57. TV Dog Hero: LASSIE

Wel, well, well, do you know that Lassie--the canine hero of the hit TV series that ran from 1954-1973--was actually a boy dog? Joining the pooch as human companions was eleven-year-old Jeff Miller (Tommy Rettig), his mother, and his grandfather until seven-year-old Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) and his adoptive parents took over in later seasons.

"Lassie"was such a hit that many merchandise were produced during the show's run, including inclbooks, costumes, clothing, ring, wallet, gameboards, luncboxes and toys--such as this fluffy stuffed Lassie. The silver collar identifies the heroic dog, who was actually played by a collie originally named Pal and several of his male descendants. Still in good condition, this Lassie toy serves to remind me of those early days of TV when shows were still watchable and wholesome. Now it seems, a lot of TV shows are going to the dogs.

56. MANOLIA with MULTIVITAMINS ADDED

First time to see a Magnolia milk amber bottle! This is a quart bottle with the familair oval logo. The back side has the same oval with the words "Mutlivitamis Added" inscribed. A listing of the nutritional content is added. Perhaps this was some form of a therapeutic milk product. This Magnolia bottle mystery still stumps me.

55. BIONIC WOMAN

Meet Jamie Sommers (played by Lindsay Wagner), the Bionic Woman--but do be careful--this former tennis player re-engineered by Oscar Goldman has superhuman legs, amplified hearing and a bionic arm that packs a mean wallop. Jamie first appeared in a 2-part episode on "The Six Million Dollar Man", earning such high ratings that a separate series was spun-off by ABC and later NBC, running from 1976-78. This mint-in-the-box action figure of Jamie Sommers made by Kenner was a purchase from Hake's Americana and Collectibles, a mail auction that was hugely popular before the advent of ebay. A quick ebay check showed a similar piece with a $99 starting bid, but I got this for just 20$. In 2007, an attempt was made to revive the TV series but failed to flex its bionic muscles.

54. 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN Action Figure

The hit TV series Six Million Dollar Man ran from 1974-78 and was based on the novel Cyborg. Headlining this series about a man working for the OSI (Office of Scientific Intelligence) was Steve Austin (played by Lee Majors), whose various body parts (legs, left eye, right arm) were replaced by "bionic" implants. This enhanced his strength, speed and vision far above human norms: he can run at over 100 km/hour, and his eye has a 20:1 zoom lens with infrared powers. Steve Austin became such an icon that an action figure had to be made, replicating his bionic capabilities. This plastic figure shows Steve with his bionic eye (which is simply a magnifying lens) and a springing bionic arm. Also on Steve is an original membership button for "The 6 Million Dollar Man Club". In 1975, Steve was given a love interest with the launch of "Bionic Woman".

Nowadays, at the rate plastic surgery is being done in the Philippines, more and more men and women are becoming bionic, rendering the feats of Steve ordinary and commonplace.

53. NOTHING TO WEAR Coin Bank

"Nothing To Wear" proclaims this 1950s ceramic bank in the shape of a model mannekin. So if you fill up this coin bank to overflowing, would you have enough funds to wear a Dior? I doubt it. I don't think you'll have enough even for a Divisoria duster!

52. PLAZA LUNCH Advertising Pocket Mirror

Celluloid pocket mirrors were favorite advertising giveaways of establishments like Plaza Lunch, a Manila restaurant established in 1914, touted as "The Only Place In The Orient"--whatever that means. Though popular in its time, I have not uncovered much information about Plaza Lunch, but a lot can be told about its manager-founder, American Fred M. Harden. Harden married Filipina Esperanza Perez in 1917, and together they started several successful businesses, acquiring prime real estate and valubale property. In 1938, they stopped living together. In connivcance with another Filipino, Fred spirited away cash and assets from his wife, thus committing fraud in the administration of their conjugal ownership of properties. Sued by his wife in a case that reached the Supreme Court, Harden was subsequently jailed at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.

"Mirror, mirror in my pocket, whose criminal case is in the docket?.."

51. MAGSAYSAY CLOCK

"At the wheel of the Nation", is my guy, Pres. Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957), immortalized as a wind-up mantle clock, posed literally steering the country to progress. But as we all know, time ran out prematurely for Magsaysay when an airplane crash took his life in 1957. Made of cast metal, figural clocks of politicos like these are more common in the U.S. (I have seen a Franklin D. Roosevelt version of this). I found this Magsaysay clock in a Bulacan junk shop and have seen non-working examples go for as much as 3 Thousand Pesos in antique shops. Rarer is the Manuel L. Quezon clock that looks not much different than this. The clock face and mechanism of this timepiece have been lost a long time ago, but the glass is surprisingly intact. A new coat of paint and a replacement clock are all this needs to make my guy go tick-tockin' again!