Transformers Lunchbox

Transformers Lunchbox

circa 1984

purchased for $4

Before the crap-tacular Michael Bay popcorn action movie, there were the 80s toys and cartoon. Seriously, how much better were the toys than those stupid CG movies? More Than Meets The Eye!

Super Mario Bros. 2 Mug

Super Mario Bros. 2 Mug

circa 1993

purchased for $10

This is a massive mug. Stellar graphics and crisp colors. Gotta love that Italian Plumber!

Smurfs Radio

Smurfs Radio

circa 1982

purchased for $4

Man, Smurfette was a babe.

Back To The Future II Tumbler

Back To The Future II Tumbler

circa 1989

purchased for $3

One of the greatest sequels of all time gets it's very own tumbler! What is a tumbler, you ask? Well it's a cheap plastic cup with some sort of gelatinous goo sealed in the sides, with sparkles and weird little items mixed in there too. Ok, so I get the clocks, but what does that dude wearing headphones have to do with BTTFII? Not sure, but I'll take it anyways.

Vintage Thermos

Vintage Thermos

circa 1960s

purchased for $3

I know they aren't worth a lot, but I have a fascination with these vintage glass insert thermoses. Cool design, great condition.

Planet Of The Apes Cup

Planet Of The Apes Cup

circa 1967

purchased for $4

"Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" Classic film, classic cup! I found this gem at an antique mall in Nebraska.

Owl Lamp

Owl Lamp

circa 1970s

purchased for $3

I know a lot of people who collect owls. And whooo wouldn't want a nice owl lamp!? Although it's kind of evil to have a nocturnal animal perpetually sitting next to a light bulb. Sad sad owl.

Waylande Gregory Handmade Ceramic Bowl

Waylande Gregory Handmade Ceramic Bowl

circa 1940's

purchased for $.25

My fiance and I were at a Goodwill Store in Sarasota, FL, where we discovered this amazing ceramic bowl, with infused broken glass. The Goodwill was one of the strangest thrift shops I've ever been in. Everything was thrown together in bins. Nothing was sorted. A bowling ball could be found next to a picture frame,
next to a flower pot, next to a shoe...and so on. I started looking through one of the bins, where I found this bowl, and another one similar to it. Just then, a woman came up to me and said, "sorry sir, this section isn't open yet." I looked around and saw a huge line of people scowling at me, waiting for the section to be "opened". So I stepped back a foot, then within 10 seconds, the woman yelled out, "Ok, this section is open!" So I walked back to the bin I was at and grabbed the bowls. I got them both for $.25.

I got them because I thought they looked pretty damn cool. I had no idea who Waylande Gregory was. But when I got home and looked him up, I was amazed to see that he was one of the pioneers of the Art Deco movement. He is famous for a huge sculpture in Edison, NJ entitled, "Light Dispelling Darkness," which depicts a heroic theme of combatting evil through knowledge.

Wonder Woman - Party Invitations

Wonder Woman Party Invitations

DC Comics (circa 1977)

purchased for $.25

SOLD for $34.00

I have no idea why I was looking through a basket of party invitations at one of my local thrift shops, but I was. Well it was prettttty worth it. I found this sealed pack of Wonder Woman invitations from 1977, and a pack of Masters Of The Universe as well! So I'm keeping the MOTU pack and I quickly sold the Wonder Woman set on eBay...for $34.00! Pretty silly if you ask me, but hey, I'll take it! It will fund my next batch of crap.

Super Mario Bros. Game Watch

Super Mario Bros. Game Watch

Nintendo (circa 1989)

purchased for FREE!

UPDATE: Sold for $41

Don't you just love that super 70's afghan background? yeah, me too. I also love love LOVE Super Mario Bros. and everything with that lovable plumber's face on it. I have an extensive Nintendo game collection, and this is a great addition. I found this in a box of stuff that somebody was throwing out! Can you believe it! Now just imagine the kinds of things that have slipped through the garbage pickers' hands, right into the landfill. Oh, it's enough to make you want to cry.

Pac-Man Glass

Pac-Man Glass (circa 1980)

purchased for $3

Ooooh PAC-MAN! I spent hours of my youth (and not-so-youth) playing this magical maze game. This cup has great artwork and great colors. I have a love for these glasses with 80's characters...just don't make the same mistake I have made by using them! I have lost many a Star Wars and Indiana Jones glass via clumsy roommates.

Speak & Read

Speak & Read

Texas Instruments (circa 1980)

purchased for FREE (curbside)!

SOLD for $25.00

This is from the same family as "Speak & Spell" and "Speak & Math". Do you remember the crazy robot voice of these things? Sometimes he sounds so mad that you got a wrong answer! When I was a kid I always typed in curse words to see if he would say them. Did you know that the "Speak & Read" does not know the word "balls"? WORD ZAP!

Ghostbusters - Ecto Plazm

The REAL Ghostbusters

Ecto Plazm (circa 1986)

purchased for FREE

Just the smell of this goo takes me back to my childhood. I could play with this "non-toxic water soluble gel" for HOURS, squishing it between my fingers, sliming GI Joe, throwing it at my sisters, throwing it at the wall...

Somebody in Bayville, NJ was throwing out a bunch of cool 80's toys, and I grabbed as much as I could (in the dark). When I got home I realized I left a few things there that I wanted. So I drove back the next morning, and it was all gone. There's vultures out there I tell ya! Grab whatever you can grab.

E.T. - Wind-up Toy

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Wind-Up Toy in original package (circa 1982)
purchased for $4

E.T. was the first movie I cried while watching. I found this gem at a town wide garage sale in beachwood, nj. The lady actually had 2 of them. My friend Phil BOTH of them. Jerk. So then I bugged him until he sold one of them to me. "Wind him up and watch him TODDLE and BOBBLE along."

Masters Of The Universe - Party Invitations

Masters Of The Universe

Party Invitations (circa 1983)

purchased for $0.25

I was looking through a huge bin of party invitations and christmas cards. this was the very last package in the box. oh he-man how i love thee. i used to have masters of the universe bed sheets. just wait until i have a he-man party!