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

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.