Category: Kitsch En Sink

Weird Old Spanish Miniatures

While researching miniature toy maker Charles Hall, I stumbled into the following gems at this toy soldier collecting site:

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a member of the Ku Klux Klan! In fact it’s 54mm plastic figure of a hooded penitent from a holy week procession. Made is Spain but maker unknown, probably sold as a souvenier to raise funds for charity rather than a toy.

Would you believe this came from a nativity set? made by OLIVER of Spain.

This Dog, Space Walked Or Not, Won’t Hunt

I had to snatch-up this self-titled Toni Basil LP (her second album; 1983, Chrysalis Records) for 99 cents.

Inside my head, I’m saying, “Hey, how come I don’t know any of the songs? …Space Walkin’ The Dog has to be awesome!” Pleased with myself, I bring it on home, clean it off (including the pieces of paper from inside the sleeve which are stuck to the edges of the vinyl), and give it a spin on the turntable.

Now I know why I never heard of it.

It truly is unremarkable.

The LP cover has stickers and identifying markings showing this CBS “Promotion Only” copy was previously the property of KVSC, the college radio station for St. Cloud State University, MN. Primarily this is noted because even the alternative college stations couldn’t make this record rock back then; and they don’t want it in their collections now either. This dog, space walked or not, won’t hunt.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t give it another listen. You have to do that just to be sure… Otherwise you sell it and hate yourself for it later — when you have to buy it back at ten times the price.

Been there; can’t afford that.

In any case, the video for Space Walkin’ The Dog has lots of kitsch value:

The Love Skunk

A vintage pottery skunk presides over a heart-shaped candy dish — or, I suppose it may have been used as an ashtray, even if the “ruffled” edge isn’t quite the standard for ash trays….

Of interest, at least to nuts like me, is the fact that time was taken to paint (rather sloppily) the underside of the skunk’s tail yellow.

As Seen On Haunted Collector?

The only thing scarier than a clown is SyFy’s Haunted Collector — and Haunted Collector is stupider. If you watched the first episode, you saw this cookie jar — Boo!

(Sorry, my vintage pottery McCoy clown cookie jar has been sold.)