A little Pika to be Chu(re)..

Since the cult of Pokemon has taken over Kaspar's school in the last couple of months I thought to surprise him with these finds also from Cambelltown trip yesterday..

Various Pokemon books - Scholastic - 2004

Pikachu - made for Mcdonalds -TGB China - 2012

Although they still don't have the appeal for me like my own Pokemon Stadium Action 3D cards that are the only example of those rare lifeforms I possess..

To the near end of the Line..

It's been awhile since I last traversed the main strip of Cambelltown (not within my living memory..), so as I had to make my way to the southwestern end of the city to recover Junior's bag that he'd left on the train last night in at St James (City Circle), it was an opportunity to op..

Some black vinyl courtesy of the Plaza book & Music Exchange (nicely old school in appearance) from $1 to $5, plus also a fine slab of superhero disco-shmaltz from Meco via The Salvos.

Superman and other Galactic Heroes - Meco - Casablanca records - 1979

Homer and Jethro at the Country Club - Homer & Jethro - RCA - date unknown

Press the Eject and Give Me the Tape - Bauhaus - Beggars Banquet - 1983

The Best of The Cowsills - The Cowsills - MGM Records - date unknown

Came across this Cristian curio at the Lifeline for $2..

The Music Machine - Candle/Sparrow/Birdwing - 1977

Some interior spread of 8 page songbook inside:

Also I much appreciated the effort that staff at the Lifeline went into displaying their treasures - here's a sample:

I got back home with one regret.. I really should have bought this rather than just take a photo:

A killer cover to be sure, what was I thinking...

Way Out West but still on the City line

After the completion of our annual Ironfest involvement I stayed overnight at Lithgow to make a check of the local produce and although the opshops were of no avail the secondhand and bookshop amalgamation at the beginning of Main St brought these to the surface..
This is actually a cojoin with the last post as the first book was obtained the week before in Surry Hills Salvos for $5, but they look too good together... (Kaspar claims these)

Star Wars & Star Wars Episode 1 Incredible Cross-Sections

Reynolds/Jenssen/Chasemore - DK Publishing - 1998 & 1999

The Panic in Needle Park - Magnetic Video - VHS - 1971

Jabberwocky - No details - VHS - date unknown

The Shining - Warner home Video - VHS - 1988

20 Minutes To Go! - Aurora Productions - VHS - 1990

With a copy of Panic in Needle Park also under my wing I trained it back towards home territory, stopping at Penrith to assess the state of play on their opshops - which over 20 years ago had been a fine source of treasurefinds, but on any recent visit had proved to be lame..

Nevertheless, the Salvos did unearth a few precious loops of VHS tape worth hauling back.. (see above and below)

Battlestar Galactica (for Kaspar) - Universal - VHS -1979

The Princess Bride (for Madame B) - CEL - VHS - 1987

In Search of Dr. Seuss (for me) - CEL - VHS - date unknown

The one I'm most looking forward to viewing is 20 minutes To Go!, an apocalyptic Christian musical production (American I assume) with a lyric sheet filled with fantastic outpourings of the heart as follows...

On the black slab agenda these 2 items added both to my Scheherazade and Children's Record piles..

Scheherazade - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - His Master's Voice - date unknown

One Hour of Nursery Rhymes and Stories - Uncle Mac the Story Teller

Plymouth Records - date unknown

Can't wait to hear Uncle Mac...

Absence makes no sense, but nonsense...

Big apologies to anyone who has checked these pages lately and it's inaction.. medical dilemmas and holidays have hindered the Hordeing - but here's a taste of a few recent pickups..
Firstly a trip to Surry Hills Salvo's brought these gems forth.. proving that oddball can still be found at a decent price..

C'mon Aussie C'mon... - The Aussie Battlers - KGC Records - 1979

(only 50c!!)

Uri Geller - Uri Geller - Fork Bender Records - 1999

(I'm sure I didn't pay the marked $4..)

This collection of 70's Marvel monster comics reprints (covers only - ask no questions.. and receive all for $1) also proves that it's always worth digging into boxes of books that haven't made it to the shelf yet. Of note is WMD #6 where Groot makes his historic first appearance before becoming a major film star.. would like to read the story tho...

Also pulled out this Batman classic from 1966 for a buck, with a great TV show style story based around the alphabet - no better way to learn your ABCs..

Batman and Robin from Alfred to Zowie - Golden Press - 1966

I suspect that this came with a record, long gone, telling the story also.

While delving into the TShirt racks I took a small bated breath and hoped this would fit, which it did unlike most great tshirts that I find, and was only $4..

Thrasher - Itsus International - Canada - date unknown

Once again, please bear with me as I attempt to be more reliable in updating this blog.. it encourages me to see that it has now pushed over the 2500 views mark, and if anyone would like to leave a message via the post comments or the messagebook at the bottom of the page then it helps me realise that The Rack finds it's way into other peoples homes (and hearts)...

Finally - a T-Shirt that may get me some respect..

Sorry, if anyone is reading this blog that I haven't been inputing much content lately - but that's just how time is taken away from important stuff like op shopping and continual collecting.. will endeavour to keep up the supply..
Here's the latest Red Cross, Newtown, find that I just had to have.. and have been after something like this for a long time which didn't break the wallet ($8). A must-have Eternia item for a Holy He-Man initiate...

more special vinyl investigations next post, I promise..

Far, Far, Away from the Big City

On our sun soaked waterside holiday in the final school holiday weekend, I was taken on a mystery travel to what turned out to be that far away suburb of Sydney - I'm talking Manly!
Aside from a night at the Sebel and two nights at the QStation historical accommodation of North Head, Manly turned up a few opshop surprises for Madame B, Kasper and I.

First of the bat, St Vinnies dropped four die cast metals into Kaspar's hands at 50c for the lot - thanks to kindly white-haired lady.

Hovercraft - Matchbox - 2000

24/Seven - Hot Wheels - 2002

Bassline - Hot Wheels - date unknown

Mitsubishi Eclipse - Hot Wheels - date unknown

Next after casual carouselling around the festive alleyways we made our way over to the Lifeline establishment. With it's impressive book assemblage front counter and trash boutique appeal I was impressed with the Fisher & Price kids plastic recordplayer (with its pianola type slab records included) in the window - but not by its $45 price, although I was assured that an item like this went for $1000 on Ebay recently. Oh well, I may have let that one slip by, and instead found something which I should be able to find a good home for for a friend's upcoming birthday..

Music From The Big Top - The Merle Evans Circus Band - Tradition - 1974

Down the road apiece we stumbled onto the Salvos store (sorry no photo), and although I walked out with no booty Madame B added these fine porcelain plates to her growing Crown Lynn stack ($2.50 apiece)..

The granny trolley got slightly more heavier as we set out for the return ferry back to the city, leaving the North Head behind us..

Along The Trainline..

This year's theme for Ironfest was 'Time Travel', and arriving in Lithgow as I have for the past 12 years for this year's event can sometimes be a flashback to another era - where opshops flourished and prices remained below secondhand charges. Having began a lot of my collecting while living in the Blue Mountains during the mid 80's I always journey out to these parts with some expectation that things will be better than in the city on these fronts.. sometimes there are disappointments.. and sometimes the travelling can be worth it.
This time out (apart from an excellent time had at Ironfest over two days) Lithgow, Springwood and Blaxland all gave up some treasures to be sure, mainly in the vinyl department.

On the way up Kaspar and I alighted at Springwood on Fri afternoon to once again confirm that it still only has one opshop. Usually not that productive like it had been in the dim past, but two Scheherazade  additions, a sweet Kaempfert coverpic and an oddball  Scripture in Song with promises to tell us what God says about bad language, witchcraft, temptation amongst other important subjects.

While waiting two and a half hours for the next train to continue on to Lithgow we ambled around, settlling for pie and sausage rolls at the only cafe that wasn't supplying gourmet p&s with salad for $6.50 each. Plus the friendly chinaman supplied tomato sauce in a squeezy for free.. now that's country service. While still ambling around we also found a secondhand bookshop that had the best Michael Moorcock pile I've ever seen on display..

although I didn't buy any..

After a weekend filled with explosive Napoleonics, radiationed steam punks & earth shattering victorian steamrollers, I sent the family home on Sunday afternoon. With a free Monday to casually make my way back to the big burg I firstly hankered down Main Street to The Family Store which gave forth a 'black suit' Spiderman tshirt ($2.50).

Not being too disheartened, I continued down to Vinnies in what is now a 2 opshop town. This presented yet another two Scheherazade LPs ($1 each), and a magnificent foldout Top of The Pops '71($2), along with a handful of Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars and VHS' of Star Wars I & II for Kaspar.

A quick step next door to the Hearts For Animals found me hurriedly skimming thru a vast vinyl stack at the back (finding a sweet narrated Alice in Wonderland) and a couple of more Hot wheels - all for 50c - does it get any better??

from top - yellow car unknown

Ballistic - Hot Wheels -2001

'47 Chevy Fleetlore - Hot Wheels - date unknown

unknown - Hot Wheels - 1989

Jeep Grand Cherokee - Matchbox - 1999

Jet Threat - Hot Wheels - 2008

Love this Jet Car

B35? - Hot Wheels - 1994

Well yeah, it did that day.. 

Along with some cheap (at 20c each the best I come across in many a year) discs, The Cancer opshop in Blaxland, my next port of call, served up a fine selection. This included an antiquated Pirates of Penzance, a sultry Songs and Moods for people Alone Together, a Classic Goon Show and a vibrant covered Peter & the Wolf. I also was willing to part $5 for a fantastic covered (and great sounding) BBC Radiophonic Workshop of Doctor Who The Music, as he was a central theme of this year's Ironfest. Also scored a knitted Egyptian queen wall hanging ($5) for Madame Beth to use in an upcoming Egyptian display at the library.

Under the impression that there were three opshops in Blaxland (alas only 2) I quickly made way down to the Vinnies, which held many a secret stash in it's basement of black gold at $1 each. These included two more Peter & the Wolfs (I see a post developing), The Moog Strikes Bach, Walt Disney's Stories of H. C. Anderson, Hymns by Tennessee Ernie Ford and a corker of a record - It's Cool In The Furnace II - just got to find the first volume to make life complete...

The train was incoming and I ran out of time to photograph the front of the stores, alas.

Here is the full details of platters obtained in this jaunt..

Scheherazade - The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra - World record Club - date unknown

Scheherazade - Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic 

Music For Pleasure - date unknown

Scheherazade - Vienna State Opera Orchestra - Calendar - date unknown

Scheherazade - London Symphony Orchestra - Victrola - 1962?

The Best of Top of the Pops '71 - Not Original Artists - Hallmark - 1971

Songs and Moods For People Alone Together - Pietro Delmont Orchestra - Rainbow - date unknown

Alice In Wonderland - Joan Greenwood & Stanley Holloway etc - Caedmon - date unknown

Doctor Who The Music - The BBC Radiophonic Workshop - BBC Records - 1983

The Moog Strikes Bach -  Hans Wurman/Sonart Productions - RCA - 1969

The Pirates of Penzance (2nd of 2set) - The D'oyly Carte Opera Company - Decca - date unknown

A New Sound Conquers the World - Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra - Polydor - post 1961

Tennessee Ernie Ford: Hymns - Capital - date unknown

It's Cool In The Furnace II - L. Mayfield & G. Hawthorne - Word Records - 1984

Sing a Song of Scripture - Various Artists - Scripture in Song - date unknown 

(missing 9 feet long wall poster, alas)

Walt Disney presents The Stories of Hans Christian Anderson - Camarata - Disneyland - 1965

Peter And The Wolf - Sir Ralph Richardson/London Symphony Orchestra - Decca - date unknown

Peter And The Wolf - Paul Daneman/The Little Symphony of London - MFP - 1969

A Musical Story of Peter And The Wolf - Peter Pan Symphony Orchestra - ALF - date unknown

Goon Show Classics Vol 7 - P. Sellers, S. Milligan, H. Secombe - BBC Records - 1980