Another Weekend Antique Excursion!: Part II!

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend as we went on the hunt for retro treasure at one of our local antique malls. I enjoy going to these kinds of stores, because you'll never know what you're going to find. Most of the time the cool stuff that I like is way over priced, but it's cool to know it's out there if I really want it. There were a ton of booths to go through. Some of them did have some great stuff, but nothing that I really collected. Below are some of the items we found this time around...AGAIN!

Marvel Comics Wolverine #75: $2

This issue was a big one back in 1993! Wolverine's Adamantium was ripped out of his body by Magneto and the X-Men were trying to save him. Things turned out well for the Canadian mutant and he had "Bone" claws for a while, but in true comic book fashion, he got his Adamantium back a few issues later and all was right in the world. This book written by G.I. Joe legend, Larry Hama and drawn by Adam Kubert sported an amazing cover that was made all the more better by the inclusion of a freakin' hologram! Take a closer look at this one and you'll notice the hologram is upside down! You better believe this came home with me! At $2 how could it not?

Matchbox Pee-Wee Herman Talking Doll: $25

This doll was released by Matchbox in 1987 and I have some pretty vivid memories of it. I had a friend named George who owned this doll and after the whole "Adult Theater" event happened in 1991, he came to despise the character. One day while at his house, he decided to give the doll a burial at sea and launched Pee-Wee directly into the retention pond behind his housing complex. I never owned this doll or any Pee-Wee merchandise, but I must say that I did enjoy the Pee-Wee's Playhouse show from time to time on Saturday mornings. 

Spuds MacKenzie Plush Toy: $20

Everybody loved Spuds MacKenzie back in the 80's (1987-1989)! He was the lovable "Original Party Animal" who promoted beer. That's where things went wrong. When people started to realize that kids were loving this character as much as the alcohol drinking adults, Budweiser pulled the plug on Spuds after a ton of pushback by parent groups and senators. I can't go to any antique mall without spotting at least one Spuds item. From old beer signs, to plush stuffed animals to t-shirts, Spuds was everywhere. His life as a marketing icon was short, but damn was it successful!

Playmates TMNT Leatherhead Action Figure: $75

This figure was released in 1989 as part of the extremely successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line of toys by Playmates. My brother got this toy when it came out and it was one of our favorites. Who wouldn't love an evil mutant alligator? Leatherhead has been a part of the TMNT universe since his first comic book appearance in the Mirage published "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6". Although his appearance and origins have varied from series to series, Leatherhead has always been a staple in TMNT lore.

Kellog's Corn Flakes Batman Box: $20

Who doesn't love gimmicky cereal boxes? This one has it all. The lenticular photo of Batman transitioning to Bruce Wayne is worth the price alone. This box that was found still includes the original Corn Flakes! I honestly don't remember seeing this on the cereal isle shelves back in 1997, but I wish I had!  

Pepsi Jacksons World Tour '84 Can: $10

I love this can! I should have picked it up. I was all of 4 years old back in 1984, but I already knew what a big deal Michael Jackson was. My sister's played Michael's "Thriller" album non-stop on their record players during that time and every track was a classic. This tour brought Michael back into the mix with his brothers after his massive solo success. Many believe Michael did this to help his brothers out financially. The tour itself was a smash success, but tensions between the brothers led the cancellation of the European and Australian parts of the tour in 1985. This was the only time all 6 Jackson brothers performed together and it was also the last. The hype for the tour was big and the names connected to it were as impressive, featuring Paula Abdul as choreographer and Don King as the promoter. This can symbolizes that brief moment in time where the entire Jackson family was back on top of the world. Like I said, it was brief, but it gave us this kick-ass Pepsi commercial that shows off the dancing skills of a young Alfonso Ribeiro! ENJOY!!!