Bob's Corner
From our weekly issue dated October 28, 2009
Out for a drive, we came across an antique store and decided to enter, what with becoming sort-of antiques ourselves these days.
And once again, I was amazed, impressed, dumbfounded and somewhat dismayed. Not so much at the prices, but at the number of items that resembled or were nearly identical to “stuff” I had in younger days.
For example, some comic books with the original price of 10-cents were going for upwards of $1.50. Depending on vintage, some prices began at $3. My memory from when I was in the sixth-grade recalled having a 4-foot stack of comic books: Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Superman, Captain Marvel, Blackhawk, Plastic Man, Aquaman, Little Lulu and oh, so many more. What happened to my stash? I think my parents threw them away when I wasn’t looking.
What else did I have? A Tom Corbett Space Ranger set of miniature figures with a space station. Same with a Zorro set. Except that it had a rancho instead of a space station. I also had more than 100 plastic soldiers in various poses, two half-tracks and a tank. Gone, all gone. Woe is me. Woe is my wallet.
Then I remembered my collection of 45 rpm records. Fats Domino, Elvis, Little Richard, The Platters. Why don’t we know when we have such treasures that we should keep them? Probably because we never think that they’ll be collectible. And because our parents throw away stuff when we’re not looking.
I even had a Batmobile that shot sparks out its rear, and several scale models of automobiles including a 1957 T-Bird convertible, a ‘57 Ford Fairlane, and ‘55 Chevy pickup truck. Gone, all gone.
Thinking way back, when I was perhaps in the second grade, my Dad would bring me glass replicas of fire trucks, and such with candy inside. I had several of them. They all disappeared when I wasn’t looking. I also had a collection of small metal cars and trucks. They’re all gone.
Thinking of what might have been is painful inside my skull. Where is my brain these days? Gone, all gone.
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