags?dp=252872504922109993&ps=72

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Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_in_blue_tank_top-256862346097202113

See all (I hope) tank tops here:  https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/womens+tank+tops?dp=252583164806205307&ps=72

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Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/1936_blue_packard_serving_tray-256941195107939821

See all (I hope) serving trays here:  https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/serving+trays?dp=252020802773458803&ps=72

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Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/butterfly_girl_in_space_ceramic_tile-227403682671375569
 
See all my tiles here:  https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/products?ps=72&qs=tile&dp=252283360970275166 

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Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/princesse_de_broglie_sherpa_blanket-256477205954659116

See all (I hope) throw blankets here:  https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/throw+blankets?dp=252074541383525986&ps=72

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 Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/renaissance_jewels_print_bath_towel_set-256621644893733662

BTW the above 3-piece towel set has a wash cloth, a hand towel, and a bath towel, which measures 30" x 60".

Here's what it looks like: 

 See all my towel sets and single bath towels here (I hope): https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/bath+towels?dp=252347911405471562&ps=72

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Thus ends today's Lucky Dip.  Come back soon to see more !!! 

RIP Robert Redford

Yet another star has died.

I say 'Yet another,' because every time one of the bigs dies, it seems, at least temporarily, that the world is coming to an end.

   

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I have two major memories of Robert Redford: 

Memory the First... 

The family, or what was left of it (by the time of this story, my two older brothers weren't home a lot of the time) so the family was my parents, me, and my little brother were going to see Jeremiah Johnson.

That day there was a foot of snow on the ground.  

And we would be walking to the movie theater because our car was in the shop.

This would not be at all memorable if we'd gone to one of the nearby movie theaters, either the Merben or the Mayfair, which would have been a 20 minute walk.  Or maybe a little longer due to the snow.

But we were going to shlep in a foot of snow almost three miles to the Benner. 

I remember very little about the movie, except a scene where Jeremiah Johnson meets some crazy person, but instead of crazy, he refers to the person as ‘touched.’ 

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Memory the Second...

One of my older brothers had gone with his girlfriend to see The Great Gatsby, i.e. the one from 1974, which starred Redford as Jay Gatsby.  

On older brother's return home, he announced 'If I was a woman, I'd mail myself to Robert Redford.'    

 

He always looked extra pretty in 1920s/1930s attire.

BTW, Sam Waterston played Nick Carraway in the movie.  If you watch the movie today, Sam looks like he's age 14.

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All the other movies of his that I saw in the theatre: 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: This was re-released a couple years after it first came out, so that's when I saw it.  I vividly remember the first scene, but hardly any of the rest of it.   

The Sting: This was the first movie I went to see by myself.

The Great Waldo Pepper: All I remember about this movie is nothing about this movie, but a day or two, or maybe three days before, the family had taken a trip to the Delaware Water Gap.  Where we'd had a meal at Howard Johnson's.  And where Howard Johnson's Coke or Pepsi (I forget which) tasted like mostly water. That's something I'll never forget. 

A Bridge Too Far: I remember I saw the movie, but I don't remember thing one about the movie.

The Natural: I recall that a) I really liked this movie, and b) he was at he very prettiest in this one. 

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Of the movies he directed, the one I best remember was Quiz Show, mainly because I snuck into see it.  

A friend and I had gone to this big multiplex to see Forrest Gump.  After Forrest Gump was over, we wandered the hall to see what else was playing, and decided to sneak into see Quiz Show.  I remember doing that another time.  That time we snuck in to see Ed Wood, but I forget the movie we saw before that which we actually paid for.  

latest addition to my advertising ashtrays collection

Today we drink.

                                             Ted's Package Store, Mount Holly, NJ

If you didn't live in New Jersey, what would you assume a 'package store' sold?

Business supply in the form of packaging?

In NJ, a package store is another name for liquor store.

Alas, Ted's is not googleable.

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                                                             Tombros Liquor Store

This may actually be 'Tom Bros. (i.e. 'Brothers")

Or not.  Neither Tombros, nor Tom Brothers turn up on the 'net. 

There is a Tom's Liquor in Camden.  Maybe there's a connection there.  Or not.  

Tickets, please

Today's ticket comes from a Boz Scaggs concert I saw in September, 1994.

If I hadn't checked the date, I would have easily confused this concert with either a concert or a movie I saw in June that year, which the following story comes from.

(Both happened on a Friday, and I went with the same person to both events, hence my confusion.)

Anyway, I went home early-ish from both events, because I got up early on Saturday to go set up at the flea market, i.e. Golden Nugget Flea Market

I was a fixture there for several years.  I remember one guy saying, "You can tell Spring has arrived, because the Full-Service Bohemian is back.'  The Full-Service Bohemian didn't/don't do outdoor flea markets in the winter.

So, the story: 

Friday night, after either a concert or a movie, I had gone to bed.  

I was awoken by a phone call from the friend I'd gone to that concert/movie with. The message he left on my answering machine was "Get out of bed NOW.  Then turn on the TV.  You GOTTA see this."

That 'this' was the cops chasing the white Bronco that was being driven my A. J. Cowlings, with O. J. Simpson riding gunshot.  Six days earlier, O.J. had murdered his wife, and her friend. 

I guess we all remember that. 

The Star Made Me Buy It

 Today's star is Adolphe Menjou for Blackstone cigars

Try as I might, I couldn't get the image larger than what you see.

Here's the ad copy: 

 I remember seeing Mr. Menjou in three movies:

The Sheik (1921) This was Rudolph Valentino's movie, but Menjou had a supporting role as 'Dr. Raoul de St. Hubert.'  He looked pretty hot in his jodhpurs. 

Father Takes a Wife (1941) A very silly movie about a middle-age widower romancing an early middle-age actress (Gloria Swanson).

Paths of Glory (1957)  I'm not the girl for war movies, but this one is an exception. It's just plain brilliant. Menjou plays the bad guy in this movie.  BTW, Paths of Glory would make a great double feature with Breaker Morant. 

Mug of the Month

 ...in handsome horse form:

 Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/friendly_horse_coffee_mug-168456483423609492

Lucky Dip

Pretty soon peeps gonna go back to school.

Which requires notebooks.

And even if you're out of school, and chained to a desk in a cube farm, that probably requires a notebook or ten as well.

Thus and therefore today's Lucky Dip has NOTEBOOKS !!!

(which Zazzle has on sale today, buy the way.)

So, notebooks:

Pig-tastic !!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/19th_century_pig_print_berkshire_sow_no_1_notebook-256026858365851315

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Welcome to 1930 !!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/1930_woman_car_and_airplane_print_notebook-256665331701008140

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Here there be dragons..

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/scary_dragon_notebook-130540347245193048

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black cat, green eyes, bell collar = adorable.

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/victorian_black_cat_with_bell_collar_notebook-256019014343445727

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pretty birds!

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_birds_print_notebook-256539737258573166

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Take a spin in a 1950s green Chevy !!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/1950s_green_chevy_notebook-256798211656115242

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Stoned!

Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/stone_man_notebook-256530731977053572

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White horse !!

Get it here:  https://www.zazzle.com/beautiful_white_horse_notebook-256249003467204832

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You can see tons more of my notebooks here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/the_olden_eye/products?dp=252323455782771574