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