Found at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: I’m always on the lookout for cool storage options with great graphics, so this turn-of-the-century Uncle Sam wooden wine box got my blood racing when I spotted it on a dealer’s table. I tried to be discreet about my excitement, and even walked away for about 15 minutes to seem disinterested, so that when I returned I was able to talk the seller into a nice discount. But I would’ve paid full asking price without hesitating.
I cleaned this up and set in on my desk as an inbox for bills and magazines.
Found at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: This Art Deco beauty caught my eye as soon as I entered the vendor’s booth. It has a rich, warm patina, and it’s sturdy as hell.
It’s now a paperweight on my desk.
Found at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: Here’s a 100-year-old photo of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts YMCA basketball team from the 1910-1911 season. (Check out that handwriting on the ball. Coincidentally, 10-11 happens to be my birth date.)
The print is in fantastic shape, having been protected for the last century by a sturdy frame with some great patina to it. I love the look of the uniforms, and the solemn expression on each guy’s face. I tried talking the seller down on this one, but he knew how cool it is, and wouldn’t budge. (Although I heard he’d already dropped $50 from his asking price a day earlier by the time I came around.)
This is now hanging in the “corner office” area of my living room.
This is the first post in a series I’m putting together in an effort to become a more active blogger.
Also: I’ve been wanting to take a picture in front of this background on 9th Ave for a few weeks now. I think it’s an ad for True Religion …
Found at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: Here’s a 1904 cardboard tube that once held an Edison Gold Molded cylinder record. There’s cursive handwriting on the label that says “Goin’, Gone, Gone” — I’m guessing that’s the name of the record that was once inside.
This tube’s now sitting on my desk, holding my Wacom tablet’s pen.
I’m really honored to be a featured speaker at this year’s annual CRMA conference. This won’t only be the first time I’ve spoken at a magazine convention, it’ll also be the first time I’ve attended a magazine convention.
This is especially exciting for me because it’s being held this year in Las Vegas, the city where I got my start in editorial design.
