Odds 'n' Ends Thursday: Price Fails, Technical Difficulties & Thrifted Music That Will Greatly Disturb You

Price Fail.

This mischievous elf/wizard/pointy-hat-wearing troll was spotted at Goodwill yesterday afternoon.
He was tagged at $4.97.

Five dollars.

A four-inch-high, hideous-faced fantasy creature?

Five dollars?

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind forking over some hard-earned dollars for kitschy thrift-found oddities. But this is some kind of deranged secondhand price gouging.

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In other odds 'n' ends notes of miscellany, I've been experimenting with my novelty faux-vintage stereo the last few days. This modern wonder is a record player/iPod dock/CD player and recorder.

After messing around with track intervals and recording levels, I finally ripped a few albums from vinyl to CD. Then I just popped the discs into my laptop, typed in the track names and loaded them into my iTunes library.

I was hoping to have all the technical kinks worked out so that I can share some of my thrifted albums with you. But damn, does finding a reliable source of streaming audio for Blogger have to be difficult. If any of you technically-versed readers/bloggers out there have a suggestion for a free simple interface that's compatible with Blogger, I'll send positive thrift vibes your way. Hell, I'll make you your very own thrifted mix album.

I mean, look. Look at this album. I know that you can barely contain your excitement, but this compilation gem of incredibly strange songs was worth every penny...all 98 of them. And believe me "Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)" by Paul Evans is testimony to the entire album concept.

The song is from the perspective of the driver, who is peeved because his buddy "Fred" is macking it up with seven... count 'em, seven "little" girls in the backseat. This is problematic for a number of reasons.

1. I don't care how "little" these girls are. How do you fit seven of them, plus one Lothario named Fred in the back seat and have ample room for all the described "hugging and kissing?"
2. Why are there seven girls back there swooning for the same guy at the same time? Hell, he doesn't even have a car.
3. How pervy is it that the driver is forced to witness all of these 8-person shenanigans from his rear view mirror, while being sung to in the chorus to "keep his eyes on the road and hands on the wheel" by seven squealing presumably prepubescent girls?
4. And lastly and perhaps most important for legality sake, how does one define "little?" Are these girls just extraordinarily compact? They must be... to fit seven back there, plus Fred. Otherwise, we listeners might assume "little" to be quantitative, as in numbers, as in age....as in age of consent.

Okay. I'll cave. Here's a video....of the 1948 performance... with puppets.

We're going for maximum creep factor now. Enjoy.

The Thrifted Life: Oh! The Horror!

It has been a considerable amount of time since last considering a serious pursuit into writing fiction. I’ve spent so many hours in earning a byline with magazines, newspapers and online media that I’ve lost touch with the ability for suspended belief that fiction so gratuitously grants.

To honor the conscious decision toward a new career path in fiction, I’ve decided to dedicate a space here on the blog for some of the inspiration behind one of my favorite fictional genres.

For me the love for horror started early. At six years old I was a little too young to read H.P. Lovecraft or Stephen King. But visually, I was ready for a good scare.

The day I saw my first horror movie was monumental. Before my parents loaded the VCR with the rental from West Coast Video they sat me down on the sofa and explained to me that what I was about to see wasn’t real. It was just a story, they said. It’s fiction and that means it isn’t real. And with that being said we sat down for a family viewing of Child’s Play.

As you can see, I've collected a few killer dolls. The medium Chucky was thrifted for $2. The tiny Chucky was won in a crane game. Also note the plush Sadako from the J-horror movie Ringu. She was an incredible ebay find.

Of course I was terrified. But it the was type of fleeting reaction that was soon replaced with excitement and wonder. In the years that followed I came to write a few short stories and a half-attempt at a screenplay in the horror genre, all in trying to capture that same adrenaline I felt sitting in front of the TV screen when I six years old.

Lately I’ve been dreaming up a few nightmares I hope to one day share. But until then, thrifters, here are a few secondhand finds you may find a bit horrifying.

This thrifted Wolfman was $2.50.
His eyes are rather menacing.

I love this photograph of an abandoned family estate first built in 1908. Haunted perhaps?



 

I may love the personal description of the photo even more. Thank you Bill Osbourne from 1949.

 


I haven't quite mastered the art of hypnotism but I have enjoyed reading about UFO sightings, spirit photography and religious cults in the World Almanac Book of the Strange.

Guatemalan worry dolls. You are supposed to sleep with these little dolls under your pillow to ward off worries. I have 25 of them. I only worry that they will one day seek vengeance for carrying around my mental burdens...and maybe...the snoring.



Sometimes even my cute dolls can come off a little creepy given the right atmosphere. In playing with the shutter speed, I found this doll has a haunting quality. 



This familiar clown, however...He will ALWAYS be creepy no matter what the lighting concept.



And while my bedroom is surrounded with Chucky dolls and clowns and odd photography I don't  lose any sleep. Unless of course, there's a deadline. I'm just finishing this post now at 2:35 am on what is now technically Wednesday. Miss a blog post?

My God! The horror!  

The Week in Review: Thrift Deprivation vs. Housebound Productivity

Greetings, thrifters. Another week has gone by and I haven't been to a single thrift store. Well, that's not entirely true. On Monday my sister drove me to Goodwill to donate a few bags of leftover toys and games. So to clarify, I have not been at the thrift shopping this week. Oh, woe is me!

But I have been brainstorming fun new ideas for the blog, some of which I have previously mentioned. I am hoping that these plans come into fruition in the very near future. But a lot of the ideas require a bit of spending money for gas and thrifted goods, or at the very least the ability to drive freely. Being a passenger at the mercy of others' kindness and quite possibly being a regular pain in the ass in the process has been nerve wracking. I see the doctor on Thursday for an exam and new set of xrays to see when I can kick off this wretched boot.

'Til then, here I am on the couch with my laptop and a cup of coffee. And on a brighter note, not all of the ideas rely upon dollars or driving. Take The Trading Post idea, for example. I think we can all have some real fun with this.

But I am asking for a little help in the form of some honest opinions. I'm debating on having The Trading Post segment of Let's Go Thrifting on a particular day. Should I attempt to incorporate this thought into the editorial schedule? Or should posts be sporadic, whenever the mood strikes and the goods must go? I am aiming for editorial consistency, but I don't want to take on so much where the site values quantity over quality of posts. What are your thoughts?

Also, I was thinking of having The Trading Post as a seperate tab or "page" as its known on Blogger. Though I'm not sure if this would help or hurt the process.

Hmm...still some things to consider with this project. But no matter the frequency or position on the blog, I'm hoping everyone who participates will have some fun finding "New (to you)" goods in all of your trades.

While I still have some decisions to make, here are the basics on the trading procedure.
Feel free to shoot off some questions or ideas. Your thrifty insight is very much appreciated!

Wanna trade? Let's have a virtual shake on it!

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Welcome to The Trading Post!



This is a venue where bloggers and blog readers can share pictures and descriptions of wares they wish to be rid of, in exchange for goods they just got to have. Items will vary in size, style and value. But we’re hoping for some variety.

So take a look around, maybe initiate a trade.

How To Participate

Do you have an item you are looking to unload? If you’re a blogger, make your own Trading Post entry on your site, complete with photos and a description of the item. Then add your entry through our InLinkz list.

No blog? No problem! Just send an email with the info on your item to LetsGoThriftingBlog@gmail.com and we’ll post it for you.
What you will trade is entirely your decision, but remember that the parties involved in the trade are responsible for their own items and shipping policies.
Be honest. Have fun. And happy trading!

The Rules

• Please be respectful of other bloggers and their items. If an item interests you pursue the possibility of a trade. If you’re not interested in the offer, politely turn it down.

• Don’t forget to mention the issue of shipping costs when negotiating a trade. Each trader is responsible for their own trades, including shipping. Let’s Go Thrifting will provide the venue for discussion, but the trades are entirely up to you.

• Please respond to trade inquiries promptly and ship out items in a timely fashion.

• Are you hunting down a specific item? Maybe you should include a Thrift Wish List with each Trading Post. Who knows? Maybe someone will have just what you are looking for.

• Be honest. Honesty is the best policy with photos, item descriptions and shipping terms. Don’t offer or agree on a trade if you don’t plan on following-through on the deal.

• Have an open mind and have fun. Don’t think someone will want to trade their Pyrex bowl for your Pog collection? You’ll never know until you ask.

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It's a 1980's Toy Blowout Sale!

Come one, come all to see the new inventory at The Let's Go Thrifting Etsy Shop!

Looking for Rainbow Brite? Strawberry Shortcake? A few Cabbage Patch Kids? We got 'em! And much more will be listed in the near future.

5 new items were added today...each of them, 8 bucks or less!