Miss Buzz Bike

I just got this Miss Buzz Bike and think it's too cool.  Picked it up at an auction last week, I may have gotten caught up in the bidding fervor and paid a little too much but really wanted it in the store - and didn't pay so much that I can't still sell it at a fair price. I searched all over the Internet to find value of a similar model - the only site that looked promising was Worthpoint - and I ain't paying for a subscription (if you have one, look it up for me and let me know). I did, however, find numerous sites selling parts for the bike: fenders, pedals, forks, sprocket, etc. from prices ranging from $15 to $30.

I have her priced at $75 which seems fair, all things included: chrome fenders, blue pedals, blue frame, great decals, and banana seat in great condition. Classic late 60s / early 70s Western Flyer quality. Could probably use new tires, but other than that it's in great shape - stop by and take her for a spin.

Do you have ESP?

Do you possess Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)? The Kreskin's ESP board game will let you know! There are two portions: first the player attempts to determine what symbols are on a given test card; Second, a pendulum is suspended over a set of cards and determines answers to questions - the direction the pendulum swings will reveal letters (on the main board) or yes-no type answers on the smaller boards.Spooky, huh?

Kreskin was a well known, almost iconic, "mentalist" in the late '60s. This game was one of many "ESP" or "Fortune Telling" games which came out at about the same era: Ouija board, Ka-Bala and the Jean Dixon Horoscope Game are contemporaries.

Whether it works or not is up to you: seems like sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Maybe you just have to get in the right frame of mind. I have some scary as shit Ouija board stories I could tell from decades ago, but I guess that's another post altogether . . .

Anyway, it's an excellent retro collectible and decorator. I have it price at $17 - swing by and check it out!

Considering my proximity

In addition to enjoying the many splendors of Junque, I write for Military Trader Magazine. I guess I haven't posted as of yet about any military collectibles I have in my shop, and I have quite a few, but I'm sure I will in the near future. Anyway, I'm writing a series of interviews for the magazine about some pretty high profile cats in the historic collectible, militaria, and firearms auction biz: Wes Cowan and Greg Martin are the ones I  have been working on for the last couple of days.

It's crazy insightful to talk to these guys and pontificate on what my future may be. As a fledgling auctioneer with several years in the business of militaria and historic collectibles with Manion's International, I wonder if I may end up working for a high profile group like Martin or Cowan (or Sothby's or Christie's - am I wishing out loud?) , or making my own way . . .or maybe Manion's will kick it up a notch or two and make a shit ton of people happy.

Anyway, it's late and I have writer's delirium. And speaking of Wes Cowan - did anyone happen to see yours truly on History Detective last season in the "War Dog Letter" feature? Click here to check it out.

I have da seller's remorse

Man. I had this fantastic 1970s padded "buckle bar" with four chairs to go with. The thing probably weighed about 1000 pounds all together. I bought it at an auction with the full intention of setting it up in the front window of the shop which is exactly what I did (thanks for the help Jeffy J). Well, it sold. While it was great to get the cash, I must say I miss the damn thing. Luckily I was able to have a couple of nights with the boys up there drinking a beer or two and watching the traffic go by on Friday and Saturday nights - 75th and Wornall is pretty hopping on the weekends. We called the place "Heckler's" on those nights; if you were there, you know why.

Anyway, at least it went to a good home. This lady and her brother were actually in the process of building a bar in their house at the time. I had set the chairs out on the curb with all the other stuff, like we do on weekends up here at the Waldo Antique Mall and Flea Market to help attract attention (school of Fred Sanford thank you very much) and it worked: they just wanted the chairs and took the whole thing . . . now I am sad.

Not really though, I'll find another one - heck, I've already sold another smaller one since then. So, know that I am on the lookout for another bar - you need one for your man room, right?

Damn I got a lotta vinyl records, at least it seems like it to me.

A few months ago, Delores sold the majority of her record store to some guy from New Orleans and she sold me this record rack. Man, that really changed things. I had collected records years ago and had quite a selection of 80s punk, new wave, and quite a few pop and classic rock selections as well. I combined those with the HUNDREDS I had acquired from cleanouts, auctions, and sales and I was in bizneth.

For a while I've said vinyl records are an excellent example of the "industry" being totally out of touch with what the public wants. Of course you'll remember several years ago when they decided no one wanted vinyl anymore, it was too archaic. Well, the kids didn't seem to think so - now when you see a band play on Letterman, nine times out of 10 the camera zooms in on the cover of an LP on Dave's desk.

I've learned a lot from, and about, today's record collectors. There are definite LP enthusiasts and 7" fans. The 7" guys are way more hardcore than the LP collectors and always seem happy to share their knowledge of a particular act or label.

There are many types of LP collectors: by genre, artists, era, and on and on. Even cover art alone is often reason enough for the expenditure. I price mainly from an algorithm derived from Popsyke, Gemm, eBay completed, and my own determined "coolness factor". Essentially I try to price as replacement value - including shipping, my time, etc. I love it when some fancy vest starts crying about how my prices are so much higher than they should be (meaning: he/she can't sneak up on it for next to nothing). Again, people collect for a variety of reasons - more times than not, it's a spontaneous, nostalgic type of purchase. In an hour they're home listening and remembering the good times way back when they were first into the band they'd essentially forgotten until they came into my shop. They're playing the vinyl and having fun, not scouring the Internet trying to find another copy and save $3 - only to come back later to find a high school sophomore knew what they can't seem to figure out: if you want it, buy it when you see it cause it may not be there next time.

The majority of what I have for sale are $1 each - LPs and 7"s (and don't go saying that's not fair because Lps have more songs, that's fuzzy math and you know it!).You can also pay $65 for The Orange Donuts, but I'll be sad to see it go (I'll give you half Hopewell). Always happy to work on a price if I know it's going to a good home.