Friday, August 21, 2015

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!!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

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!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

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.