This past Saturday, Alaska and I actually ventured forth from our home to hit up the local Goodwill. Normally, we might find a thing or two to pick up, but this go round we actually came home with several items, and since this blog is desperately in need of more posts (and I desperately want to show off a couple of said items) I figured what the hell, let's do this. (I do beg pardon for the flash in some pictures, it's a rainy Southern day so I had a problem with lighting) Starting off with one of my purchases:
1. Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery (1972) $0.25
I laid eyes on this book, and it was in my hands and I was telling Alaska he was buying it for me before I even really realized what was going on. And what was going on was I was snatching up a piece of nostalgia. I had this book as a kid, and it is one of the Sesame Street "Tell-A-Tale" books. I'm pretty sure I owned a few others, I recall a Bert and Ernie book, and one with Oscar. And The Twiddlebugs were always one of my favourites on Sesame Street. Here, enjoy:
2. The Classic Volland Edition: Great Children's Stories (1972) $0.50
I'm not particularly attached to "children's stories" of this sort. By the time I was 8 or 9 I was reading high school books, and was way more into gods and goddesses than chickens and trolls. Really, the only reason I picked it up was because it was a fairly large book, it looked like it had some age on it, and I was interested to see if it had pictures. And boy, did it. It also had some stories that I don't believe I have ever heard, so I will be going back through to read this.
I would have bought this book just for the weirdness printed on the inside of the front and back covers alone-
I don't have much to say, other than look at this shit!
-but then I flipped through it some more, and, while not as interesting as the above, the book was filled with pictures that I just found pleasing to the eye. And some of them were a wee bit confusing, as well. Anyway:
A bear attacking a straw cow. (And I just flipped through the next
three pages, and that straw cow is also attacked by a wolf and a fox, all while
that lady sleeps in the foreground. Bitch either got narcolepsy or she's dead. Either way,
weird.)
Three Billy Goats Gruff- while I know this story just fine,
I have never seen the troll depicted with a frog body.
Weird.
There are several b&w pics, too, but the coloured ones
were much more intricate. Here we see poor Lambikin
being threatened by a vulture (although most vultures don't eat live prey)
Three Little Pigs- again, I just find some of this artwork very pleasing.
Speaking of, this book was illustrated by Frederick Richardson.
(I googled him and he illustrated a ton of stuff, you should check him out)
This sly fellow was on the introduction page.
3. This is a bank. Alaska says it's a cat. I said ok. (I am not a collector of cats, but am a collector of unusual, and sometimes handmade, art.) This also happened to have been made/painted/glazed in 1976, the year that I was born. $2.12
The money slot is on the back of his head, and it even
has what looks like the original rubber stopper pieces inside.
Thanks, Mike, whomever and wherever you may be!
4. Alaska picked up this candle holder because he saw that it was orange, and orange is his colour. It wasn't until we were at the check-out counter that I realized that it had patches of black glass, too, and voila! A Jack-o-Lantern candle holder! $1.99
It's a little off-kilter, but when I put it with my collection-
He fits in beautifully with my Trick 'r Treat "Sam" and
Jack-o-Lantern shelf.
5. I picked up Year of the Griffin because of the interesting cover art, and when I found the first book, Dark Lord of the Derkholm, I handed them to Alaska to show him, and somehow they ended up coming home with us. $1.29-each
Published in 1998 and 2000, respectively, these are discards from a school library
about an hour from where we live. Although I did not intend for these to come home with us,
I must admit that after reading the blurbs on the back, I found myself interested and intend to read them.
6. This last item, my husband owes all to me. I am still stunned beyond stunned that he walked right past this beauty: $1.29
This is, is you will pardon me, an incredible book! I'm linking to the Amazon page, in case any of you would like to take a little peek inside. Considering the near pristine condition, I'm surprised it lasted on the shelf long enough for me to snag it. It's not anything rare or valuable, but to find something so awesomely superhero in our Goodwill? That is almost unheard of!
There you go, our first Saturday Goodwill trip in ages, and it was well worth it, don't you think? Until next time!
