I Only Panic When There's Nothing To Do

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!