My Prices Are So Low...It's Criminal!

"Alright, ya dope, tell me where all the deals are before I plugs ya!"

Guns and shoes, shoes and guns. They go together like toast and jam. Honestly, I can't think of a way to ask Mom for a new pair of kicks without glorifying firearms. Maybe it's my country upbringing?

I believe this paper gun, at one time, had a paper trigger which caused a paper George Washington (I am really not kidding right now) to pop out of the barrel and make a snapping sound. Jeezy Creeze, this is far too funny. "Unamerican?! Son, I'll have you know I load my gun with bullets resembling our first President!" What could be more patriotic than that? Wait, wait, don't think about it. Your brain will start screaming that it's finally had enough. The answer is: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Little boys love guns and George Washington. That's all you need to know.

Featuring the Hit Single "Better Watch Out (Where You're Going)"

I could discuss this woman at great lengths, but I wouldn't be able to do her any real justice. I suggest checking out this site for all things Ruth Etting. You'll get more out of it, and I won't have to make things up. Everybody wins!

     What I can talk to you about is where I found today's item. 

A gentleman came in a few days ago with a box of books that he simply did not want (and after looking through them I quickly discovered that I didn't want them either). Most of the books were heavily damaged, so I wrote 'garage sale' on the side of the box and took them to one of my various storage areas to await the days of jacket-free weather and outdoor browsing. Days pass, and I'm walking through that very same storage only to trip and send a few boxes tumbling over. That's when Miss Etting appeared. 

     I don't know which book it slid out of, but it may has well been titled: "This isn't Fate, you're just a Klutz." 

And while I spend the next few days getting acquainted with the Misses, I'll leave you a video so you can do the same. 

It's not me, it's you.

He pays attention to other ladies when they're out. He doesn't kiss her goodbye. He doesn't come home for dinner. He forgot her birthday.

It's easy just to write him off. What a jerk, you might think. Well, friend, all the facts aren't on the table. Did you ever think that the reason he seems distant and thoughtless is because...

...She neglects proper hygiene.

What? Did you honestly think it was the man's fault? It's 1939, children, and that means 'Don Draper' doesn't have to answer for anything yet--just his lady--and if his lady doesn't 'clean up her act,' well, see that raven-haired beauty at the top of the page? That's going to be the new Misses.

But don't thank me, Thank Lysol. Because, in 1939, they were keeping all you girls in check.





Ad is from the November 1939 issue of Silver Screen. Not to worry, no collectible copy was harmed in the clipping of this ad. The cover had fallen completely off, and several pages were missing.

A Lovely Art

 

Today's 'find' is a fine example of the kind of ephemera that makes you want to cast aside all other duties and research it as much as possible.

I found this pamphlet in a very old movie magazine called 'Modern Screen,' and I had never heard of the academy until I came across it just this very morning. The pamphlet isn't dated, but I'm a pretty solid detective, so I can probably figure from whence it was printed.

The date on the magazine is 1943, so I'll use that for a base year. However, it's important to note that this date should only be taken as a suggestion. This pamphlet could have very easily been issued ten years before someone decided to mark a page with it.

Their dress is interesting and very twenties-looking (Sascha's look appears to be that of Rudolph Valentino while Mrs. Sascha's 'bob' gives away her flapper sensibilities), so can I say circa-1920 and be done with it? Not so fast. What I didn't scan in was the duo's International Engagement and Broadway Successes list. They've had gigs in France, Denmark, Spain, etc. and have been featured in shows like 'As You Were' & 'June Bride.' A pretty full roster, if I do say so, and if they offer 'Their Personal Attention' (see: the bit I did scan) then I would assume their popularity would've had to wan somewhat to be able to offer such personal attentiveness.

My best guess? 1930. Circa-1930.

What a great ad. I don't find many pamphlets like this. 'Main Street,' 'Arcadia building,' 'Elevator Service'...all buzz words to peak the interest of local collectors.

Well, maybe not 'elevator service.'

Old Editions: Home of the 30'' Pant Leg

"No, our girls don't wear them. They grow wild here."

At first glance, I thought this advertisement was from the Holiday Inn Hotel chain. But, no, it's probably referring to Poets, and what I can only assume was a pub.
     Hot pants were big, right? I would assume so since Poets decided to take out an Ad with a Hot Pant symbol that dwarfs their own logo (They even included a little 8'' inch measurement bar to further hammer home their slogan), but as they have not come back into Hip fashion--and they were really before my time, anyway--I can only assume that they wore themselves out pretty quickly.

'Wore themselves out?' Get it?

Rough & Tumble (Welcome Back)

"Oh, great. Here come the Mouse-sized Flies. You're going to have to orate a bit louder, Daniel."

Tucked away inside a copy of Lilian Whiting's Life Transfigured I found this cute, little advertisement for a rat poison poison called 'Rough on Rats.' Now there are many different aspects of this card that make it charming (horseflies with walking sticks, a giant rat with glasses, etc. etc.), but what I find most precious is the proportion of fly to mouse to rat to squirrel to...well, you get the point. Maybe they grew bigger bugs back in the late 1800s? If so, perhaps Rough on Rats drove that insect population into extinction? I suppose I should be thankful. One thing the card is missing, however, is a person.
 
     Rough on Rats was basically straight arsenic, and folks were taking the stuff to commit suicide.

Thank you to the Encyclopedia of New Zealand for this comic image (and validation!).

What The Card Sayeth: "Lecture on 'Rough on Rats.' This is what killed your poor father. Shun it! Avoid anything containing it throughout your future useful careers. We older heads object to its especial roughness."

What The Comic Sayeth:
Death Too Expensive.
Customer: Two pennies worth of Rough on Rats.
Chemist: We only sell it in sixpenny packs.
Customer: What, sixpenny! Then I'll change my mind; I'll not commit suicide right now.