For: Daughter or sister
Item: Holiday Barbie, 1994
Condition: Gently used
Price: $15
Name/Age: Pam/51
Location: South county
Phone: 314-846-5160
Issue: December 9
Unreal: How is the 1994 Holiday Barbie even more fabulous than the 1993 Holiday Barbie?
Pam: I can't tell you what the '93 Barbie looked like. But this one is dressed in a gold dress with a white fur collar. It's my daughter's doll. She has about twenty of them.
And how old is she?
Twenty-five.
Don't you think she's too old for dolls?
That wouldn't go over so well. She and her husband still play with Legos, and she has twenty Barbies. It's taken me a while to convince her it's time to let some of them go.
Were you worried these dolls would inflict psychological harm on your daughter?
No. I made sure she knew that Barbie's body is unrealistic and looks aren't the most important thing. My daughter was valedictorian of her class and has an IQ of 156.
So, she's fat?
No. She's more interested in fighting. She has a black belt in tae kwon do.
Is a slightly used Barbie the perfect stocking stuffer?
I know when I was a girl it was. The same goes for my daughter.
For: Family drama queen
Item: Dallas TV show collectibles
Condition: Mint
Price: $75
Name/Age: Miles/43
Location: St. Peters
Phone: 636-970-1790
Issue: December 9
Unreal: Tell us about your merchandise.
Miles: Oh, boy. I'd have to do an inventory. There are several Dallas novels, a jigsaw puzzle, board game, an album of the song "Who Shot J.R.?," a coffee mug, magazines and an empty can of "J.R." beer.
What did that taste like?
Oh, it was pretty good. Kind of like Milwaukee's Best but not as good as Budweiser.
Who would want this stuff?
That's what my friend asked me. I work at a body shop and one of the guys said, "Who would want that crap?" But I think there are pretty big fans out there like me. When I was a kid, I dreamed of living a life like on Dallas. I used to take pictures of the television set when Dallas was on.
What can the Ewing family from the show teach us about the spirit of Christmas?
I think they could teach us not to be so greedy and be thankful for what you have.
The true essence of the holiday!
Yeah, not to live life as a fantasy.
For: Collector and/or investor, eccentric aunt
Item: 100 TWA butter knives
Condition: Old, but new
Price: $50
Name/Age: Steve/44
Location: Hillsboro
Phone: 314-341-9876
Issue: December 9
Unreal: What exactly are TWA knives?
Steve: They're the butter knives the airline used to serve passengers their meals.
Why do you have 100 of these knives?
I just ran across them a year ago at a garage sale. I figured they'd be a good investment, because TWA no longer exists and airlines no longer serve their meals with real utensils. But you're selling them for 50 cents apiece? Well, yeah. I wasn't able to sit on the investment long enough. I need some cash for the holidays.
Why do TWA knives make the perfect holiday gift?
Because they're the gift that keeps on giving. Something like this certainly gets more valuable with time. They're great conversation pieces. Or you could give them away to friends in sets of ten. Maybe you could even make wind chimes out of them!
For: Mother or wife
Item: Evenflo dual breast pump
Condition: Slightly used
Price: $30
Name/Age: Megan/22
Location: Ferguson
Phone: 314-973-2807
Issue: December 9
Unreal: Why are you getting rid of your breast pump?
Megan: It wasn't for me. I think I only used it once. I bought it for $80. So I think $30 is a real bargain.
Why does a used breast pump make for the perfect holiday gift?
I think that a first-time mother without much money could appreciate it.
A lot of people leave cookies and a cold glass of milk for Santa Claus. How long does it take for breast milk to achieve room temperature?
I've never left anything for Santa before. It's been a while since I believed in him.
So you wouldn't suggest leaving him a nice glass of breast milk?
No, I think he's more of a 2 percent or whole-milk type of guy.
For: Grandma, medical workers, the incontinent
Item: Antique Ceramic Bedpan
Condition: Definitely used
Price: $25
Name/Age: Kathy/67
Location: West county
Phone: 636-527-8489
Issue: December 9
Unreal: How do we know your bedpan is truly an antique?
Kathy: If you looked at it, you'd know.
Yellowed?
Oh, no. It's ceramic and very clean. They don't make them like this anymore. It's probably 80 to 90 years old. I inherited it from my mother, who got it from her mother. My grandmother originally used it when she cared for my great-grandmother.
So, you have a new bedpan?
No, thank you! I never liked having this thing around the house. I'm tired of pushing it around.
Why does an antique ceramic bedpan make for the perfect holiday gift?
Well, beyond the practical uses, maybe it would be of interest to a nurse or doctor. They could use it as a conversation piece and plant some flowers in it.
For: Someone more naughty than nice
Item: Black pleather mirrored waterbed set
Condition: Used
Price: $75
Name/Age: Amy/29
Location: O'Fallon
Phone: 636-665-5299
Issue: December 9
Unreal: A black pleather waterbed? Who are you? Jenna Jameson?
Amy: No! It's my husband's. It's left over from his bachelor days.
Why are you getting rid of it?
We redecorated and it just doesn't fit in with our home. It's has a padded pleather headboard, pleather dresser and pleather nightstand with mirrored tops.
Sounds fabulous. Pleather wipes up pretty well, doesn't it?
Yes.
Why does a pleather waterbed make for the perfect holiday gift?
I'm not sure it does. It might be good for a guy moving out on his own. But I don't think a woman would want it. It's pretty tacky.
Speaking of women, I imagine Mommy could do a helluva lot more than just kiss Santa Claus with a pleather water bed....
This is true.
For: Smoker and/or Someone in need of a hobby
Item: Kool Cigarette Tin Motorcycle Sign
Condition: New (sort of)
Price: $35
Name/Age: Mike/38
Location: Smithton, Illinois
Phone: 618-741-9165
Issue: December 9
Unreal: Tell us about your Kool sign.
Mike: Actually I have two of them. They have a guy on a motorcycle. It looks like maybe he's popping a wheelie. It's from 1985, but it's never been used. It's still in the box.
Why are you selling them now?
I'm just trying to clean up the house. I don't have any use for them. I'm not even sure where I got 'em. When I was a kid, my parents went to a lot of auctions. It may have come from them or my uncle.
Who do you think would most enjoy a Kool sign for the holidays?
I have no idea. Maybe a smoker, or someone who collects signs or owns a bar. I got to think that someone buys these 'cause I've seen them on eBay. But to tell you the truth, you're the only person who's called me.
For: Grandpa, the technology challenged, a person whose home
burned down
Item: Box of 150 VHS movies
Condition: Previously viewed
Price: $340
Name/Age: Pat/42
Location: St. Charles
Phone: 314-306-1191
Issue: December 9
Unreal: Videocassettes? Haven't they gone the way of the eight-track?
Pat: Yeah. You could say I'm a movie buff. I like to collect films. But now I'm more into collecting DVDs.
Any holiday movies in that box?
I think I have White Christmas. But I'd have to look. It's mostly action, drama and sci-fi. There are some classics, too, like Gone with the Wind and Bridge Over the River Kwai.
What's the crappiest movie?
Oh, I don't know. Armageddon and Deep Impact came out about the same time. They're both pretty much the same movie: An asteroid is going to collide with Earth.
How about Turner & Hooch? Got that?
No. Don't think so.
Why does a box of old videos make the perfect holiday gift?
It would be good gift for someone who likes movies and maybe isn't up on the latest technology. You never know, maybe someone's house burned down and they lost their collection of films or they can't afford a DVD player.
