Toad the Wet Sprocket

Once upon a time there was a band, and they played near the beach, in my home town. No one plays music at the beach anymore, unless they want to get arrested.

In Case You Were Wondering

I am taking a break from writing on these blogs and pages, while I research and work on launching my new website. I thank you for your patronage and look forward to speaking with you again soon. Hang in there people.

The Pentagram, Number Seven, Autumn 1967

The idea that you could be arrested and prosecuted as a witch in the UK up until the 1960’s is mind-boggling. Arrested and prosecuted for being a witch? In the 20th century? I can’t even imagine it. This is the seventh book in a series. I have never even seen a copy of number six, but I have originals of numbers 1-5. I don’t even show those to folks because they contain actual witchcraft spells. Do they work? I have no idea because I do not fool around with that stuff.

1933 Boy Scout Handbook

Back in the 1930’s they took the motto, “Be Prepared,” a lot more seriously that today. This thing is so handy for everything, I still keep a copy of it around, in case of emergencies.

Vintage Keys

My father would always tell me that locks and keys were to keep honest people out. I have lived in NYC where you had to have a rhino in front of the door so folks would not enter but at some point in the past, a lock and key would have done the trick.

“Peanuts” Birthday Plate, 1966

This is a pretty cool “Peanuts” Happy Birthday plate. This one is from 1966 and resides in my little brother’s massive “Peanuts” collection. There is so much “Peanuts” stuff out there I only buy vintage “Peanuts,” stuff these days.

Stock Certificate, Keystone Mines, Amador City California, May, 12, 1915

I can’t imagine there was much left in the Keystone Mines in Amador City in 1915. This is another possible example of “mining by assessment.” This was a simple premise wherein the folks allegedly working on the mines kept hitting their investors for more money while actually delivering little more than a “dry hole.” Lots of mining fortunes were made this way. Pretty certificate though.

Religious Medals, Various Dates

The majority of these are Catholic Religious Medals. They have various dates of manufacture, and a few even came from Rome. These have been personally collected by myself since they first gave me one in church when I was 7 years old.

Matchbook Collection

Is there a place these days that gives matches to its customers, other than bars or liquor stores, when you buy or use cigarettes? Matchbooks once had a lot of information but they are now seemingly gone.

“Weird Tales,” “Golden Smog,” Rykodisc 10-13-1998

This is a very strange promotional booklet for a band that has a very strange past. The first incarnations of this band, because of "Contractual Obligations," were forced to use fake names on the liner notes of the records. "Weird Tales," is the first time the actual players on the record were listed by their real names. As you can see there are a lot of culprits on the records including Jeff Tweedy of the Jayhawks, and the great Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum. A very odd promo indeed. This one was on Rykodisc, who had a way of nurturing, and ferreting out these musical gems.