Mysteries abound

Do you know the things I do for you, O my readers? I do things like walk outside in 95 degree heat to take a photograph. For you! Witness the evidence:



We have an assortment of Collector's Item movie posters from the 1950s and 1960s, and I decided to photograph one of them in the harsh, hot sunlight. (I think I felt the colors might come out better ... well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.) Then I fled back into the air conditioning and searched the Internet for this "Master Spy" movie ... and found naught! "Master Spy" is a mystery in itself. Did any of you see it in the cinema, gentle readers, back when it came out? I'm quite curious about what it was like. But even if you've never seen the film, you can own this original and mysterious poster for a mere $60.00.

If you prefer cheaper period mysteries, then check out our Affordable and Interesting little gems such as:



A Mickey Finn is an old term for a drink packed with knock-out drops. It is supposedly named for a gentleman of Chicago, the keeper of the late-1800s Lone Star Saloon, who drugged and stole from his customers. Dastardly! The above 1939 thriller is set in Paris and not Chicago, but it features a drugged drink nonetheless. Own it (and its panicked cover illustration) for $10.00! Or perhaps you'd prefer two thrillers packed into one book:

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Back in the day ("the day" being, in this case, the 1950s), Ace Books used to sell two-for-the-price-of-one: buy one book, turn it over, and you've got a second book. As you can see above, the covers were regularly glorious, and so now the Internet has whole image galleries devoted to antique Ace Double covers. Yet you could buy a real Ace Double -- not just a scan! -- from us for $6.00.

But what am I thinking? You, being a reader of the O'Gara and Wilson blog, are far more discerning than me. You don't want Ace Doubles or references to criminal bartenders. You want 1930s lifestyle magazines instead:



This week's Favorite is a 1931 issue of "The American Magazine". I am informed by Wikipedia that this publication ran from 1906 to the 1950s; it was originally a bit of a muckraking outfit, but eventually ran to human interest, fiction and lifestyle stories. As is so often the case with these old magazines, I find the stories (including a mystery thriller!) to be entertaining ... but the ads are most entertaining:



Smoke Lucky Strikes, boys and girls, because all the harmful chemicals have been safely removed! And your voice will sound lovely. And you will be a round-faced woman in a veil. $30.00.

I've been dragging out this blog entry a bit because I am terrified of exiting the store onto the harsh, hot street. But my time has come. If I die of heatstroke, tell my mother I love her. As for you, dear readers, please do drink some water and keep up your spirits ... there's supposed to be rain tomorrow!