Tourist Tat

[Fnaar]

My mum once had a religious statuette from Knock, Ireland, of Mary, with a little button on the back so you could move her praying arms up and down a bit. Tat in the extreme...

 

[TheDoctor]

Would this be an opportune moment to mention a little glass kangaroo with a sachet of Vegemite in its pouch, that I saw at Sydney airport?
I so regret not buying it . It was dreadfulness personified.

 

[Cubist]

In the late 80s I noticed that more and more houses on certain estates sported gaudy clocks in cases. The "best"were in perspex domes and had say a forest, or an animal theme, with a butterfly on the sweepsecond, etc etc. I never saw one in a shop (or at least not in any shop I ever visited) so I have no idea where they came from. It was suggested that they were probably from catalogues. I have tried to thnk of a charitable way to describe them, and the best I can come up with is "f*cking horrific tat"

 

[Cubist]

My father used to joke about Papal souvenirs, and when the pontiff visited Coventry in the 80s he swore blind that he saw a "Pope Soap On a Rope" for sale, but like Arch's snowdome, the price ensured it stayed put in the shop....

 

[Cubist]

Sometimes it's the downright incongrous nature of stuff which makes you challenge even your own "Taste". I was involved in a series of educational visits to a mosque in Dewsbury. The building was reasonably modern, and the main prayer room was beautifully appointed with carpets/prayer mats of exqusite tapestry. The Imam's seat was a beautifully carved oak chair set against a glass bricked alcove which faced East, so that in the mornings the Imam was backlit by the morning sunshine shining through the opaque glass. The alcove itself was however surrounded by multicoloured fairy lights, the sort you get at B&Q in long white plastic hoses. There was panel on the wall with clocks of different time zones, and these were set into a chrome plated plastic relief map............

 

[Arch]

In the late 80s I noticed that more and more houses on certain estates sported gaudy clocks in cases. The "best"were in perspex domes and had say a forest, or an animal theme, with a butterfly on the sweepsecond, etc etc. I never saw one in a shop (or at least not in any shop I ever visited) so I have no idea where they came from. It was suggested that they were probably from catalogues. I have tried to thnk of a charitable way to describe them, and the best I can come up with is "f*cking horrific tat"

Catalogues. We find them (catalogues, not clocks) in the recycling. There's the one with a miniature crafted resin village, round which a model of the Flying Scotsman chuffs. The circumference is so tight, that the train model itself is curved to fit on the track. And one I saw last week, had a scene of resin garden birds, which revolved as the clock ran - the illustration of this had blur lines at the edges to indicate movement, which made it look like the poor birds were spinning round at 45 rpm...

The same catalogues tend to sell all-in-one-fleece-blankets-with-sleeves, and giant-single-tartan-booties-for-both-feet. Recently, there's been a spate of solar powered illuminated garden ornaments, usually with a resin Westie terrier, or tacky fairy theme. Everyso often we take one in to laugh at over lunch.

Mind you, there are few houses local to work with gardens full of naff ornaments. I reckon we should club together and buy something awful, and then leave in one of those gardens, to bewilder the owner...

 

[Arch]

My mum once had a religious statuette from Knock, Ireland, of Mary, with a little button on the back so you could move her praying arms up and down a bit. Tat in the extreme...

Catholic tat is a whole different league of tat though, the C of E simply can't complete.

 

[Speicher]

Arch, I am sure you could find a use for these on your high heeled shoes at tonight's party.

 

[Piemaster]

My boyfriend picked up some amazing tat when we went to Prague recently. In the touristy areas there were rows of shops just selling Russian dolls and marionettes. There were some lovely traditional Russian dolls, but also some pandering to English and American tourists. Like his new toys:

I love how it's not wrong in that it's horribly gaudy, but still... wrong. Who wants their football team in Russian doll form?!

That is real quality tat. Of all the Hull City related tat I've ever seen this is now my new #1

 

[Arch]

Arch, I am sure you could find a use for these on your high heeled shoes at tonight's party.

Wow, cool!

Although it's currently not so much ice, as 3" of snow, so maybe just some high-heel wellies?

 

[Arch]

Some beauts here. I especially like* the Scotsman Faberge egg...

http://www.bradford.co.uk/index.php/cat/c43_Flying-Scotsman.html

*in the sense of 'hate'.

But this takes some beating too. Anything is better when you can splash the words "It lights up!" across the ad....

http://www.bradford.co.uk/product_i....html/XTCsid/2890da3d5d1bd70f8475eb1290966513

 

[Arch]

<splutter>

Oh no. We have a winner....

http://www.bradford.co.uk/product_i....html/XTCsid/2890da3d5d1bd70f8475eb1290966513

The only words better than "It lights up!" must be "Santa is impressively sized at 2 feet tall".

and the fact that it's made, sorry "Handsculpted" from "RealTouch™ vinyl"

Apologies to anyone who was eating their dinner and now feels a bit sick...

 

[Arch]

God help me, I can't stop.

If I die, and anyone buys this in my memory, I'll haunt them.

http://www.bradford.co.uk/product_i....html/XTCsid/2890da3d5d1bd70f8475eb1290966513

 

[Arch]

What in the name of all that's holy....?

http://www.bradford.co.uk/product_i....html/XTCsid/2890da3d5d1bd70f8475eb1290966513

Kill me....

 

[Baggy]

The Spirit of England U.S. Style Locomotive Express

That is beyond rank.