345. I'm A Little Teapot: 50sTOY TEA SET

I don't remember where I got this complete set of "Made in Japan" toy tea set, with its  box intact. Probably from Makati Cinema Square. Since I have so much pet cats, I thought the "kitty tea set" would be a nice addition to my feline collection.

Children's toys such as these were widely available in bazaars everywhere in the Philippines as they were cheaply made. Unfortunately, they were also well-loved and much-played with, that often resulted in broken and missing pieces. That is why, I am lucky to have found this miniature play pieces in unused condition. Maybe one of these days, I'll treat my friends to tea and sconces, using my 50 year old plus tea ware, and hold the nicest tea party in the house.

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!!

342. Boxed: THE FLYING NUN VINYL LUNCH BOX

Now here's a lunch box that's flying high on the collectible list. A rare vinyl box of Sister Bertrille of "The Flying Nun" fame. This American TV hit was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios. It starred Sally Field--the future Oscar winner. The series originally ran on ABC from 7 Sep. 1967, to 3 Apr. 1970,

The most common lunchbox was made of tin, but this one is made of vinyl. An even more valuable version is an oval vinyl box with a strap and a matching thermos. A great memento from a TV show that defined the simple comic entertainment of the 70s, revolving around the misadventures of a nun in convent San Tanco!

341. On My Honor: 1965 GIRLS SCOUT BROWNIE DOLL

A very nice vinyl doll from 1965, made by the famed doll manfacturer, Effanbee. The 8 inch, all-vinyl doll represents a Brownie Scout. It is fully jointed and has sleep eyes, and comes with accessories like a brown belt, orange kerchief and shoes. This is an official doll made for the Girl Scouts of America, and they were first made together with a Junior Girl Sout version. The Brownie Girl Scout doll was a brunette, and the Junior Girl Scout was a blonde. Both were individually boxed with a clear acetate cover  imprinted with the Girl Scout trademark, catalog number, and price.

340. Smallville Treasures: VINTAGE BISQUE DOLLS

An assortment of tiny bisque dolls picked from a local thrift shop, sold as a lot. The most precious is the 2nd Made-in-Japan doll with strung bent limbs and head, dressed in an original crochet dress (missing one sock)-- just a mere 3.5 inches tall! Even smaller is the first doll with a polka-dotted dress with sewn-on clothes, maybe part of a dollhouse family. A newer doll with an antique look is this 2 in. souvenir baby dressed in a baptismal outfit, with the name of the recipient attached to the dress. It came with a tiny stroller of woven bamboo. When it comes to dollies, artistry knows no size!

339. Worth Flipping Over: FARRAH FAWCETT GLAMOUR CENTER

You can't miss those flyaway bangs and that wind-tousled hairdo. It's Farrah  Fawcett! The beautiful star who gained worldwide stardom in the hit TV crime series, "Charlie's Angels" first aired in 1976. Farrah was cast as one of 3 crime-busting beauties (Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson were the other 2) working for big boss, Charlie. As Jill Munroe, Farrah captivated the audience with her beautiful sunshiny looks--and locks--that had every girl  styling their hair in a Farrah Flip.

Soon, many toy companies began taking note of Farrah's strong following and in no time at all, acquired licenses to make 'Charlie's Angel" action figures and a separate Farrah Fawcett fashion doll, all capturing her distinct square-jawed face and thick, flyaway mane. . 

But this Farrah Glamour Center beats them all. Made in HongKong in 1978, it features a vinyl bust of Farrah, with rooted synthetic hair that one can style to duplicate her famous flip--using rollers, combs, curlers and brushes. The likeness to the star is very good, but the soft vinyl used has a tendency to droop after some years, causing her chin to droop as well. Farrah--voted as one of the Top 50 TV Stars of All Time-- passed away in 2009 after a 3-year bout with cancer. Thankfully, glamorous bust will allow me to remember her and her famous Farrah Flip with every stroke of the brush.