A New Mission Statement

    

I've been treating this blog very simply; picking ephemera from the day's eBay listings, and sharing here. Usually with some input from Chat GPT, because Chat lets me have a little fun with the wording of the ads. With Chat, I’ve learned it’s not just the question you ask, but how you ask your question. You can ‘sculpt’ the answer, and the style of the answer, by the asking. Humor, drama, ad-speak, double-speak, a bit of Shakespeare...

But it occurred to me that this has never been how I write blogs. I've had several, none really profitable... but all of them were fun to write and expressed my personality.

On a separate line of thought, I wrote with the idea of using Adsense on the blog to supplement our income. When it felt ready, I applied to Adsense, and they told me the content was thin. Fair enough, I was trying to write a specific volume, without enough to say.

At the same time, the internet privacy situation has been getting scarier and scarier with tons of new laws from multiple countries, and from nearly 20 states so far with more on the way. It’s impossible to follow guidelines… whose? Which state? Which country? And none of them are straightforward. And it’s all too overwhelming.

So I’m going to post things when I feel like, about whatever feels pertinent to the theme. No Adsense, no Affiliate links. You can visit mine and Monique’s eBay stores if you want, or don’t. Doesn’t matter. The link’s there because I talk about eBay, and what I do on eBay. It makes sense that you might want to see what I’m talking about. After all, the whole idea of selling pages cut out of extremely old magazines is kind of hard to wrap your head around if you’ve never heard of it before.

I want writing this blog to be fun again. Writing for the pleasure of sharing ideas. Hopefully someone will enjoy it besides me, but if not, so be it.
With this in mind, I do have a rather esoteric change of subject (or maybe a very deep drill on the same subject) on my mind, something that nobody else seems to have noticed but has driven me mad for nearly a year. Google’s Gemini encouraged me to write about it, and I will. Next post.

1962 General Electric Americana 2 Oven / Ekco Flint Radiant Cookware Print Ad

    I did a nice 2-for-1 today, where I like both ads equally, but for different reasons.  The first is a full-page General Electric ad for a double range.  It's got a lot of description, and a pop of color for the oven.  It's visually appealing, and really 'sells' the product with all the text.

    The second ad is for Ekco Flint Cookware.  This one appeals mainly for the image.  If I was going to keep this ad, instead of sell it on eBay, I'd trim everything away except for the image.  I'd use the 'white space' around it as the matte, and put it directly into a deep rich polished mahogany frame.  The whole display, with her staring pensively at it, the little bird at the top... and whatever the heck those two 'sticks' coming out of the right side, done in gray tones, really catch my attention.

    On to our collaboration with Chat GPT... below is Chat's take on the New Americana '62 GE Oven.  There was so much text, I didn't get tricky with the request at first, but the output was... nice, but uninteresting.  Decided to try again, but asked for a re-write that was "florid and medieval" in style.  The result was fun, and made me laugh a couple of times.   Hope you enjoy Chat's creativity!!

1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Rocket Action Car Romantic Toronado Print Ad Vtg

     I couldn't resist this one.  My first car I bought after leaving home was a shiny black Cutlass Supreme, back around 1982.  It may not have had ALL the options, but it had a fair few, and might have been the best-looking car I ever owned.  I'm not a car guy, but it looked awesome.  I also nearly destroyed it within three days of buying the car.  Being a Georgia boy, I'd never driven in snow until moving to Indiana.  Was in front of a semi when we hit a patch of ice.  Started drifting to the right, I made a mild correction, started drifting to the left, another mild correction.  At that point, it went into a multi-360 spin and there was no chance of correcting any more.  

A couple of times my friend and I were looking straight into the eyes of the truck driver behind us, while he was staring right back.  Still spinning, we eventually skidded off the road, and the trucker kept on going.  A nice guy behind him stopped, and he happened to be driving a truck with a winch.  As we were hooking his chains to our car, he told us he saw the whole thing and thought the semi was going to flatten us.

    My friend John was calm and collected the whole time.  The first two times we started drifting, he warned me "You're gonna lose it, Alan."  Both times I said "I know, John."  When we started spinning wildly, all he said was "You lost it, Alan."  I said "I know, John."  Those were the only words spoken until we came to a full stop and stepped out of the car.

    Ultimately, the only damage the Cutlass took was the loss of one hubcap.  Plus it looked like we'd been mud bogging.  I guess when you go through that much excitement with a car, you get attached to it.  It really was a great car!!

1967 Bold Detergent Sudsing Power Dirt Bright Clean White Sho Nuff Print Ad Vtg

    I nearly decided not to list this ad due to the page damage... but I love this particular ad campaign.  It's clever, funny, and will certainly be offensive to somebody.  Not that I'm trying to be offensive, but it does make me laugh to see how society changes over the years.  I was almost 7 years old when this printed, and nobody thought twice about whether the text would bother anybody.  
    We've come a long way since then.  For the most part, I like the changes.  Being more thoughtful of others, being polite, letting everybody make their choices... those are good things.  It's a shame that we couldn't have stopped at "let's all be tolerant of each other."  Seems like there are too many vicious, vindictive people who think freedom of choice and expression are wonderful things, as long as it's "them" making the choice for the rest of us.  
    Seems kind of willfully blind to insist nobody can steal their freedoms, but not realize that's exactly what they're doing to everybody else's freedom to choose.  I'm old, and getting older, and don't expect anybody to listen to me.  But I'm still gonna say what I think, before someone tells me I can't.  Feel free to disagree, we can still be friends.

    Climbing down from my soap-box now.  Didn't mean to get serious, but since I did, I'll just leave it up there. For more fun, here's another collaboration with Chat-GPT.  This time, in an effort to reduce the 'boilerplating' that's becoming apparent, I asked GPT to turn the original text into something "thoroughly new and unique."  So, the first word I get... is "Unique".  How stereotypical.  I get exactly what I ask.  :^)

    Setting that aside, the text is definitely more of an "up-mix" than the previous posts were.  I like what GPT did.  It veered away from an accurate rewrite, but the result is interesting, exciting, and funny.  My favorite element is when it changed "Sho' nuff" from a quote, to a bold, assertive colloquialism.   I'll get out of the way and let you read GPT's version now.

Enjoy!

    Unique eBay Listing: "Revolutionary Cleaning Power! Get Clothes Bright with Bold Detergent - Vintage Print Ad from 1967"

    Discover the magic of Bold Detergent - a true game-changer in the world of laundry! This vintage print ad, with a touch of humor, captures the essence of Bold's sudsing prowess and its ability to transform your clothes beyond just clean and white – all the way to bright!

    Sho' nuff, Bold is up to the challenge! Say goodbye to old-fashioned detergents and the hassle of feuding and fussing with laundry. Bold's power formula, packed with blue, green, and white granules, kicks out dirt like never before, delivering not only white whites but even bluer blues and stripier stripes!

    Featured in a full-page, color display in the April 1967 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, this original advertisement showcases the regulated sudsing of Bold, ensuring an effective cleaning process that powers out dirt while ushering in unparalleled brightness.

    Despite the age of the magazine, this page has been meticulously scanned to preserve its nostalgic charm. Please note that due to its vintage nature, there might be some foxing, fading, and discoloration typical of older paper items. Additionally, the page bears slight corner/edge damage and ripples.

    This unique piece of advertising history is suitable for framing, and it's a true testament to the sense of humor prevalent in the 1960s. Although the page experienced deep creasing during shipping, it remains an extraordinary find for collectors and vintage enthusiasts.

    The images provided are exact representations of the page you'll receive. Detailed scans have been taken to give you a clear understanding of its condition. Rest assured, your satisfaction is guaranteed!

    Step back in time and embrace the spirit of the 1960s with this Bold Detergent vintage ad. Bring a touch of nostalgia to your collection, home, or office décor. Don't miss out on this charming piece of history at a reduced price, reflecting its unique condition. Act now and seize this opportunity!