My Junk

Submitted by Ted Nimmo August 18th, 2011
Certifikitsch Winner

Excuse the dust, but… This guy was I kid you not on a shelf of cheap china tchotchke in the Selma California Wal-Mart.  But this one was different it’s finish is beautifully crazed, yellowed porcelain.  The bottom has moth eaten bits of  ancient felt attached with crumbling glue.  And the mother is heavy!  Being in my Rooster phase I immediately proceeded to the counter the cashier searched in vain for a bar code, no dice.  She sent me to special services where a manager was called.  It had never been inventoried, and never been for sale.   Evidently some junky had “returned” it for cash, pittance I’m sure to some unsuspecting returns cashier who didn’t know any better.  I offered them five, brought it home for ten.   long story short, it was a steal  (quite literally) as far as I’m concerned from some poor soul’s grandmothers 1940’s bungalow in the raisin capitol of the world.  

Here are some grapes if for no other reason than to tantalize my new buddy Denny…

another view…

again, please excuse the dust, I’m in the rural Midwest now and the house I live in was here when Lincoln was still president and incidentally once slept in a hotel nearby on Mainstreet.  Here’s an exterior…

That’s all for now.  thanks for letting me share my junk with you on this day August 16, 2011  more junk to follow in the weeks to come.  I love you all -Ted

7 Responses to “My Junk”

  1. Allee Willis

    At first I thought the rooster was made out of tin. Excellent glaze job. How heavy is heavy?

    Are the grapes resin or rubber? Either way, displayed beautifully.

    Would love to see that turquoise pitcher in its own post. Is there a manufacturer’s mark on the bottom?

    That house is beautiful. How long have you lived there?

    • Ted Nimmo

      Hi Allee. The rooster “feels” like it’s about two lbs. Give or take. I’ll get s’more pix of the pitcher for you. I’ll check the bottom for marks. It’s been a while since I’ve had any of it down for cleaning as the dust bunnies in the pix will attest to. I’ve got a few of them, only one or two are genuine fiesta. The rest are nameless knock offs, but I came by them honestly, ie family hand me downs etc. The house is my other half’s boyhood home. It sat empty for a few years after his dad died as our home was California. When the time came to consider selling it, earl and his brother decided it would be to hard to have others living in it. He’s been here about five years, only three for me and I’m here under protest. The house is lovely, but I’m queer as a three dollar bill and I’m afraid I’m never gonna get used to “reeling it in” for the sake of making the neighbors comfortable. My boyfriends pretty butch and passes for straight so he doesn’t see what the big deal is. But at the end of the day I’m always gonna be a valley boy now living vicariously through your groovy video vignettes of southern California. Wow! Bet’cha didn’t bargain for hearing my whole life story as an answer to simple questions about my kitsch. Have a great evening and keep up the great work on what just might be the grooviest location on the Internet.

      • Ted Nimmo

        P.s. The grapes are rubber and I’ve got lots. I’ve also planted some live ones in the yard trying to hold on to a little piece of my heritage. Thompson seedless won’t grow here (snow) but I’ve got some awesome concords.

  2. Douglas Wood

    What a totally gorgeous house– looks like it’s straight out of The Music Man or a Norman Rockwell painting– pure Americana. Almost makes me want to move back to the midwest. I don’t know your neighbors or your town, but I suspect they could probably use a little enlightenment from “the gays next door.”