Just Turned "Vintage" So I'm More Valuable, Right?

Hello,

I turned the big 5-0 last week and it has hit me harder than the other milestone birthdays so far.  I guess it beats the alternative, but it's certainly no fun to look forward to gradually decaying...or at least I hope it's gradual!

My birthday was a pretty low key day which was fine with me.  The heat index was 110 (I know, I complain every blog entry!)  My hubby was off and after several chores/errands, we set off to the Springfield (Ohio) Antique Mall.  It's supposed to be the largest one in the US and air-conditioned.  Well, at least they were right on one count.  It was huge.

I was the one who suggested this trip, so I can't blame Mark.  But, all I did was commiserate with other antiques just like me who don't look as good as they did new.  But, the bright spot is they are more valuable now (no matter why, we aren't going there.)

Mark is always looking for really old tools, parts and manly crap.  He can scan and run through the building and get through it all.  I actually was browsing and had no particular agenda, though I wound up hunting 1973 Derby glasses and 1961 Ohio license plates.  I bought a plate basically to use as a fan.  It was brutal though they tried to cool the place down.  Since I had to scan glass cases I would normally skip, I was too slow for Mark and he went on, looping back every now and then.

I also wound up buying for $1 an Apollo 11 glass that I remember having a set of growing up.  It is dated July 20, 1969 and I remember staying up to watch them walk on the moon on my 8th birthday.  Marathon gas would give you a glass with a fill-up.  That and the $5.50 plate were my big buck purchases.  I am truly a cheap date.

I was struck by just how much of this "crap" I remember.  Especially the toys.  Even if you don't want to buy anything, those of a certain age will enjoy this trip down Memory Lane.  Many of the board games are the same (though I confess, I never finished Monopoly or the game of "Life."  I'm way too ADD for that!) but most of the toys required kids to use their imagination.  What a concept.  I had the cash register, the typewriter, the FP rolly beagle? pull toy with the spring tail that wagged.  I had the play telephone, the record player and on and on.  What fun!  I bet most of us wish we would've kept some of the things we had back then to either sell or give to our kids.  


After we spent three hours there and it closed, Mark surprised me with a trip to Young's Dairy restaurant where he got them to sing (UGH) and ring cowbells (UGH, UGH), even giving me one of my own.  Mark kept ringing it to annoy me and folks around were laughing (several folks were no doubt relieved THEY weren't as OLD as me.)


Well, this antique is going to watch TV on her cool Sony flat screen in air-conditioning now.  Those are things we didn't have back then during the "good" old days of sweltering heat blown by fans and one TV per household.  Don't miss that one bit!


'Til next time!
Gale