Just Head

Here's a quickie to let y'all know that—while we were unable to maintain our annual procurement cycle—we finally managed to scoop up our third (and final) most-wanted egghead. Designed by Mr. LaGardo Tackett and released in '58/'59, these ovular rascals have become increasingly sought after and hard to find—especially the larger 11" versions. While we wouldn't say no to getting a few more, I think we're plenty satisfied with this quarter-dozen. A big thank you to Debi and John for cutting this one loose!

The Last Time

Unbeknownst to most everyone, we just got back from a weekend in Pittsburgh. And, as much as we both love the steel city, we're saddened to report that it'll be our last pass through for at least the next year. We'd certainly grown accustomed to visiting often due to my enrollment in grad school at the University of Pittsburgh, but—barring any unforeseen circumstances—I should be receiving my MLIS in less than a month. Woo!

Outside of my extended education and (subsequent) gainful employment, the best part of the entire experience was becoming better friends with our buds Hone, Carmela, Steve, Siena, Suz and Pogo. Thank you guys again for always being so welcoming—and a special thank you to Hone and Carmela for never griping about our habitually late flights and, especially, for their unparalleled hospitality. We hope that we can repay the favor sometime soon ...and many times over!

Now that all that sentimental crap is outta the way, here are some pics we snapped while we were outta town:

 Now, I'm sure everyone is wondering what we scored on our jaunt, so here 'tis:

Valery spied this vintage Lagardo Tackett planter the first time we visited Pittsburgh in 2010, but we were reluctant to pick it up due to its size and the fact that someone had painted it a delightful shade of orange. Fortunately, we both liked the new color and the planter's previous owner quoted us a clearance price far below what an (unpainted) original Architectural Pottery example typically sells for.

I'd purchased these Georges Briard glasses for Valery a few months ago while I was visiting solo, but I left them behind because I didn't want to deal with packing them up. Fortunately, Valery found a few more fragile ceramic items to bundle them with. We also found this fantastic perpetual calendar at an antique store we stumbled into. We've only ever seen one other example and it was ridiculously overpriced—way more than the $6 we paid for it!

I'd been looking for some new bookends for a while and nothing beats two solid lucite bricks! I was convinced that stuffing these in our carry-on luggage would guarantee a full cavity search, but we only had to deal with some slight harassment and a few puzzled looks.

Valery continued to score with a mod polka dot purse, a vintage modernist ring, a stuffed Sluggo and a bizarre Blondie acrobat squeeze toy from '82!

Valery also found this vintage Norwegian Cathrineholm pan for $20. This is the only time we've found an affordable example in the wild.

We even managed to hit a record swap while we were in town! Gotta say, I was pretty stoked when I flipped to the Alfred Hitchcock LP I've been searching everywhere for; unfortunately, the record's condition still has me hunting for a decent copy. Oh, well! At least we found a complete Visible Man for a flat tenner.

Dew Drop Inn

We'd been kicking around the idea of starting up a booth for a while now, so we were pretty pleased when we caught wind that there might be a little retail plot out there for us to call our own. It should go without saying that we're really excited to start this project, and we promise we'll be good about scrounging for new items regularly. Many thanks again to Angela and the crew at Highland Row Antiques for letting us share in the fun! 


The above photo was snapped at the last minute, but it should give you an idea of what to expect—unfortunately, it's already outdated, as we brought in even more stuff the following day. We've already got additional items ready for delivery as soon as time and space permit. Please remember to stop by when you're in Atlanta and make sure to check back often!

Instant Pleasure

Just a quick note to let y'all know that we recently joined the iPhone universe and have taken advantage of some of its perks—like the Instagram app. We're on Instagram as GonkedGlookedSlurped, so look us up if you're able. For those of you who aren't, we'll likely be dumping a sampling of those updates on here semi-regularly. Enjoy!

Cold Sun

As you may have noticed, we're pretty determined when it comes to tracking down those elusive items on our wantlist. This particular one had lingered for an infuriatingly long time, but we lucked out last week when our pals at Denver's Mod Livin' announced the recent arrival of a certain circular metal wall sculpture. Sure enough, it was the exact one we'd been waiting for: Esperanto.

Produced in the 70s by the Marc Creates company, this Brutalist sculpture was the brainchild of artist and founder, Marc Weinstein. Over forty years later, Marc Creates is still in business and is still manufacturing several of its signature pieces; however, this specific model has long since been discontinued. Consequently, we'd been on the hunt for a vintage example for nearly three years.

At 36 inches in diameter, we knew this double-tiered beast would be the complementary piece that would successfully tie the whole room together. Thankfully, it arrived in perfect condition—right down to its original tag—and we couldn't be happier! Thanks again for all of your help, Amanda!

They're Back Again, Here They Come

Cripes, it's March 1st and we're barely catching up with the ten days we spent in Arizona back in January. Oof! We swear we'll get back on track someday. 

We always end up having a great time visiting my old haunts—and this year we even made it to Sierra Vista, which is where Valery spent a year or two while her Dad was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in the late 70s. Weird to think that my future wife lived 1.5 hrs away when we were kids, but it'd take 2,000 miles and 33 years before I'd actually meet her. Awww!

Anyway, here're some pics Valery snapped while we were wandering through the desert visiting our friends and family. Enjoy!

It should be noted that the above building is for sale and Valery would consider a move back home if I could swing the purchase price.

...oh yeah, we also found a tasty slew while we were out of town!

Such as the vintage, Bargello pillow we scored in Bisbee for $8—this would've been around $200 if it was a Jonathan Adler original. We found the other two vintage mod pillows in Athens a week or so before we left on vacation, so we figured we'd toss 'em in, too. Our ruddy companion was picked up in Phoenix right before we flew back.

We also found an original Thing bank while we were visiting Bisbee—the condition of the bank and its box could not be denied. We got the call that I'd landed my first salaried archivist job the day we arrived in Tucson. Outta pure coincidence, we found an original Secticon clock by Angelo Mangiarotti stuffed inside a display case in a local antique store that same day! We'd turn the abacus and the thermometer up in Phoenix a few days later. Also, before we forget, our friends Mary and Jeremy gave us that handsome tray as part of our wedding gift! A belated thank you is definitely in order!

After I bought myself that clock for a job well done, I decided that I needed to buy Valery something special for being so loving and supportive while I (started and) finished up grad school. Luckily, I found this signed woodblock print by Kaoru Kawano, entitled Doves and Girl (ca. 1950), hidden inside a Tucson antique store later that day. It couldn't have appeared at a more perfect time, as it reminds me so much of my beautiful bride.

Valery lucked out and found a few cheap Metlox Poppytrail Aztec pieces while we were in Phoenix. She also found a creamer and a sugar bowl made by Winterling. Is anyone familiar with this line? We'd certainly like to know more. 

Phoenix yielded some nice plastic scores this time out. We found two Crayonne items: a (spare) white ice bucket and a slender yellow container. My older brother also had a rare Gedy piece designed by Makio Hasuike languishing in his office. Yoink! Thank's again, Chapo!

Lastly, we made out pretty well with records, too. We ended up finding minty copies of the Gun Club's Fire of Love (true first press) and the rarest Milkshakes LP, The Men With the Golden Guitars—sadly, my downgrades were claimed almost immediately, so don't bother. We found a stone mint first pressing of the first Die Kreuzen record (still in the shrink) and the live Human Switchboard LP. We also got a sealed original copy of the Pagans' Pink Album (since opened) and the third Dogs LP before we split town, but we (rightly) figured they'd look good in this spread, regardless.