376. MORE LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS

More Little Golden Books found in a thrift shop! This popular series of children's books, started by Simon and Schuster in 1942, are well known for their great illustrations, quality and affordability. and  Many of the Little Golden Books have become bestsellers, with editions dealing with nature and science, Bible stories, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales and derived from TV shows and movie tie-ins like Sesame Street,  Disney, Looney Tunes, Barbie, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, Rin Tin Tin, Captain Kangaroo, and even Donny and Marie Osmond Show. Collecting Little Golden Books has not  caught on in the Philippines, owing to the unfamiliar subjects of the books, but for someone like me who grew up exposed to American TV shows, the books hold a special nostalgic appeal.

359. HEY! HEY! IT'S THE MONKEES WALLET

I had no idea what this Monkees memento was---I have seen Monkees comic books, vinyl boxes, Monkeemobile cars---but a Monkees wallet? It certainly was my first time to see one--and it was being offered by a collectibles shop on facebook! I googled for more information, and sure enough, my search led me to an auction site with a similar example. Turns out that this is a very rare 1966 wallet made by Mattel  (c) Raybert Productions Inc. It measures 3.5 x 4.25 inches, folded. The purse has a ball chain attached to a zipper. It has plastic sleeves for photos, slots for a comb and emory board and an insert for a small mirror, and even plastic change counter to hold loose coins.

The wallet is wildly illustrated with the caricatures of the 4 Monkees, with facsimile signatures--Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones--surfing and playing their instruments. The Monkees Guitar logo appears at the top.The TV-manufactured band rose to prominence thru their hit series, "The Monkees", which found fame from 1965-1971. A pristine example offered by Hake's Americana Auctions was sold for $261 in 2005. This does not even come close to how much I paid for this wallet--true, it was missing the clasp (I had a replacement done at a shoe repair shop), but the graphics are complete and the rest of the parts intact. This rare Monkees collectible is proof that you can still find the proverbial needle in the haystack, so now I have become--what else-- a Daydream Believer!

358. Boxed: THE BEATLES

The Holy Grail of lunchbox collecting has got to be this original Beatles Lunchbox that dates back from 1965by Aladdin Industries. It has great embossed panels which feature the faces and facsimile signature of the Liverpool lads, Paul McCartney,John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Lunchboxes in pristine condition can go for as much as $1,000!! Without the thermo, the box can still command more than $300!

Beatles Lunchboxes, even at those stratospheric prices, are easily snapped up by both boxers and Beatles memorabilia collectors. Locally, it is next to impossible to find these pop culture boxes--I have only seen 2 of them for sale here, with one rusty example carrying a Php20,000 price tag at a collectible show.

This lunchbox in fine condition, was purchased for just a fraction of that price from a local thrift  shop that specializes in used U.S. flea market goods. The items are shipped on a regular basis in several balikbayan boxes, and are promoted thru its facebook page--which was how I came to know of this rare lunchbox.

It now sits on a shelf along with my Osmonds and Bee Gees lunchboxes (I'm still missing the Monkees), my collecting tribute to the bands and their music I grew up with. John and Geroge may have passed on, but this Beatles box--with their four young happy faces--is a constant reminder of the force of the fab Four, and how they rocked and rolled our world.

349. Save the World: GLOBE BANK by J. CHEIN

This small tin collectible in an antique shop caught my eye because it was a small globe and a coin bank in one. Now what a swell idea to teach geography and thriftiness in one multi-function object! It was made by Julius Chein & Company, an American toy manufacturer (1903-1980s) that was popular for making mechanical toys made from stamped and lithographed tin.They also made licensed toys of companies  such as King Features Syndicate and Walt Disney Productions, producing Popeye, Felix the Cat and various Disney character toys.

What is even more fascinating is that, this old piece contains the old names of several countries no loner in use today--like Siam (for Thailand), Persia (now Iran), Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) and French West Africa, until 1960, a federation of 8 French African territories.This small bank, no more than 4 inches tall, is complete with its metal stopper at the bottom, to gain access to coins when it is full. "Be thrifty, but not covetous", a saying goes. Unfortunately, when it comes to collecting, I can't be both!

347. Advertique: ROYAL TRU-ORANGE SIGNBOARD

Now here's a great advertising sign that's truly Pinoy--a wooden signboard for Royal Tru-Orange that dates from the 60s. Royal Tru-Orange was originally formulated and sold commercially in 1922 by San Miguel Brewery before it was eventually bought by Coca-Cola. The brand name is silkscreened in bold colors on a lawanit (pressed wood pulp) board that was a cheaper alternative than conventional tin. This must have been for indoor use--say, a canteen or a large grocery store--as lawanit is not water-proofed.

Some of the memorable campaigns of Royal Tru-Orange emerged from the 1960s and 70s--harping on the natural ingredients of the popular orange soda drink: "Kitang-kita ang ebidensya---'yung may pulp bits syempre!" (You can see the evidence--the one with real orange pulp bits). The 70s gave us "Come Taste and Love It" and in the 80s, the "Royal--Natural, Ganito Talaga ang Buhay!" campaign starring RJ Ledesma, all done by McCann Erickson.

346. A Collectible Flying High: CAST METAL GRAF ZEPPELIN TOY

The Graf Zeppelin was a German-made airship that was hydrogen-filled to make it fly. It was able to carry passengers and commercial flights were made from 1928 to 1937. Named after German pioneer Graf (Count) Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the Graf Zeppelin made histoiry when it made a round-the-world flight in 1929.

The novel airship was celebrated throigh various memorabilia and souvenirs that included commemorative coins, postcards, badges and even toys such as this 1930s cast metal painted 3-wheeled blimp, a scarce artifact from the airship days. It is about 8.5 inches long and weighs a hefty 2 pounds.

This Graf Zeppelin pull toy must have been cared for by its previous owners as most of its paint is intact, with just a few scruffs to show, after all these years. It must have been de-commissioned from flying! Zeppelins never reached the Philippines--except this toy version which I won from ebay. Any vintage cast metal toy is prized...even more so when it is made in the likeness of an airship with an unlikely shape, propelled by gas fuel. A great revolution in the sky! Truly a hot, hot, (air) collectible!!

344. Who You Gonna Collect?: GHOSTBUSTER WATER ZAPPER & NUTRONA BLASTER

In 1984, a film about three weird New York parapsychologists opening a ghost-catching business too the theaters by storm. "Ghostbusters", starring  Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis set out to clear an uptown high-rise apartment building of ghosts linked to the ancient god Gozer. Armed with an assortment of ghostbusting weapons, the trio' starts their quest to stop the spirits and their ghoulish attempt to overwhelm the entire world.

The hit movie generated licensed merchandise such as these--replicates of the Ghostbusters wacky weaponry. They were all made by Kenner and dates to the 80s. The Water Zapper sprays up to 20 feet to clear up the neighborhood of ghosts. All one had to do was fill up the zapper with water then you're ready to "soak" every ghost in sight!

The Nutrn Blaster, which dates from 1989, zaps ghosts by generating Nutrona Rays, a state-of-the-art styro foam "proton stream" gun. One had to turn the handle to spin the beam and zap the ghost--just like how the Ghostbusters did it. These two toys complete with their boxes were found in pristine condition at a local general merchandise store that still carried these old stocks that are almost 30 years old! Amazing isn't it? So if there's something strange in your neighborhood--go check it out! It may be an obscure store selling old stocks of toys such as these Ghostbuster blasters!!

343. Pickin' Place: NORTHWEST ESTATE & COLLECTIBLES

This must be the happiest pickin' place on earth!! Northwest Estate and Collectibles--a collectible heaven that has managed to transport the ebay experience to the Philippines. That's because most of the collectibles that you will find here are all culled from garage sales and flea markets from the U.S., shipped here regularly by the enterprising proprietor, U.S. based Jose Canimo...chosen specially for rabid collectors like me!!

I first discovered Northwest Estate and Collectibles on facebook, of all places. Service is impeccable--all done online. Pictures are posted, and you inquire about the size and condition--and if interested, you just either have the item reserved or you can check it out at their Manila address.

Just take a look at the breadth and depth of the stuff--from very desirable vintage toys (like these 1960s Ken by Mattel), collectible tin and diecast toys like Tonkas, Hotwheels, Matchbox, U-Haul trucks to old bottles, shelves and shelves of vinyl records, action figures, sports and political memorabilia, period jewelry, comic books (they even have silver age editions!), even old carpentry tools, glassware, and an old parking meter!

An amazing assortment of disposable Americana! I went there recently for a second visit to get my reserved stuff--4 vintage Barbies with clothes and plastic cases, in great condition. It can't get any better than that! The pricing is flexible--you can haggle. Better yet, wait for their sale periods--where they give discounts ranging from 25 to a whopping 50% percent!

The items are one-of-a-kind, so prepare to shell out money when you go there--the place is a residential area, no banks in sight! Even then, Northwest Estate promises to give you an experience which you last felt when you were a 10 year old kid! So why ebay, when you can go Northwest--where there's something for everyone!!

330. Smokin'-Hot Collectibles: TOBACCO TINS

Packaging tins were first used to keep food in response to the public's acceptance of the germ theory of disease. Today, it is easy to dismiss canned or “processed” food as something people without access to fresh food eat. But in the late 1800s, food in tins was highly desirable. It was considered much more sanitary, and therefore healthier, than food offered in bins or barrels. Eventually, tin packaging was used in other consumer goods  like pipe tobacco. These two vintage examples in my collection are "home antiques", found  inside an 'aparador' (cabinet) of my grandfather. Dill's Best is the older one, from a company in Richmond, Virginia founded in 1849, The brand icon features a lady holding her hair up with a "come-hither" expression. The second example is the more popular Bond Street Pipe Tobacco, made by Philip Morris, which dates from the 1930s. Tobacco tins are always sought after by tobacciana collectors, and in this part of the world, are rarely seen. I have my grandpa to thank for, for these surviving examples--he is no longer with us, but I bet he is somewhere in a quiet corner in heaven, happily and peacefully smoking on his favorite pipe, plugged in with his favorite Bond Street and Dill's Best tobacco!

326. TV-BASED BOOKS: If You Can’t Watch ‘Em, Read ‘Em!

 My favorite bookstore isn’t one of those established but expensive bookshops with fancy book titles, but an unpretentious used-book sale chain that goes by the name—Book Sale. I tell you, everything with a ‘sale’ in its name has got to be my favorite. For in this messy jumble of books, one can find unexpected collectible titles—and my nifty collection of TV-base books is proof of that. Whenever I can’t get enough of my fave TV series, I buy their book counterparts, so I can read the story at my own pace; no commercials too!

 My treasure trove of pop culture books include those based on 60s spythriller “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. that had Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Russian partner Ilya Kuryakin (David MacCallum) using gimmicky weapons against the evil THRUSH network. Also from the 60s is “Garrison’s Gorrilas”, a war drama about 4 convicts recruited to be commandos by Lt. Greg Garrison. Two favorite sci-fi series are: “Land of the Giants”, which features the story of survival of the Spindthrift spaceship that crashed in a planet full of giants; and “Space 1999”, that starred husband and wife team Martin Landau and Barbara Bain.

Jack Lord’s “Hawaii 5-O” initially got my interest with its catchy theme song, but I was not a big fan; I got the book anyway. Sonny and Cher had a TV show of the same name, so I got Cher’s book bio too. I could certainly relate to “James at 15” starring Lance Kerwin as I was still in my teens when the show aired. The plots revolved around teen angst, mostly, and James aged in the series, the title updated to “James at 16” on the next season. Last time I saw Kerwin, he was on the horror flick, Salem’s Lot. The last book is all about boy bands from the 60s—Monkees, Bee Gees and raiders. I can’t help but smile at the now-archaic buzz words that every teen spewed out in the 60s, like “outasite”, “groovy”, “freaky”, and “dig it!”

 Next time you’re in Book Sale, scrounge around and look for these classic TV-based books from the 60s and 70s. You can still enjoy them not just thru TV replays, but thru book reprints!

323. Almost Victorian: VINTAGE PAPER CUT-OUTS

In one of my morning pickings, I chanced upon these 3 paper-cut-outs of religious characters under a heap of paper items. The cut-outs reminded me of  Victorian "scrap"--those  colored printed papers and usually embossed die cuts that were used in Victorian times by both children and adults for various crafting and scrapbooking activities. Scraps first appeared i the 19th century, sold in sheets connected with small strips to join them together. Many people group their collections by themes or special occasions with verses and poems. These local scraps were probably hand-cut from religious prints, and not estampitas (holy cards). Cardboard easels have been added on at the back to make the figures stand--maybe for play purposes. These vintage ephemera are not worth much, but I am keeping them anyway, reminder of an age when people saw value in everything--including paper scraps!

319. FILIPINIANA TRINKET BOX

Now here's a tiny trinket box--with dimensions of just  4 in. x 6 in. x 2.5 in.--made of narra, decorated with a relief carving of a farmer taking rest under a mango tree from his day's toil. Across the dirst road stands his nipa hut, shaded by a coconut tree, and flanked by a haystack. Looming in the horizon is a mountain. Souvenir carvings bearing Filipiniana motifs such as this were much in demand by tourists--and this box was especially made to cater to such market. Handicraft centers in Manila, as well as in Pampanga (for the U.S. market ) thrived till the 70s--offering similar items as monkeypod carvings, wall plaques (featuring farmers, dancers), ethnic busts, carved Filipinana chests (our versions of camphor chests) as well as lazy Susans. Today, a few shops exists, selling cottage industry products along the streets of Ermita, and in Angeles City, Pampanga--but the quality has really matched those made in the 50s, when even small items such as this trinket box, were handcarved with fine details, and finished so handsomely.

316. LAPU-LAPU AND BULAKNA PORTRAITS

A pair of Filipiniana paintings depicting Lapu-Lapu, the hero of Mactan and his wife, Bulakna--or so that's how the dealer described them to me. These mid-century 18 x 22" paintings, painted by artist Rodolfo Pasno, dates from 1957--and they were obtained online--in a facebook group, of all places. Pasno was a noted Mabini painter, active from the 50s thru the 70s, in a shop at the famed Pistang Pilipino.

They were sold in stretchers, with few chips and scratches. At some point, someone painted over the background, but that doesn't detract from the portraits that express so much of the character of the country's first hero and his voluptuous wife. I had them re-stretched, re-framed and cleaned, so now they're ready to hang again...so happy I could sing! "In March 16, fifteen hundred and  hundred twenty one, when Philippines was discovered by Magellan..."

315. The Russian From U.N.C.L.E.: ILYA KURYAKIN SPY DOLL

One of my fave TV programs from the 60s boomer years was The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) , broadcast on NBC from 1964-1968. It follows secret agents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn)  and Russian Ilya Kuryakin) fighting its chief adversary, the agents of THRUSH  (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity). Solo and Kuryakin's popularity resulted in the creation of  11.5 in. vinyl "spy dolls" made in 1965 by Gilbert of Japan. In its perfect condition, Ilya would have come with a pistol, pocket insignia and a mechanical arm. Conceived originally conceived as a minor character, Kuryakin, became an indispensable part of the show, achieving co-star status with the show’s lead. McCallum’s blond good looks and the enigmatic persona he created for the character garnered him a huge following of female fans, leaving them weak-kneed and crying--Uncle!

314. How To Enter the Dragon: BRUCE LEE KEY CHAIN

Saw this cheap, plastic martial arts key chain in a Cubao thrift shop. The small, 2.5 in. figure is gold painted, and I assumed it to be Bruce Lee, who first appeared as Kato on the Green Hornet 60s TV series. Of course, he is better known as THE kung-fu master of all times! The figure holds a pair of nanchuks (chaku) and is poised to demolish the door if the key doesn't work! Bruce Lee souvenirs--as well as martial arts collectibles, are not hot items at the moment, but that doesn't matter--it's picking for cheap collectibles that gives me a kick!

309. So Big, Yet So Little: BIG LITTLE BOOKS

I found this neat cache of books in a little shop called Round Trip Collectibles--a collectible store in Metuchen, years ago. I think I paid 5 dollars for the lot--7 Big Little Books, as old as the late 1930s and as recent as the late 60s (in the case of Batman). These kiddie readings saw print first in 1932, published by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin. They were small, they were compact and had simple captioned drawings opposite each page of the text. They soon became big hits among children, so competitor like Saalfield, copied this format. Back then, each book cost just 10 cents each.  Great graphics, great stories, great size and price...what more can you ask for in a book?

303. VINTAGE PHILIP MORRIS VENDOR'S BOX

We've had this wooden box for years...a 60s merchandising piece for Philip Morris 100s filter cigarettes meant to hold cigarette cartons and carried by ambulant vendors. I don't know how it came to be in the family, but we did have Sarao jeepneys that went on the road with our trusty drivers--maybe this was left inadvertently by one of the cigarette boys. The cigarette boys catered to pedestrians, jeepney passengers and jeepney drivers, hence, the handiness of this box which featured a section for loose change.

Philip Morris Incorporated began in the Philippines around 1955, when it entered into its exclusive licensing agreement with Filipino-owned La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory. Its filter-tipped cigarette became a Philippine favorite. Boxes like these are still made--but the ones I see are either for candies or are of the home-made type, with a covered section for coins that was often shut open-and-close, creating the distinctive attention-getting 'takatak' sound that gave cigarette boys their names--'takatak' boys!

295. Toby or Not To Be: JESTER CHARACTER CUP

I couldn't help but stare back at  this character mug when I chanced upon it at a Makati thrift shop. Fairly small, with some crazing, it looked definitely old, reminiscent of the toby mugs of yore depicting a character in history. Technically, a toby jug depicts a whole person, while a character jug shows just the face, but these ceramic creations share one thing in common--they are all highly collectible!

This example is unmarked--Royal Doulton currently makes the most desirable toby cups and jugs--but the finish of this face jug is superb, the colors vivid and appealing. So off  it went to my collection of kitschy ceramics, that includes dozens of lady head vases. I'll probably use this cup, so every time I drink my coffee, I can face-off with this cool, jester dude from the 50s!!

286. BISQUE KIDS

Found this trio of bisque figures of kids--two girls in winter outfits and a little softballer. The heads are movable.. I'm almost sure they were made in Japan for the export market--I see these a lot in glass cabinets of many ancestral homes. No more than 3 inches tall, these adorable figurines sit perfectly on a wooden shadow box...not too precious, but still as decorative as they were made over 80 years ago!

270. Keep on Truckin': FARGO TOY WOODEN TRUCK

I chanced upon an amazing vintage toy shop at the famed Cubao Expo just 3 weeks ago--and boy, was I in luck! It was on a Sunday, and the store was supposed to be closed--but by chance, the shop owner was around, about to be interviewed for some TV feature.Seeing the door open, I insinuated myself in while the TV crew was preparing their equipment. Immediately, I saw this wooden blue and red truck, with handwritten sign that identified it as belonging to Fargo Trucking.

It assumed that this nice toy truck was an advertising giveaway of some sorts, a premium given to loyal clients. I tried googling the company name, but couldn't find this trucking that touted its incredible delivery destinations with confidence-- "Manila--to Any Point on Earth!". It's a well-made toy, with wooden wheels that roll perfectly and with an open-box bed hinged at the rear that can be lifted. I would probably date this to the 70s, an example of a rare advertising premium made in the Philippines!