Our expanded summer hours are now in effect. And greetings from Gurf!
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Randomness #6
Thursday, July 7th, 2011Memorial Day Weekend = Our Idea of Heaven
Saturday, June 11th, 2011For is it that last weekend in May that the annual yard sale, church rummage sale, Boy Scout sale, estate sale and flea market season gets fully underway in the Catskills. Not to mention some great small town parades. At the first ring of the alarm clock at some ungodly hour at the break of dawn (usually on the Friday of) the dedicated have gulped down their coffee, made sure to pack lots of small bills, and head off to the races.
A must-see is the annual church rummage on Route 28 in Shokan.
"And....they're off!"
The church hall was especially loaded with treasures this season.
This little fella caught our eye, but turns out he was NFS.
We’re convinced that the entire village of Phoenicia puts on its wonderful Memorial Day Parade every year simply to announce that yard sale season has begun. One of the perks of having a storefront on Main Street? They march right past our front door!
Location, location, location.
A bevy of beauties cheers on the parade under the watchful eye of The Sportsman's Davy Crockett.
Spotted at The Spot (Memorial Day Weekend Edition)
Sunday, June 5th, 2011Now that we’re open for the season (did we mention it’s our tenth?) things are hopping at Le Spot. Come meet some of our Memorial Day Weekend visitors….
Hubba hubba! This vintage 1950s Betty Grable Hawaiian print sarong bombshell swimsuit ($60). has been patiently biding its time on the racks, waiting for the right girl to try her on and snap her up. And who should walk into the Spot this weekend but Jen Storch, a barista at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Bullseye! Wear it well, Jen — you rock it! (Speaking of rock, did we also mention that Jen sings and plays drums in her band, Flower Orgy?).
Felipe Flores is 19 and has been living in the Catskills for the past year as an exchange student from Chile. He simply had to have this vintage Polaroid Sonar One-Step Pronto camera (with all attachments and case), and for $28. American, it was his! Felipe plays the guitar and the euphonium, is planning to study photography and the visual arts.
Our old pal Bill Adler from the Def Jam/RUSH days and his lovely family drove up to Phoenicia to finally see what the whole Mystery Spot thing was about. Bill got lost for hours in the vinyl room, finally emerging with this Garnet Mimms album ($8). and a stack of singles for his famous Xmas mix-tapes that a few lucky souls receive every year. Sara Moulton is a world-famous chef and all-around sweetheart. She went right for the cookbook section and picked out one with a title that she couldn’t resist: “A Pinch of This and a Dash of That.” Daughter Ruthie selected the first of what we hope will be a continued and lifelong art collection for her wall, our portrait of Bjork from 1991. We’re truly honored that she chose one of our pieces to start off her collection.
We love meeting fellow vinyl dealers, especially when they give our shop two thumbs’ up. Jann and Tom have a record store in Rochester, NY called The Bop Shop, which, according to our young cousin Nick, who lives in Rochester and is somewhat of a music maven, is “sweeeeet.” Their score at the Mystery Spot: Dr. John’s Gumbo ($20., minty-mint) and a jazz record I can’t quite make out from the photo (Norman Blake, Vassar Clements, et. al.).
Mildred Pierce mystery circa 1911
Sunday, March 27th, 2011In honor of the Kate Winslet remake of Mildred Pierce which premieres tonight, we present to you this mysterious postcard from 1911 which we found in our travels many years ago.
So many unanswered questions….
Did she have to help Edith carry the money bag over the hill?
What was in the money bag?
Why is Edith referencing herself in the third person?
Whatever happened to Mildred Pierce of Delhi, NY?
Hitting the Spot on New Year’s Weekend
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011This is our last “official” weekend until the spring, as we prepare to go into hibernation mode. However, look for us to pop up on the holiday weekends (Presidents’ Day, etc) until our official re-opening in May (our tenth season!).
Meantime, Homer and Langley’s Hibernation Sale continues through the end of today (January 2nd). Check out some of the new customers and old friends who popped into the shop this weekend for vintage bargains galore!
Cozy vintage coats were a big seller this weekend. Artist/set designer/builder Marc Rubin totally scored with this vintage tundra-worthy fleece coat ($55.). It weighs about twenty pounds, but every ounce is pure unadulterated warmth.
Another super coat score! Lucky Yelena spotted this killer Seventies belted blue/gray leather DiModa coat with fur collar ($125.). As concierge at a big Manhattan hotel, she knows a thing or two about secret sources and good finds!
International Woman of Mystery Nicole Moomjy got into the holiday spirit with this festive Sixties metallic gold fitted jacket ($50.) and a must-have copy of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet ($15.).
The vinyl also flew out of the bins this weekend. Case in point: nineteen year-old Colin Rocker (yes, that’s his real name). He just moved back to the Catskills from Bozeman, Montana and headed straight to the Spot to stock up on vintage C & W records (Ernest Tubb, George Jones, et. al.). Colin gave the Mystery Spot’s vinyl room this rave review: “One of the greatest country record collections I’ve ever seen – East, West, North, South.”
Another vinyl junkie! Musician Jordan Shapiro plays in a bluegrass band called Astrograss based in Brooklyn and stocked up on a baker’s dozen of records from Zappa and the Mothers to Flatt and Scruggs, all at $4 apiece.
Everything’s on SALE this December at The Mystery Spot!
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010Hey Mystery-Spotters! We’re trying something new this year — all this month, every vintage item in the shop is 20% off! We’ll be open every weekend this December through New Year’s Day.
We’ll then close for the season, to re-open anew like the blossoms in the spring for our tenth season.
We’re still bringing in lots of estate-fresh merch all the time, and ALL of it’s on sale!
Please consider shopping local, and supporting the mom and pop small businesses in your communities.
Down to the Knitty-Gritty
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Wait…is that a long hand-knit vest with MATCHING LEG WARMERS? Yes!
You won't find one of these ensembles every day, that's fer sure!
Cozy!
Just in time for the brisk weather, some killer vintage hand-knit ensembles that we’ve dug up here in Phoenicia.
Mmmm…toasty!
Holly Miranda and Ambrosia Parsley sing Buddy Holly
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010Holly Miranda & Ambrosia Parsley sing Buddy Holly’s True Love Ways at Mystery Spot Antiques’ free MUSIC FOR FRONT PORCHES series in Phoenicia, NY. Our camera is a little shaky at first, but it’s worth hanging in there for two of the most beautiful voices you’ve ever heard. Stay tuned for more! (video © Laura Levine)
A Three-Minute Tour of the Mystery Spot hosted by Anna, age 8.
Saturday, August 28th, 2010Dean&Britta&Jonathan&Grasshopper
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010We’re still pinching ourselves. The free show that Mercury Rev and Dean & Britta played on the Mystery Spot porch Sunday afternoon was truly special. Hard to explain, but those lucky ones who attended know what we mean. (The videos in our previous post give a clue). Deepest thanks to music/entertainment lawyer extraordinaire (and dear friend!) Loren Chodosh, who put the whole event into motion, to Lisa Gottheil and Kellyn Slone at 2:30 Publicity for all their hard work and support, and to the Kirks and the people of Phoenicia for letting us do our thing. Most of all, thanks to D&B&J&G for giving us a day to remember!Here are a few photos. (All photos © Laura Levine).
Grasshopper, Jonathan Donahue, Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham with some of their Mystery Spot swag.
Jonathan Donahue, Grasshopper, Dean and Britta on the porch of Mystery Spot Antiques.
Britta Phillips sings a beautiful version of "I'll Keep It With Mine."
Dean Wareham checks out the vinyl room.
Porch rockers!
The crowd on Main Street.
Tommy Ramone and Dean Wareham. Tommy's band Uncle Monk will be playing a free show on the Mystery Spot's front porch next Sunday (Aug. 22) at 2 PM.
