Company

This week I was joined by two guests, both of which you will likely recognize.

The first, Mr. Modtomic's kitty, is staying over while his mom and dad roadtrip.   The poor guy hasn't yet adjusted to his new surroundings, and this is just about all I've seen of him.

He's claimed the underside of my bed as well as the second story workshop for himself and isn't really up for any company yet.  Hopefully liberal bribes of catnip and treats will loosen him up a bit and we can do some bonding.

I also brought home this Kay Bojesen-inspired teak monkey.  I know that it certainly isn't an original Bojesen, but is it a Zoo Line?  I've got no idea.  So many companies made so many knockoffs that it's hard to tell.  Makes for great office decor, if not a great toy, irregardless.

Zenith MT1925

I haven't had much time to post lately.  Work and chores have kept me on my toes, but I thought I'd sneak a quick one in from the office.

This Zenith Stereophonic Hi-Fi (Model MT1925) was kind of purchased as an afterthought.  I'd gone to an estate sale and made a big score, which I've not yet posted, and saw the stereo console sitting in the corner of the room on my way out.  The organizers were pretty desperate to get rid of it and offered me a price that was too good to pass up.  I guess they figured that nobody listens to vinyl anymore and didn't want to be stuck with it after the sale.

This model includes and AM/FM tuner and turntable.

The front panel reminds me of the Broyhill Emphasis line, one of my favorites, and it sounds great too.  While modern satellite speakers may be more efficient, the big, old sets definitely trump them in fullness and richness of sound.

I'm not sure if this is a keeper.  I like the look, but space is getting tight and, unlike most of my friends, I am not in possession vinyl collection.  I know that vinyl offers some benefits over digital, but having every album that I own instantly accessible and portable is just so convenient.

Oh, and did you see that we're up over 100,000 hits!

To celebrate, here's some pictures of Scrappy Cat with her little kitties that I found on my work computer.  I know you all love cute kitties.  Just look at those faces.

"Thrift" Stores

We had a good run, thrift stores, but it's time for me to move on.

Remember those $10 Taylor Smith Taylor place settings for 8, the $40 Brasilia bedroom sets, and the $3 Quartite table lamps?  Those were the days.

I'm not sure when I noticed that things had gone south.  Maybe it was the $2.00 per piece place settings, the $200 no-name laminate-topped writing desk with missing veneer and crayon scribbles, or the pieces with Goodwill price tags that were higher than the (still attached) retail stickers.

I told you about what happened with my ex, estate sales.  You knew how I felt about that breakup.  Now you've gone and broken my heart too.

I'd say it was me, not you, but your addiction to price increases has driven us apart.  Maybe, with time, we can find each other again, but I'm through putting in all of the work for nothing in return.

Full Circle

 The saga of the jack comes to a close.

First we nailed down the designer of these ubiquitous MCM icons, which turned to be a man by the name of Bill Curry.  Then I snagged a couple modern knockoffs for a great price on the net.

Now I've gone and brought home a vintage "original".  As discussed earlier, there's no way be 100% sure whether you've got an Original Curry or one of the myriad of knockoffs produced in the 60's, but the dimensions and proportions all match original spec.  That's good enough for me.  Done and dusted.

Barbecue

Source: divaq.ca

Would any fellow St. Louis MCM enthusiasts be interested in a spring/early summer BBQ get-together?  Mr. Mod and I were talking a couple days ago and thought that it might be a good idea.

Nothing fancy, just some burgers, brats, a couple sides, and maybe a few cold, frosty adult beverages in the back yard on a sunny saturday.

If you'd be interested, just let me know and we can hopefully make something happen.

The end of an era

NoOoooOooOoooOo!  Why must all good things come to an end so quickly?

The Foundry, my most favored online purveyor of dirt-cheap MCM knock offs, is no more.  It's been gobbled up by Hayneedle.com.  They said over and over again that everything would be just the same and, like every other time that a business promises that there won't be any changes, there's been some major freakin' adjustments... for the worse.  Yes, those words almost invariably mean that things are about to get either more expensive or more complicated.  In this case, both transpired.

Hayneedle.com is a mess and their prices often go far north of retail.  Bullet planters for $196?  No, thanks.  I can get them from the manufacturer, Hip Haven, for $150.

Ugh.  This online shopper is not impressed.

source: catmoji

Luckily, I got all of my bullet planter needs covered by the Foundry before things went down.

All of these bullet planters (plus one more not pictured) were brought to my doorstep for $90 TOTAL.  Suck it, Hayneedle!  I got some other great deals that I'll share with you later as well.

So, readers, what are your sources for the occasional guilty knock off purchase?  Have any good ones that you'd like to share?

I don't mean to crow, but this was a pretty sweet deal.

Well, look what we have here.  It's another special delivery!

What's inside?  You probably already got the hint, but how about we take a peek?

Hey little guy!  You look awful snug in there.  Let's get you on out and clean off all of that nasty Styrofoam dust.

That's much better.  And do you know what beats having a new replica Eames House Bird?  Having a New Eames House Bird and paying a tiny, tiny fraction of the $230 Vitra asking price.

Yep, this is a "fake", but the funny part is that, other than the single original, they're all fakes.  Yep, even the Vitra repro.  The original bird was a souvenir brought back from the Eames' travels and was hand-carved from alder wood by an unknown Appalachian craftsman.  It became one of their most treasured pieces and featured prominently in their Case Study House #8 as well as in numerous Herman Miller advertisements and Eames portraits.

 Source: Inform Interiors

Source: Blouin Art Info

 Source: Inform Interiors

  Source: Wee Birdy

Can you tell the difference between the expensive Vitra and my cheapo copy?

 Source: Dwell

 Source: Dwell

 I can't either, but my wallet sure can.