THE 50'S WEREN'T SO BAD? 

Well, looking back the 50's were good time in many ways. People will always say: "life was simpler back then." I recently moved Portland Pandemonium (and myself) away from the big city of Portland to the small town about 35 miles out into the country. The difference is stunning; life is so otherwise here that it may as well be a million miles away, or indeed, back in the 50's. I say this because even though the 1950's are long gone I've been having plenty of deja vu moments in my day-to-day life here that echo what it was like growing up back then: Kids riding bikes around together and playing in the street, dogs tagging along on their own, the Dairy Queen parking lot full of families with tailgates down, lemonade stands, and one of the last drive theaters still standing and still vibrantly alive. 

There is just one high school, just one main drag, and no Wal*Mart, Home Depot, Costco, or other big boxes. The local college is a 130 year old Quaker institution. You know half the people in the grocery line and there is always a chat. Small community celebrations are expressed with rodeos, parades, fairs, tastings, festivals, concerts, and dances. Roadside farm stands abound, tasting rooms are everywhere, and perhaps most telling, there are ten times as many churches than all the pot shops, taverns, and Starbucks combined. It's quiet, peaceful, safe, and mellow and I often have palpable moments that feel like I'm living in the best of the 50's.... I can sense it in my bones, the surroundings, atmosphere, ambience, and even in the vibes, man! 

Of course, as a Boomer, I have a special place in my heart for things from that sweet spot that existed from the 1940's through the 1960's, and I always love finding those special things that touch me deep in my mid-century brain. The difference is that now I am not collecting those things for myself, but picking them up just for you! We always have plenty of odd-ball & quirky stuff from those particular days gone by.  So, if you love that kind of stuff, you might want to drop into my 50's Weren't So Bad shop and have a look around: https://www.ebay.com/str/portlandpandemonium/1950s-Werent-So-Bad/_i.html?store_cat=38704220017

We Will Scratch Your Vintage Itch