Hawaii Five-O Scavenger Hunt Part 3

Yes, 'tis but another episode of The Hawaii Five-O Scavenger Hunt. As I impatiently await the release of season 7 on DVD (October 20th 2009) I have no problem rolling through 1-6 again (there are quite a few episodes worth more than a single viewing). My camera is bulging with photographs of items I have yet to locate (though, rest assured, while you are asleep: I am constantly searching). I have made a personal commitment to make Etsy.com the primary source of these featured items - it is a smashing good site with lots of fantastic sellers hosting a superb sampling of items from which to choose. To its solid credit, Etsy has a unique feel and flavor similar to that previously possessed by certain e commerce sites - say, oh, about ten years ago. Un-said site(s) will remain unnamed here, as I think we both know who "they" are, and deep down "they" probably know who "they" are anyway -- and perhaps are also none too happy about it. Maybe.

I think the phrase "avocado green ice bucket" really says it all. Come to think of it, when you use "avocado green" to describe anything aside from an actual avocado, you can generally assume that you are dealing with vintage - or retro at the very least. How the varying interior and exterior shades of a tropical fruit (yeah, it's a fruit - I looked it up) came to be the defining colors of a decade is totally beyond me, but I really like avocados so I guess you could say that I have come to terms with the whole ordeal.

This screen shot (above, on the right) is from "The One with the Gun" (original air date 1/28/70). The item of interest is located on top of the fridge on the left side of the photograph. Of course I could have gotten a better close up, but the picture would not be nearly as cool with Steve McGarrett cropped out!

I was actually surprised at how many matches/similar items I found:

And because no worthwhile cocktail serving set exclusively consists of a solitary ice bucket:

Stay tuned, there's more to come.

www.Thriftstore-Cowboy.com

Quad Gods of Prog Rock (and some vintage concert shirts)

Any discussion regarding Progressive Rock (especially as an art form) is bound for disaster, particularly if you happen to be a musician, speaking of the subject with another musician. In such instances, it is better to have the conversation in a private setting, away from family and friends. It is also strongly recommended that both participants remain unarmed (as well as a considerable distance from any object that could conceivably be used as a weapon) and in general each participant should be respectively positioned at a distance of no less than five feet. In addition, such a topic can get pretentious, snooty, abstract and at times downright insulting. So why would I pick such a topic? Because everyone loves controversy. Well, that and the fact that there is some prog rock that I can handle and some that I just -- you get the idea.

Perhaps the obvious first choice is Rush -- the Canadian trio that names songs after fictional literary characters. Rush didn't really start out as a progressive rock band, things just kind of fell together that way. The late seventies were strange times and perhaps prog rock was simply an extension of hard rock's violent recoil from the rising popularity of disco.

This shirt is an original from 1985's "Power Windows" tour. Granted, much of the 80's for Rush was defined by synthesizers as opposed to their guitar driven hard rock beginnings, but you can't really get mad at a band for evolving. People were genuinely upset by Bob Dylan's shift to electrified rock, moving away from the folky acoustic Woody Guthrie style social protest songs that had come to define his work. But in hindsight, such a move was absolutely wise because it not only showcases Dylan's versatility but has also made him more accessible to subsequent generations. Just about everyone knows who Bob Dylan is or at the very least has heard of him -- unless you happen to be a cop in New Jersey on a rainy day. To stay alive sharks constantly swim forward. Obviously, there are varying points of view on this -- and even though some folks truly want the same thing over and over again in terms of their entertainment consumption, you really should give a new album three listens (without distraction) and preferably with headphones before deleting it from your iPod playlist(s). If your initial opinion doesn't change by the third time around, put it away for a while and then give it another shot. Maybe it is my personal form of brainwashing, but I have come to love many albums using the "three listen" method -- which can also be applied to films, though in such cases headphones are optional.

This Jethro Tull concert shirt is actually from the band's folk rock era ("Bursting Out" tour 1978), but for the sake of continuity I shall remain on the prog rock topic. From 1972 - 1976 the band entered what many consider its progressive rock phase. I say "phase" because I don't totally agree with the notion that Jethro Tull is essentially a prog rock band. Like Rush, their beginnings are rooted in hard rock - a contained four year period of experimentation can hardly define the band's entire 40+ year career. This may, however, further prove my theory that progressive rock was indeed a violent recoil from disco.

Completely disregarding the early 1980's (COMPLETELY), Yes is one of my favorite prog rock bands. Yes started and will end as indispensable prog rock pioneers (again, completely disregarding the early 1980's).

Ironically, this raglan concert jersey is from the early 1980's, but it is currently the best Yes item in our store, so here it shall be presented. Totally embarrassed by the outright contradictions throughout my own carefully crafted blog post, I will move on to my favorite item.

This shirt is one of my absolute favorites, among the thousands of items we have had/sold in the past. It is original, from the "Works" tour in 1977 and utterly cool (pardon my regression to teenage parlance). The collective album cover art of "Brain Salad Surgery" (art work originally done by H. R. Gieger, who also did art design for the first Alien film), "Tarkus", and "Emmerson, Lake & Palmer" make this shirt both indespensible and more for the framing and hanging (and less for the wearing).

Emmerson, Lake & Palmer is probably the premier progressive rock band. Hands down, with no exception. Rush & Yes (completely disregarding the 1980's) fans may be upset and riled to the point of violence - and though I cannot honestly say who would win a bar room brawl amongst the three bands -- my comment still stands.

Two radio friendly singles "Lucky Man" & "From the Beginning" had 1970's record album consumers wondering why the music contained on the rest of ELP's albums sounded nothing like the singles. I guess it is kind of a mean surprise -- you think you are buying some sweet Alvin Lee's Ten Years After and actually get "Tubular Bells." But such is progressive rock.

On a side note, "From the Beginning" has a similar intro to "Roundabout" by Yes so that during call-in radio contests asking listeners to identify a song based on a short riff, the two are constantly confused.

www.Thriftstore-Cowboy.com

Hawaii Five-O Scavenger Hunt Part 2

Let's call this "variation on a theme." I am aware that this blog is touted as one involving itself with vintage clothing. But lets not be pompous and exclusive here. Housewares and furniture can be equally enticing and therefore deserve inclusion, even though such items really cannot be adorned practically for a night on the town. As a compulsive collector of small coffee cups, I rarely turn down any espresso cup worthy of a place in my cramped cabinet(s). I generally hold to the same standard across a spectrum of vintage goods that I chance across (I thought I had a problem until I met my wife!) so this standard is easily applied to the other items that populate our house with no real practical purpose at all. I, however, never claimed to be the least bit practical and therefore have an easy time justifying our pack rat status.

This week has been a blast searching for items to feature here. I have an entire host of pictures from season one that need matching items, but those will come in due time. I must admit that this has been more of a challenge than anticipated. The age of the items makes them more difficult to locate in these modern times and you can bet that if I owned any of them, they wouldn't be for sale. Some clothing related posts are on the way - I just can't stand to pass up the housewares.

Once upon a time, before Dunkin' Donuts was a coffee shop, before Starbucks and McCafe, the Bunn-o-matic was truly king - and paper coffee cup sleeves were an art form. Okay, maybe not an art form, but definitely craft-worthy. To the right is a screen shot from "A Thousand Pardons - You're Dead!" (Hawaii Five-O, season two, original air date 9/24/69) in which we have the "basket woven coffee cup holder" complete with handle. I am sure that isn't the official name, but if anyone wants to provide me with one, I will gladly edit this post at a later date. I couldn't find any basket woven cup holders, but I am not surprised. Such a delicate item would be hard pressed to survive 40 years of usage, up to and including the recent popularity of the de-cluttering movement; various garage sales in the name of down sizing; and grandchildren sneaking off with them to be used in conjunction with an inadequate tea set. But I am not one without resources:

This is my personal favorite, from the same episode. I once had a patio set with a similar floral print on vinyl cushions. The previous owner had kept it immaculate condition (probably indoors) - there wasn't a spot of rust on it and the paint was crisp and white. The original umbrella and table cloth matched the seat cushions and it looked fabulous in my kitchen. We lost it in a move, but trust me, if I had a picture of it, it would be posted here as well. The item below, while not an exact match, is still a worthy find. The floral print is similar enough to meet my personal standards for this scavenger hunt and if I lived in the same state, I would probably be knocking on their door.

Stay tuned - there's more to come!

Hawaii Five-O Scavenger Hunt Part 1

From here forward, let it be no secret that I happen to be a HUGE Hawaii Five-O fan. I could spend all day lavishing the show with praise, expounding upon its merits; Jack Lord's perfect and immovable "superman-esqe" hair style; the eye candy of classic American automobiles actually made of metal; the fact that "Book 'em, Danno!" isn't used in as many episodes as you might think -- the list goes on for many mighty miles. But instead, allow me to be practical. Whilst sitting on the couch one day, I had what I would consider to be "one of my better ideas." This, of course, is arguable, so I will stick with the modifier "better" rather than something over the top like "best" or "greatest ever."

Continuing on with the story, this shall be the first installment of the Hawaii Five-O Scavenger Hunt. In these posts we shall feature items from the show, coupled with links to where you can actually get one, right now. To offer a brief history, Hawaii Five-O ran a healthy 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980. In terms of longevity, it was only recently beat out by Law & Order. That is a lot of material to work with, so this series should prove to be very interesting.

Okay, so this isn't going to change the world or anything of that magnitude, but I'm hoping it will at least brighten your day, as it does mine. I love vintage (which coincidentally is also no secret) and I am totally up for the challenge. So on with the show, so to speak . . .


Check out the picture. No, Jack Lord isn't for sale, but the cool phone on the wall is. This is a screen shot from the season one episode "Strangers In Our Own Land" (original air date October 3, 1968). You really can't go wrong with a 1940's art deco jukebox monophone. Sure you can't surf the net on it and it is not cordless, but it would look ten times better in your home or office. I would get one of them, but I just bought a cool phone. But you can snag one here or here. It also comes in pink.

Stay tuned, there's more to come.

Shirt Du Jour: Totally Naked 1980's.

Well sort of naked. This is classic in a way that shouldn't be, yet remains very much so. You can't really go wrong with a heathered light blue shirt - and a ringer at that. As a kid I had a shirt just like this (well, sans naked people) only instead of the Adam & Eve imagery, there was an old school print of mickey mouse. My cool Mickey Mouse shirt is long gone, but I am comforted to know that even if I still had the thing, it definitely would not fit. And even if this shirt only makes you smile, I will leave you with the absolute funniest shirt we have ever had:


www.Thriftstore-Cowboy.com

Shirt Du Jour: Crispy 80's Michael Jackson.

Funny story. Okay, maybe not so funny as ironic. Twisted and gut-wrenching also comes to mind, but I wouldn't be inclined to describe it as such. So let's stick funny - not ha ha - but STRANGE.

We had this shirt (yes, it sold already so quit emailing, you ambulance chasers!) for five years. It languished in our store begging to be bought and was browsed by over 3,000 people during its substantial shelf life. I kinda liked the thing, so I wasn't in a big hurry to sell it and in light of the traffic it was garnering, I didn't really entertain the offers that periodically appeared in my in-box. I generally maintained a congenial "thanks but no thanks" disposition, because again, I was in no hurry to sell it.

Let me pause here to add a brief editorial. Yes, this whole blog is basically an editorial so perhaps that is a bad choice of words. But in any event, get off my case and allow me to continue. I never imagined Michael Jackson would join the ranks of River Phoenix, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis & a host of others whose deaths have become pop phenomenons with the same sort of mysterious connotations and general mystique that surrounds say, the JFK Assassination. Not the conspiracy aspect of it, mind you, but the total strangeness of the whole thing. Put plainly, Michael Jackson wasn't on my list of famous people that might die soon. If asked on June 24th (or prior to noon on June 25th) I would have said he would be like James Brown or BB King (I know the King is not dead) - music legends that never really retired. But such is fate. Now, on with the story.

This shirt sold approximately 10 minutes after Michael Jackson's death was confirmed by various news sources. It seems funny (strange) that Jackson's passing provided added value to this product but in the general course of things, it is completely understandable. I'm sure Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcet (who coincidentally passed on the same day as Michael Jackson - which might add to currently formulating conspiracy theories - stay tuned) merchandise has also seen a similar surge in demand. Makes you wish you saved at least one of those Publisher Clearing House envelopes, doesn't it?

I'm kind of sad because I am going to miss the shirt (and Michael Jackson) but I take comfort in the fact that the shirt has gone to a good home - the buyer's email address made it quite clear that they are a bigger Michael Jackson fan than I could ever be.





www.Thriftstore-Cowboy.com

Shirt of the Day - Cap'n Crunch Country Music 1984

Well here it is, the shirt du jour:

This shirt is a cross between a Cap'n Crunch Cereal Box and the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - all with a spicy taste of some fantastic country acts in the prime of 1984. This post would go on forever If I began to name names - but I would rather you picture the Woodstock of Country Music: a hard rainin', mudslingin', truck ridin', beer drinkin' good time -- back when Kenny Rogers had more pepper than salt and wasn't pushing chicken like the Colonel.

www.Thriftstore-Cowboy.com

Shirt of The Day - Led Zeppelin I Tie Dye 1990

Some years ago, I frequented a shop in Coconut Grove, Florida aptly named "Yucky's." The establishment's business card featured an array of swirling colors in the background, behind one of John Tenniel's original "Alice in Wonderland" illustrations with color added for effect. In addition to an assortment of other interesting merchandise that might complicate the legal ramifications of this post, a single t-shirt rack stood in the corner of the shop, nearest to the door.

The shirt selection rotated on a semi-frequent basis (okay, more infrequently than frequent) and one day, the offering of the chrome rack happened to include this shirt. Well, not THIS shirt in particular, but one like it. Identical, let's say. It should be mentioned here, or perhaps should have been previously, for the overall effect and emotional impact of this story, I (like many people) am a HUGE Led Zeppelin fan. And lets face it, this shirt has it all. Yeah, these days there is a flood of modern designs for classic rock bands printed on all sorts of aparrell. But this story takes place in days during which it was impossible to find a shirt for The Who in a black and white Rockabilia catalog. Consider a snap shot (in your head) of a near forgotten time - a time when certain dial-up online service providers were selling "repeat dial" programs instead of addressing connection issues - when half the items on eBay sold themselves with a picture less paragraph or two - when you had to go to the mall to buy a shirt (or wait for the next catalog to come your way AND get it before the dude down the street took yours). Or even, in some cases, your favorite tobacco shop.

While I should have bought this shirt when I first saw it, I must admit that I did not. I had limited funds for the bus, Metro Rail, dinner and whatever else might have come my way that weekend. Budgeting and planning were not my strong suits at the time. And besides, this was the t-shirt rack of "infrequent rotation" that we are talking about here!!!!

And so I waited.

And I waited some more. I actually made a point of checking in on my shirt on a regular basis, whenever I happened to be in the vicinity, which was about once a week. Predictably, each time I went, the shirt remained, untouched, on its hanger, and just like me - waiting.

I allowed this foolishness to continue as such for several months - until one particular week. I had enough funds for public transportation, a meal in town and no particular plans for the rest of the week. In short, I was ready and able to buy the shirt. So I made my way through the city, as I had done many times on a Sunday, and after a long walk, I arrived at my destination, cash in hand, ready to consume - to purchase to take home and wear this killer Led Zeppelin shirt.

Though the rack was in the very same place it had always been - the shirt was gone. Yes, gone. The day upon which everything had aligned in my favor, one factor, the most important, the presence of the item, had gone askew. I remained calm. I may have even done some breathing exercises. Counted to ten, that sort of thing. I went through the rack, several times. Everything was there, except the Zeppelin shirt. So I did what any free thinking American would do: I asked the sales person. Describing the shirt perfectly, I asked where it might be. Had some mistake been made? Perhaps it had been misplaced by some dilatory stock boy, in a hurry to eat his lunch. But it was none of these things.

The shirt had in fact been purchased by "some dude" only an hour before. I don't know if it was exactly an hour, it could have been more or less. I had only the clerk's words to that effect. Needless to say, my weekend was ruined. A personal tragedy. A swift kick in the pants. In short, horrific.

But the story does not end thus.

Cut to a thrift shop, years later. The day is mundane, the exact time, unknown. Perhaps it was even raining outside. Perhaps not. In the land of second hand t-shirts (my favorite place to be) my fingers instinctively move each hanger down the rack, allowing enough space for the next item to be seen. And suddenly, like a lost love, a friend separated by so much time and distance: my Led Zeppelin I tie dye shirt. Reunited, it didn't leave my hand until it was paid for.

Rest assured, the shirt pictured here is not MY Led Zeppelin I tie dye, which as of 5 minutes ago is still sitting in the second drawer of an art deco high boy dresser. This is another such shirt, stumbled across in a similar manner, offered up for some dude like me, so that they can squelch a nagging regret, or just get on their way to owning a kick ass shirt.

www.Thrifstore-Cowboy.com