Buying cool stuff in our parking lot

There is hardly a day that goes by at the Waldo Antique Mall and Flea Market in Kansas City that someone doesn't come in with something to try and sell: books, china, military items, artwork, furniture - the list goes on and on. At least 75% of the time the seller is on the damn moon with their expectations of value. If a quote like: "Well I paid x amount so it has to be at least worth y" plays into it, your odds are better of finding a freaking Sasquatch than making a good deal with that person - they'll probably leave pissed, too. It's a hard line to walk sometimes.

But, there are a lot of folks with perfectly realistic expectations. I tell people when I am buying something I am cautiously offering about 1/3 of what I think I will sell said item for - that's it straight up. And you know, after a certain length of time you'll sell the damn thing for what you had in it just to get your money back and free up some real estate in the shop.

I love it when guys who are cleaning out houses come by. Sometimes their trucks are jam-packed full of stuff and other times it's just a couple of items. I guess they are getting paid for the job, but can make a little on the side if they find stuff of value (and you know they do). These guys are usually reasonable as hell - that's cause they're working their asses off living in the real world unlike (most of the time) contestant number one mentioned above.

Anyway, here's a bit of video about a neat piece I bought "off the street" (that's what we call it when someone comes in like that).

The Orange Donuts - sublegendary Kansas City punk rock band

Ladies and Gentlemen of Kansas City, I challenge you to find another venue in the metro offering the OD's "Back at the Ranch" 1984 LP. It's freaking fantastic: fast, sloppy, drunken, drug induced punk rock. I regret I never got to see the ODs (AKA The Orange Donuts) back in the day, but did kick it with guitar player Kurt Witt in the late 80s when I moved back to KC. No need to go into the circumstances and happenings pertaining to said kicking of it, but he probably doesn't remember and it's all pretty fuzzy to me (Kurt's alive and well in KC for those wondering).

Seems to me that Kansas City was a lot more fun back then, though. Kids would hang out behind the Nelson and drink beer, smoke weed, and all that good stuff, and the police didn't really seem to mind. There were always people hanging out back there in those days: art students, KCAL schoolers, the homeless, the insane, and on and on. I think it all ended about the time this kid named Terry spray painted some swastikas on the side of the museum, and that was just about the end of that (Terry had some pretty serious problems . . . years later I worked at a "facility" here in KC and ran into him there, doubt if he's still around today but ya never know). Seems like we went back a couple of times after that to try and hang out, but the musuem security ran us off pretty quick; seems everyone was pretty pissed at ol' Terry for that, but God knows what really happened.

Around the same time there were some pretty badass outdoor concerts at Volker Park across 47th St (and this is all post ODs I think). They were usually tied to some type of benefit or cause. I remember one was a "hemp fest" of sorts and I believe Sin City played. Across the other street from the park, about 15 or so motorcycle cops utilized the half-circle drive in front of what I think was a Kauffman foundation building of some sort. It was pretty intimidating, but I don't remember any trouble going down. Volker kind of took over as a place to hang out, though. There were usually a handfull of folks kicking it under the trees on the west side of the park, anytime day or night. A few years later Mark Holmes organized some pretty treacherous tackle football games out there.

So, yeah . . . I rambled off a little bit there, huh? But yes, the ODs - it's a freaking cool album, I don't really want to sell it - you know, come to think of it I'm not going to. Stop by and I'll play it for you if you, though.  Maybe Kurt will make it up to Waldo one day soon and sign it for me. Maybe he knows what happened to that mutual friend all those years ago . . . Chris . . . something . . .

Here's a front and back shot of the album. The ODs were also on the second Mystic Records "We Got Power" massive punk compilation around the same time. Looking at the liner notes on the hand pasted back cover of Back at the Ranch: "Lyric sheet by Mott ly" (sucks that it's missing), I'm reminded of some iconic KC graffit from way back when - "Mottley has one leg." Indeed he did, and it was painted all over town.

Back at the Ranch -1984

1. T.M.O.S.
2. Compete
3. Hook
4. Fancy Girl
5. Babylon
6. O.D. Theme
7. Disco
8. Time to Time
9. Chip
10. Twisted World
11. Jimmy Time

There's barely anything online about the ODs - post some comments.

Charlie Weaver: bartender, magician, and all around good guy

Wow - I found a Charlie Weaver Bartender battery operated toy from the 1960s that actually works for the most part! At first I didn't think it was going to work: I dropped in the required two D size batteries . . . and nothing. I then kind of forgot about it and went about my business, then - lo and behold - I hear his gears a grinding. He's mixing up martini's (and slamming them) like there's no tomorrow - God love him.

If you're wondering who the hell Charlie Weaver is, or originally was, you're not alone - I really have no idea. I guess he was a character on the Jack Parr show played by Cliff Arquette (Grandfather to David, Patricia, and the lesser known Alexis). I'll ask my Grandma what she knows about it and will get back with you.

Until then, enjoy this lively video of Charlie behind the wood and looking good.

Marx Presidents - What Happened to Harry S?

I love presidential history; the official and the unofficial stuff. I held on to a 70s era paperback I pulled out of an estate cleanout a while back (can't remember the name for the life of me now), it was full of great stuff. Each President had a page or two with all of the official information followed by a couple more with the more oddball, somewhat juicier, stuff: Washington never really had wooden teeth; Adams and Jefferson both dying on the same historically important day; wounded in a duel, Andrew Jackson lived with a bullet in his chest the rest of his life; how many were never formally educated; most have been Episcopalian (hellz yes - give it up for no confession and a slightly longer Lord's Prayer), and on and on.

Marx Presidents

Anyway, I was super pleased to acquire this damn near complete set of Marx Presidents. I'm not exactly sure why, but there's just something intriguing about them - their likeness is truly uncanny. Marx stuff is pretty collectible on the whole, too.

So, I had them out on display on top of my countertop and I'll be damned if some bastard didn't steal my Harry S. Truman. FOR SHAME! Shoplifters are the worst of the worst in my book - and God forbid I ever catch one; it'll be Hadley on Bogs Diamond Shawshank style if I do. But you'd be amazed at how advanced, and affordable, surveillance technology is these days and this happened a while back.

At any rate, a lot of people have mentioned to me, upon seeing my Commander in Chief collection, that they have seen these little fellas at sales and such for years and have always wondered what was up with them. They were first made in the 50s and were not only considered collectible but also an educational tool. The came painted, unpainted, and there were numerous variations. (here's a site with more info). They're still making them to this day (not actual Marx) to compliment existing collections.

Mattel Electronics handheld games from the 1970s

Man, I love these old hand held games from the 1970s and 1980s. If you remember, these were state of the art back in the day. Funny too - the TV commercials showed kids playing them and having a ball but mentioned nothing about the sounds they made - which proved annoying to the parents, especially on long road trips (which is where you wanted to use them for sure).

 Sorry about the crap photos (using a video camera to take stills as my regular camera has once again seemed to have wandered off; he'll be back when he gets hungry), but the Mattel Electronics Auto Race is in damn near mint condition and includes the original box. The Basketball verson shows fairly heavy play, but has held up well - other than the on off switch being missing (but it still slides back and forth easily enough).

Auto Race is really fun as hell, though. You use the gear shift button as essentially throttle and break. My 10 year old nephew actually enjoyed playing it, he was into it for almost the whole time he was in KC visiting, what a cool kid.