Thursday, July 21, 2011

Seventies Schlock For Sale

I passed a garage sale recently and one item caught my eye. It was a water bed frame and headboard. The sign said best offer and it was late in the day. I’m guessing that the husband will dutifully haul the massive frame back into the garage where it will sit for another decade.

Sixties memorabilia always catches my eye but I still find it hard to get nostalgic for seventies stuff. I don’t look for it and I often cringe when I see it being slightly embarrassed that I owned many of the tacky objects. Many others do not share that opinion and openly sell their seventies stuff on E-Bay. Here are just a few examples of seventies memorabilia that you too can own by visiting www.ebay.com.


What better way to make a seventies statement than in an American Motors Pacer. I found a 1977 hatchback with 99K in poor condition listed at only $550. It would make a great conversation piece even if it doesn’t run.
Music is important so bid on the new Sears Underdash 8-Track player. It is listed at $199 and has never been used says the owner. You will also need to stock up on music so consider the lot of twenty-four 8-track tapes and leatherette case that are listed at $7.85. Tapes include Foghat, BTO, Mountain and The Eagles.

If disco music is more your style, check out the DecoGlam vintage platform shoes (size 8) for $20. The red shoes will match the vinyl high waisted disco pants for $19.99 and the polyester atomic print disco shirt also for $19.99. An outlet on Long Island is selling vintage mood rings for $4.50 to complete the ensemble.

Decorating the hot tub room with seventies stuff is easy with Ebay. A six-pack of unopened Billy Beer is going for $17 and a 1979 Skylab Protective Helmet is $8.99 today. Go all the way and bid on an original Bell Telephone phone booth starting at $999. Shipping is not included. Calls are only ten cents.

Friends will be impressed or confused when you display your Dallas Tornado soccer pennant ($9.95) and even your kids will be amazed that you spent $225,000 on an original Roger Staubach rookie football card. Amazement may not be the first reaction you get from your wife however.
Speaking of collectible cards, you can re-buy your Jaws movie trading card collection (volume 1) from 1975 for only $1.99. A similar set of 1977 Star Wars trading cards start at $36.99. An original copy of the Saturday Night Fever lp in good condition is about $15 and an autographed photo of John Travolta from the movie Grease will set you back $199.

My favorite seventies item was a “Hard Side King Size Water Bed and Frame” with headboard, mirror and a black light. The heated bed is only $300 but the listing states that the owner will only deliver it within 20 miles of Billings, Montana.

How much will it cost to recreate the seventies in your house? Figure it out on a vintage Texas Instruments 2500 Calculator. The unit, which cost about $135 in 1972, has dropped in value to $99 in 2011.

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