I've been told not to dump on other etsy sellers. After all, its bad form, and karma, and dogma, and whatever. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone mocking the stupid crap I sell. However, there's something so offensive to me about an item like the following that I can't even really use words to describe it. Okay, I'll use words, and English ones, at that. (This item, btw, was found on the first page of the "for him" page of etsy. You know, the page of items that aren't actually masculine but are reminiscent of something that the unpaid intern at etsy remembers boys liking from, like, her, um, youth.)
Let's open with the item as its portrayed on the "for men" page:
This "thing" is called a "sars guard". You know, to guard you from sars! If they were being honest they'd call it a "getting respect from other humans guard!!!"
Take the Quiz, show how much into modern furniture you are. Make sure to post your results in the comments, and for HEAVEN'S SAKE be honest, there's no shame if you're just a beginner or if you've been tricked by fancy Chinese craftsmanship.
thanks for my awesome new (old) ashtray! here's a pic in it's new home.
Well thank you, Phillip! The ashtray looks awesome, and your place also happens to be swanky as well. I'm sitting here drooling looking at your Eames Lounge. Maybe if we sell a lot more ashtrays we can save up our pennies and buy ourselves one too!
Yeah I know I'm totally stealing Morgan's idea, but hey, I'm used to riding his coat tales. I'm insanely excited to go the vintage bazaar this Saturday. So excited, in fact, that I'm missing two other appointments on Saturday so that I can share a booth with Morgan. Well, not exactly, share, more like tag along. He's the connoisseur of vintage wares, I just dabble. Either way, I know for certain that the booth is going to be awesome. Its kinda interesting because when I put all this stuff out here on the table I can definitely see a pattern, a sort of style, if you will.
Gotta love the "Mary Queen of Heaven Bingo" coffee mug.
My grandfather, nearly 80 years old, has worked in the antique business for probably 50 years. his odd collections and obsessions have always been an inspiration to me, and I thought it would be cool to call him up and get some tips from him.
1. Buy what you like and what you enjoy
2. You can actually Make money Antiquing/Junking
3. Take Risks
4. How to educate yourself about antiquing
5. His biggest Regret: Selling the hippy totem pole
6. Take your time, don't start too fast.
I'm gonna try to do this every week, as I had a blast talking to my grandpa about something we both enjoy.
So I've had this space in my basement that was begging for organization. Just ask Morgan, I'm not organized. Well the father in law is on his way here from Canada, so I had to get the tools in order. It was also an excuse for me to find a home for this 70s woods scene that I love and Sarah hates.
It looks a billion times better and more inviting.
Now maybe I could get to that "honeydo" list Sarah has for me.
What are tv lamps? In the 1950s and 1960s, people thought that watching the light from a television in a dark room could damage your eyes. In order to compensate for the light from the glowing television, families purchased special lamps just made for that purpose. You can't get any more specialized than a lamp designed specifically to sit on top of a television. When consumers want something in America, the manufacturers and also the designers will respond. And they responded with the usual. Thousands and thousands of different styles, colors, and designs were available for the consumer. Americans who gathered around the television in the 1950s and early 1960s have fond memories of these lamps sitting atop their televisions, bringing ambient light into the room, and reducing eye strain.
I've always had an affection for swanky vintage tv lamps. They're definitely passe today, what with our super thin lcd and plasma tvs. But I think they're so cool, people should consider building shelves. Should I do that? I don't' know.
You would not expect the Depot American Diner to be as awesome as it is. Located on Roosevelt Ave on the West Side of Chicago, its home, next to a rim shop, and surrounded by blight, does not seem to be the type of place where you would find a hip, traditional (and vintage mind you) diner experience. But you will.
This diner was opened with the idea that everything if possible, should be made from scratch, all techniques and recipes should be mid-century, and the food should be as good as possible. The owner is a really great guy. He's a classically trained chef who wanted to start something a little different. Its great to see him cook the food right there in front of you as you sit at the counter. If you don't want to sit at the counter and gawk at his fine culinary skills, they have booths, or if you're with an unruly and larger group, they have a larger table in the back. Whenever I go there with my family, we head straght for the back of the restaurant as, it provides the most crowd control for an unruly crowd of children.
Their food is plain awesome. All of it is made fresh, and I mean all of it. The helpings are huge, and the specials are actually made from what the "regulars" like. They serve coke in bottles (with real sugar) as well as a few other strange concoctions that were around in the 50's. If you're on the west side of Chicago I would highly reccomend that you check this place out.
Yes, I'm setting a decorating goal for the new year. As emasculating as it might seem to our American sensibilities, I do think this goal is, at its core, at the heart of what it means to be a man; a family man that is. I want to decorate our house with pictures of our family. Large, gleaming, glossy, silly, fun pictures. This revelation came to me while I was thinking about what pictures to put up above our mantel. I suddenly I realized that as a happy and fairly young family, we don't really have that many pictures of our actual family up and around the house. I then saw this post at makingitlovely.com where she hangs this huge and neat looking photo of her daughter in her office. I guess we do have a shelf upstairs that holds memories, but even that is well below eye level and hidden in a strange cornerish part of the upstairs. I want them to be plentiful, larger, and throughout the house. Here are some of my favorite pics from our flickr account.
I want to buy all of these for above my mantle. Yes, yes, and yes.
I've got some etsy loot going on right now, so I'm really tempted, especially with the last one. Its only $10 and the detail and painting on it look great. I love the frame, too. Oh man oh man!
This video is a cross between a Mr. Rogers factory video, and chair porn. I love it. Thank you Eames, thank you Herman Miller. Oh and did I mention that my coworker's fiance works at the Knoll factory in Grand Rapids. I can totally get a tour of the factory. Sweetness.
So I dropped by the local crap merchant, and happened upon what I consider to be a super sweet 1988ish polaroid camera.
Took it home, tested it with an old battery pack, and everything seems to be in working order. As I was browsing etsy, I was looking for a similar product and couldn't find it. I then looked on ebay and no luck. The internet wasn't any help either. All of the "cool cams" that I could find were of the red and black or pink and grey variety. Those are priced pretty darn high. This guy makes sales on them at the 80 dollar range. I mean, he is selling them with a pack of film, but those are 20 bones on ebay.
So I have NO CLUE how to price this thing. Normally, I would just slap down a price between 15-25 dollars and be happy with the small profit. However, this thing not only looks sweet, but also seems to be slightly rare.
That's where you come in. What do you think? Any help would be appreciated.
Mission accomplished. I made this promise to my daughter nearly 3 years ago. "When we have our own house, I'll make you a skating rink." The wives were slightly annoyed. "Why do you guys need beer?" "This is a one day project, right?" But I can tell you right now without reservation that every minute spent on this 17' X 20' bad boy is worth the 3+ hours of work. Now if I only had some skates.
Over thanksgiving break my uncle announced to the family that he didn't drink coffee anymore, only tea. I coughed up a little bit of mashed potatoes when he made the announcement. Coffee is American. Tea is....well...weak. You should only drink tea under two circumstances:
1. You're sick.
2. You're a girl (Ladies, don't get offended. Girls are little, young, fragile, and whiny. Women can kick my ass)
Morgan drinks his black. I prefer mine with lots of sugar and some cream. Either way, most men love to enjoy a brew of mud in the morning before work. Oh man the taste is like so many earthy flavored punches to my tastebuds. So right now my inspiration folder is filled with ironic, and sometimes funny coffee mugs. Vintage, of course.
What a wonderful and pretty cheap gift for the holiday season.
For Nerdy Guy:
For Step-Uncle Redneck Dad:
For the Ladies Man:
For the undecided Dude:
For the Straight Edged Man:
For Uncle Che:
For Mr. Bossman:
For Mr. Self-Confident:
Besides the traditional coffee mug, there is ONE other awesome way to enjoy brew in the morning. The beer stein. My personal choice is my grandfather's 1951 Indiana University Beer Stein. I love the fact that you can fill it up with just a cup of coffee and there's still tons of room left. That way, I'm less likely to slosh it all over myself when driving to work.
I was browsing the upcoming sales this weekend when I found this doosey. Morgan will probably be pissed that I'm posting this sale, but its too amazing not to share. Plus I'll be out of town this weekend, ha ha! So why is this sale so cool? The basement of the house is packed with nautical themed stuff. Some of it is hokey and lame, but some of it is awesome. Exhibit 1: They have a harpoon for sale. A freaking harpoon. Have you ever heard of such a thing?
Exhibit 2: Cool lamps and a vintage globe. I hope they're cheap! Oh and notice the three floyd's box in the left of the pic. That has to be a good sign, right? Beer, cool lamps, vintage globes. Check, check, and checkity check.
Exhibit 3: Awesome-ass steins. Mikey likey. Please be cheap.
Guns. In glass cases. Oh man I like guns in picture frames. I just love the idea of being burgled in the night, smashing open the frame, and pointing a revolver straight at said burgler's temple, trying to remain calm and confident and hoping to hell he won't realize that its fake. Yeah I'm weird.
If you're a dad like me, you're constantly in a state of trying to pass on the stuff that you adored as a kid to your own children. I loved popup books. I used to make my own, even. I found an etsy store that sells only popup books. Sweet.
Seeing these vintage pop up books brings me back to my youth. Heck, it brings me back to my present. I love reading books to my kids, and my kids especially love popup books. Who hasn't read "Pat the Bunny" to their wee one?
I'm not a great photographer, but I have fun with it nonetheless.
The picture on the left was one of the first things I've bought in order to resell on etsy. The Franklins and the Gagnes took a trip to Indiana to visit our family farm, and we did a little antiquing. I saw this little lady, and thought she might do well on etsy. Anyways, I've struggled to photograph in our home; we don't get a lot of natural light. The first picture is a little embarrassing. Anyways.
I've tried pretty much everything, but its been very difficult to stage smaller more personal items. So I broke down and made a diy lightbox today. Spent way too much and it isn't big enough. I probably need two more lights, and I need to figure out how to get rid of the edges where the boards meets when the items are larger. But hey, look at the difference.
Shaving is something that every man has to do, regrettably. I say that it is regrettable, because ideally we would all have a full beard, hunt with knives, and rely on our wits to survive. But with such regret, the majority of us join the workforce, give up much of our manliness, and shave off the beard we were born to grow. How exactly shave that beard off, is most likely according to our culture. In America, it seems that the Mach III is king. I’ve been using the Mach III since college, aka, when I was first able to grow facial hair and shave off that facial hair. But in other developed countries, it seems, people are not so enamored with the Mach III in all its glory, and many use what is referred to as, “The safety Razor." What is the safety razor? Its that razor that you saw in your grandpas junk drawer before he switched to an electric razor in the late 80s. You know, that silver piece of metal with flecks of old man stubble in it. You were confused by it, and couldn't open it, thank god. Now, you've got to try it. Why?
Did you know 2 BILLION disposable razors are thrown out per year?
That alone is enough to make me want to switch to a safety razor. Not only that, but it is cheap as all heck. Mach III blades are close to a ransom, while a new blade for a safety razor is anywhere between 15 and 40 cents. That's right. Cents.
Recently I was able to interview Chadd Bennett, founder of Retro Razor. Retro Razor sells brand spankin’ new models of the classic safety razor that grandpa used to use.
Manly Vintage: Welcome to Manlyvintage, Mr. Bennett.
Chadd: Thanks for having Manly Vintage!
Manly Vintage: I wanted to start our interview off with a story. I kid you not, my 2 year old son came to me the other day going, "Ouchie!" with three thin razor marks on his pinkie!
Chadd: from a Mach 3?
Manly Vintage: of course!
Chadd: so....perhaps we are OK!
Manly Vintage: Lol yeah the mach 3 isn't that safe!
Chadd: with just 1 blade, we are safer in jest...
Manly Vintage: Do the blades retract into the razor when you're done with it?
Chadd: It actually has about the same exposure as a Mach 3. It’s the new and used blades that you need to keep an eye on. They're safety razors compared to a straight razor ... but with removable blades without the plastic casing, they are a tad dangerous if you do not dispose of them carefully.
Manly Vintage: What about like a lid you can put on them? I bet keeping them in a bag or box would help
Chadd: Exactly...new blades are in a box and I cut a small slit in a plastic bottle to put the old one in...
Manly Vintage: So I know you've told the story one hundred times, but how did you get the idea for these razors?
Chadd: I was working on a tour Rick Steves, and while traveling through Italy, in the Cinque Terre, I discovered the secret to the Ultra-Close shave…It was a classic Safety Razor. I was surprised that fashion-forward Italian Men and Women used old-style shaving, but as I learned more, I came to understand that Classic Shaving is so amazing that Gillette and Schick – the original inventors of Safety Razors, have been suppressing it in favor of high profit multi-blade razors.
Manly Vintage: Why is classic shaving so amazing? It seems like it takes more time.
Chadd: It definitely takes a bit more time...there is just one blade. But the shave is close, there tends to be less irritation (more than two blades, the extra pretty much drag across the skin, the blades are .10-.25 cents, so you save a ton of cash, and it looks hella cool!
Manly Vintage: How often do you have to change blades?
Chadd: I usually go about 3-4 shaves before changing - I have a heavy beard
Manly Vintage: Is there a standard blade that can be used in all safety razors? Or do yours use a custom one?
Chadd: That is the beaut...it's Open Source. There was a slight change in blade design in the 1930's but since then it has stayed the same. 50% of the world use them and you can customize your shave as each brand is different in terms of performance vs. gentleness
Manly Vintage: So its standardized like the VHS tape. You can either make a really good blade, or a really good razor, but either way, they need to be interchangeable.
Chadd: exactly...
Manly Vintage: tell Manly Vintage about the business side of it. Do you feel like you're a little guy going up against the giant?
Chadd: Not really...when it comes down to it, most people will want the convenience of a multi-blade but there will be a small devoted band of brothers and sisters that will see the light
Manly Vintage: Have you seen an upswing in business since the rise of "mad men"?
Chadd: It's tough to tell...since our sales are primarily through Amazon, you can only make so many assumptions from a name and address. That being said, sales have been on the rise since we started it a year ago
Manly Vintage: Are you in any brick and mortars? What are your plans for that?
Chadd: Just a few...we tend to be pretty selective
Manly Vintage: I'm sure there are a ton of boutique shops that would fit your clientèle. Or even barber shops.
Chadd: Wholesale is a pain - the margins are even thinner, and since we are a small company its tough to make a buck that route. Right now we are in 2 awesome barbershops, one hipster boutique, and two Natural green stores. My mission is to give the best quality razor and a sampler of blades for under $36 and that is tough when wholesaling
Manly Vintage: I have a friend with a big ole beard and sensitive skin. He’s tried the mach 3 and it is too irritating. Do you contend that a retro razor might be an option for him?
Chadd: The razor we sourced is designed for sensitive skin (which is why it is great for beginners). However, pair it with a sharp blade and he will be good to go. For instance the Derby Extra from Turkey. Stainless Steel base, with Ceramic, Tungsten and Platinum edges and Teflon coating for Non-Stick.
Manly Vintage: Wow you know your razors!
Chadd: Do I sound like a guy at the state fair or what
Manly Vintage: lol
Chadd: Drives my wife bonkers...which is an interesting side bar - we are seeing a huge upswing in ladies using it for legs
Chadd: How much does the newfangled Venus cost? $3.50 for one replacement blade.
Manly Vintage: That’s insane. It makes sense that you would see an upswing in sales to women then too. I'm seriously buying a retro razor right now. Thanks for the chat!
I have to thank Morgan, because he's the one that found this. Whenever we go to estate sales, I try to elbow past him, because he always seems to find the cool shiz. That's okay. Jerk. Anyways, we've been looking for a lamp for quite a while, especially after our IKEA mishap.
Of course we're going to have to affix the ashtrays to the lamp so that the kids don't destroy them. I can't think of any way to affix them that won't damage the value.
I love old technology. Old clocks, old watches, anything old and technological, I love. I'm fascinated by old typewriters. They often have an amazing design aesthetic to them, and more often than not, when kept up with, can still work after many many decades. Can you even imagine the computer that you're using now will work in 50 years? Yeah right. They don't make 'em like they used to.
I took this bad boy into my 8th grade classroom, and the students literally freaked out. "I've seen these in the movies!". They couldn't stop typing on it.
I bought it at an estate sale two weeks ago. Its in absolutely immaculate condition. According to the instruction manual that came with it, it was made in 1953. It still types like a champ, and the ribbon has quite a bit of ink on it.
In the meantime, Morgan picked up this awesome Royal typewriter at an undesclosed and secret (I'll get that secret!) thrift store.
His is a Royal KMM Full Size Model, and was made between 1938-1948. His works great as well. Again, they don't make 'em like they used to.
In my very limited knowledge of classical guitar, I rank this as the greatest song of all time. How often do you feel like you're "rocking out" to classical guitar? Not very often I suppose. With this one, I just wanna mosh.
Manly Vintage - This blog is dedicated to the manly and the vintage. We want to challenge the notion that 'manly men' don't care about design, style, fashion, and taste. With a focus on emphasizing the power of vintage style and finds, we intend to discuss and categorize the creature comforts of men.
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in jest...
