385. All Shook Up: MR. PEANUT SALT 'N PEPPER SHAKERS

Planters Peanuts is largely unknown in the Philippines, but is an American product icon, first produced in 1906 by Italian immigrant Amedeo Obici,in partnership with Mario Peruzzi. The branc character--Mr. Peanut--came about when a contest was launched in 1916,won by schoolboy Antonio Gentile who sent in a drawing of a human peanut with legs. An artist later added a monocle, a walking stick and a tophat. Mr. Peanut became a merchandising success, turned into coin banks, mugs, glasses, pins, buttons, coloring books, cloth dolls--and even into salt and pepper shakers, such as this pair. I found this in a shop in downtown Somerville, in New Jersey, while on a short vacation. There were so many of them there, that it was kinda hard to choose, but these two, I thought, were the most attactive and functional, Mr. Peanut collectibles were made in dizzying varieties and are so plentiful, that they are easily found, and so affordable, they literally cost--well--peanuts!

384.Boxed: HEE-HAW, 1970

At the National Museum of American History, one can find on display a tin lunch box of HEE-HAW, a musical comedy show on CBS, which ran from 1969-1972. The popular show starred Buck Owens and Roy Clark.

The lunchbox was made in 1970 by King Seeley.  The lunch box has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible red, plastic handle. The exterior features images from the country variety television show.The TV lunchbox is shown with an unused coloring book, an authorized edition from the same HEE HAW TV show.

383. 50s VINTAGE POMADE BOTTLES: Secrets of our Debonair Dads!

Now here's a trio of small,clear glass jars that once held pomade and solid brilliantine--grooming essentials for the 1950s man. The brands include Cashmere Bouquet, an imported brand; Atomic Solid Brilliantine, and Waling-Waling, both local products. The 50 to 60 year old pomade bottles retain both their tin caps and labels with bold, colorful graphics. The more familiar brand--Cashmere Bouquet--actually has a talcum powder counterpart, while the two are largely unheard-of. More well-known pomade brands of the 50s include Glo-Co, X-7,  and Robin Hood, The small jars were easily disposed of after use, that is why it is amazing to find these 3 pomade jars still in great condition after all these years.

382. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: SOAKIES SET:

In the 1960s, to  make taking a bath a more fun experience for kids, Colagte Palmolive packaged its shampoo in plastic figural containers in the shape of popular cartoon characters. The result is the Soaky Bubble Bottle--which children can play with, while soaked in a bath! These "soakies" depicted scores of characters that included Bozo the Clown, Batman and Robin, Snow White, Casper, Dick Tracy, Flintstones, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Smokey the Bear, Popeye, and later--the Muppets and characters from Star Wars. the unique play bottles became instant collectibles and are now sought after today mostly by baby boomer collectors who grew up taking a shower with these plastic shampoo "toy" bottles. Generally very affordable, there are soakies that are hard to find and therefore more expensive--like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, which starts at $100!!. Similar bottles are still being made today--so that's good news for folks who want to soak in the happiness of showering with a favorite toy!!

381. Strong to the Finish : 1958 POPEYE VINYL DOLL by GUND

Now here's a handsome deal that came from a distant relative---a 21 inch 1958 vinyl doll of Popeye, the sailor man, toot-toot!! It was made by Gund Mfg. Co. which has been making stuffed toys since 1898! This character doll is an authorized merchandise of King Features Syndicate, which owns the right to the popular cartoon series.

When it came to me, it had been redressed and mended in different parts. The head seemed lopsided, like it was repositioned at one point so I had to twist it a bit. Popeye was wearing a horrible metallic silver top with very tight pants of the same material. It came in a ragged condition, and its nose, it seemed, showed signs of having been nibbled by its previous owner. Well, I had high hopes that I could restore it still.

But first, I had to look for reference o how to redress Popeye. It was good thing I found a similar doll on ebay, which shows Popeye in its original sailor dress. I  took the doll to a local dressmaker and furnished her with the above reference. Well, she figured she could copy it--and I believed her.

A week after---my old Popeye was ready to slip into his new, flashy sailor attire. I think my dressmaker did a fabulous job recreating a new costume using local fabrics! The costume has that fresh-from-the-factory look!! My Popeye is ready to b displayed--and he did not have to finish a can of spinach to look this good! Toot--toot!!

380. DONALD DUCK SQUEAKER HAT, 1956

Disneyana collectors--look what I found at a local thrift shop, a 1956 Donald Duck squeaker hat! It's an unlikely find here in the Philippines--and I've never seen anything like it. The cap itself is made of fine mesh material, and is topped with a Donald patch with a ribbon. The eyes are glued-on plastic googlies, The beak is plastic and when you give a squeeze--it actually squeaks!

Recently, I saw this old print ad online advertising the same cap--"the hat you'll see Mouseketeers wearing on TV!" Of course, I never saw that as the Mickey Mouse show was never aired in the Philippines, so it was a delight to discover this piece of Disneyana in this part of the world, I am quacking all over!!

379. VINTAGE G.I. JOES IN A FOOTLOCKER BOX, 1960s

Opening this 1960s G.I. Joe wooden footlocker box is like peeking into Ali Baba's cave of treasures! This ebay find houses two vintage G.I. Joe action figures, one from the 60s and the other--a flocked-haired Joe--from the 70s decade.

The footlocker doesn't just contain these figures in good condition, but also a stash of clothes, uniforms, and plastic accessories. I really haven't sorted the stuff, but I am sure they will be of use to me later, when I re-dress them.

This is the older of the dolls, and it's a scar-faced brown haired Joe. I need a beret to go along with his outfit. he should date from 1964.

The more hirsute Joe still has his lush hair and beard after all these years. They sold for 34$ which is a steal, considering how Hasbro's 'action doll for boys' has risen steadily in price, with no signs of waning. There's a saying that goes--when you die, God looks not at your medals, but at your scars--and G.I. Joe sure has lots of them! And that's why I collect them!

378. MOPTOP COMBO PLAYER FIGURINES

Now here's a pair of Made in Japan figurines that hark back to the age of the Beatles, Shindig, Dave Clark 5, American Bandstand, the Monkees, and Hullabaloo. The two china figures represent combo players of the 60s era, and may have once graced a teenage girl's room, as she listened to her vinyl records playing the songs of Paul, John, Ringo and George on her plastic turntable. Alas,only two figurines remain--one singing the melody while beating a conga, the other, strumming away on his red electric guitar. The drummer and,possibly, the bass player are missing from the set, but that doe not detract from kischy cuteness of these two boy band members, who even have their original nylon moptop hair! And note the green bases where they stand--complete with musical notes! You could almost hear them belting out.."She loves you yeah...yeah...yeah!".

377. King of the Wild Frontier: 1950s DAVY CROCKETT DOLL

Now here's an artifact straight from the 1954-1955 TV series "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier", produced by Disney. The series is based on the adventures of real-life American folk hero, David Crockett, a hunter who later became a congressman. Fess Parker starred as the Indian fighter-frontierman, and helped popularize merchandise such as Davy Crokett coonskin caps, comics and bubble gum.

Of course, dolls were also made of the character--in fact, many versions were made--made of plastic, cloth and rubber. This 19 in. stuffed doll with a thin plastic face is one of the rarer versions as it comes complete with its trademark coonskin cap, and a yellow identification pinback. It is dressed in plush fabric and felt, with a leather belt.The Davy Crockett TV merchandise was so popular that by the end of 1955, Americans had bought over $300 million worth of Crockett games, toys, dolls, coloring books, costumes, caps and gumball charms.

 Disney replayed the shows in the 1960s and became hits all  over again. After his Disney stint, fess Parker appeared as Daniel Boone on TV in 1964, an identical frontiersman character, to more acclaim. In 2002, in an attempt to bring back Davy Crockett again, Disney produced the movie, "The Alamo", which flopped at the tills. I guess, for many David Crockett fans, these dolls are enough to bring back his memory alive.