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Anita
Kunz and
Dick Chin drove all the way down from
Toronto to witness the marvels of the Mystery
Spot in person. Anita is a brilliant illustrator
- you’ve seen her work everywhere. They brought
a little bit of that Canadian cold front with them, hence
the cozy hand-crocheted afghan for two
($30.). They also took home a copy of our picture book,
Shake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of
Rock & Roll. |
This is what fifteen
looks like in Phoenicia. It rocks! Michaela
and Hailey couldn’t wait to try
on these 1970’s matching “Miss Ingenue”
hot pink and orange checked knit tops ($22.)
and vintage front patch pocket Wrangler jeans
($28.). The vintage purses completed
the ensembles. |
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(Did we happen
to mention that Michaela writes and
plays the ukelele, and that Hailey
is a former boxer who is now attending college? Did
we happen to mention that they are fifteen? Don’t
you feel old right about now? We do!) |
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Here’s another happy graduate
of the Mystery Spot Apprentice Program!
Miss Sally Harkin (age 6) ran the shop
like a seasoned pro. As soon as she gets big enough to
climb up on that chair by herself, she’s hired! |
Road
trip! Artists Ernst Weber &
Mary Schiffer drove all the way from New Haven,
CT to check out the Mystery Spot and
celebrate Ernst’s birthday in style. Ernst was
tickled pink with his birthday gifts – a
mint copy of R. Crumb & His
Cheap Suit Serenaders ($20.) and a signed
copy of Shake, Rattle & Roll
(note the Elvis kismet moment). Come back soon,
we loved meeting you! |
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Taavo and
Courtney stopped in and picked up a slew
of objets d’arte Americana to decorate Taavo’s
hot new Manhattan restaurant, Freeman’s.
We can’t wait to visit and see where they hung this
instant ancestor ($35.) and nighttime
photograph of a doe and her fawns ($35.) We suspect
that the vintage Etienne Aigner leather satchel
purse ($55.) went home on Courtney’s arm.
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This
friendly group from Chicago dropped in while spending
a fun-filled weekend at Kate’s
Lazy Meadow Motel.
Cathay, Deb, & Kent no
doubt exceeded their carry-on baggage restrictions when
they came home laden with their purchases, including
this oil portrait of a young man ($28.),
vintage aquarium pagoda ($10.), and
mod 70s red vinyl purse ($18.). |
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We love it when our old pals from
the NY Rocker pop in to say
hi. Glenn Morrow of BarNone
Records ( the coolest
indie label around) picked up a copy of Enoch
Light’s Discotheque Vol. 2 ($5.),
graphic designer Elizabeth van Itallie models
a most fetching colorful conical straw hat ($20.),
and soccer champ Jackson couldn’t
resist the lure of this vintage red stitched naugahyde
mouse ($10). |
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stop in for a visit! Young Billie Marie
models the latest in embroidered fez fashions
($45) as photographer’s agent/mom Laura
Hinds and photographer/dad Daryl Estrine
beam with parental pride.
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When casting directors
James Calleri and Paul Davis
and their adorable pooches Cujo, Marcie
and Fern stopped in, they couldn’t
resist these vintage jigsaw puzzles ($8.
each) nor this spectacular framed paint-by-number
stoic howling moose portrait ($44). Marcie (foreground)
practiced her poses in preparation for an upcoming audition
(yes, she can do stoic, but can she do a moose?). |
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year-old Marina tried on this rockin’
pair of vintage red high heeled shoes with bows
on the back ($28.) and then managed to keep
her balance for a good half-hour as she shopped Le
Spot for more age-appropriate purchases. Well
done, Marina!
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Adman
Peter Feldman allows us one last lingering
look at our favorite vintage photograph ($40.)
before it waltzes out of our lives forever. The gold
embossed caption says it all: International
Assn. Master’s of Dancing in Convention at Smith’s
School for Dancing, 1519 Madison St., Chicago, ILL,
June 10, 1912. |
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Evelyn is five years
old. She lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She loves soccer
and horses, and she especially loves this cozy 1970’s
hippie child’s embroidered shearling coat ($44.)
that her grandparents bought for her for at Le
Spot. |
The Healy
family stops by the Third Annual Mystery Spot
Ladies Aux. Yard Sale to scope out some treasures.
You might recognize Scott Healy from
his nightly TV gig as the keyboardist on Late
Night with Conan O’Brian. On his
nights off, he’s played with everyone from Bob
Dylan to Bruce Springsteen,
and he’s scored some wonderful indie films, including
our personal favorite, the award-winning documentary
Digging for Dutch. |
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Theatrical manager Matthew
Sullivan, actor Asa Somers and
photographer Gina Garan stopped dead
in their tracks when they spotted this adorable pair
of big-eyed prints ($15. each). And no wonder!
Gina is the woman behind the Blythe
revival (note her fabulous tote bag!). Once
we started chatting, we found out we knew a zillion
people in common! |
Christmas
cocktails, anyone? Rhea pours
some holiday cheer for Andrew as she
models the incredible hand-crocheted red and
white wool Mrs. Claus full-length hostess gown
($55.) that some lucky friend of Andrew's will find
under her Christmas tree in a few weeks. Hohoho! |
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Ole! The Mystery Spot goes
Mexican! Fairy god-child Eva models
the latest in theMystery Spot "must-have"
kids T-shirt line ($10. ) on a beautiful
playa somewhere down Mexico way. Muy bonita, Eva!
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Jack Cuneo and
Sam Blitt took an instant liking to these vintage
cameras ($12). |
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Vintage
clothing dealer Melissa Howard and
musician Gail Ann Dorsey are good friends
of the Mystery Spot. Melissa loves
this signed 1966 felt picture of a lady with
dog and watering can ($28), and Gail took home
this mint-in-box vintage Sears cassette recorder
($25.) which she plans to keep on hand at home
to record musical inspirations whenever they should
strike. Gail has spent the last ten years touring &
recording with David Bowie (bass/vocals)
and recently put out her own wonderful CD, which you
can find here. |
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Louis
D’avanzo is fifteen years old and a sophomore
at Manasquan High School in New Jersey. He is totally
cool. He plays in the marching band and the jazz
band. He is also very happy in this picture because he
just bought his very first Miles Davis record
($5.), and we can assure you he will be the only
kid in his school – dare we say all of New Jersey?
– wearing an awesome zippered Carter &
Churchill vintage two-toned wool work jacket from the
1930’s ($60). |
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It
warms the cockles of our heart to know that the kids of
today have impeccable musical taste! A quartet of twelve
year-old cousins -- Audri, Ali, Tessa and
Emily – gives a shout-out to their favorite
vintage vinyl offerings by Joni,
Zeppelin, AC/DC and of course, Janis
($6 – 15). |
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Four
of our favorite illustrators pop in to say hi and peruse
the art books. Barry Blitt,
Joe Ciardello, Tim Bower and John Cuneo
lingered in the back room looking over the offerings
of Homer’s Books d’Arte,
picking out works by Heinrich Kley
($9.), Ben Shahn ($24.), and yes, another
copy of Heinrich Kley ($9.) |
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Max
has been a loyal Mystery Spot customer
ever since he was a baby. Now he’s a Big Boy. He
just met Timmy, a reject from the local
CPR dummy factory, and had lots of fun stuffing
a price tag into his mouth. Silly Max! |
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Sisters Emma and Lillie
enjoy taking long walks on the beach and getting caught
in the rain. They also love these one-of-a-kind
vintage T-shirts ($8. each). Topping
off their loopy look (yes, they’re artists!),
Emma models a Sixties white patent leather Carnaby
Street cap ($38.) and Lillie a psychedelic
Fez ($32.). |
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Artists Melissa and Rob Hart picked up
a Jesus paint-by-number ($18.)
for a friend, and for themselves, a pair of Sixties
cork lamps ($35. each) so they can leave
little bedside notes for each other tacked to the lamps
back in Brooklyn. |
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Bat
Mitzvah girl and future superstar Sylvia
models a fetching pink and gray pinwheel taffeta
belted dress from 1951 ($65., with matching
jacket) and paisley velvet vintage handbag
($44.). Topping off the ensemble is a wide
brimmed hat festooned with flowers ($40.).
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Here we see Sylvia
bedecked in brown. From top to bottom: a Forties
felt and satin hat ($38.), Fifties
polka dot sundress ($45.), and an oversized
baguette purse in brown felt ($44.).
The purse was grabbed by a happy customer not an hour
later, and is off to a new home.
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Spring
is here! Le Spot’s favorite
spokesmodel Sylvia does fashion justice
to this adorable 1950’s pink and orange
checked circle dress ($48.) and
faux Enid Collins bucket purse with sequined red roses
($44.). |
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Whee!
This is why they call it a circle dress!
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Don’t mess with
me when I’ve got my vintage Sixties hippie
Indian elephant halter dress ($48.)
and super-long handmade fringed suede purse
($28.) on!
(Just kidding!)
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Super Trooper Sylvia
looks simply divine in this fresh 1970’s
floral chiffon top with pleated cape sleeves
($45., NOS), vintage yellow cords
($25.), and 1950’s pink straw
hat lined in gingham ($40.) and groovy
Zodiac pendant necklace ($15.) |
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Before
bidding us goodbye, Sylvia makes sure
to pick up a special Father’s Day
gift for her dad Sparrow – the
game of Mensch ($44.). She looks every
inch the Young Sophisticate in her cotton print
crinoline-lined Fifties circle skirt ($48.),
vintage cotton blouse ($18.),
brown stiletto heels ($39.),
wicker bucket bag purse ($34.)
and cat’s eye glasses ($22.)
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Our Motto: "Clutter My World"
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