My Odds & Ends: AMENDMENT #2!!!

[BrandonDaCollector]

Shame PB. Oh I remember Walden Books, they were in malls in My area as well but I never really was a shopper there.

Acid - Glad you loved Waldo and know about him well and cool about that additional trivia too

Thanks guys

[BrandonDaCollector]

So it was in 1991 which was a really cool year (one of last good ones to be honest), one day I was out with My Mom & her boyfriend Kevin (we did a lot together including going to the great WWF Houseshow we went to that I showcased previously!). They wanted to go to Johnny Brock's Dungeon for whatever reason. I believe I had been there once before but it could have been My first time. They are a great Halloween Party Warehouse store that I will feature within this showcase in a while So we're there and I saw a funny book there and I wanted it and she got it for Me. It was The Fart Book! I loved the way it looked and it's hilarious jokes. Being only 10 years old and being in an era when kids thought farts & burps were funny (this generation thinks nothing of it now) this book was so apropos for Me. I took care of the book as best I could over the past 3 decades (it's been that long already, I can't believe it). I look at it now and then and still its as funny as it was then and seeing and knowing how this pathetic day and age is now, it's really it's quite strange that such a book was made but I'm sure glad that it was

I will show only a few pages. Here is the cover and first page. I love how the covers felt and the puffy & raised lettering, I have always loved that kind of stuff on books, magazines & VHS cases



The book was published by Ivory Tower



Here is an example of what The Fart Book is ALL ABOUT




Here is the publisher's other offerings & the back cover They were really "adult-oriented" even more so than this one, imagine an 11 year old getting these kind of books...nuts huh



Johnny Brock's: So now we are going down memory lane even more further. As a continuing feature of Mine, I am desperately trying to bring back the stores of old. Now their still in business but they only have 2 locations left and the one I got My Fart Book from is gone and been gone thanks to the p!demic I used to go there when I needed stuff for My Halloween needs for My gigs when I would dress up and be the talk of the town. They were in Hampton Village, THE SAME PLAZA as B. Dalton was when I just VERY recently just showcased My great Waldo Books

Here is their AWESOME logo and a bit inside their store



Here is a great little pictorial history of Hampton Village This is vintage picture of before the plaza was completed and way before I knew it to be when I experienced during the good'ole days...when your talkin' history in St. Louis, arguably, there is no other place more classic than Hampton Village



Here is a more recent pic in the 80s to early/mid 90s of one of the entryways. Notice JCPenny's logo there



Here is actual pic of Johnny Brock's front of their building. Look at the Mardi Gras sale and their store hours!



Here is one of the LAST videos of Johhnie Brock's in Hampton Village EVER! It's from Fox 2, one of the best news channels in St. Louis' history right in Down Town by the Arch and for decades was the home of WWF/WWE Programming including today's WWE Smackdown, World Series, X-Files, The Simpsons and much more! Watch this short news clip, you'll see Mr. Brock himself and ALL of the great history of his stores



Johnny Brock's other location on Jefferson, it's a really bad neighborhood, shame



That's all for now. If you just now seeing this then scroll UP and see My Fart Book I hope you liked it and were a bit thrilled about Johnny Brock's history I am going to post a special BONUS of JCPenny & Johnny Brock's together before & after/restoration then I will move on to My next showcase...until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So as I said, there was gonna be a very special bonus and here it is. Now you already saw My great showcase of Johnny Bocks where I got My funny Fart Book. When I showcased My Waldo Books & B. Dalton just recently I said about JCPenny's being there in the same plaza too which was really the first huge attraction in Hampton Village. So with the help of the p!ademic many, many businesses went out of business and Johhny Brock's & JCPenny were just only 2 of them there which was really sad because I knew they were there for a very long time ever since I was a youngster. I loved looking at the lights at night time looking at the nighthawks there.
Even though the great Target was rebuilt in 05/06, I had great times there but really it doesn't beat how the original building & stock was in the 80s & 90s right across the street from Hampton Village! Thank goodness Schnucks is still there because I had some great times there as well. So here is how part of the plaza looks now as I speak



JCPenny has been taken over by Ross Dress For Less



and Johnny Brock's has been taken over by Fireside Subs.



RESTORATION!'

Here they are as they once were really a couple short years ago NOTE: The big brown building next to them on the far right is Schnucks, it really hasn't changed all that much over the course of time





Look at the beauty now I was never into the store and had only been inside of it for a handful of times but for Me it is quite imperative to show how it once was because it was so classic looking and was there for decades all for something like some 2020 to happen to it In the future, it will be sadly forgotten by many into an abyss of oblivion like so many great places in My area and that is why its important to Me





And here we are with Johnny Brock's, I have already deeply went into them with My Fart Book showcase. The only thing there needs to be said is this is kinda close as to how it was not that long ago



So if your just now seeing this then you've missed some crucial points here. Scroll up and see My Fart Book and the "REAL" Johnny Brock's as I put it all in major detail. I did the same with B. Dalton which was all part of our great Hampton Village I have been desperately trying to restore many of the poorly forgotten stores locally and even elsewhere because nobody else is doing it and because of that they will ultimately be forever forsaken in limbo and I am trying extremely hard to NOT to LET THAT HAPPEN Next will be a regular showcase in My great Odds & Ends topic which you'll really like this one...until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here we go with another special showcase of My Odds & Ends. This is one that is truly special as it will deal with some rare stuff and that has always been some of My most fondest items from when I was a youngster. I got these from various places. These were from great times with My Grandparents so get ready for a good ride

Hulk Hogan Pencil Gripper: I have no clue as to how I got this or where for that matter. I know I was extremely young though This is one of the most obscure figurines ever of "The Hulkster". In fact I believe this is My first time I EVER SAW HIM then all of a sudden I started seeing him in Rocky III and in the WWF and he became a huge hero of Mine and the rest is history The sculpt is fairly decent and is reminiscent of his days in AWA & NJPW This is such a wonderful piece of history mark My words



ShowBiz Pizza Token: Ah, the final piece to complete My Showbiz Pizza Place collection. I had showcased them in My great Vintage Action Figure topic among other places within the forum. This is a token that you would use and put in the arcade games such as the Star Wars Arcade I have talked about many times as well as many other types of games. I kept this for a special keepsake from the 80s when I was little and I'm sure glad I did because it's HISTORY It still looks really nice too



Wehrenberg Theaters Tokens: There was many times I went to Wehrenberg Theaters whom were the largest in the country, even more so than AMC until they were taken over by Marcus I'm not sure when I got these. It may have been when I saw Willow seeing it with My Grandparents in Our little special event we had together but I'm actually thinkin' I got them more recently in the 2000s. Either way this is pure history because they were the oldest theater chain in the world and now they are being forgotten about despite Marcus still uses much of their buildings and a lot more...just not the name One day I may do a brief special on them Notice all three are different shade of metal and are sculpted rather nicely



Reader's Digest & Apollo 11: These are some dandy nice ones but I have no clue as to how I obtained them



North Shore Animal League Token: I believe My Grandma MiMi gave this to Me because of all of the animal stuff she was doing like breeding dogs and making a mint with'em as I had pointed out in My great tribute to her It's really a nice looking coin with a cat & dog on there



Meramec Caverns: I got this special beauty at Meramec Caverns in Sullivan Missouri. We only went there once but wow, I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember going into the caverns, it was so awesome. I loved getting into the big creek bed there too The coin is fabulous and has the legendary Jesse James on there because this was HIS HIDEOUT I remember many people saying there that "don't believe the stories about him getting killed that it was all a tale and that he survived to a ripe old age" That always stuck there with Me Whether it's true or not is anybody's guess but at this point anything is possible If you haven't seen Meramec Caverns then you got too because its one of the most magnificent and famous cave systems in the entire planet believe you Me



Dairy Queen & Women Mardi Gras Tokens: Oh Me & My Grandparents went to Dairy Queen quite often especially when We would visit Illinois in the old days which were such great times. Unfortunately it was very disappointing that said location was out of business in the very early 90s, it was our favorite place to go before We went out on Our trips Here is a great looking Token/Coin I got from there Here is a quite a unique one, its a superb Krewe of Venus, Honoring 1st Ladies Lucy Ware Webb Hayes Mardi Gras Token that was issued in 1990 I really don't know how I got this one but it must have been from special set or something. Its really nice depicting the First Lady and also a very cool & busty depiction of the Roman Goddess Venus



Fruity Pebbles Dinosaur Coins issue #1: So Post Cereal would have a special offer with some great Dinosaur Coins. They are sculpted excellently and still depicted in classic fashion. There was two different sets from different years in the mid to late 80s. I wasn't able to complete them but here is the ones that I have which is Allosaurus, Brontosaurus & Tyrannosaurus Rex!



and the second issue is of the Fruity Pebbles Dinosaur Coins which is Allosaurus & Tyrannosaurus Rex!



SPECIAL GALLERY!

ShowBiz Pizza Special: Ah, here is what I have been waiting for Here is all three of My special ShowBiz Pizza items that I have found over the course of many recent months to compete the trifecta Look at the all of that fun classic history It was so cool being a kid then and going there, nothin' else like it



Fruity Pebbles Dino Coin Comparison: Notice how both are different and that the year is 1988 and how the Dinosaur Family Tree is wonderfully shown



Size Comparison: Here is My Hulk Hogan Pencil Gripper compared to some of the great Coins & Tokens within this fantastic showcase



So that's all for now, I hope you liked it I'm gonna have some more great stuff and defunct locations to show very soon, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

Ah, here we go, much sooner than I original thought with a Wehrenberg Theaters special Before I actually get into the actual bonus section, here is My quote of My very wonderful & recent showcase just a few short days ago

Wehrenberg Theaters Tokens: There was many times I went to Wehrenberg Theaters whom were the largest in the country, even more so than AMC until they were taken over by Marcus I'm not sure when I got these. It may have been when I saw Willow seeing it with My Grandparents in Our little special event we had together but I'm actually thinkin' I got them more recently in the 2000s. Either way this is pure history because they were the oldest theater chain in the world and now they are being forgotten about despite Marcus still uses much of their buildings and a lot more...just not the name One day I may do a brief special on them Notice all three are different shade of metal and are sculpted rather nicely

I have come to the conclusion that the above Wehrenberg Theaters Tokens are indeed from the 2000s and not years prior

So the introduction is this: I originally posted this on Matty Collector's Matty Board way back in 2011. However, I cannot reprint what I originally said since the board is off cyberspace but I do have the original pictures that I posted over a decade ago This was a huge deal to Me back then. I posted it because Mattel was still making their great Ghostbusters Classics series so I thought it was quite apropos to share it If I recall correctly, nobody replied to it which was a shame (2011 is when I really started noticing things really being downgraded in multiple levels in just about every category known) so I am going to write up a special "retelling" of this all these years later This is also a combination of not only bringing this special moment of mine back but also bringing back a theater company that once was and is quickly being forgotten about. It has become My mission to bring these times of old back and to also revitalize stores locally & otherwise that has fallen into this androgynous society's pathetic limbolic nature. If you have been following My topics and actually reading them then you'll know why this has become such a purpose

So it was late 2016, Marcus Theatres took over Wehrenberg Theaters whom was the largest and oldest theater chain in the country, they were around for over 100 YEARS I had experienced them for decades and saw dozens upon dozens of movies there plus much, much more!

Here is the pics that I made long ago. This is My favorite location to go to. It's in South County at Ronnie's Plaza. Its one of the largest in Missouri. It is still known as Ronnies 20 Cine st least! Here I put together their logo, the way it was inside with the classic inspiration of a drive-inn restaurant with such excellent food and their wonderful arcade room that I absolutely loved going in



Why I posted this on the Matty Board back in 2011 is because I saw the Ghosbusters come back on the big screen
via a digital projection plus the prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing It was such a tremendous experience like I never had before nor since This was on October 27th, 2011...right before Halloween...it was awesome



Here is the special Ghostbusters picture that I put together of their ad



Here is the special collage that I made. I love how it turned out. I put together most of all of the important stuff. If you notice, I even put Belushi there in his cameo So I'm gonna go down memory lane here as I had once did on the Matty Board. I was only about 3 years old or so. Me & My Family went to our regular location at The Kenrick (this was the most memorable location which I will talk about soon) and I'm not sure what we saw, I remember walking down the hall, opening up the door and seeing Ray with his Ecto-Goggles on. I was a bit young but I wanted to see that again. Then when it came on VHS My Grandma MiMi rented it for Me over at Rainbow Video (I plan on doing something about them as well soon) and then I watched it and loved it. I loved it so much I had her rent it for over and over again hence why she finally bought it for Me along with Willow as seen in My Vintage Action Figure Topic & her great tribute that I made for her. I adored Ghostbusters so much I watched the cartoon all the time and got the figures (I already showcased them all & more) and whenever anything GB was around, I wanted it

So came 2010, in one of the most grandest movie years of all-time (I saw about 40 movies that year No joke. I was a huge movie-goer. I used to keep track with every title I was interested in but things have been much different now but more on that later. Over at Ronnie's 20 Wehrenberg Theater in November, they had a special Blu-Ray projection (I also saw Paranormal Activity 2, Puss in Boots and the shocking Skyline which was a a really cool idea. Since film was becoming obsolete and everything was becoming digital (see how this day and age has become) there was very little movies "real" films to be had. By time in 2011 all film was over and every movie went digital thus becoming the norm It was only being shown that night so I had to see everything I wanted then. It was really cool and there was only a handful of people to see which were all adults which the kids were already doing then what they do today which is not being interested in the classic stuff of yesteryear and not having the fun that their parents once had

Around a year later, they brought back Ghostbusters again but this time it was a digital projection meaning it was an "actual" release. I was like gosh, I just seen this last year here but hey, I'm a huge GB fan so I can see this countless times It was fantastic seeing it on the big screen and making up for not experiencing it at the show since I missed out when I was a youngster. I tried to pay attention to it as much as could and not letting all of the noisy people distract Me cause ya know, they always mess things up I just loved seeing all of the scenes, hearing the songs & music score and loving the special effects. When it was all over I clapped and they soon followed This was the last time I had seen the movie at the show but boy it was wonderful



When I was there I met founder of The Ghostbusters of Greater St. Louis Mikhail Lynn. He is a professional prop builder and made all of the GB replicas himself. When I saw the reboot in 2016, I met him one last time and he didn't agree with the critics and thought the new film was great, he was like the people are too picky and that they should just have a good time and I totally agreed with him! He also said he was going to build & customize his own life-size Ecto-1 to get around the city in, I haven't seen it but I'm sure it's close to the real thing cause he's one of the best I've ever seen

Here is Mikhail Lynn and his great GB logo with the St. Louis Arch! as the "no logo"



and here is his crew/fellow Ghostbusters of Greater St. Louis at the St. Louis Science Center, note the Giant Squid, Hammerhead Shark & Great White Shark...this is the same SLSC that I saw T-REX Sue at You ain't been to a place like this till you been here...oh yes, we got the stuff Also, check them out, their right below The Arch, that is awesome



And now it's time for The Thing and it was one of the first movies to have stadium seating



This was My most anticipated movie of the whole year and seeing it right before Halloween was so radical I am a huge The Thing fan...I have ALL of the comics, look for a special showcase of them in the near future in this VERY TOPIC I loved John Carpenter's The Thing...My Grandparents saw the film when it first came out in 1982 and they were shocked by it Yes, 1982, 40 years ago this year which I was only a about a year young or so So seeing the movie when I got older I was astounded by it as well. I later got McFarlane's Movie Maniacs of The Thing! Having been really familiar with the story, it was going to be so exciting to see how the prequel would be and it didn't disappoint Me. I know the budget issue for the climax and all that but IMO it was still awesome. It was done really well. I love the movie score, it's one of Marco Beltrami's best ones he has ever composed Still to this day I regret not seeing it again despite I got the DVD Combo Pack only a couple months later. I made a special collage for the film also for Matty Collector. I don't recall anybody saying anything about it, so darn amazing how people are I put all of the main characters there plus everything else that was needed



So after this special event I was ready for another special at the show like this. I was like, well, their gonna show Ghostbusters II soon now. Well, years went by and still nothing. I was hoping that John Carpenter's The Thing would also be shown during a special Halloween selection like they usually do every year but nope, its the usual Halloween & A Nightmare on Elm Street ones...their great but come on, choose something different for a change. Then 2019 was ongoing and I thought oh boy, a Ghostbusters II special showing should be out because it's the 30th Anniversary of the movie as it came out in 1989 I remember Me & My family went to the cool AMC Theater in Crestwood Plaza back then when it first came out. So did they show a special re-release for it's 30th anniversary NOPE Absolutely a brilliant decision I'll tell ya, this was such a miss opportunity, so nothing happen and since the p!ad3c happen and all of this other stuff I lost interest in not only waiting but going to the show in general



I'll say the reason in a minute. Here is a comparison of Ronnie's 20 Cine Wehrenberg Theater compared to the current Marcus Theater who bought them out and took them over. I remember they closed the diner & arcade because of all of the remodeling for many months. Instead of eating at the usual diner there I went across the street for a long time at Subway. It was fun also. It was finally complete when The Last Jedi came out. I admit they are cheaper than Wehrenberg Theaters because they have $5 Tuesdays. I REALLY took the advantage there and saw 3 to 4 movies at a time, I was like why would anybody ever go on a different day then this...I still ask that question It was so fun, I was there all day, like 12 hours at a setting...just fun & great times Also their rewards card program was upgraded from Wehrenberg Theaters is great too where you can build up points of every buck you spend, you can get free food like Smash Burgers, Chicken, Drinks and more for free not to mention $1 Hot Dogs & $8 Pizzas specials They fixed it up very nice and I did have tons of fun at their new arcade, many, many times and I'm quite thankful for that Here is the brief comparison



Now, since the p!ad3c I haven't been back to the theater. The last movie I saw was DC's Birds of Prey which I believe was quite apropos. It was one last great ride over there I did have fun seeing the cool movie and having great food But when all these movies that I wanted to see like A Quite Place 2 and especially Godzilla vs. Kong kept on getting delayed it was bad then when I saw all of this nonsense on TV & YT of @n!eva and everything else that was and still is going down as I speak I didn't want to go out. Then I found out the truth about h0!!iw!3rd and all of that. I got sick and tired of the trends they just shove down our throats with all of all the sybilm, the trends that's in every movie, every TV episode of every show. Like I said before long ago about Godzilla vs. Kong, they ain't hidin' it anymore They even gotta do it in wrestling and their really doing it in AEW If you don't know what I'm talking about then I can't help ya

SPECIAL BONUS

Here is the Wehrenberg Theaters intro, its a fan cam so it's live and how it REALLY WAS I am so grateful that I got to see this many, many times



SPECIAL EDIT!!

Wehrenberg Theaters Pepsi Cup: I saved this a long time ago. Everybody threw their's away but not Me, I wanted one for collector's purpose and I'm so glad I did because Wehrenberg Theaters is gone but thanks to My collecting, their NOT forgotten Look at the detail on the cup with the old film clip and the buildings on there...its just like they awesome intro you just saw and there's the Pepsi logo too. Oh such history



So there it is, a special blast from the past of My Ghostbusters & The Thing experience I had way back in 2011 and that is a "retelling" from The Matty Board. Now I mentioned the Wehrenberg Theater location at the Kenrick near Crestwood, I plan on making a special about that too because this was the one I was used too when I was a youngster and when we had the special Willow event I also plan on making a special on the cool AMC Theater in Crestwood Plaza with possibly Sears & K-B Toys there as well because I had tons of great moments over there as well. My next showcase will be a great one, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

Jaks To Go: So we began this one right off the bat. I liked some little kids games when I was a youngster and quite frankly still do. Some of them were quite vintage that were already decades old. One of them was the Metal Jacks & Rubber Ball game set. I got this really nice set from My Grandma MiMi one day when We were at Paramount Drug Pharmacy. I have briefly talked about them before in other showcases but this time I will talk about them in greater detail after this main showcase is finalized so be sure to look at the end for that. I got a lot of stuff there but one thing caught My eye and it was this really cool looking pack of a blue bag with spiky little objects and a rubber bouncing ball. It was called Jaks To Go made by Jak Pak in 1988. This is an extremely obscure and scarce piece I have here I have always loved the little Kitty Cat on the bag and the bag itself is of a latex material which feels really nice. It has a metal zipper that still works rather well.



After you unzip it you can take the Metal Jaks & Rubber Ball out and immediately start playing with'em. You bounce the ball and see if you can grab a Jak and the ball at the same time and repeat the process while holding the Jaks until the stock is depleted or no longer possible. I have always liked this one. I have kept this little set complete as I got it way back in I believe in 1988/1989. There is only 2 Silver and 1 blue Jak which the rest are green & red which this kinda looks like a twisted Christmas decoration toy set The ball is of a reddish maroon color and resembles a new planet in the depths of unknown fury



Size Comparison: Here they are compared to My recently seen Hulk Hogan Pencil Gripper and My Fruity Pebbles Dinosaur Brontosaurus Coin



Paramount Drug Pharmacy: Ah, I have actually been wanting to talk about them for a long while now. So this store became a memorable one for Me because of a few reasons. We were still at our old house that I have spoke about in recent times, there was so many fun places to be in this general region and most of it is all gone Thank goodness not forgotten by Me They were just blocks away from us. They were on Grand & Arsenal Street. Grand is good but has it's ups and downs which I have just talked about it when I just showcased National. I loved Arsenal. The Schnucks where I got My LJN Iron Sheik was down the other side and I may showcase this great area that I love later on down the road Both streets are huge, they go on for countless miles literally Tower Grove Park was across the street where My Grandpa PoPo took Me all the time as we always walked down there (many times on his shoulders) during this era which they had a terrific playground and public pool, its a ginormous park One day a news crew came down there for whatever reason and we were on film for a few minutes, I recorded it on VHS not to long after that in the 80s So back to Paramount, My Grandma MiMi would need medicine for her high BP and instead of going to Walgreens she always chose Paramount because they were very local and very friendly with such great service. So great in fact they would DELIVER it to your door if you chose it...long before any modern delivery service like Uber, GrubHub or EatStreet was ever a thought The owner of the store was a short and quite bald man with glasses that in My youngster mind looked liked Roy Scheider. He & his Wife whom was also his co-worker was so nice but I do not recall their names...darn it They would even deliver to our new address when we moved in 1990 which was further away until they went out of business Many times she would wait out her prescriptions and while We would wait I would be at the little toy section. They never had anything big like action figures mind you, just stuff like My Jaks To Go, however, they did have a really cool comic stand with DC & Marvel comics. I got a ton of comics there of all kinds from Batman to the X-Men and even TMNT One day I may showcase them and especially this really special Marvel one I got, its one of My most fondest comics I have ever gotten which that is a must to present here in the near future so be on the look out for that later on. I have briefly mentioned this also when I recently brought back Judy's Superstore than after we were done with Paramount Drug, we would go to Cherokee Street and go to her and many of the other stores I talked about recently including Woolworths, Walgreens & the Bazaar It was such fun times. However, before she had that location, she had a small store around the corner of Paramount, Her store was in the same building with a guy who had his own unique outlet which I called him "Weird Guy" because he looked like Harvey Whippleman (which I didn't see Whippleman until a few short years later) with thicker bushy hair & thick beard that had really strange items including a very deranged tin pirate that I for some odd reason liked and My Grandma got it for Me. So if you haven't seen My super special of "restoring" Judy's SuperStore then do so, it's in My Voltron showcase as well as My first part of My Transformers in My Vintage Action figure topic as well as in My SW: ESB Presto Magix in My great Star Wars topic because I tell all about her because she was the best...I am so darn bummed that she has been forgotten about, there is NOTHING on the web about her...NOTHING ) This is of course a modern look at the complex which now is Jade Room but this was her original store here along with the "The Weird Guy" and that's where I first met her in the mid 80s



So just like the other day when I showcased My Karate Figures and presented Tru-Buy in My great Vintage Action Figure topic, there is absolute BUPKIS mentioned about them online which is so pathetic in My book and really the same goes for Paramount Drug which is really even more so pitiful because they were so good There was only one classic vintage picture I could find of them when they first built the building way, way back in the early 20th Century



Here is pictures of the building now which is Tower Grove Creamery. I guess its doing good business One important note is after We were done with Paramount Drug, I would want to go to Woolworths which was only doors down in the gray complex bulding. I had many good times there as well which I will be talking about both Woolworths locations in time



Here is more of the building that used to house Paramount Drug. I loved to go under there in the entryway where the Pillar is




Here you can see a bit of Tower Grove Park on the right side. This is from a winter shot so you cannot see the beauty it has when the trees are full during the Summer Time



So that will conclude My Jaks To Go showcase plus a very special look at bringing back Paramount Drug Pharmacy as well as Judy's first store I hope you liked it. More great stuff coming soon including more bring back stores of the past, until the next showcase I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is a special entry for the upcoming American holiday known as The Fourth/4th of July aka Independence Day This will be a double feature as I will not only present a special little item I have but I will also showcase the long forgotten store that I got it from. Without further ado...



Here is My special tiny pocket book called Quotable America and as you saw the logo above, it's published by Running Press. It's a tiny book at only about inch or so tall I believe it's the smallest book I have in My entire collection and possibly one of the most dwarfish of all mini books you could ever obtain and hold I got this in around 2004 during the final days of Frank's Nursery & Crafts. I was with My Grandma MiMi when I got this nice collectible piece. So here is the cover, the insert, info, Mount Rushmore and the first woman to dress as Lady Liberty in picture form



The next pages are of Pride which the book came out originally in 1997, Pride was completely used differently back then and even sometime after this but today's generation and hopeless society has turned this around with the help of TPTB ways and its shoved down our throats ever second of everyday since at least 2020 on ever platform of SM, TV and the like Don't Tread ON ME! There's the iconic Iwo Jima Memorial Statue, The First Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong & gorgeous Earth's American Lanscape!



Here is the Brooklyn Bridge, marching band & The Land!



Here is classic Burger Joints & Softball/Baseball of what makes the USA! There is a ridicules amount of taxi-cabs, some beautiful horses and Lincoln's Statue!



Here is a number of great stuff on these pages that made America great! Also here is the Running Press' info, the price of the book that I paid which was $4.95 and also the Copyright! As tiny as the book is, it's actually a handful with over 100 pages with many great pics as you just saw and look below as well!



Now here is the store I got this compact gem of a read & look at which was Frank's Nursery & Crafts which I really liked their logos



We went to them for years in the late 80s & throughout to the early 2000s. When I was a youngster I really never wanted to go there or I wanted My parents to hurry up so we could go to Venture because they were next door (look for the pic VERY SOON below!). Frank's had a lot crafts & supplies, gardening supplies, plants & flowers, Holiday decorations among great stuff.

Here is a couple commercials of their form the early 80s to show you how they were!




I look back on this I feel quite foolish because I have matured/wised up a lot since their closing in 2004. I think back at the Holiday times like Christmas but especially for Halloween, now as a kid I liked that whenever we'd go there. When i showcased National in My Vintage Action Figure topic just recently, I expressed My love for their Halloween section and decorations but Frank's was also very cool and I remember how it was, it was a small area but gosh do I miss it Places like Home Depot & Lowes ran them about of business but surprisingly they are apparently attempting a small comeback as they are on FB Here is a look at some of the stores in the USA after they closed down and were unoccupied



As a side not there was a Frank's in Crestwood Plaza long ago on the hill next to the railroad track bridge across the way of the Kenrick Wehrenberg Theater whom I plan on showcasing sometime soon. I really don't recall much of that Frank's location, I may have been there once of twice, I just remember seeing the sign a multitude of times because I see it on the way when We'd go to the show or on our way to go to Crestwood Plaza itself to stop at the mall for Sears, K-B, K&K and more!

Now, thanks to Instant Street View, this IS My Frank's Nursery & Crafts location We always went to. It was a big one and didn't share any building space with another store. It's near Kingshighway & Chippewa that I have talked about many times recently especially when I showcased National, you would already know that if you have read and keeping up with My topics It would become a Home Decor store but they also went out of business sometime later.



Notice the green fence area, that is where regular & Christmas trees, many plants, bags soil and dirt was. It was a large section to walk around in. It was kinda fun when they'd have Venus Flytraps and they had the sprinklers on a very light mist for the plant life there. There was really only one way to ge to that section however and that was inside the store via the electronic sliding doors. I used to go back and forth there because the Halloween & Christmas stuff was right in the isles before you you enter the doorway



Now here is the part I have been waiting to do for a long time ever since I figured out how I was going to bring back the stores of the past local & otherwise. Here is 2 big looks of a large view on the left where Frank's was. Now look towards the middle, that is where Office Depot was that I talking about in My Star Wars topic when I showcased Dark Forces. Now look to the right, you see Burlington Coat Factory Well, that is WHERE VENTURE used to be You can clearly tell that it was because Venture had a very distinct look to ALL of their buildings where it was white with large spirals that are raised on the walls. I used to feel them all the time because they felt so different compared to other stores when We'd go there. I had greatly showcased Venture in My Vintage Action figure topic a long while back because I loved them, got so many great action figures there and had so many fun times there in the late 80s thru the 90s plus at 2 other locations as well in the 80s & 90s




So that will conclude this special look at My Quotable America Pocketbook from one of the coolest yet under-appreciated stores Frank's Nursery & Crafts. Look for one more 4th of July special very soon, it will be completely unexpected as it was for Myself but I want to do so...look for that, until then I'll see you around

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is My next little update which like I said was a very unexpected one yet I found it very necessary to want to showcase for the upcoming Holiday just in a few short days which is The Fourth of July which is NOW as I speak in this EDIT I just showcased My Quotable America Mini Book from Frank's just the other day to coincide with the American Tradition of our Independence! So it is...



Yep, Phantom Fireworks I have known them for a long time now and I used to see their commercials every once in a while on TV. I got a Flyer Ad last week for an unknown reason because I don't know how they got My address because I've never bought from them nor had anything to do with'em whatsoever before but I know there are many ways for companies to get your information whether you want them to or not So When I got to the mail box and got the mail out I saw this brochure, I thought it was cool and I'm like yeah, I could do a small showcase of this and so here we are

Here is the front cover with some really nifty graphics and some deals to get your attention immediately and how the booklet opens up.



It opens up to one more layer and there's an astounding amount of attraction when it come to fireworks beauty, imagination and creativeness with some surprising entries including one that many people think is quite bum-steer or even funny but I assure you it is NOT, it became a big deal literally & figuratively for Phantom so look at it CLOSELY on the left and once you see it you'll know what I mean



Here is the back of the large pamphlet with their awesome logos, apparently a major coupon, their gift card and of course their social media handles.




So after looking at this a lot and seeing the really cool stuff, it looks like a Pyromaniac's dream come true just like seeing a catalog of action figures in similar fashion like I showed My Wrestling Superstore Catalogs just recently which is an Action Figure Collector's dream there especially for vintage cravers like Myself However, as great looking and attractive as this is, the prices are INSANE I mean just one of the Finale Racks is over $300 and that is the starting price I have liked fireworks and participated in July 4th activities before and I'll share a important story in a moment but I have to say they have cost a pretty penny back in the days of old but not like this, I mean I complain a lot off and on about how today's action figure market is so ridicules with the bad prices and how people are buying and submitting to crowd funding figures that cost so much more fueling corporate locusts' like Mattel & Hasbro's fire even further but in the pyro industry it's even more pathetic. I don't know how people can afford all of this getting the house needs + action figures that cost $ in the double digits or whatever stuff their hobby desires and on top of that buying these fireworks I mean I thought people were really down in 2020 due to the p!@demic yet there was tons of fireworks that year like it never happen possibly even more than the previous year Now before and since people are firing off their purchases weeks in advanced and just last nite which was July 3rd by the way, it was quite deceiving because they were activating their's like it was the 4th I mean it's nuts how these people just blow away this money and just deplete their stock then again it seems like they have thousands of dollars worth and ever year I question where they get this moolah at and especially even now in this androgynous age

Now My story is this. I know fireworks were always expensive, no question about that, We used to get them all the time till things changed in the 90s. Now just recently in My great Vintage Action Figure topic and as well as here in My Odds & Ends, I have showcased Judy's Superstore - BOTH OF HER LOCATIONS If you have somehow missed it she was My Grandma MiMi's best friend and she was My favorite store to go to on Cherokee Street and in general, she was great! If you missed My showcases, I seriously recommend checking My showcases out because I have restored her greatness as best I could because she has been forgotten by so many and this was so uneasy with Me in this limboic age. So, My Grandma MiMi used to get to FIREWORKS from her as well, yep she a ton of great stuff See, back then when I was a youngster, them kind of things weren't the most "official" items to have in the city of St. Louis if you will. It didn't become that way till sometime in the mid/later part of the 90s and then when they became "OK" things changed around Us in many ways and We just stopped doing it It was fun however in the early days with Judy, it seemed so special with when she handed Me them Roman Candles & Cucus along with the Tanks & Snakes were especially a fond time. I loved lighting them up Then unfortunately she went out of business and our little source for pyro was gone We still wanted to get them somehow for the next upcoming Holiday so My Grandparents found a place, not sure how, Yellow Pages possibly. We drove all the way out possibly over an hour's way down Highway 55. I mean We went far out and it was very country far down in Missouri, I really like that. When We were finally at the location, there was a large tent there with a lot of people. It was a very large Fireworks Stand that I do not recall their name or anything unfortunately. What I do recall is that it was 1992...30 years ago THIS YEAR Oh I remember because My Grandpa PoPo found a mix breed female Chihuahua whom was abused. He took her as his own and name her SiSi (Yes, Yes) and We got attached to her and I loved her especially in her last days He wanted to bring her there and Me & MiMi is like ok but We gotta be careful here. She was a very excited little girl and there was many people that was just loved her including this one guy whom was in love with her and even wanted to buy her from My Grandpa PoPo but he wouldn't except it because My Grandpa PoPo was the greatest man I ever knew So We returned home and We have a ton of Fireworks. I believe We spent about $250, it could have been more than this however because they usually didn't share prices with Me till I matured. This may seem quite steep but considering that now in this pitiful age only one thing of pyro cost more than that so that shows you how drastic things have changed in a thirty year span

So that's all for this 4th of July - Phantom Fireworks special showcase and I hope you liked it. My Odds & Ends topic has become as important as My Vintage Action Figure topic for many reasons. More great stuff coming soon to be seen & read in My Odds & Ends, until the next one I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Ah, Phantome Fireworks. We've gone across the border a few times to Pennsylvania to a Phantom Fireworks because New York is run by a bunch of nanny liberals and you can only buy the cheap, lame stuff in stores, and that only started in the last few years. We didn't go this year, but a few years ago we spent like $700 down there, and actually had stuff left over for a few years, we even would blow some off when the Bills won a playoff game the last few seasons (that's when we used what was left). As did other in the area, lol. It's always crazy seeing folks with carts and carts of fireworks. The money some people spend on the stuff. We always had a laugh at these...

https://fireworks.com/products/assortme ... assortment

It's pretty technologically advanced now at the store. The clerks have little tablets and if you ask about a certain firework, they can actually show you on video what it looks like. It's pretty cool and makes for less disappointment when you light one off and it isn't what you expected.

We have a long-haired chihuahua now. He's fine around the family, but he's pretty nasty to visitors. He's nipped an ankle or two, and we have to cage him when some people come over. He's warmed up to other family members that visit often, but to people he's unfamiliar with he's pretty nasty. The kids named him Mr. Cuddles, lol.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Gosh PB, that all sounds really cool. I say you spent a bit, no way in heck could I do that At least it lasted you years Yeah, I'm sure they do have tablets with examples now. Things have really changed since I last went to a fireworks place.

That's nice and what a coincidence. Yeah, My Grandma MiMi had a Teacup Chihuahua, she named him Amigo (friend). She got him special over at House of Phideau on Hampton (yes the same Hampton Avenue that i have spoke about before). He was the same way and everybody was afraid of him that wasn't family but once in a while he'd like somebody else. We NEVER left our dogs outside, they were spoiled little guys inside. He got along with SiSi ok, they weren't a couple however as they were both "fixed". He was MiMi's pride & joy

Thanks for reading and for the reply PB, more great stuff to come here