Gonked, Glooked and Slurped!

It's Later Than You Think

2012-02-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it really been over a month since our last update? So sorry, dear readers, but we had guests staying with us over the holidays, visited Arizona for ten days (don't worry: an update is forthcoming) and I even got my first job as a professional archivist—consequently, leisure time's been at a minimum.

Valery was also laid off after twelve years, so 2012 has subsequently opened up new opportunities for us, and we're excited about what the rest of the year holds in store. We guarantee that there will be more related announcements to come!

Anyway, without further ado, let's hunker down and unveil the treats that came our way this past Christmas.

This time, our buddy Mike—he with the penchant for game-ending gift-giving skills—bestowed upon us this fantastic chess set produced by Austin Enterprises in 1962. We'd only seen this modernist aluminum set in books prior to receiving this beauty. Thanks again, Mike!

Here's the set hanging in its natural state—complete with its blue plexiglass screen—where it's likely to rest undisturbed for the remainder of its stopover with us. We apologize for the unsightly clutter featured below.

You'd think that we would've been satisfied with already owning a vintage Nesso by Artemide; however, we'd wanted two beside lamps for a while, and a great online deal sold us on the idea of giving these new versions to each other for Christmas. Here we find Otis keeping my side warm.

In addition, we also agreed to get each other a few small things, and a big ol' thank you is owed to Damo for lugging this Terradome around San Francisco and mailing it to me in time for the holidays! It should be noted that Valery's love of terrariums is second only to her planter obsession.

Valery returned the favor by giving me this excellent Pagans and Real Kids flier from 1978—for a show that took place a day before my third birthday! Our buddy Ryan was also kind enough to send Valery the original paste-up artwork for a different Real Kids flier—this'un's promoting a shared bill with Nikki and the Corvettes (in 1979). Lastly, our friends John and Cindi gave us this Hate Ball t-shirt commemorating Peter Bagge, Dan Clowes and their trek along the comic book store circuit in 1993. Thank you!

Valery successfully tracked down the Mad Cannibal, a wind up horror hopper from the same line that brought us the incredible Shudder Pig (featured elsewhere), and gave it to me as an early gift. I'd been anxiously waiting for one—complete with box—after I passed on a pricey specimen a few years back. Despite the odds, Damo tried to steal last year's show by delivering the Screaming Urge's Homework 45 (complete with original, over-sized sleeve) a month before it was legitimately reissued by those nice guys over at Sing Sing. Speaking of nice guys, Mike also sent along John Dexter's 1968 paperback, A Man For All Wantons, featuring one of my favorite psycho-sexual covers by Tom Cannizarro. No passion was too primitive, indeed!

Mike spoiled us even further by tossing in these Psycho-esque salt and pepper shakers produced by Norcrest, and these vintage mod lucite containers.

Last but not least, our pal Kevin added to our ever-increasing bird-feeder collection with this Umbra production—and it should be hanging outside by the time I type this. These wooden gonks were also contributed by Mike, and are similar to the two imps that occupied space on our wedding's sign-in table. Thanks again, guys!

Hope everyone had as peaceful and plentiful a holiday season as we did!

Good Times

2011-12-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing everyone the happiest of holidays! See y'all in 2012!!

GG&S

Every Day's A Holiday, Every Night's A Party

2011-12-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

So it seems as though my 36th birthday came and went a few months back, and we just happened to overlook it until now. Fortunately, Valery made accepting my encroaching middle age a little easier by distracting me with some pretty massive gifts. Of the four paperbacks pictured above, Surf Broad is the undisputed wave hog, but Gene Bilbrew's idiosyncratic musculature renders 'em all welcome additions to the stacks.

We'd spotted a copy of this record on the wall at Academy Records (Brooklyn location) a few years ago, and we'd kept an eye out for it ever since. After some tense negotiations, Valery was able to pry it off of an online dealer. The question remains, however: who were the Moon-A-Tiks? Precursors to McDonalds' Fry Guys?

I'd nearly given up on finding one of these, due to the difficulties present when searching for an op art paperweight featuring some floating eyeballs. We still have no information as to who designed or manufactured this disembodied head (encased in lucite)—anyone with additional details is encouraged to let us know!

Of course, many thanks to my beautiful wife, again, for making this year's birthday—and this year in general—so exceptionally memorable!

Hooked On Junk

2011-12-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Wedding planning, work-related deadlines and a hectic penultimate semester in grad school have kept us cooped up for the most part, but we've still found time to sniff around and locate some tasty vintage electronics pieces for our growing collection. We hope those recent entries whet your appetites because this'un's a five-course meal. Dig in!

You can't imagine how happy we were when we recently found two examples of the portable UFO turntables Patrice Dupont designed for Philips in 1970. These were never widely available in the states, so we didn't expect to find 'em stranded in the midwest. Now we just need a blue one to sew up the blessed trinity! Similarly, Mangiadischi Penny portables are seldom found on these shores, so we're grateful to our buddy Maxime (of the utterly fantastic Design and Music From The 60s & 70s) for hooking us up with his spares! Thanks again, Max! Two domestic Panasonic turntables (including the irritatingly elusive Funnygraph) help to round up this lot!

We aren't above allowing players for inferior formats into our home, either. Please check out the three 8-track players featured—manufactured by Panasonic, Sobynica and Studio 44, respectively. Hell, we even let in a goddamn blue Panasonic cassette player cuz it was just too cute to pass up.

We're big fans of these rounded beauties Panasonic produced in the 70s, and we're saddened by the fact that we're still missing an orange example. Help? Fortunately, we found both of these Zenith portables locally and for cheap ...not too shabby!

Again, we're regrettably aware of the fact that we're missing white and lime green versions of this classic model manufactured by Ford's subsidiary, Philco. At least we can find some solace in the fact that we're the proud owners of the sole blue example—only because we found a horribly yellowed and discolored white set that would've been irrevocably lost if it wasn't for the wonders of made-for-plastic spray paint! The finished version came out surprisingly well, we think!

We certainly saved the biggest for last. Valery found this hulking behemoth lurking on Cleveland's Craigslist and knew we had to have it. As a company best known for its assortment of sensible shoes and underwear, it's hard to believe that this mod television set was produced by none other than JC Penney! Many thanks to Ben for honoring our requests to ship this mofo to us, despite the fact that it weighs a half-ton!

We're also glad we can finally cross a pair of tulip-based Futura speakers off the ol' wantlist. Same goes for the ball radio (with lucite base) manufactured by Sanyo, a lavender Rolling Tone, RCA's insidiously rare ball calculator and the red/yellow Hot Top radio featured in L'Utopie Du Tout Plastique (as a Yo-Yo Goldor).

Adult Books

2011-11-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

We here at GG&S are pleased as punch to report that another longstanding want has found its way to us—this time, our buddy Ryan (of Strange Sisters fame) was lucky enough to find a spare copy of Corley Dale's Man in the Box while vacationing in San Francisco. We're grateful to the li'l king for hooking this one up ...and it was the right thing to do considering that he turned us on to this necrophilic milestone in the first place. Thanks again!

Coincidentally, we also picked up Lithe and Lustful, notable for its swinging love-in depiction, the same week and, again, per Ryan's recommendation. Both of these books were issued in 1968 and both feature cover art by Robert Bonfils.

Out Of The Can

2011-11-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

We've succeeded in painting ourselves into a corner when it comes to picking up punk 45s, so we're beside ourselves with excitement over the singles that've recently materialized at GG&S HQ.

One of the most recent records to ascend to wantlist status was Voice of the Puppets' sole vinyl outing from 1980. The sound of C-86 six years early? Many thanks to Jeremy and John for helping us to round up an original copy.

Similarly, scoring a copy of John Henry Timmis' anthem, Destructo Rock, seemed like an impossibility until we received a minty copy as a belated wedding gift from the mysterious Mr. X. Our benefactor must've had a premonition—if only we'd had this record in time, it would've made an excellent soundtrack for our wedding night! Many thanks again, Roger!

Sadly, no YouTube video exists for the Snots' exercise in compression, So Long to the Sixties, so we'll leave y'all with J.T. IV's haunting Out of the Can. Also, anyone with a copy of his Waiting for the CTA single is most definitely invited to write us!

PS: Porky Prime Cuts has been updated accordingly here.

Home Is Where The Floor Is

2011-11-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, we've done it again—we up and entered our humble abode into yet another contest with the fine folks over at Apartment Therapy. It seems as though we've succeeded in eliciting a polarized reaction among the site's readership this time 'round, so we're hoping y'all will weigh in with glowing character assessments, vociferous rebuttals and, most importantly, votes! Cast 'em early, often and thanks again for your help!

You can access our slot by clicking here.

Deuces Wild (Part Deux)

2011-11-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Blame it on a whirlwind trip to Pittsburgh this past weekend, the resulting jet lag or maybe even a private midnight screening of The Car, but we completely spaced on two other presents that made their way pre- and post-wedding. Our sincerest apologies, friends!

Our pals Hone and Carmela kindly forked over the original art Hone whipped up for our wedding invitation's record label. I think Hone really captured my inner-legume (!) and the steaming grains teeming between Valery's ears. Expect this illustration to adorn a full merchandise line in the near future! Also, a special thanks to Carmela for encouraging Hone to sign this one for us!

Many thanks to Tim, our Facebook friendster and spiritual advisor, for acknowledging my defeated, feeble whimpering when he unveiled his sizable duplicate stash. This'un features one of Eric Stanton's best covers and seemed especially apropos considering the circumstances.

Deuces Wild

2011-11-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that most of our wedding presents came in the form of much appreciated cash-money, a few of our friends elected to make some wholly appropriate donations to the GG&S archives.

Our friends Ryan and Gianna were kind enough to give us this rhino pair, adding to our ever-increasing herd of Travertine limestone animals. Ryan claimed that he and Gianna had no idea that we already had a few of these Mannelli creations around, and picked 'em up completely on a hunch. Nice!

Ryan and Gianna also submitted these wondrously gift-wrapped marital aids—with similarly uncanny accuracy! No big surprise, Valery has already memorized select passages from She Lived for Lashes.

Our pal Mike really outdid himself, presenting us with this 3' smoked acrylic/wood floor lamp. This'un is slated for a spot in the home office, so we apologize for our impromptu placed atop shelving staging. We promise we'll find a more ideal setting for it in the coming months.

Last but certainly not least, Mike must've been implying that we needed better lighting, because he also gave us an orange Nesso by Artemide. A classic designed by Giancarlo Mattioli in 1964, we'd always wanted one of these lamps, and were especially pleased that Mike delivered it in its first edition which, unlike subsequent examples, is fashioned entirely from fiberglass.

Again, thanks to you three, and thanks again to everyone else—we're really excited about starting in on our home renovations, and we're exceedingly grateful for the funds that are making it possible. Expect plenty of pics in the near future!

Surprise, Surprise

2011-11-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Alright folks, we're back to updating this blog on a semi-regular basis, so here's our first official post as man and wife. Thank you to everyone, again, for their kind comments re: our wedding photos.

About a month prior to our wedding, Valery and I walked into one of our favorite antique haunts and bumped into the teak behemoth that's now looming center-stage in our great room. We'd seen a similar Danish hutch in Phoenix shortly before I moved here and we really debated picking it up; however, timing and circumstances didn't permit it ...a situation we'd regretted ever since. Fortunately, getting this one home wasn't much of a hassle: all it took was a rental van and an extra set of hands—thanks, Lewis! Also, a big thank you to Mary for all of her help!

A more significant obstacle was figuring out how to get this room back together—of course, right after we thought we'd finally finished it off! We had to rearrange some of our artwork and assorted pieces of glassware, but we're pretty happy with how it all ended up.

Another consequence of the new set up was a blank spot that popped up unexpectedly. Fortunately, our friend Justin helped us fill it out with this large woodblock print by Frederic Marvin. This creepy lepidopterist comes housed in his original, heavy wooden frame, and he's from the same estate sale that delivered the large metallic Dodo stationed in our foyer. That must've been some spread!

Say Those Magic Words

2011-10-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

It finally happened! Valery said I do and I married the woman of my dreams on Sunday, October 16, 2011. It was a cloudless Autumn day in Jonesboro, GA, and the event was attended by our close friends and family. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out—and a special thank you to those who helped us set everything up in record-breaking time!

Here're some preliminary phone pics provided by the best man (thanks, Damo!). Now sit back, soak up all of the painstakingly hand-made decorations (including 1,000 cranes and escort-card pinwheels) provided by Valery and enjoy!

An-Ti-So-Cial

2011-09-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry to break your hearts, dear readers, but we're buckling under the pressure of keeping this blog active while preparing for our wedding—it's a DIY affair and we're trying to make it as representative of us as possible. We'll be getting married in the next thirty days, so please venture back in late October and we'll treat y'all to the highly anticipated (not really) sequel to our vintage electronics post, as well as a peek at our largest recent acquisition and the final unveiling of Valery's dressing room.

In the meantime, please continue to project those posi-vibes our way, and feel free to flood our comments box with tearful missives lamenting our hiatus.

GG&S

The Other Newest One

2011-08-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Summer's coming to a close, folks, and we're headed into a hectic schedule that'll undoubtedly result in another fallow period for GG&S. As (a meager) consolation, we've decided to unveil some of the items we've picked up recently.

Here's a Laurel lamp we nabbed earlier this month. As some of you may remember, we picked up a brushed steel example a year or so ago; however, we remained on the lookout for a more colorful specimen, and we were pleased to turn up this green beauty, as it fits our den so perfectly!

Here's another recent addition to our den. Valery loves the Mondrian-inspired wall clock Sunbeam produced in the 60s, but I've always been partial to this'un—which is way more indebted to an Eames or Nelson approach toward modernism. We'd also appreciate any leads on a reasonably priced Mondrian-esque Sunbeam, if anyone knows of any!

Our buddy Darrell sold us this handsome Guzzini tray designed by Ornella Noorda a few months ago. Coincidentally enough, we also found a complementary coffee cup and (matching) ashtray set while we were visiting Pittsburgh ...and later on we also discovered a similar plate produced by Mancioli. Thanks again, Darrell!

Our pal Maxime felt sorry for us and put us on the trail of some NOS Dedalino desk organizers, produced by Idarco and designed by Emma Gismondi Schweinberger. Now we just need to figure out where to put 'em! Thanks, Maxime!

On a final note, we've continued to keep our shelves stocked by picking up another Gonk mascot, a springy red weirdo from Denmark, a ruby-schnozzed drunkard mask from the 60s and a Finnish Fauni bank from the 70s. Lastly, a big thank you to Hannele for the bank—your package ships this week. So sorry for the delay!

Darling, Let's Have Another Baby

2011-08-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of Otis' sixth birthday, we've decided to devote this entry to our favorite feline. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by! It seems like only yesterday that I helped rescue Otis from the mean streets of Cabbagetown. He was so tiny, he could fit in one hand! Happy birthday, li'l buddy! Hope you enjoyed your tuna cake!

Here we find the li'l furball lazing about, engaged in his daily routine. He's truly one dapper fella!

We're also happy to announce the latest addition to our family: Pepito! We fell instantly in love with this li'l bugger when we were introduced last month. We met when Snap-2 It, an animal rescue organization, sponsored an outreach program at our favorite antique sale at Highland Row. We had been talking about getting another kitten to keep Otis company and thought Pepito was the perfect match!

We've had Pepito for about three weeks now and he's a great playmate for Otis—in spite of the fact that he's only a kitten, Pepito has proven himself a fearless sparring partner! We couldn't be happier with how these two have become fast friends.

We'd also like to thank Holly from Highland Row for being an amazing foster mom after she rescued Pepito.

Know Your Product

2011-08-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Summer's a great time to catch up on reading, and we figured we'd fill y'all in on the page-turners that're currently absorbing our free moments ...OK, we're obviously lying about leafing through these tomes, but tracking them down certainly boiled down to a lot of hours spent.

I was introduced to these publications when I visited Charles Schneider at his Los Angeles apartment a few years ago. Charles caught me ogling his copy of 101 Things to Make With Human Skin and was more than happy to fill me in on the details. It seemed that the book—actually, just the jacket—was part of a larger series of gag covers manufactured in the 1950s. I couldn't believe that something this patently offensive could've been produced fifty years previous. More importantly, where the hell was I going to find a copy in 2007?

I soon discovered that these jackets were not exactly unknown entities among collectors, and book dealers often assigned them high—and rather unrealistic—price tags. As usual, I was determined to score these on the veritable cheap, so I contacted the company responsible for creating them in 1959! Amazingly, the culprits had managed to stay in business for the past fifty years ...not so surprisingly, they quickly dismissed my inquiries about any unsold stock!

As luck would have it, our buddy Marc found a book dealer who was selling pristine examples at a very reasonable rate. The two tatty jackets I already had, 101 Things and Lynching, were sold before I contacted the seller, but I managed to snag the rest for far less than I'd ever seen listed anywhere else. Thanks again for the tip, Marc! Anyone with upgrade copies of the two aforementioned titles, please get in touch!

These smaller guys were produced by a different company (albeit also in 1959), and aren't nearly as inspired as the top eight. The cover art, subject matter and production values are decidedly inferior, though the Dandruff and Russian Roulette titles remain favorites. I believe there are at least another 5-6 jackets in this series, so if you've got 'em, please let us know!

We're Gonna Get Married

2011-08-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks—it's been well over a year in the making, but it's finally happening: we'll be tying the knot this coming Autumn! While we typically stray from posting too much personal stuff on the blog, we couldn't resist sharing Valery's lovely invitation announcing our impending nuptials. We'd also like to take a moment to thank Harry, Hone and Andreas for all of their help. These gentlemen were instrumental in getting the record pressed, creating our label logo and wandering the streets of Göteborg in search of an obscure company sleeve. And let us not forget Bo, whose song set this ball rolling within days of our engagement. RIP.

In a feat of peculiar, cosmic synchronism, our wedding date will also coincide with the second anniversary of this blog! This curious fact reminds us that we really should applaud all of you fine folks for joining in on the fun thus far. Subsequently, we would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to you all ...even the bedwetter who thinks we abuse our fish. Thank you all for your continued support and friendship!

Well Worth Talking About

2011-07-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

A reader recently asked us for more information regarding the red stool present in a photo we posted a while back. That question got us thinking—exactly how many of those shorties do we have occupying space around the house? A quick scouring revealed an embarrassing truth: we've got seven of 'em littered throughout our interior!

Manufactured by Kartell in 1969, the Rocchetto stool was designed by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni. These stools were distributed domestically by George Beylerian, and a few of our seat cushions still have the original Beylerian tags affixed underneath. An Italian design museum even has one featured here.

Unfortunately, we're not sure how many other colors these stools were available in, but we know we've seen at least one orange specimen ...from those lucky bastards in Australia. In that case, our requests for overseas shipping quotes were politely declined. Help?

The Girl Can't Dance

2011-07-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Two posts in as many days? Believe it! And while you're contemplating how such splendor could possibly exist in this crazy, mixed-up world, feel free to sneak a peek at our latest acquisitions.

Our trip to Pittsburgh this past weekend found us stopping at an unfamiliar shop that yielded one of Valery's top wants: a minty copy of the relentless R&B juggernaut that is Bunker Hill's The Girl Can't Dance! Valery stared in disbelief when she flipped past three records and stumbled across this monster! Without a doubt, one of the finest moments in recorded music, if there ever wuz ...due in no small part to Link Wray's blistered fingers and Bunker's perforated larynx, of course! Dig that intro!

Also, the inner-fanboy in me was pleased to find that Dan Clowes' Death Ray arrived while we were outta town. The steep tag on this one left me kinda skeptical, but there was no way I was passing it up with only 200 extant examples. Thankfully, no expense was spared on this fully-articulated mofo. I should've known that a quality outfit like Presspop (and the Oakland Toy Corp (whoever they may be) would deliver the goods. Recommended and arigato!

A big ol' thank you to our Pittsburgh pals for treating us right, as usual. We'll eventually get around to posting the rest of our loot ...once it all arrives.

Emergency Cases

2011-07-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Both of us are pretty stoked that we recently scored an example of the PortaDischi 45 carrier Olaf von Bohr designed for Kartell in the early 70s. This'un's been a real pain to pin down, as it was only produced for a few years, and we certainly never imagined we'd turn one up complete with its original packaging! In fact, the whole shebang is just so aesthetically pleasing, we had to take multiple photographs to do this one up right. Enjoy!

Calendar Girl

2011-07-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, what do we have here? Seems as though Valery's modeling the enormous (approx. 19 x 19) Italian perpetual calendar we scored earlier this week. Truth is, folks, we'd been wanting one of these ever since we glimpsed it in the pages of L'Utopie du Tout Plastique: 1960 - 1973 years ago. Contrary to what our gut feelings told us, we were lucky enough to score one domestically, in fantastic shape and for far less than we'd anticipated.
The jury is still out as to where we're going to hang this one up. We were initially planning on putting this in the kitchen, but now we're considering displaying it ...in the office! It might be getting too crowded in there though, and we haven't even begun!

Goes Way Out

2011-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

A long, sordid saga has finally come to an end and it resulted in us getting these tasty paper items for free in the process. This beautifully screened Bottle Shock poster was never used due to an error in the line-up listing—and what a shame that is, given Art Chantry's masterful design aesthetic, his appropriation of OK Soda imagery ...and the inclusion of Dan Pussey and Ed McMahon! Those familiar with MAD Magazine should recognize the swipe used for the Makers' S/T LP. An exercise in understatement. Thanks again for both of these, Art!

The blog's #1 fan hooked us up with a copy of the poster used to promote his li'l band's second lp. Despite any appearances to the contrary, we're certainly not opposed to celebrating items released in the 90s—especially when it involves one of the high-water marks of the era. A true classic! Many thanks again, Greg!

Hip Hip Hooray

2011-07-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Summer's in full swing and we're currently boiling in a hearty stew of work, school and wedding planning ...but that doesn't mean that we can't break away and fill y'all in on the wunnerful early wedding gift our buddy (and future best man) Damian sent along this week. Damian must've been psychically attuned to our home office renovation plans because this teak behemoth occupied the #1 slot on our dream list. Manufactured between 1956-1958, Peter Lovig Nielsen's writing desk is a prime exponent of Danish modern design, and the perfect centerpiece for our revamped room. We'll go into more detail once it's situated in its permanent spot, so you'll just have to content yourselves with this for now.

We've really prided ourselves on being very tight-lipped about the items amassed for this project; however, we couldn't contain our elation this time, and we were both very touched by this gesture—thank you again, Damo! You're the best!

Out Of Order

2011-06-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks! Just a quick note to let y'all know that we're working on updating the blog's appearance, and we should be done in the next few days—we finally got fed up with the tiny photographs we were forced to use before. Our sincerest apologies to anyone who's been caught off guard by the change ...or who lucked out and saw some of the horrible revisions that took place this morning. Ideally, we would make these alterations behind the scenes, but Blogger doesn't really allow much room for that sorta thing.

In the meantime, enjoy this brief post showcasing two recent acquisitions that had been on Valery's wantlist for a long time: an original Giano-Giano-Vano side table produced by Artemide and designed by Schweinberger (1966), and two Twiggy -esque mannequin heads produced in France. Thanks again, Marc and Genz!

Wired Up

2011-06-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

With work, school and wedding planning conspiring to eat up all of our free time, we haven't had much of a chance to keep up with records. Here are the meager offerings we've got to show for the past few months.

Here's a promo copy of Hector's Wired Up 45 w/ a three-page press-kit! Valery had been looking for this one for a while, so she was really happy to get a pristine copy with this uncommon li'l extra.

Finally scored a copy of Sanford Clark's menacing It's Nothing to Me—and all it set me back was $5 off a set sale list. Hands-down one of my favorite 45s outta my native copper state. This copy of The Zoo gets us that much closer to sewing up our Mickey Lee Lane collection ...anyone have a copy of Hey Sah-Lo-Nay up for grabs? Oh, and that mint, stock copy of the Malibu's' Cry came from our buddy Jason as his half of a trade we made last year ...that I'd completely forgotten about. Needless to say, I could use a few more pleasant surprises of that caliber. Thanks again, Jason!

Finally got Andrew Klimek's Felt Hammer EP for the nice price, and the Monte Carmont single was a punky slice (not much dancing) from 1980 that I'd never heard of prior to spying it at my pal Ryan's Ryebread Rodeo. Excellent and recommended!

Lastly, I turned up this copy of the Dils' I Hate the Rich single recently for $5. Easily one of the best record swap scores in recent memory, as it's a first-press copy with the distinctive Oils sleeve. Somehow, I'd never managed to find one of these the entire time I lived in Los Angeles. Our buddy Mike found this copy of Starshooter's debut 45 in a Phoenix antique store. A few months of persistent, friendly reminders resulted in him passing it along gratis. Thanks again, Mike!

That's it for now!

***Update: Looks like I misspoke earlier, as our French Flickr buddy Laurent sent along a package containing all manner of Starshooter records ...for FREE! Merci!

Smashed Blocked

2011-06-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Valery and I have been together for nearly two years, so in keeping with the anniversary gift she gave me a few weeks ago, I returned the favor with the following: the original art for a Florida highway safety ad from the 60s. This whopper measures 28 x 40 and is hand-painted with tempera paints. Info on the artist, Maggie Wesley, is nowhere to be found. Of course, anyone with additional information is strongly encouraged to drop us a line. Please!

We had spotted this painting a while back, and even though we both really liked it, its condition left a lot to be desired. I kept it in the back of my mind and took a chance—luckily, the art framed up pretty well, with the exception of the small chunk missing at the top right-hand corner. Ideally, we'd love to get it restored to something closer to its former glory, but this will have to do for now.

Here it is on permanent display—it now serves as a warning to all those brave souls entering the downstairs record room!

Rico Amor

2011-05-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Mexicans. We love 'em. I am one. Valery insists on picking these up every chance she gets because they allegedly remind her of me. How could anyone deny the majesty of the following trio: an Italian shoe brush, a bandido with rope arms and a butt-plug sombrero or the splendor that is Hans Bolling's Señor Kahlua? No further explanation needed.

Valery recently purchased these sal y pimienta shakers from Phoney Fresh. We don't know anything about 'em, other than the fact that they're excellent examples of 60s ad merch. Do you?

Lights Out

2011-05-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've had a pretty good run at turning up vintage space age lamps and light fixtures lately and we figured it was time to update y'all to our progress. The fixture above was purchased at the same store where we picked up our Umbos last year, and it sure was nice to return to the shop after an extended absence and walk out with something yet again. Details are scant, other than the fact that it was made in Switzerland. Any additional information is most welcome.

This was the eyesore we were determined to replace.

Here's the new and improved hallway.

A healthy portion of Valery's workday is spent slogging through photographs, and she couldn't believe it when she saw a vintage Lightolier lamp lurking in the background of a photo she was proofing. A few frantic text messages and a favor from Valery's friend Kim got this one hand-delivered to us in under three days. Not bad ...especially when you consider that the lamp was originally for sale in Charlotte. Thanks again, Kim!

We scored this one a few months back, though we've refrained from posting it until now. Here's a Dalu lamp by Artemide that we found it at a local antique store for $30. It appeared unused and still had the original tags attached! Oh, and that glowing orange orb in the background is another fixture we've picked up, but we're saving that for the dressing room renovation exclusive Valery's got in queue.

An Italian Knight-light from the same line as our Viking from a few entries ago? Yes! A very fine topper for this installment.

I Can See You But You Don't Know

2011-05-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Here's another longstanding want that's finally materialized for us. Valery and I spotted this fiberglass chair a few years back, and we'd always check up on it when we stopped in at one of our favorite antique haunts—knowing full well that it would still be there, since it was stored overhead and was buried under a giant display mask. A few weeks ago, we finally mustered up the courage and asked the shop owner for a price ...the figure he quoted us was way too good to pass up.

We've only been able to find one other example of this floor-hugger online, and we don't really have much to go on—except for the fact that it was produced by Asko, the same Finnish company responsible for manufacturing Eero Aarnio's designs. Any information regarding its designer or production date would be much appreciated!

You can expect its reappearance once we wrap up our ongoing project: the home office renovation. Until then, this'un's headed straight back into deep storage.

***Update: The kind folks at Asko just provided the following info regarding our mystery chair:

The chair You asked about is called Valkoinen Kissa which translates as The White Cat. Markku Kosonen designed it for Asko in 1968. It first appeared in the sales catalogues in 1970.

Many thanks to Hannele for passing along the Asko contact address, and Päivi for supplying the much needed information.

All The Time In The World

2011-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

We'd been battling a large, empty plot of wall space in our great room for the better part of two years. We struggled with possibilities, tormenting each other with a long list of potential candidates—suggestions never failing to fall short and the spot remaining vexingly vacant. Up until a few weeks ago, we figured we'd never find the big item needed to get this room closer to completion.

That is, until we happened upon this Peter Pepper clock, and then there was no doubt that we'd finally found that elusive object! There was also no denying that this (nearly) 5 foot beast is a perfect fit!

Despite the fact that the clock was manufactured in 1960, we feel that it displays a forward-thinking sense of design that's conceptually aligned with the space age items in the room. Don't you agree?

Beat Beat Beat

2011-04-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

We've had some recent recruits climb aboard lately, and we figured we'd showcase 'em this time out. All manner of unpalatable miscreant has found a new home here—a nice cross-selection from the most hirsute, pigeon-chested, diminutive, and sylvan.

The larger member of this pair has been kicking around here for a while, so we were glad to finally turn up his sidekick. Their knowing glances belie some lonely, starless nights.

The guy on the right is an Italian lamp from the late 60s or early 70s that washed ashore in Florida, and we're thrilled he found his way over. Many thanks to our new buddy Joe who's the first reader to approach us outta the blue with something he knew we'd want. Again, we're grateful to you for setting such a good example! No doubt that the other furball's ruddy complexion is due to too much mead.

Future Shock

2011-04-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

OK folks, we don't mean to build your expectations up unfairly with this abnormal spate of productivity, but this will be our last post for the next few weeks—consequently, we figured we'd pack a real humdinger to keep y'all satisfied for a while. It shouldn't surprise most of you that space age electronics are one of the many things we enjoy stockpiling, so here we have a nice sampling of the (mostly) portable pieces that are currently gathering dust on our shelves.

Here are two JVC Videospheres. As far as we're concerned, these guys represent the pinnacle of space age television design. These were issued in three colors—red, white and black—with black being the toughest of the three to track down. We're hopeful that we'll get a white example, which is the most common, sometime soon! The Bulova clock has been included elsewhere, but we liked how it looked in the spread, so we threw it in anyway.

Panasonic was responsible for creating a ton of swinging mod designs in the late 60s and early 70s, and here are some notables. You may notice that the black cube radio in the middle is slightly different from its peers—that's because its face design varied by region, and it's a Canadian version. The Rolling Tone portable radios in the foreground were produced in several different colors—we're in desperate need of an orange one, and we'd gladly swap our spare red one for it, if anyone's up for it. We're also missing a few of the 8-track players located in the rear. Help?

I vividly remember having a Panasonic Panapet that my aunt gave me when I was a little kid. No idea where that one ended up, sadly. Obviously, the Panapets, Rolling Tones and cube radios came in a variety of vibrant colors (including a rare, albeit unflattering lavender we're not too fond of). The TNT 8-track players located in the background were released in five different colors—we've only seen the white and clear smoked versions a few times ...and we're hoping to get them somewhere down the road. The blue 8-track player manufactured by Emerson was a cool, previously unknown score we made recently.

These are the two Sony portable television sets we just turned up in Pittsburgh, alongside our lonely Planetron 8-track player.

Yet another entry that's received a little attention on the blog already. The Orbitel was Panasonic's response to the race for space age design, despite its being a little more 50s inspired than the other examples showcased here. This set is pretty scarce and finding one without chipping around its visor remains a fairly tall order. The Weltron 8-track player next to it mimics an astronaut's helmet and complements our Videospheres quite nicely. Again, the Weltron was issued in yellow and orange and we're hoping to get those someday, too.

The serpentine Toot a Loop proves itself a fearsome adversary. We're still on the hunt for orange and lime green specimens of this particular model ...available only to those good folks down under. Dearest Aussie pals: please include them with our free Chosen Few and Young Identities EPs. Thanks in advance! A few more portable Panasonic cassette players wouldn't hurt either.

Lastly, we've got a portable record player (by Columbia) which isn't technically a vintage piece per se, but it's capable of playing records while dangling precariously on a wall, so that's just gotta suffice. A Panasonic radio alarm clock and AM/FM headphones manufactured by a Japanese company called Soundlite round out the stash.

We'll eventually get around to photographing the rest of our vintage electronics collection but, until then, dig in!

Mars Bar

2011-04-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here's another short one for ya, folks. We just got back from a brief stay in Pittsburgh last Sunday and pickens were slimmer than usual—though said fact didn't stop Valery from buying a portable bar and transporting it back to Atlanta on an airplane! We'd spied this space age liquor cart during our last visit, but we picked up so much stuff, we decided to leave it behind. No surprise, it didn't escape our clutches this round.

We got lucky and snagged a mint set of Herb Gardener's Nebbishes coasters from '59, complete in their original packaging. A wind-up dancing monkey manufactured by Knickerbocker and an enormous paperclip (that doubles as a hanger when mounted to a wall) were also found. Lastly, we scored a couple of vintage Sony portable television sets that'll reappear in our next update ...which should be coming up real soon!

Until then, a big thank you to our favorite Pittsburgh folks: Carmela, Hone, Steve and Pogo for making us feel right at home. Some great food and good times were had by all. We miss you guys!

Weekend Nazi

2011-03-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

After busting me pawing at the computer screen a few weeks ago, Valery cast aside her notions of good taste and honored my pleas for this: an anniversary gift delivered several months early! Admittedly, we had no idea about the Red Skull's after-hours predilections, though we weren't surprised in the least bit. Steven Weissman—a cartoonist whose works (such as Yikes) should be familiar to all—really captured Herr Schmidt's joie de vivre, we think.

This illustration ran in Seattle's The Stranger a while back, and we're grateful to Mr. Weissman for cutting it loose. We're also especially thankful that he honored our embellishment requests when he personalized this piece. What will our Mexican and Korean mothers think of this one?

Too Animalistic

2011-03-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick post to tide y'all over for the week.

Just welcomed two blue ceramic critters into our ever-increasing herd. The Bitossi cat (designed by Aldo Londi) came to us via a UK dealer. The Bennington hippo bank (designed by David Gil) was a present Valery received from our pal Mike. We had never seen one in this color before, and we were quite pleased when this surprise arrived a few weeks ago. Thanks again, Mike!

You Can't Sit Down

2011-03-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

Valery recently had a premonition about finding good stuff, so we planned accordingly and hit up several of our favorite shops this weekend—little did we know that we'd be turning up an elusive mid-century icon, and a longstanding item on our wantlist!

Designed by Eero Aarnio in 1967, the Pastil Chair has become synonymous with space-age design. We had seen them photographed in countless books and magazines, but up until today, we'd never actually seen one in person. This one's an original and shows all of the wear and tear you would associate with a 45 year old chair; however, after about an hours' worth of scrubbing, we got it looking a lot nicer, and we're not complaining, as it cost a fraction of what a newly issued one would've set us back. Needless to say, we're glad that it has taken up permanent residence in our great room!

We hadn't been to Scarlett Loves Rhettro in quite a while, so we decided to stop in since we were having a late lunch nearby. Our pal Darlene had this fantastic hourglass planter for sale, and we have an almost identical one (photographed elsewhere), which meant we had to bring this one home, too. So far, we've only seen two examples of this planter with its distinctive spaghetti pattern. This one will undoubtedly end up in our home office once we get started on that renovation.

Our collection of teeth continues! We were excited when we spotted this stool today because we knew that it would make a perfect addition to our record room. We're constantly amazed by the amount of tooth-related merchandise we come across, and we're slowly building a pretty considerable collection.

Here's another molar that Valery's had for a few years, and it's one of our favorite items in the master bedroom. We're not 100% sure about the origins of this lamp, but we certainly do love it just the same!

Casting My Spell

2011-03-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Our buddy Justin has once again delivered the goods! This 26 inch Brutalist Dodo was recently discovered at an estate sale in North Carolina, alongside a batch of other, similar mid-century wares. Justin had a ton of great items on offer this time out, but we were instantly drawn to this handsome fowl—and we were consequently rendered powerless by its gaze ...and its enormous paunch. Thanks again, Justin!! If any of our readers are in the area, we highly recommend dropping by Highland Row Antiques and checking out the shop and the rest of Justin's sale items.

Don't really know much about this beer-bellied beast, outside of the word Moss etched into one of its tail feathers. Any additional info would be much appreciated!

Hang Up

2011-02-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to our pal and loyal reader, Marc, who recently directed us to some vintage hangers which bear a striking resemblance—actually, they appear to be manufactured by the same anonymous German company—to the two we picked up locally (and showcased here) a while back.

Tina, Susi and Sabine are slated for permanent display in Valery's dressing room, but we're still working on that one, so we snapped these quick pics in the guest bedroom instead. Thanks again for all of your help, Marc!

Just in case you forgot, here are the two nameless models we picked up a few months ago.

In a weird coincidence, Valery and I found these locally (and at the same store, even!) earlier this month. We were pretty stunned when we saw Bill, Brian and Keith immortalized in 60s mod hanger form! Sadly, the dealer who bought these was unable to get the original owner to sell her Mick—apparently, he was the only one deemed irreplaceable! We're hopeful that we'll somehow get Mick and Charlie (if his exists?) some day, but seeing as how these are (again) German, and most definitely unlicensed, it seems pretty unlikely. Help?

Feeling Called Love

2011-02-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Just a quick Valentine's Day update to let y'all know about the li'l bundle of joy the stork brought us. Now, this isn't our first one of these—my buddy CV gave me Boris a few years back and Glendora was an anniversary gift I gave Valery—but this is our first Kustom Kat. Circa 1968, Kustom had these specialty critters produced to promote their exclusive amp coverings—and you can differentiate 'em from yer typical Nauga by the presence of glittery Naugahyde and googly eyes.

We're real happy to have Rémy on board, and we'd like to thank Justin (again) for hipping us to the battered display case this poor guy had been stuffed in.

Three Wishes

2011-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Today's my birthday and Tony surprised me at midnight with these three presents. I'm so excited, I had to post them immediately!

Tony asked our friend Hidehisa to help him find this out-of-print Ryohei Yanagihara book, and Hidehisa ended up finding the book AND my most desired piece of vintage Ryohei merchandise. I can't believe we finally have this viking in our collection! Thank you so much, Hidehisa and Tony!!

Another one off my want list and this copy's in perfect shape! I could listen to Epicycle's You're Not Gonna Get It all day! So far, my birthday is off to a great start, and I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend with my family and friends and visiting the local animal safari.

Holidays In The Sun

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

January found us visiting Arizona and our friends and family for the first time in over a year. Pickens were surprisingly slim this time out, and we rolled into Tucson an hour after those recent shootings, so that only augmented the palpable bleakness I've come to know and expect from my beloved home state. Despite these shortcomings, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves: hanging with loved ones, stuffing ourselves with my mama's fine Mexican cuisine, snagging one of Valery's top wants and purchasing some additional trinkets on the veritable cheap.

The Parker Palm Springs has this horned fellow on prominent display at its reception desk, and Valery has long been one of his admirers. You can only imagine how elated she was when she spotted this bronze, strigiform scuplture by Ernesto Gonzalez-Jerez in one of the Phoenix antique stores our pal Mike took us to! Definitely one of those pieces we never expected to capture in the wild.

The same shop yielded this complete, six piece demi-tasse set, which bears the distinction of having been designed by LaGardo Tackett. Admittedly, we were—and remain—much more into the original packaging. The rippled Italian decanter was a gift from my parents—they bought it in the 60s and left it sitting near a fireplace for the past 45 years. Yoink!

We turned up this vintage ice bucket at the same shop, and the complementary yellow planters + custom Dream Pet from Sambo's were (even more) gifts from Mike.

We don't normally go out of our way for new toys, but we made an exception for these recent examples. The Eyezon figure by Mark Nagata has the multi-ocular look we really appreciate in our Kaiju, and we knew the pink elephant by Amanda Visell would occupy a specific empty slot in our kitchen.

Since we're always in the mood to pick up unnecessary flair, we couldn't pass up these vintage buttons—the Be My Slurp badge being the nearest and dearest to our hearts, of course.

Picture My Face

2011-02-06T21:42:00.001-08:00

Dearest pals,

Gonked, Glooked and Slurped! has finally succumbed to Facebook's siren call. Please, won't you be our buddy?

Sincerely,
GG&S

Jackanory Stories

2011-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

It should come as no surprise that domestic and international punk and indie records bind much of our collective aesthetic. For the past year or so, we've been populating our Flickr photostream with examples of our favorite releases from this bygone era. Since we just completed Porky Prime Cuts moments ago, it seemed fitting to hip y'all to the tasty items contained therein. Enjoy!

PS: If you feel that your favorite Punk or New Wave outfit has been slighted by our omission, please feel free to remit (clean) copies of their vinyl releases for further study and evaluation. Submitted materials will not be returned.

PPS: This offer extends especially to Australians.

Woa' Now

2011-01-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Given our recent tardiness, I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise that this Christmas update is nearly a month late. Our heartfelt apologies, but school and work schedules kept us down, and we were out of town for two weeks ...more on that later. For now, content yourselves with viewing the bountiful gift supply received in ye olde Yuletide tradition.

Our sincerest thanks to our friend Darrell for saving last year's Christmas! Darrell fiercely navigated French auction sites and classified ads in an attempt to locate both Ariel cigarettes advertising birds (left) from the 60s, thereby ensuring that Valery's gifts would come as a complete surprise. You, sir, are a true gentleman! Unfortunately, our efforts to secure a Pipiou in time went unrewarded; however, we did succeed in acquiring an example of the li'l critter a few weeks later. Here's Pipiou in action below:

Again, many thanks to Darrell for everything, including the Drumbo keychain he so generously provided. Our pal Mike sent along the Viking hors d'oeuvres set featured in the photograph. Thanks, man! Lastly, our warmest regards and thanks to Crazeekid and Crazeegirl for turning us on to Pipiou and the Ariel birds in the first place. Merci!

The Klutz, manufactured by Executive Games Inc in 1971, was another gift we received from Mike. It'll undoubtedly make an excellent addition to the record room—once we figure out where to hang it from! The Pop Art puzzle (in a can) from '68 was a gift for Valery, and the demented Shudder Pig wind-up toy from the early '70s was my gift to myself. Some of the other stocking stuffers we gave to each other are featured below:

Anything with bulging eyeballs (see Shudder Pig) is granted an instant pass into the collection. Same goes for all items reminiscent of Basil Wolverton.

A beefeater and a wifebeater (with criminal progeny).

Two more weirdo Batman knockoff toys from the 60s—these bearing an uncanny resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman!

Three novelty items from the 60s: some MAD novelty matches (matchbooks included), and two gag boxes w/ appropriately ghastly imagery.

Our friends Mikki and Atsushi are keeping us well-stocked with Ryohei Yanagihara merch piped direct from Japan! Included are some Torys mugs, Torys Highball t-shirts and four cloisonné pins. Thank you, you guys are the best!

My foray into collecting the works of noted fetish artists Gene Bilbrew and Eric Stanton (and the occasional Bill Alexander, Bill Ward or weirdie) continues. Many thanks to Mike for the three books at top. Also, thanks go to Mike for the tumescent nudenik in the middle—the best example of a Kreiss Psycho ceramic we have ever seen!

Some other smut trickled its way into our Christmas reserve: a bawdy collection of the bay area's red-light highlights and a 1971 calendar featuring all manner of supernumerary mammaries. Thanks to Jay and Ryan for these two!

Proof that you should always be suspicious when someone asks you which Transformer was your favorite. Of course, the response is a total no-brainer: Jetfire (based on Robotech's VF-1S Super Valkyrie Fighter) featured the best product design, hands-down. Thanks again, Mike!

Our pal Mike continued to outdo himself by giving Valery the Olivetti Valentine typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass and Perry King in 1969. By sheer coincidence, we'd recently contemplated getting one of these—for logging the guests at our wedding later this year. Nice one, Genz!

Valery picked these two up while shopping for Christmas gifts (for others). The candy tin from Barton's Bonbonniere caused a fairly loud squeal when she spied it at a local shop. There's a strong likelihood that the tin was designed by Alvin Lustig.

It's becoming a tradition: getting one of LaGardo Tackett's Eggheads for Christmas. Last year, our buddy Mike sent along the What Again Tonight? ceramic. This year, Valery scored the Happy one for an insanely cheap amount and ended up gifting it to herself. Now we just need one more (of the 12" variety) to complete this ménage à trois.

Valery's love of planters goes unabated and this handsome rosewood specimen was our final gift to each other for Christmas 2010.

Hope it was worth the wait folks, and we have more updates planned for the immediate future. No, really.

Run, Rudolph, Run

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Extending our warmest wishes to our friends and readers for this holiday season. See you in 2011!

GG&S

As Tears Go By

2010-12-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

We will miss you and love you forever, 할머니! You were an amazing woman! We are very sad without you!

Rest in peace.

Searchin' In The Wilderness

2010-11-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

See, we weren't kidding about keeping busy for the past few weeks! We've been engaged in some big game hunting lately, so here's an extra large update to satisfy y'all and fill you in on some of our recently bagged trophies.

It isn't often that we're left completely dumbfounded by the objects we excavate. This is one of those rare exceptions. In 1971, Mac Mann Industries laid claim to the dubious distinction of producing the original afro bone comb, known simply as The Bone. Besides its obvious function, the original packaging suggests its potential uses as a wig-holder or stylish bit of flair. Pittsburgh delivers the goods yet again! We found these vintage Dream Pets at one of our favorite haunts over this past weekend and we're hoping their undeniable cuteness softens the blow of such blatant racial disregard.

Pittsburgh also supplied us with some Italian delicacies: a lucite elephant produced by Guzzini and a rhino fashioned from Travertine limestone and designed by Mannelli—identical to the pachyderm we found a few months back (which we subsequently stuffed into this photo).

Pittsburgh's #1 Ol' Moon Stomper supplied us with the above Splash 4 poster gratis—after he busted us salivating over his display copy. Thanks again, Hone!

Unbeknown to us, our buddy Steve shipped us an original press release for the Saints' I'm Stranded LP. Thanks a million, hombre! The glossy is now proudly on display in our picture gallery.

Just to prove that we don't totally hate LPs, here are some of the big records we've picked up lately. The original Ike and Tina on Sue, Les Baxter (so minty!) and Jack Nitzsche albums were scored at the Atlanta record swap; the weirdo exploito Batman LP turned up in Pittsburgh; the MAD, Jonny Quest and Velvet Underground (white label promo—allegedly a different, dryer mix—sounds the same to me) records came from our favorite local record hole. Lastly, our buddy Collin sent us the Jazzbo LP cuz he (rightly) figured we'd dig the cover. Thanks, dude! Did we mention how much we like free stuff? Oops, I almost forgot to mention the op art 12" carrier we just found, too.

Our pal Justin provided these mod plastic hangers that Valery fell instantly in love with. Thanks again! They're a very welcome addition to Valery's dressing room.

Found these stacking Kartell tables a while ago and we're still undecided as to where they're going to end up. The white stool was manufactured in Germany in the 60s and we bought it online for an unbelievable $9.99 (+ shipping, of course). Finally, we couldn't pass up on the space-age heater—which mimics our fireplace so perfectly—when we spied it at a local shop ...in spite of the fact that it'll likely never be used. Nothing screams fire hazard quite like a vintage heating device.

Here's another batch of goodness we've hauled away over the past few weeks. A vintage Bulova clock found at a nearby thrift store for $12; an amazing piece of German enamelware from the 60s; a psychedelic decanter, ice bucket and suitcase; a bizarre people feeder shaped like a bird; an orange pod full of coasters; a Pyrex Moon Deco dish; two Gedy containers designed by Makio Hasuike; an atomic era candy dish; a space-age shelving unit and matching mirror. Whew!

We've definitely saved the best for last this time 'round! We couldn't believe it when we glimpsed this beauty at our favorite monthly sale. One of two Broyhill Brasilia pieces that we absolutely had to have, this Gentleman's Chest was our early Christmas present to ourselves. It makes a nice perch for our freshly acquired donut phone and mid-century feline, too.

Until next time!

Plastic

2010-11-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

It's been awfully quiet 'round GG&S lately, though that doesn't mean we've been slacking off—it just means that we've been too busy to fill y'all in on many of our recent scores. So, without further ado, here are the 45s we've dug up in the past few months. We should also mention that we've picked up some LPs here and there, but long-players don't really thrill us, so we're just going to focus on the singles for now. Enjoy!

All manner of rodent represented. Two 45s from Satan's Rats and Mouse and the Traps' Maid of Sugar, Maid of Spice 45—which includes two of the most blistering guitar solos ever committed to wax.

Here we have a French copy of the Saints' Know Your Product single with a unique & handsome PS. Also included are Jet Staxx and Jetsons 45s procured for us by our pals Mike and Justin. Thanks, dudes!

Justin's been supplying us with the goods (a lot) lately. Here are two more: a rare Alan Vega 45 from his Collision Drive LP and the withdrawn sleeve for the Cramps' UK Garbage Man 45. So dark!

Here're three glam recs that Valery snagged recently. We decided to obscure the Zappo graphic and save y'all the misfortune of having to see it. Not even remotely close to good/bad.

More UK punk from the Favourites, Sham 69's finest hour and one of (two?) XS Energy's 45s. Thanks, Deez!

Here's the 1979 release by Decatur, Georgia's Razor Boys / XYZ—we can't tell you how proud we are that these guys are from our own backyard! A copy of the New York Dolls' Who Are the Mystery Girls 45 turned up at the last Atlanta record swap (period appropriate Mercury sleeve needed, plz), and the Verge record from Albany's been a tough one to turn up for cheap ...until recently.

We found this mysterious bubblegum single by the Panda Peeple in Pittsburgh, which features their cover of the song made (mildly) famous by the Middle of the Road. Percy and the Gaolbirds' Who Can Help Me is one of the bossest German Beat tracks, and we've been able to track down one more EP by our favorite Belgian chanteuse, Chantal Kelly.

Lastly, we were happy to finally land the US pressing of the Creation's How Does It Feel to Feel 45. Strangely enough, the domestic pressing contains a tougher, shorter and better alternate version that's displaced the UK recording on every subsequent retrospective. What's even better is that we lucked out and got the stock version of this single, which was reputedly non-existent. Bunker Hill's Red Ridin' Hood and the Wolf is another screamer whose arrival has really thrilled us. Joey Levine's Come On My Baby rounds out the post with another bubblegum classic!

Trick Or Treat

2010-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to wish y'all a Happy Halloween and let you know that GG&S isn't out of commission, we're just taking a break until next week. We'll have a few posts in store for you soon, including our recent spoils from Steel City. Until then, stay sick and turn blue!

GG&S

Outside View

2010-10-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

Greetings, gentle readers!

We just entered our recently renovated record room (whew! how's that for alliteration?) into the Room For Color 2010 contest being hosted by Apartment Therapy.

You can find the link here.

If any of you enjoyed our renovation (or the blog in general) enough to sign up and designate our room a favorite, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

GG&S

Ageing Had Never Been His Friend

2010-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

September was an unusually hectic month. We participated in the wedding of some good friends, provided a guided tour for our new Japanese buds (Hello, Atsushi and Mikki!), a pal from Austin paid us a welcome visit and my blessed 35th rounded out the month. I know we'd promised y'all an overview of our recent vinyl acquisitions, but time is still in short supply, so you'll have to make due with these birthday gifts instead!

Valery upped the ante this year and presented me with paperbacks showcasing covers by my two favorite sleaze artists: Eric Stanton and Gene Bilbrew. I'd been hesitant to buy any of these books for myself, as I knew it would inspire me to start collecting something else ...and, as I feared, I just worked up a preliminary want-list over the weekend. Anyone with spare works by these two greats is encouraged to drop me a line! BTW, Passion Tramp is by an unknown (to me) artist, but the mix of butt and bandit mask is in keeping with our personal aesthetic.

The Dot Vaeth Group 45 was the last Texan biggie that had evaded my clutches. Fortunately, my buddy Ryan found a small stash of 'em and Valery seized this maximum gift-giving opportunity. Ryan was also nice enough to supply an unused ticket for a CRAMPS show at the Mab (1978, natch), which makes a nice addition to the record room's decor. Is there a Napa State Hospital ticket? Anyone? Lastly, this vintage Japanese Batman figure had haunted me ever since we saw one in a NYC collector's shop last year. The $300 price tag seemed a tad too steep, so I was stoked when I scored him (her?) on eBay for $11 a few weeks ago!

We're slowly making progress on our home office and Valery contributed two new potential inhabitants. Our winged lizard is fairly tame, but we were both taken aback by the size of our Gorey-esque walking stick. We couldn't even imagine glimpsing something like our li'l mantid out in the wild!

Our pal Kevin came through with this previously unseen promotional poster for Loli and the Chones' punk rock meisterwerk, P.S. We Hate You. As it's easily in our top ten favorite punk long-plays of the 90s, we're really glad to have this one on display!

A big thank-you to Ryan, Kevin, Brad, Tim, Christine, Corey, Susan, and Chris who shared in this year's birthday festivities—special thanks to Kevin, Tim and Christine for supplying the prerequisite tequila 'n toonz!

Something To Do

2010-09-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last month's home renovations did little to slake our thirst for new acquisitions. Busy as ever, these're the standout items for the past month or so. Most of 'em picked up on the relative cheap or, in the best-case scenario, gratis AND hand-delivered.

A criminally neglected Laurel lamp found on Atlanta's Craigslist was the source of last weekend's adventure. We've turned up a few in the past year, but the hand-blown glass shades were always missing or the lamp bases were badly chipped / pitted. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this time. We purchased it off the original owner who'd babied the lamp until its eventual release. Easily one of our favorite lamps of the 60s!

Valery's love of planters continues! This speckled ceramic beauty was found at our favorite local antique store. We tried fruitlessly to get the speckling to show up in the photograph. It's really an awesome piece ...and quite heavy!

This small op art painting was found languishing in the dark corner of a nearby store. Though it could stand to be a little bit larger in size, we're thrilled by how perfectly it fits the room. Staring at this piece for extended periods is guaranteed to induce physical distress.

Ever the good house-guest, our pal Collin refused to show up empty-handed during his last visit, lugging a salvaged General Electric "Show 'n Tell - Phono Viewer" around as a present. We're always happy to accept more vintage electronics ...especially when they're free! If Collin could only find us a nice copy of the Louvin Brothers' Satan Is Real, we might let him sleep in the house next time! Thanks again, dewd!

Our Flickr buddy, Wooden Donkey, introduced us to this li'l guy a short while back. Manufactured in Germany in the 60s, this porcelain decanter was produced by a company called Altenkunstadt. There are a few others in the series and we're hoping we can track 'em all down eventually. Thanks again, WD!

Last but certainly not least, we were finally able to track down this scarce piece of Metlox Contempora. This jawbone / boomerang serving dish has been a long-standing want and we're glad to finally have one around the house. There are still several other pieces from this line that we're actively seeking out, so if you have any for sale, please let us know!

That's it for now. Stay tuned for our recent record scores!

I Only Panic When There's Nothing To Do

2010-08-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it took nearly the entire month of August to accomplish, but the renovation of our downstairs record room is FINALLY (almost) complete. Rest assured, lots of painting, carpet-pulling, tile-laying, name-calling and tear-shedding ensued. The above photo is the blank canvas, as it was presented two years ago when the house was first purchased.

Here's your first peek from the staircase.

A wider shot. Please note the absence of the room's original carpet and the newly introduced Vinyl Composite Tile. It took five (grueling) days to get the 400 square feet fully covered—adhesive invariably finding its way into any/all available crevice(s). An entire day was also spent applying coats of sealer and finisher to the VCT, until it shone like spun gold! Many thanks to our friend Kevin who was kind enough to help us with getting started, and our numerous subsequent consultations.

The replacement tiles for the drop ceiling are another dramatic improvement. Fortunately, we hadn't brought any of the furniture back in before we attempted to swap out the originals—a cloud of dirt, dust, fiberglass debris and other misc. nastiness exploding and blanketing the floor upon removal. Good times!

Two more shots of the lounge.

One of the driving forces behind this renovation was our recent procurement of modular Umbo shelving from the early 70s. Our pal Justin, knowing that we were aggressively seeking out any examples, casually mentioned to us that he'd finally seen some in person ...and in the least likely antique store in Atlanta! Somehow, amid all of the candelabras and suits of armor, the store's proprietor had chosen to erect an 8' x 8' monster shelf. He also informed us that he had extra pieces laying in a dank breezeway in the back. After two days and three filled-to-capacity sedan rides later, we had 90+ individual pieces securely placed under lock and key. Needless to say, we are thoroughly convinced that Justin is the absolute best!

The shelves, which were originally used for display in some long-since-forgotten department store, were grimy after years of disuse, so we spent 20+ minutes on each individual piece (36 of 'em pictured), scrubbing the thick ABS plastic in an attempt to resuscitate 'em. We'll eventually get 'em professionally repainted at an auto-body shop, returning 'em to their original albino glory.

Also, plenty of stools're placed nearby to aid Valery in reaching that top tier.

This also represents the merging of our record collections. We're left sitting on nearly 500 duplicate LPs and 45s (not pictured). Plans are currently underway to sell these off next year in anticipation of our honeymoon. A link to the sale(s) will be posted.

Another modular shelving unit—designed by Olaf von Bohr and produced by Kartell—got the deep clean and now houses our furry friends.

Here are the majority of our 45s. We were really pleased when we realized the boxes we settled on fit our built-in shelving so perfectly. One of the few things that worked out without any hassles.

Two Bertoias, a Herman Miller table and a space age umbrella stand manufactured by Artemide flesh out this side of the room. Dig the Drumbos!

Saving the most agonizing part for last (literally), the spiral staircase represents one of the most infuriating aspects of this entire process. It was originally painted a delightful mauve (as seen here), as was the room's trim, and required a thick coating of spray-paint and many (many) touch-up jobs. Did we mention that we forgot to address the staircase until after we'd already painted the walls? Torture. All paint-related kudos are explicitly due to Valery's nimbleness and unerring precision with a brush.

Despite the fact that the room is technically unfinished—we're still working on the staircase (thanks in advance, Kevin!)—we successfully welcomed our new addition with local friends (Tim and Christine), a wayfaring Mississippian (Collin) and a couple of errant Canadians (Fen and Jeff). We were very happy to be able to celebrate this massive undertaking with friends and we're truly grateful for all of the help!

Picture Book

2010-08-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

We've decided to take a break from our home renovations and introduce you to some recent arrivals from Japan. Circa 2002, my buddy Mike gave me the thief (center) as a birthday gift, figuring (rightfully) that he'd be a welcome addition to my home. At that point, I knew nothing about the figure or its creator, Mr. Ryohei Yanagihara. A long while later, when Valery and I first started dating, she spied the li'l jailbird and fell in love immediately. Thus began the search for other figures and further information concerning their creator.

We'd soon discover that Mr. Yanagihara had been a popular illustrator in Japan, and that he'd made his creative mark through advertising and book covers. Some of his most recognized work was for the Suntory Whiskey company, where he created Uncle Tory in 1958—the character would later manifest itself repeatedly in print ads, TV commercials and collectible advertising figures.

The two figures at top are vintage promotional items that originally housed toothpicks. The three toys in the foreground were part of a series that was released in the early 00s. We're both eternally grateful to our Japanese pal, Hidehisa, who was kind enough to navigate auction and retail sites in an effort to help us procure these four items ...in exchange for records, of course! Thanks again!!

Here's a link to a great blog post with plenty of info. Below are more favorites:

Should anyone have any Yanagihara toys or promotional items that they'd like to get rid of, please don't hesitate to contact us! We're especially interested in any of his viking figures!!

For those of you who care, the record room is almost done. Be on the lookout for an update toward the middle of this week! Now it's time to get back to work.

ACK ACK ACK

2010-07-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week, as we've been painting, laying tile and making other renovations to our subterranean record lair. Look for a guided tour—as well as other household updates—in the coming weeks. In the meantime, however, we're headed back downstairs.

See you soon!

GG&S

Pogo Pogo

2010-07-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lapse, folks. Last week found us away and digging up all sorts of stuff in Pittsburgh—further solidifying that city's rank as one of our favorites in the whole U S of A. While I was mostly stuck in class, Valery (and our amazing hosts Hone and Carmela) plundered every available antique store and walked away with a handsome pile of loot.

We had to check in an over-sized package for our plane ride home, mostly due to the mod Space Mate shelf Valery stumbled across at an antique store. Seeing as how we had a new shelf on its way, Valery figured we needed to fill it up beforehand. Two wooden birds, a container (attributed to George Nelson) and a dish helped to round out the purchase.

Here's our ever-expanding Gruesomes stash. Valery found the toys at Bizarro Wuxtry in Athens in January. Enamored with these guys, she then picked up the LP via our pal, Bobby, at the bi-monthly Atlanta record swap a while back. The single was found at Eides for a flat tenner last week.

Our Flickr buddy Martin has this group and we made a mental note to keep an eye out for 'em. Valery couldn't believe it when she found a complete set of these (in the box even!) sitting on a shelf. Click on the pic for a larger / legible view! Also, the vintage fabric was unearthed at the same store, and Valery will soon transform 'em into drapes for her dressing room windows.

Earlier this year, my buddy Hone forwarded me a photo of some toys with a conspicuously present (and previously unknown) Tina Muskegon from Daniel Clowes' Like a Velvet Glove storyline. It should be painfully apparent by now that I've got an unhealthily big Clowes collection, so I emailed the photographer and it turned out that it was a resin model (with metal prosthetics) he'd made about five years prior. Fortunately, he was kind enough to make me one (thanks again, Robb!), but he was too busy to paint her up proper. Hone came to the rescue, volunteering his talents and knocking 'er outta the ballpark—maintaining his status as resident stony bro, thusly. OK soda promo cans and Tina rubber stamp included solely for kicks.

Much appreciation and many thanks to our friends Carmela, Hone, Steve and Pogo for making our trip to Pittsburgh even better than we'd hoped. Ice cream sundae lunches, irradiated Perry Como statues and Pogo's insatiable appetite for hair will not be soon forgotten.

Runnin' Wild

2010-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

GG&S has been lousy with animals lately, mostly of the stone, ceramic and mysterious variety. Here are a few examples that've recently climbed aboard.

This hefty elephant came to us via our favorite monthly antique sale a few weeks ago. Carved out of Travertine limestone, this Italian pachyderm's from the 60s and its label indicates that it was designed by Mannelli. Beyond that, we have no clue. Anyone have any additional info?

We found this vintage bull bank and immediately fell in love with its unique shape and design—unfortunately, it's yet another item we have very little info on, as we cannot make out any of its markings. We're slowly starting to realize that the 60s were a bountiful time for stylized stashes and we're fearful that our collection has only just begun!

Here's another longhorn that locked our gaze recently. Its recessed interior suggests that it was designed to function as a nightstand caddy, so it's currently enlisted as a receptacle for our loose change.

Lastly, though not quite an animal, the biomorphic shape of this speckled planter warranted its inclusion in this update. A Japanese ceramic from the 50s, we can't wait to fill this one up with some succulents!

The Truth

2010-06-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Another example of collector tenacity and proof positive that persistence does indeed pay off. Though it may have taken five years of harassing emails to accomplish, it finally happened: I convinced an older art dealer to sell me my most coveted Clowes page. Sure, the consequent scrambling meant a lot of items sold, favors asked and tears shed, but those obstacles never gave me pause—after all, this piece of spiritual affirmation was singularly responsible for hooking me on Clowes in the first place. An inestimable heap of thanks to Anthony, Mike, Damian and everyone else who helped facilitate this purchase. And, as always, an extra-special thank you to Valery for putting up with me.

Not to be outdone and on a semi-related note, my buddy Keegan recently sent me an unexpected package. Enclosed, I found the Japanese I Hate You Deeply 45 that inspired the rant of the same name. Thanks again, man! Furthermore, for attentive Dan Clowes scholars, I've also included the Summer Artist in this photo—its handsome Bill Ward jacket lending itself to a later swipe.

I'm A Bug

2010-06-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

Issued in the blessed year of 1978, the Cramps' Human Fly single has long been one of my favorite records of the era. Circa 2000, an eBay seller unloaded two copies of a previously unknown entity: the 11x17 promo flier produced by Vengeance Records (the Cramps), heralding the release of this, their second 45. Unfortunately, I was a starving college student at the time, and there was no way I could afford weighing in on either of 'em—instead, I had to content myself with sitting idly by and watching 'em both skyrocket from the sidelines.

Anyway, about five years later, a chance visit got me over to my pal Howie's house and he pointed out his tatty, stained and worn copy of the same flier. It was up for grabs. I wasn't exactly happy with its hammered condition, but given that Howie had peeled it directly off the walls of CBGBs himself, and that I hadn't seen another copy, I figured this would be my only chance.

Unable to console myself with this placeholder, I tracked down the photographer responsible for the cover shot. Zilch. Nil. Nada. Ten years later, I'd just about given up all hope. Skirting dangerously close to admitting defeat, I decided to follow up one last, unlikely lead. Sure enough, in under two weeks, I had a pristine copy of the flier fall into my lap ...and all it took were some kind words, a few color copies and my eternal gratitude. Unbelievable.

You can view a side by side comparison here.

Amstramgram

2010-05-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty slow for vinyl purchases this month, but what May lacked in quantity has been made up for in terms of quality. This month marked the acquisition of two of our biggest Ye-Ye wants.

I was really glad to finally get a hit for Chantal Kelly's Notre Prof' d'Anglais 45 after having had a saved search for years. At last year's WFMU fair, we asked a Quebecois dealer if he ever ran across the Canadian pressing of this record and he scoffed at the mere suggestion—so, yeah, it was especially gratifying when my hit turned out to be for the Canadian two-song version. I'm still looking for the French 4-song EP pictured in the video linked below—any leads would be appreciated!

My #1 Ye-Ye want had long been Isabelle's Amstramgram single. I'd originally become obsessed with the track after hearing it on the Wizzz! (volume 2) comp a few years ago. Tony tried to find a copy for me for my birthday in February, but he had zero success—he'd even approached a noted French collector who told him that the record was impossible to find and to plan on it as a birthday gift five years from now! Fortunately, Tony recently got a lead through a friend and a cash offer ended the auction early (thanks, Damo!).

The Isabelle EP is pictured here with our recently acquired Robo Fan.

Make sure to turn down your speakers! It opens with quite the fuzz blast!

TV Tube Heart

2010-05-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Our apologies, folks. Real world commitments—also known as going back to (grad) school and working against insane deadlines—have conspired to keep our blog productivity low. Fear not, gentle readers, as we've still found time for all manner of insane procurements—recent acquisitions that're guaranteed to leave you duly stewed.

So, without further ado, let's ease back into these updates with our avian friend, Tivvy. Based on a Fauni gonk from Finland, Tivvy was a 60s mascot that bumbled his way into books, a television show and at least one 45. He was also adopted as an unlikely model for promotional toy banks in the UK (USB) and the US—our two banks hail from the unexpected locales of Miami and Albuquerque. It should also be noted that the albino has a bow in its hair, so she's technically Mrs. Tivvy ...we think. How did a Finnish gonk get all the way over here? Anyone?

Here we find a caveman sporting two original badges promoting Tivvy's club and his television program, TV TIMES. He'd apparently swapped his moptop for an afro, by this point.

With so little info available, our Tivvy research remains woefully incomplete, and GG&S is in dire need of an original Fauni Tivvy (stuffed) troll. Any of our Finnish readers are encouraged to send us one, thereby ensuring their eternal place in our hearts. Chop chop!

Here Comes The Summer

2010-04-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and has brought us two things: warmer weather and a ton of pollen! Tony, being an Arizona native, was quite surprised by how thoroughly caked in pollen Atlanta has recently become!

The climate change has also got us out working in the yard, planting things in the garden, making me think about all of my vintage planters, and how I should showcase some of my favorites here for you to see:

This large, multi-coned planter is my newest acquisition and it fits perfectly in the outside entryway of our home. I've never seen one quite like this before and I was very happy to find it. I love the color and the original speckled ceramic.

I've always wanted a Lagardo Tackett double-coned landscape pot made by Architectural Pottery, but they're outrageously expensive, so I was thrilled to find this tall Tackett-inspired piece a year ago. I love the hourglass shape and I really like the noodling design on this one, too. It's a very welcome addition to the foyer in our home!

Up next is the boat planter. I love its unique shape and size and it helps to bring some life into our great room.

We love bullet planters—we have a handful of them around the house. These two reside in our great room, between two of my terrariums and up against the glass wall.

This one rests in a cozy spot near our fireplace.

And, lastly, this one brings a colorful accent to our guest bedroom / home office.

So there you have it! This is just a small selection of some of my planters, but I think I'll save the rest of my exterior ones for a later post. I'd also like to offer a special thanks to Tony for putting up with my planter obsession and all of these plants and planters!

Hurts And Noises

2010-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks, the past few weeks have been hectic due to work and personal deadlines, so we've found ourselves with less time to spend 'round here. Fortunately, we've struck gold repeatedly lately, and our vinyl scores have made slogging thru the drudgery a fair bit easier.

Valery had been looking for this Nimbus 45 for longer than we've been together, and I'd made it my mission to locate a copy for her. Luckily, my pal Andreas (thanks, dude!) brought it to my attention because a.) the track she was after is the record's b-side (of course) and b.) the German PS misspells Lollipop, rendering all saved searches useless. I'm a complete sucker for the Pretty Things and being able to finally scratch the domestic pressing of their Midnight to Six Man single off my wantlist was a welcome relief indeed.

A few years back, my pal Michael gave me the Plugz Tie sleeve he'd inherited as part of David Wiley's (Consumers, Human Hands, etc) collection. I'd since kept the sleeve loose, storing it next to my standard copy of the EP, figuring I'd marry it up with a stray 45 eventually. Needless to say, I was stoked when my buddy Ryan recently came through with an unplayed sleeveless disc. Later that same week, my pal Marc pointed out a copy of the first Real Kids single that matched up splendidly with the mint picture sleeve (featured elsewhere) I'd found at last year's WFMU fair. Thanks again, fellas!

It should come as no surprise to you, dear readers, that those damn Gauls created some of our very favorite 70s punk rock, so imagine our elation at landing a Francophile 1-2 punch. How the Dogs' debut platter managed to elude us until now remains a total mystery. We'd been waiting and waiting for an unstamped, unclipped and unblemished copy of the Guilty Razors' sole vinyl offering for so long, it was beginning to look like we'd never succeed in snagging a copy. Many thanks to Hidehisa (and you, too, Mike!) for making this a reality!

You didn't think we'd leave you high and dry at the end, did you? Here we have a copy of the second Kriminella Gitarrer single—scored through sheer good fortune and, more importantly, on the relative cheap. Our hands-down favorite of their many fine moments ...although we would gladly change our minds if someone wanted to give us their Vårdad Klädsel 45.

Lastly, all of our li'l whittled models are recent acquisitions, too!

On Whom They Beat

2010-03-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Decided to devote this entry to the legion of furball Vikings who've had the good taste to make our foyer their own personal Valhalla. Popular during the mid-60s, the majority of 'em were manufactured in Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Japan. Valery originally started this collection, with me contributing a good chunk during our early courtship days. Nothing says I Love You like giving your girl an armed warrior bent on bloodshed and buggery.

Here are some of our favorites:

The middle guy's probably the most laughably hirsute of the bunch. Our blow-up doll Viking was a recent arrival and we're still trying to figure out what its designer, Carl Bent, was thinking when he dreamt it up. Guess he figured it was easy to get bored on a long voyage...

The guy on the left is my absolute favorite—I love his triangular body and mace. The other two guys are similarly bushy and menacing.

These three little guys make a great set. This larger one's an Italian lamp from the 60s. We've got a matching Caveman (as seen in the Sounds of the Weird-Ohs spread), too ...I'm sure we'll devote a separate entry to 'em somewhere down the line.

Our army stares wistfully at their ship on the horizon. Found the gnarled and enormous (it's 5' long!) Witco Knarr portrait listed on eBay by a seller in Atlanta. We were both stunned when it went for the minimum bid of $9.99. Needless to say, we picked it up in person the same day!

Sick Of Being Sick

2010-03-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

Being under the weather lately's got us thinking about the many ways we're gonna indulge once we get past this damn flu—and has also led to us to a wistful examination of some of the vintage barware we've got laying around the house.

Valery found this set while on a road trip through Florida some years back. Don't really have much to go on except that each Beast is apparently summoned through the imbibing of the hard stuff. Bear, octopus, jackass and rodent ...definitely sounds like most drunks I know!

We found this pussycat set at a local thrift store for .35 a piece. There were originally four of 'em, but one shattered in my hand before we even left the store cuz I'm such a hulking brute.

Lastly, we located this lost C. Schulz masterpiece at a great antique store in Austin my buddy Ryan took us to while we were trekking between Arizona and Georgia.

Turning Grey

2010-02-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

Turning 35 last week wasn't as painful an experience as I'd previously expected, due in large part to great friends, an amazing dinner party and some really thoughtful gifts.

Here are a select few.

My favorite of the bunch has to be the vintage mosaic piece that Tony purchased for me at a local antique store. This thing is HUGE—somewhere around 4 feet tall—and the quality of the craftsmanship is really impressive. I just wish our photo could do justice to the variety of shapes (and depths) for each individual tile. We really love this recent addition to our den.

I'd been searching for a copy of the Equals' Diversion single for a while now and was pleased when our friend Mike (thank you!) sent me one for my b-day. I also treated myself to the Creation's Making Time and Liz Brady's Hey O Daddy O 45s. The Finnish owl bank was a Valentine's Day gift from Tony, but it looked good in this spread, so I included it.

Another Valentine's Day gift was a female Zoo Line hippo Tony found buried on eBay. Despite the misleading photo, she arrived with her tail intact. I'm so glad we were able to match up my bull with his new girlfriend!

And, lastly, here's another recent purchase that wasn't necessarily a gift, but he is a hippo. It's a vintage ceramic bank. Unfortunately, no markings or anything—we just really like him! The mod owl perfume bottle in the background was yet another V-Day gift.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone for all of my gifts and for making this birthday a very special event!

Bird Dance Beat

2010-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

This past month has found me heatedly pursuing an item, unlike any other in recent memory. I'd originally been introduced to the Worry Bird years ago via Dan Clowes' and Charles Schneider's similarly named tale from Lloyd Llewellyn #5 ...and there was also the later presence of an Atlanta record label that had adopted its name (and label design) after the same "sub-standard yarn."

I didn't really think much of it until a short time after that, while working behind the counter of a record store, when I experienced a tensed incatenation as I leafed through a CD booklet for a (then) recent Trashmen reissue. It was there that the thought balloon popped and I realized that the mascot emblazoned across their drumhead, standing proudly atop a surfboard while strumming its guitar, was none other than the same goddamn bird!

My search for answers resumed a full decade later, after fording Joey Myers' most excellent photostream. Joey had snapped a quick pic of his Worry Bird and the hunt began anew!

An early capture, this forlorn example is a rare piece of 60s Hawaiiana—an ashtray that stores butts in its rear. You really can't help but feel for this guy... Although not quite Zelig-like in its pervasiveness, who was this feathered fellow and who was the sadistic madman responsible for its design???

And here we have the creature that started the craze and set me tilting. A late 50s / early 60s ceramic novelty nodder, possibly created by Napco Ceramics and definitely made in Japan. Both of these have different tags, but the first one's more poignant (and applicable) and reads: "Don't be sad / Don't be blue / 'Cause I'm the bird / Who'll worry for you." Amen.

My apologies to all those who endured and sincere thanks to all who've helped!

I Spent The Rent

2010-01-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

As another birthday quickly approaches, I decided to entertain the idea of treating myself with one of our longest held wants. I'd spied the Weltron 2005 immediately after it was listed and I'd kept an eye on it for the entire week, debating whether or not I would make a grab for it. I finally decided, with a few hours left in the auction, to toss in a low-ball bid and hope for the best... seriously doubting that I had any real hope of winning. So, needless to say, it came as a total shock when I realized that we'd actually won—and at way less than half of its current going rate.

Tony spent all day, in agony, as he dutifully waited for me to come home so we could open the packages together. The seller did a great job packing this up. She only charged us $45 and she had it Fed-Exed to us within three business days of the auction's end! I'm sure she ended up paying a lot more on her end. Thank you!

I really wish we'd taken some before photos because the record player was extremely filthy when it arrived. Tony used some miracle cleaner that his sister-in-law had given us the last time we visited his family and he methodically cleaned it for over two hours! I still can't believe what a huge difference it made!

Coincidentally, we'd found a pair of 70s Nivico sphere speakers on Craigslist a few days before the stereo auction ended. We managed to get the seller to negotiate with us and he priced 'em down and within our budget. No, these won't get hooked up to the Weltron—instead, we're running them through our main stereo system downstairs. We can't wait for the next soiree, so we can give 'em a good workout!

Up Against The Wall

2010-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Always in search of promo photos, fliers, posters and whatever other junk shop music-related paper items we can find, we decided that we should showcase our private gallery and some of the ephemeral trophies we've scavenged over the years. Enjoy!

Also, as always, make sure to click on 'em for a bigger picture.

Here's the view from the foyer. We hope that Nobunny, Supercharger, the Cramps and the Ronettes (among others) make you feel immediately at home...

A few more shots of the glossies. Highlights include ? & the Mysterians, Unrelated Segments, Gories, Dickies, Wire, Devo and DMZ photos.

Posters and fliers for fests and shows attended over the past few years...a few of 'em even designed by Gonked, Glooked and Slurped!'s own Valery.

Our obsession with 70s PUNK and the (early) Cramps should be obvious by now. Months of begging and pleading finally convinced my pal Howie to hand over some of his vintage Cramps' goods—including the Human Fly promo flier pictured in Punk is Dead, Punk is Everything. Come to think of it, he's also the same benefactor who forked over the record release poster for the MAD's I Hate Music 45...still the only example of it we've ever seen. Thanks again, Mr. Pyro!

Other notables included are a signed photo of the Gears, a shot of the Cramps playing LA circa '79 (taken by the Middle Class' manager) and a group photo of the MAD (from the same session as the interior of the Digusting EP's sleeve). We've also got a Screamers flier handsomely silkscreened by Mr. Gary Panter, a silkscreened Feederz flier from '78, original Undertones, Teenage Head and Starshooter record store posters, Automatics, Devo and Milk 'n' Cookies magazine ads and, lastly, a Trend flier / set-list from '80.

We're still waiting on a few things to arrive / get framed, so we can seal up the holes in this display ...and then there's always the stuff downstairs...

Our last stop on the tour and it concludes with a photo of our fish wall. They certainly do provide a welcome shot of color and life into this museum.

Cheap Rewards

2010-01-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

It would seem like our New Year's resolution was to keep our spending habits on the cheap, since our last three purchases have been obscenely inexpensive—either via poorly listed items or through sheer good fortune at a flea market.

Poring over eBay listings on an insomnious jag, we discovered a Colani elephant bank ($10) and a set of Bosse's nesting hedgehogs ($15) for mere peanuts. However, the real topper has to be the 70s Guzzini mushroom lamp we located in the unlikeliest Athens, GA flea market a few weeks ago ...and at a measly $5! Whew!!!

We really hate the thought of jinxing ourselves and ruining this spate of good luck, but we couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Here's hoping for similar steals throughout 2010!

Glittering Prizes

2010-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

It'd be fair to say that Santa treated us extra-special this year. Here are a few selected highlights for your perusal.

An original member of the Kay Bojesen (inspired?) Zoo Line series from 1959, this jackass has been a longtime favorite—and we were especially excited to welcome him aboard. This braying slackjaw actually arrived complete w/ spectacles, but we removed 'em because he looks way more dapper this way.

Feeling the need to adopt a mascot for our home, this noble Jonathan Adler creation made its way into the great room. The lion pauses to take careful measure and proudly survey its sprawling kingdom!

Couroc of Monterey produced hundreds of different objects from the 1950s through the 90s, utilizing phenolic resin, shells, coral and whatever other materials lent themselves toward interesting designs. Manufactured in the late 50s or early 60s, the Mod Birds trays have always been our top Couroc want ...and we were lucky enough to snag two (of the three) sets this year.

Although best known for his planters and kitchenware, ceramicist LaGardo Tackett designed the iconic Egghead in 1959 for use as a condom holder. As they were available for sale via Esquire and Playboy mail-order only, these have become increasingly hard to track down. Here we find our pal resting for a spell—after all, he's pretty tuckered out from his recent arrival (thanks, Mike!) and a truly debaucherous New Year's.

Sleigh Ride

2009-12-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, folks and GG&S will be closed for the holidays. Be sure to check back in 2010: we've already got a Yuletide recap planned, more home renovations slated for your perusal and plenty of looted artifacts to share.

Happy holidays!

GG&S

Fun And Games

2009-12-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

Last week found us spending a quiet night in, putting together a 60s Munsters puzzle that we'd just found at a monthly market sale. Surprisingly, it was complete and it even came in its original box. This also got us thinking about another game we'd purchased recently....

Realizing that this was worth the junk shop's $5 purchase price didn't require a lick o' clairvoyance. It's a shame that we still haven't played it.

Those of you who have seen the movie The Ice Pirates may already be familiar with Computer Perfection, as it played a supporting role as part of a spaceship's control panel. Valery found this'un a decade ago at some long-forgotten thrift store.

With fewer than 100 extant examples, Boredom (1994) is another obscurity in the Dan Clowes catalog. Who wouldn't want to spin the Wheel of Despair, if it meant achieving the likely success of suicide?

Good Friends

2009-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Showcasing the best trades I've made in the past 5+ years, November delivered a small stash that's really brightened our days.

Features and Filth were replacements for copies sold / traded years ago; Milk 'n Cookies was the absent member of the PS trinity; the Embarrassment 45 was a single I'd mistakenly dismissed as too indie rock in my youth; Skrewdriver's just a fave that took way too long to get here.

Not much else to say other than a big heap of thanks to all of the parties involved. A fitting way to wrap up an amazing year.

Little Lost And Innocent

2009-12-07T07:42:00.002-08:00

Heard an unexpected clanking coming from the backyard this weekend and were stunned by what we found: a pitiful street urchin begging for alms. In fact, Valery and I were so moved by the sight of this grubby, mottled mess that we decided—in the spirit appropriate to this Yuletide season—to adopt and shelter the miserable little waif.

Better known as Sympathy For the Record Industry's unofficial mascot, Little Miss No Name was produced by Hasbro and available to the public for only twelve months, starting in 1965. Sweetening the pot even further, this vision in burlap was marketed w/ the following tag: "I need someone to love me / I am so tired and cold / Please take me home with you / And I'll be yours to hold." It's still unbelievable to us that execs gave the go ahead to mass-produce this Keane-eyed runt...and saw fit to unleash her complete w/ blue acrylic tear!

Never ones to pass up an opportunity for slave labor, we've already got her hard at work as our newest, most valued assistant. A special thank you to Valery for accomplishing the impossible: making this Christmas even more memorable.

From Home

2009-12-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our apologies for the lapse, folks. Last week found us traipsing about my native copper state...and raiding every available thrift / antique store between Mexico and the Valley of the Sun. The pickens were uncharacteristically slim this time out; however, we did find a few things that struck our mutual fancy.

This blog's #1 fan (and our adopted baby boy) brought home the goods at $1 a (vintage) button. We just wish we could've been there when he asked the elderly store owner if she could reach in and grab the If It Moves, Fondle It pinback out of the display case.

My older brother asked us to deliver a pair of vintage Holt Howard salt & pepper shakers to my sister; apparently, he'd been holding on to them for the past four years, always forgetting to give them to her himself. Needless to say, Valery fell for 'em immediately and we were stoked to find an identical pair in a Tucson antique store later that same day.

This Danish pricklepuss came compliments of some nice folks in Phoenix. No idea who's responsible for the design. Also, not sure if its disposable quills are for hors d'oeuvres or toof-pickin'. Mmm, teaky.

Despite my initial objections, Valery insisted that we bring these home...and, as much as I hate to admit it, I've kind of warmed up to these little guys. Looks like we're planning to put these around the Christmas tree...a pictorial will undoubtedly appear in the not-so-distant future.

Warmest thanks to Genz for being an excellent host and for mailing out the remaining goods. Now where the fuck are they?!

Your Pickled Personality?

2009-11-23T10:23:00.001-08:00

Ol' hawkeye spotted these a while back and we knew they were instant must-haves. Six personality profiles celebrating lowered inhibitions and ruptured psyches—and each with an appropriately Cubist backdrop.

Gremmie Out Of Control

2009-11-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Strange how the innocent perusal of Craigslist can turn into a nearly two month long saga...over a record I only wanted, and still only want, for its cover!

Here's the abridged version:

9.25.09: Record found mis-listed (it was retitled "Sounds of the Weird-Ons") in a batch of 78s.
10.7.09: Payment ($10) mailed because the seller is located 1hr away and I'm convinced that this record, like most kids records, is going to be trashed.
10.13.09: Record (allegedly) mailed out.
11.6.09: Record (allegedly) returned.
11.16.09: Picked up in person in a poorly coordinated parking lot rendezvous (8:30am).

So, not only was I totally off the mark on the actual condition of the record, but I would've also screwed myself out of an un-split and intact inner sleeve, had it been mailed. All's well, I guess.

Making Time

2009-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

Available for a few, fleeting moments in 1967, the Duke and Duchess of Carnaby tapped into the booming Mod scene already underway in the UK. Moptops manufactured by the same company responsible for the (American) Slurp, the couple represented another attempt to cash into the thriving teen market. This shaggy duo—purchased from two dealers on opposite sides of the US—are prized googly-eyed fixtures in our subterranean record room.

Remake / Remodel

2009-11-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over a year now since I bought my first home. Renovation has been a slow process, as I move from room to room, and as finances allow. Featured in this post is the house's Great Room—it's the most complete and satisfying room to date.

Luckily, this room required the least amount of work... although I would still love to get more original art in here. At least the saloon doors and hideous light fixture are no longer present.

Here are three photos taken before I moved in last September (2008):

Some shots of the room in its current state:

This is the view entering the room from the foyer.

Here we find Otis silently stalking all of the squirrels, birds, feral cats and rabbits that enjoy frolicking in our backyard.

Still not sure what I'm going to do about the doors to the fireplace. It'll most likely get painted.

Here's the dinette we found in Phoenix. It replaced a vintage Chromcraft set I'd owned for years. I did, however, recycle the Chromcraft's glass top—the one the Arkana set was sold with was beveled and way too small (I don't think it was original to it, anyway).

I initially wanted to do one big wall tile treatment for the dining room, but it ended up being way out of my budget. Ideally, I'd like a big piece of original art to go there instead. I've been spoiled by the awesome Screaming Lord Sutch painting my good friend (and favorite local artist) Tim painted for me—maybe I'll beg him to paint something else for me later on!

This shot leads you to one of the two entrances to the kitchen... which is halfway done. It's still in need of new flooring and counter-tops. Finances and me being new to doing my own renovation work means this is a really slow process. I'm at the point where I need to hire someone to help me with the counter-tops since they require a lot of attention.

The view from the kitchen.

You can see my covered deck that leads to a wrap-around patio through the wall of windows. One day I hope to replace the wagon-wheel-esque railing that is currently there to something more appropriate and modern. I've also neglected to change the horrible light fixture that's still dangling out there. It will get done soon!

I've reserved this little nook for my vintage robot collection. You can also see the spiral staircase that leads down to the finished basement. Painting the stairwell and ripping out the carpet are two big priorities on my checklist.

Finally, Sof' Boy stands guard over the entire house. He's also responsible for feeding the carnivorous plants in our terrariums. Thanks, li'l buddy!

Space Age Love

2009-11-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

While visiting Arizona this summer, we took a day trip up to Phoenix to hang out with our good friend, Mike, and to do some record and antique shopping—we also ended up waiting for four hours (!) for some yummy pizza at Pizzeria Bianco (but that's another story...).

Most of the day was spent browsing and finding small scores here and there ...that is until we entered an upscale mid-century modern store and I couldn't believe my eyes! There sat a perfectly preserved vintage Arkana dinette—it was my dream set come to life! I'm sure Tony and Mike were amused to see me running up to and hugging its chairs like a complete freak. I knew right then that I needed to get it back to Atlanta.

So geography was the first problem ...and then there was also the matter of the asking price. The owner of the store had priced it far beyond my budget. There was absolutely no way I could afford to pay that much. I talked to Tony about it and he volunteered a possible solution: why not have his brother, a local architect and firm owner, talk to the proprietor to see if they could arrive at some mutually beneficial decision? Sure enough, a week later, his brother spoke to the guy—who, as it turns out, loves pleasing architects (future clients)—and he agreed to shave 1/3 off the asking price. Phew!

A few months and multiple rolls of bubble wrap later, we successfully transported it from Phoenix to Atlanta in a filled-to-capacity 17ft U-Haul. Miraculously, it survived the 60+hr trek across the states intact.

Stay tuned: pics of the dinette in its new home ...and more!

Freddy Brown, The Squirt: The Operator

2009-11-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing signals the passing of a good year like the arrival of a vintage—this was made 20+ years ago—masterstroke by Daniel Gillespie Clowes. A quick convert since high school, I've spent the past decade down in the trenches, tracking down and collecting his original artwork. Its pursuit is maddening, wallet-detonating and (oftentimes) heartbreaking, but the overwhelming pride of ownership his pages confer make all of the hassles worthwhile.

This particular story, which appeared in the third issue of JD King's Twist anthology (a semi-continuation of STOP! Magazine), has always been a favorite, and I can distinctly remember reading it for the first time one afternoon while I was killing time at Toxic Ranch Records in Tucson, AZ. My teenage self never would've imagined that I'd own these pages someday.

I'm sure we'll post more photos once we've got these framed up and displayed in the house proper. Until then, please enjoy the pics below.

Eternal indebtedness and gratitude to Mike and Damian for their undying devotion to charity! Special thanks to Mitch O'Connell for having the foresight to pick these up when he had the chance. And an extra-special thanks to Valery for putting up with my fanboy slavishness.

TV Freak

2009-11-01T12:18:00.001-08:00

Never having run across one of these in the southwest, I was really pleased when we walked into a neighborhood antique store and saw it perched atop an uppermost shelf. Flush with cash and eager to add this to our vintage electronics collection, I succeeded in getting the owner to knock 1/4 off the asking price. Although I still don't think it's superior to the JVC Videosphere, Panasonic's Orbitel makes an effective argument.

A period ad announcing the arrival of Panasonic's space-age classic.

Unfortunately, this one didn't come with a box, but we found an image online and figured it was worth including.

Here it is resting peacefully in its natural habitat: our den.

Taking The City By Storm

2009-10-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend found us visiting NYC, meeting up with friends and attending the annual WFMU record fair. Featured below are some of the mementos purchased and scores made over the weekend...and a few from a little earlier this month.

Handy record tote supplied by the kind folks over at Norton Records—showcasing the one-and-only Eskew Reeder Jr. Regrettably, the M- copy of the Alarm Clocks' No Reason To Complain 45 that Billy Miller had available for trade, was not included with its purchase.

Both volumes of TORTURA: The Sounds of Pain and Pleasure were finally picked up. Unlike most of the copies spotted over the years, these are in surprisingly clean condition. The Eric Stanton-esque covers are exactly what those insidious record frames were made for. Preparations are already being made to get these set up in the guest bedroom.

Two more volumes of Tim Warren's Garage Punk Unknowns series from the 80s. One more to go—which is currently en route—and a set of the original seven (with paste-on covers) will finally be completed!

Some record fair purchases, a few (Jimmy Jukebox & the Easybeats) provided by pals and one (Damned) found locally. It's nice to finally have Motor Boat, Sorry, Long Gone, Blood Splattered With Guitars, Die Trying, and Do You Wanna Know in their original forms. Although we finally found a Chantal Kelly single, we're still on the lookout for her Notre Prof D'anglais EP. Help?

Promo glossy of the Arrows in top form & two Drew Friedman prints depicting perennial household favorites: Don Knotts and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Lastly, a couple of 60s Danish teak curios found in a small vintage shop in the East Village. The duo are complete with designer tags noting a Mr. Tonny Gerbsch. A quick internet search provided no results, so anyone with further details is invited to write us.