Who is this guy?

Confession time.  Last month I thought I had more content to post when in reality I didn't.  Yes, one could say I sorta got caught with my pants down, but that's pretty much the status quo around here nowadays.

To my surprise I've been doing this extra stupid (and I use "stupid" as a point of pride) for almost 7 years.  It's hard to believe I've managed to maintain this consistently mediocre corner of cyberspace for so long. I intentionally try to never talk about myself very much because this is primarily a "show & tell" type blog, but since I'm running out of the "show" in this post I'm going to get just a little more personal with the "show" this time.  If that makes any sense.

Most every literate person knows Reading is Fundamental.  Books still have a certain prestige in our society - whether they be digital or even "books on tape." People have found profound personal enlightenment in reading religious texts, self-help books, famous works of literature or whatever is popular on Oprah's Book Club list.

I found THAT book that spoke personally to ME when I was in college, and stumbled upon the 1988 book High Weirdness by Mail, by Ivan Stang...

It's the introduction spoke to me directly like nothing else ever has...

If you couldn't read the picture above, please let me make it easier for you by turning it into text...

Do you have “different” tastes?  Intrigued by the bizarre, the kooky,
the kinky — as long as it keeps its distance?  Enjoy getting unsolicited,
unspeakably weird things in the mail — for free?  Love to snicker in
superiority (perhaps largely imagined) at the incredible gullibility of
others?  Enjoy reading the headlines on sleazy tabloids, and ads for
local psychic fortune-tellers?  Appreciate unexpected glimpses of the
strange “realities” behind religions other than your own?  Entranced
by the thought process of the mentally ill?  Bored to tears by any music, video, and literature that isn’t almost shockingly original?

Painfully aware that all the great geniuses and inventors of the past appeared totally insane to everyone around them?

Then...

HAVE WE GOT A HOBBY FOR YOU!!

Specifically it is the "Intrigued by the bizarre, the kooky, the kinky — as long as it keeps its distance?" part in particular which pretty much sums me up.   I think I just might have it placed on my gravestone.

I took this book to heart, and in the early 90's (a time just before the interenet exploded) I was able to mail away for the bizarre and kooky.  I never sent away for any of the truly "scary" things listed in the book.  I wasn't very interested in anything some sort of saucer cult might send, and I certainly didn't want to take the chance of any saucer cults devotees ending up on my doorstep.  Heck I've got enough aggravation from those pesky Jehovah's Witnesses's.

I sent away for much of the nicer stuff.  Like the monster and science fiction models offered by Mike Evans Model Kits, although unfortunately I never got beyond looking at the catalog/newsletter.  You can see I even corrected the address on the book's entry...

Or the wondrous products from Archie McPhee...

Unlike those models, I actually ordered a number of things from Archie McPhee in the 90's.

So that brings us back to last month, when I thought for certain I had a few of these old monster/science fiction model and Archie McPhee catalogs squirreled away somewhere.  When it came time to use them in a post they were nowhere to be found.  After racking my brain I now have a dim memory of cleaning house about 10 years ago and tossing a lot of stuff like that out. I thought with the internet who need to keep the old catalogs.

Well fortunately it appears  like Archie McPhee has archived some of their old catalogs online...

I once had that catalog!

...but I wasn't able to access it.  Maybe you will have a better luck if you wish to check out  the Archie McPhee blog for yourself.

Lastly here's a great link for those who wish to re-live High Weirdness By Mail in modern internet form it's the officially sanctioned High Weirdness By Web.

Happy 4th from 1976

Here's the Sears summer catalog from our country's bicentennial year. How much patriotic red, white and blue type of stuff is in there? Not as much as you might think...

There's some red, white and blue polyester & cotton pants outfits.

The red, white and blue Chuck Taylor knockoff in the center of the page catches your eye, but it's those shoes on the bottom of the page that you need for the summer of '76...

It's 1776 Casual for Men and Big Boys.

If you quickly flipped by this page of "novelty print knit tops" you would have missed the biggest patriotic item in this catalog...

It's a George Washington tee shirt.

It's very possible this red, white and blue playground equipment was always manufactured in this color and has nothing to do with the bicentennial, but I'm gonna take what I can get. Also I'm wondering if those merry-go-rounds are still being sold. I never had one, but it seems like a product that could cause a great deal of injury.

Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog 1989

The cover of the fancy Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog from 1989 features a commissioned sculpture "Peaceable Kingdom" by wildlife artist David Everett. Back in 1989 you could have purchased a snow globe with a miniature version of this animal tower inside for only $30.

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog is known for including some sort of crazy super expensive fantasy gift. It looks like this might be the fantasy gift for 1989 - a Russian lynx fur coat for $150,000.00. Hey fellas, no need to feel left out of the fur coat club, because you can get a mink coat of your own for the comparative bargain of only $7500.00. Even if I was an insanely wealthy billionaire I'd never purchase luxury items like this. Although for a laugh, I might buy the coats for a local PETA couple, secretly record their horrified reaction when they open the gift, and then post it on YouTube.

Here's the wackiest gift, a clear Lexan plastic "dinghy" called the See Boat. I wonder how watertight that thing is? I don't think I'd like to row out into the middle of a lake in it.

Hudson's Christmas Catalog 1976

Here's something very nostalgic for the Michiganians out there, it's everyone's favorite defunct department store, Hudson's, and their unique "Christmas Store" catalog for 1976...

That cover doesn't quite say "Christmas" to me, but I guess the art director was going for something different.

This is the first page of the catalog, and as you can see this ain't your Sears & Roebuck Wish Book. Hudson's was a slightly more upscale store that carried designer brands, and this sexy, yet tasteful, picture sets the tone. One day I too wish to lounge around on Christmas morning by a roaring fire in my robe looking as sophisticated and distant as these beautiful people do.

For a catalog from 1976 theses two pages with apparel in "Bicentennial red, white and blue" are the only things remotely patriotic. One day I too wish to wear color coordinated tennis and ski clothes like these sophisticated beautiful people do.

The obligatory leisure suit page. If you dig this sort of thing be sure to check out Plaid Stallions to get your fill of 1970's fashion mockery.

This is probably the most interesting page in the catalog. Stare in astonishment at all the clunky outdated electronics stuff with shockingly high prices even by today's standards. We should all feel blessed living in our modern futuristic world filled with superior high tech digital merchandise at such low, low prices.

Dinky Die Cast Toys Catalog #12

Here's something I picked up from somewhere - it's the American version (but printed in England) of the Dinky catalog for 1976. I never owned a Dinky toy, but I did admire some of their very well-made die cast toys.

Above are the first two pages of the Dinky catalog. I think it's interesting they're featuring the science fiction toys so prominently in 1976. This was a full year before Star Wars made its debut.

The next two pages are sci-fi vehicles from TV shows I had never heard of. I assume British kids where much more familiar with Gerry Anderson's work.

Heck, I only recently heard about Gerry's live-action series UFO...



It looks like cheesy retro fun.