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Odd Yard Sale Finds

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nose4junk

“A spittoon? I was sure it was a cuspidor.”

The truth is it can be called either. If you are Portuguese, you can take credit for the classier cuspidor moniker. If you are just good old-fashioned American, you gotta call it a spittoon; and contrary to what most people would think if they stumbled upon one of these, it was definitely not designed to be a planter; although in today’s society, since spittooning (or just plain spitting) has pretty much gone out of style, the planter idea is definitely a great one.

I have been buying and selling assorted “junque” for the better part of 25 years, and this is the very first spittoon I have ever purchased. I could celebrate the occasion with a chaw and spit of tobacco, like they did in the old days, but I think it is best if I not. I would probably miss the opening anyway. Not much practice in that department.

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“Their house is a museum, when people come to see-em…”

If you can complete the next line of that song lyric, you know what I am talking about. Perhaps this odd find was inspired by them, way back when. Don’t know if I would call it a “scre-um,” but it certainly is “mysterious and spooky.”

For those of you not familiar with the song lyric, here it is in all of it’s 1964 black & white oddball glory:

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“Where’s the Bill?!”

Maybe this was McDonald’s answer to the Burger King “Where’s the Beef?!” campaign featuring Clara Peller’s crotchety geriatric. McDonald’s must have needed to show the world that it too could cater to the older set by putting them to work behind the counter.

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Hello AARP!

Wall plaques are a common yard sale find. Most of them are pretty mundane. This one is actually a bit humorous, or maybe I am just getting close to the age where I can relate to such things. I don’t eat steak, so at least I won’t need to worry about that one.

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Carved Coconuts – Folk art, or just plain tacky?

If you’ve spent any time at all perusing the yard sale circuit, you’ve no doubt run across some form of coconut art. Some are quite creative. I have no idea if any of them have any value, but at least they are cute to look at. This guy was made to be a bank.

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“Harold, you need to move the HiFi and empty the ashtrays, oh, and don’t forget to fill the cigarette lamp.”

It must have been a whole different world back in the day when every home was filled with ashtrays, smoking paraphernalia, and cigarette smoke. This would have been the hit of the party, I think.

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Coolest Ashtray Lighter Ever?

If any ashtray could be described as “cool,” in today’s non-smoking culture, this one certainly qualifies. The top half of the grenade lifts up to reveal an ashtray in the bottom half. The pointed shell on the top half conceals a lighter underneath.

 

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Wind Chimes?

This is the first time I have seen wind chimes that are free standing, as in non-hanging. The horse is wooden. Length is 9″. Height is 12″. No identification as to when and where or that sort of thing. Quite an interesting piece, and very well made!

 

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We’re the Stoney Maloneys

The sticker on the bottom identifies them as having been hand painted by Ruane Manning in 1973. I didn’t make up the name, Stoney Maloneys. They must have been named that by the artist. This is one of those yard sale items that most people would walk right by. If you see one, don’t pass it up. Besides being very cute (imho), turns out they are quite collectible too, surprising as that may be to most. Who doesn’t love a mom and dad and their newborn?

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