Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Thrifty twenty (#1)

This is a new type of post in which I will go to a thrift store, garage sale, Goodwill or other form of resale store (or even a dollar store), spend $20 or less (not including tax), and write about what I get. There should be a picture for these posts in the next few days. Expect it to be done weekly or bi-weekly.

Ah, I love new types of posts. This week, I went to both Bookman's (a sort of "buy everything used and media-related" type of store) and Brass Armadillo (a so-called "antiques mall") Here is what I got from each (click to enlarge the photos):

Bookman's:
1: "Hustlin'" 12-inch single record by Rick Ross: $1.00
Not much needs to be said. Vance was jealous of this.
2: "Hustlin' Remix" 12-inch single record by Rick Ross featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy: $1.00
Again, not much needs to be said. Vance was less jealous of this, because apparently to him, the "remix isn't as good." Fuck that, Jay-Z is the man.
3: "Ebony and Ivory" 7-inch single record by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder: $0.50
I totally bought this as a joke. This song reminds me of two things: the commercials they had for USA's TV show Psych while promoting it last season, and the episode of MTV's Rob and Big where they sing this song in karaoke (which coincidentally, was on yesterday).
The way the word "piano" is said in this song absolutely makes it worth the buy. They say it like "pee-yeah-no," and it makes me smile every time I hear it.
4: "Party All the Time" 7-inch single record by Eddie Murphy: $0.50
Another joke. Look at how seriously Eddie Murphy is taking himself on the cover of this album. Oh Edward. What happened? And why was Rick James in this music video?
5: "Start Me Up" 7-inch single record by the Rolling Stones: $0.75
This is one of the few songs by the Stones that I actually like. Sure, I went through a mild Stones phase when I was 12 or 13. But I still like this song for some reason.

Brass Armadillo: 1: "On the Road" 12-inch album by George Carlin: $4.00
I miss George. I've been looking for anything by him on vinyl for a while now, and this one is literally flawless. It isn't warped, scratched, or otherwise in any sort of bad condition (though it is missing the accompanying booklet). Sure, it isn't his best album, but it was still a nicely priced record for the condition that it is in.
2: "At San Quentin" 12-inch album by Johnny Cash: $4.00
This was from the same bin that the Carlin record was from, and it is in almost identical condition (besides some superficial wear on the sleeve). But the vinyl itself is awesome. Black and glossy, just like it should be. Such a great album too. Not as good as say, "Live at Folsom Prison," but good nonetheless.
3: Evil Dead 2: Collector's Edition VHS tape: $5.00
I wouldn't have spent one quarter of my allotted cash on any movie other than this. The "Collector's Edition" tape features a letter from Bruce Campbell himself on the reverse of the paper insert. That alone makes it worth the buy.
Grab bag of various toys: $1.001: Captain America plush
This is what originally caught my eye. I knew the instant I saw it that I had to have it, so I paid a buck and got all this other junk with it. He has no chin, and the tag still dangles from his hand; telling me he was produced in 2001.
2: Weird Superman toy
I get the feeling that this Superman toy is one of the types that is released with all of the accessories that Superman wouldn't normally have (like a grappling hook or gun) when a new television series or movie comes out. This version of Supes has orange, clear plastic hands and a flattop haircut. I wonder what his function is.
3: Batman Burger King toy
I had this toy when it came out around 2001. This was to promote Cartoon Network's then-new Justice League series. He doesn't do much besides move his arms in circles, so I like to pretend he's stretching before battle. He does have an awesome double-layered cloth cape though.
4: Japanese Batman toy
This toy is the diamond in the rough of the Ziploc baggie. Manufactured by Japanese toy giant Takara in 2003, it is a sought-after import from DC Direct (view it here on Amazon). He has 25 points of articulation, removable limbs, and awesome muscles. Definitely made the bag totally worth the dollar.
5 and 6: Superman and Steel pencil sharpeners
These are from the 90's, as evident by Superman's mullet and...well, Steel. Not much to say about these, besides the fact that I think Steel is a horrible movie. Oh, and they don't seem to be open-able.
7: Superman cake topper
You may ask me "How do you know this is a cake topper?" Well, imaginary reader, it is completely obvious. It is made of cheap plastic, stands well on its own, and is just lame enough to be considered worth putting ankle-deep in frosting. It's from 1988. Yeeeeah.
The "S" on his chest is a cheap sticker, which leads me to believe that someone took care of this obsessively.
8: Superman minifigure
This toy is tiny. It comes with a swizzle stick-like thing that you stick into the bottom of it, so your fat fingers don't crush Superman when you pretend he is flying while re-enacting a fight with Brainiac. Brilliant.
9: No clue
I couldn't fathom to guess what this thing is. Most likely thrown in at the last second (considering everything else is comics-related), it seems to be a mage of some sort, floating on a purple cloud. If you know what this is, tell me. It looks Yu-Gi-Oh or Final Fantasy related.

Total money spent: $17.75
Let me know what you think of this new post type by rating it please.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

#9 is definitely final fantasy related.

Not sure which one. :D