Vintage Springbok's Christmastown, U.S.A. Jigsaw Puzzle Reviewed

My husband and I had fun working this vintage 1986 jigsaw puzzle from Springbok and Hallmark Cards though we struggled a bit with the edge pieces. Called Christmastown, U.S.A., it features artwork by Art Carlson and depicts a downtown scene with the main street dressed for Christmas and the townsfolk completing their holiday errands.  The scene is set in the 1980s but made more charming by the inclusion of vintage items like a couple of horse-drawn carriages and a trolley or street car.

The back of the box features a poem by Linda Elrod that starts, "When the Christmas crowds are heavy and the city moves too fast, I close my eyes and think about a Christmas of the past." It finishes with "Yes, I love these small-town memories, which time cannot erase. If Christmas joy is anywhere, it's in this special place." How lovely.

Marked puzzle number PZL9805, this puzzle has over 700 pieces and when assembled, will measure 13 inches by 40 inches.  

If you love Springbok puzzles as I do, you won't want to miss this one.  Search for Springbok's Christmastown, U.S.A. by clicking here to eBay.

Do you love working jigsaw puzzles? At Christmastime or all year long? Have you worked this puzzle?

Happy Puzzling and Merry Christmas to you!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Springbok puzzles in my eBay store.

Springbok Nutcracker-themed puzzles.

A Christmas jigsaw puzzle tradition.

Springbok's Book Shop puzzle, perfect for puzzlers who love to read!

WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF THE FANNY PACK?

For those who don’t know, a fanny pack is, quite simply, a bag that originally was worn fastened around your waist but which can also be draped across your upper body. The bag is, however, known by many other names including waist pouch, hip pack, belt bag and bum bag. If I recall correctly, I reluctantly called mine a fanny pack so that is what I will call them here on this page.

According to The Globe and Mail, Adweek Magazine declared fanny packs as “the hottest product of the year” in 1988 and yes, I used one during their height of their popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. As a matter of fact, I still own my original fanny pack though I have not worn it in a long time because it is a bit big and was, for many years, out of style.

Mine original pack is blue, made by XYZ and of a rather simple design. It is not interesting at all like the vintage Jansport, Patagonia or Spyder waist pouches that were made in multiple color combinations and that are available now.

I think that these bags really are a great product keeping what you needed at hand and relieving your shoulders from having to carry a purse. It was interesting, therefore, when I discovered that they, in both new and vintage styles, have recently had a resurgence in popularity.

Vintage Jansport fanny pack shown above was

from the eBay store of 3r_esposa.

FAMOUS MOMENTS

Fanny packs have definitely had their share of moments in the limelight.   In the 1990s, on Seinfeld George said of a fanny pack that it "looks like your belt is digesting a small animal.” In 1996, Dwayne Johnson "The Rock" wore a fanny pack in a Vogue magazine article. That picture has never been forgotten. In 2015, actor Jared Leto was photographed wearing a fanny pack on the beach and went on to sell them on his brand’s website. In 2017, Leonardo DiCaprio wore one on his vacation in Thailand.

Vintage Spyder fanny pack shown above is

from the eBay store of reserve-76.

VINTAGE OR NEW

You can have your choice from eBay of a vintage fanny pack by clicking here or of a new fanny pack by clicking here. I was somewhat surprised that in line with the current popularity of everything 1990s, brands like Louis Vuitton, Versace, Burberry, Gucci, Nike and Saint Laurent have all issued waist pouches though I know Roots Canada has been producing simple, leather waist pouches for at least a decade because I carry one of them.

Do you wear a fanny pack and, if so, what do you call it?

Whatever it is, 

you can get it on eBay!

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Visit my eBay store, Treasures By Brenda.

The Great Glebe Garage Sale

Another year, another wonderful day at the Great Glebe Garage Sale in Ottawa. This year my husband went with me. We were there bright and early and had found a cart full of treasures for my eBay store by 10 a.m.

A cart is a must since the Glebe sale is a huge neighborhood sale at which you must park your car and walk and, if you are really going to shop and not just to soak in the atmosphere or people watch, you definitely should take something to help you carry around your treasures.

This year I was thrilled to find a Big Hug Mug. It's a mug that I have written about on this blog before and one that was, just a few months ago, selling for up to $100 on eBay. However, due to the natural laws of supply and demand, this mug is now more readily available on eBay and therefore, much less expensive.  If you are curious about what all the fuss is about this particular coffee mug, you can read my original post about the Big Hug Mug here or if you are looking to buy one, you can check this one out on eBay by clicking here.

The items I found included a vintage talking Garfield that has never been removed from the box, a couple of new Lego sets and a new pair of leather Reebok hi top sneakers that, if they fit, are destined for the feet of my grown son rather than my eBay store.

We loaded our finds into the car and headed for the FarmTeam Cookhouse & Bar, who is no longer in business, where we were early enough to choose a wonderful street-side table on the patio from which to enjoy breakfast and do a bit of people watching ourselves.  The fact that the cookhouse created a special menu for the day is testament to just how crazy busy the Great Glebe Garage Sale is. 

What a wonderful day out! I hope you did something fun this weekend, too!

You Never Know What I Might
Have In Store For You!
Brenda





Quick Links:

Buy this Big Hug Mug on eBay.

Visit Treasures By Brenda on eBay.

The Big Hug Mug From True Detective

(Big Hug Mug on eBay)

If you are watching the gritty HBO crime series True Detective with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as Louisiana State Police detectives, you might have noticed the Big Hug Mug seen during an interrogation with McConaughey’s character Rust Cohle as shown here.

It happens from time to time that an item which appears in a television program or a movie becomes a part of pop culture and that is the case with this simple coffee mug, which started life in the 1980s as a small floral arrangement known as the FTD Big Hug Mug Bouquet.

Since appearing on True Detective, the Big Hug Mug has become a sought after item and fans are turning to eBay to buy themselves one. If you are looking to add a Big Hug Mug to your collection or want to gift one to a True Detective fan, you can find one on eBay by clicking right here.

You Never Know What I Might
Have In Store For You!
Brenda

MORE MOVIE MERCHANDISE:

Read about the  Isadora Diamond Necklace from How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days.

Mother Goose & Grimm's Grimmy Plush Toy

Meet Grimmy of Mother Goose & Grimm fame. 

Mother Goose & Grimm is a comic strip by Mike Peters that first appeared in 1984 and eventually went on to appear in 500 newspapers.

The cartoon became a CBS television series in 1991 and, as evidenced by the year 1987 on this large plush Grimmy's tag, toys were being produced fairly early on.

The comic strip is still in production today and vintage toys like this one are in demand on eBay. Click here to see the plush Grimmys available on eBay right now.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!

Gourmet Challenge Trivia Board Game

According to the box, Gourmet Challenge is an "exciting board game, a true test of fine foods, fine wines, social etiquette and lifestyles." It's an adult game, recommended for individuals 18 years of age and older who have or would like to have a good culinary knowledge base. 

Gourmet Challenge is a vintage 1984 game so it is old enough to be difficult to find but not old enough yet to be considered antique.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

A few sample questions:

From the Histories & Nationalities category is "Is beer made in Indonesia?"

From the Gourmet's Delight category, "What French chef of King Louis Philippe was credited with inventing Pommes Soufflees?"

From the Wine & Beverages category, "What year was an excellent one for red Rioja: 1971, 1972 or 1978?"

WHERE TO FIND IT?

If you are looking for a copy of Gourmet Challenge, you can try on eBay by clicking here. They tend to come and go so you may have to check back from time to time.

If you are a game player, be sure to check out the rest of the new, used and vintage board games in my eBay store.

Be sure to come back here and see what other treasures I turn up for you. You can even subscribe to my blog on the sidebar to be automatically notified when I add a new post.

You never know what I might

have in store for you! 

Brenda

Trivia Answers: Yes, Chef Collinet and 1978.