Frosty Glass Piggy Bank

Here's a vintage frosty glass piggy bank in green color that I'd bought from a Sunday flea market at Clarke Quay some ten years ago.

This nice and cute piggy bank really gives a wonderful ringing sound when you slot your first coin into it. Heehee!

piggy banks

Glass Piggy Bank

Most piggy banks in the form of animals are made of opague clay or porcelain.

Some are even made of opague or translucent plastic that don't give the right ringing sound when you slot your first coins into them.

I don't usually see those piggy banks made of clear glass for sale very often, and when I'd chanced upon one such glass piggy bank like this downtown about twelve years ago, I didn't hesitate to buy it rightaway.

Yes, this piggy bank gives a nice ringing sound when you slot your first coin into it.

piggy banks

1983 Piggy Banks

1983 was the Year of the Pig, also known as the Year of the Boar.

In that year, a small local bank gave away cute piggy banks made of porcelain like these to its regular customers.

piggy banks
Singapore

Year of the Golden Pig

Today marks the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Golden Pig.

According to reliable sources, this year is gonna be an auspicious year.

I've gathered a few of those appropriate items for display, having collected them for many years, especially the two almost identical items (well, one big and one small) given by a local bank that I've kept for decades.

Singapore

Large Angpow Envelops of Today

For this Lunar New Year, I've noticed that many large angpow envelops are given away freely, and I think it's because the local economy is booming.

A piece of $10 banknote slides easily into any of these large angpow envelops, and I'm sure a piece of $50 banknote will do just fine.

Singapore

Small Angpow Envelops of the Past

I've collected these small angpow envelops of the 1970s and early 1980s.

In the past, angpow envelops were made to hold mostly those $1 banknotes and sometimes those $5 banknotes, before those $2 banknotes were printed.

The larger $10 banknotes had to be folded at least two times to fit into these small angpow envelops.

Prosperity Packet from POSB

For this Lunar New Year, the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) issues a so-called Prosperity Packet, consisting of 30 pieces of uncirculated $10 paper banknotes, 100 pieces of uncirculated $2 polymer banknotes, two packets of angpow envelops, and some decorative souvenirs for dangling around in the home.

All of the goodies mentioned above are packed into a mid-size envelop marked POSB for any customer who queues at the cashier-counter and hands over $500 cash in exchange for this Prosperity Packet.

Now $500 of a customer's own money exchanges for $300 worth of $10 banknotes and $200 worth of $2 banknotes, then where's the prosperity that this customer could gain? Well, the prosperity is the two free packets of angpow envelops.

Singapore

Angpow Packets from Johor Baru

I've gone across the causeway to Johor Baru to do some shopping lately, and I've received complimentary packets of angpow envelops from those friendly proprietors of small retail shops.

It's nice to collect something quite similar from another country.

Johor Baru

Angpow Packet from Citibank

Sometime last week, Citibank Singapore has sent me a packet of ten angpow envelops to herald in the coming Lunar New Year.

I can't recall whether or not it had done that last year. But I certainly hope it will do it again for next year.

Singapore

Angpow Packet from eBay

In January 2005, eBay Singapore had sent me a complimentary packet of eight longish angpow envelops.

But the following year and this year, it didn't send me any packet.

I guess eBay Singapore might be trying to save some cost.

1993 Brochures from Hungary

In 1993, a friend from Hungary had air-mailed to me a package of colorful brochures and magazines.

They're written in English and their information was useful about Hungary, and I've kept them well ever since on my bookshelf.

brochures

1980 Brochure of Crossbows

This 16-page color brochure entitled Barnett Crossbows and Sporting Goods, together with a nice cover letter, a 4-page price list, and an order form were air-mailed to me in 1980 from a UK exporter of crossbow and archery equipment.

The high price had discouraged me from buying any of those sporting equipment and I'd thought I might as well simply stick to my cheaper game of throwing darts.

brochures

Operation Crossbow

Operation Crossbow, Turner Entertainment Co. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. 2006, Widescreen, NTSC1, 116 mins.

This 1965 war movie has been made available in DVD of Region Code 2 for some years and I'm glad that it's now available in DVD of Region Code 1.

I'd received this DVD from an online video-store in the USA last month.

I think I'm gonna watch it for the second time this month.

Hollywood

The Da Vinci Treasure

The Da Vinci Treasure, The Asylum Home Entertainment 2006, NTSC1, 88 mins.

This is a nice used DVD that I'd bought from an eBay seller for US$6.99 last month and paid US$5.50 for airmail shipping to Singapore.

It's fun to watch a silly no-brainer movie like this once in a while.

Hollywood

National Treasure, a US$12 DVD

National Treasure, Walt Disney Home Entertainment 2004, NTSC1, Full Screen, 131 mins. Made in USA.

This nice used DVD is kind of like a treasure that has arrived packed inside a large bubble envelop on February 8. The seller had done a good job and the delivery was prompt.

I'd waited for quite a while to buy a DVD of this title at a reasonable price.

Hollywood

A US$10 Bill for a DVD

This is just a common US$10 bill that I'd bought at S$15.50 from a money-changer on January 24.

I'd posted it on the next day together with two pieces of US$1 bills that I'd kept for quite some time in my wallet.

You see, a Yahoo! Auctions seller in the USA doesn't yet have a PayPal account for me to remit the amount of US$12.00 for a nice used DVD (including airmail postage) that I'd bidded successfully.

I'd got to use the old-fashioned but reliable way of sending concealed cash by post, you know. I'm glad my concealed cash was delivered to the seller on February 2.

Postcard & Matchbox of the Mid-1970s

Souvenirs of the good old days of the mid-1970s. SOLD!

In those days, a visit to Skillets Coffee House on the ground level of Supreme House at Penang Road was a special treat 'coz it served a dish of tasty lamb chops and a glass of fruit juice for about S$10.00.

After eating that sumptuous meal, browsing inside a record store for one or two vinyl LP records to buy at $9.00 each would cost quite a substantial sum of pocket money.

Singapore

1970/1971 Postcard, Singapore Lido Cinema

This is a nice used postcard showing the old Lido Cinema, most likely printed in 1970 or 1971. You look closely at the two palm trees and you'll see the title of the movie, The Christine Jorgensen Story starring John Hansen, which was produced in 1970.

It was a drama motion picture based on an autobiography of the first man to become a woman -- the story of Christine Jorgensen, the first person to undergo a sex-change operation.

Right, here's another story as told by a teacher back in my good old school days.

In 1966 when this cinema screened that action adventure movie Thunderball, about that action spy agent James Bond 007, the queue to buy admission tickets on the first few days had stretched right out to the parking lot in front of this cinema (see left image).

My school teacher was among those movie fans queuing patiently to watch Thunderball.

Singapore

1970's Postcard, National Theater

This is a scarce mint postcard most likely printed in the mid-1970s depicting the demolished National Theater at River Valley Road.

That prime vacant plot of land hasn't been redeveloped ever since the demolition many years ago.

Singapore

Tiong Bahru Road, Old and New Houses

It was about 11:30am and the weather was cool and breezy.

That elderly person was standing right across Tiong Bahru Road when I'd shot this picture of those 57-year-old houses in the background. Was he trying to catch a taxicab or just looking at me?

Walking into a side street called Boon Tiong Road about a minute later, I'd turned around and shot the new twin-tower condominiums in the background.

You notice in the lower left-hand corner of the second picture that the elderly person was still standing along the main road.

I'd got to move along 'coz I was going to meet a seller in 5 minutes to collect some items that I'd bidded from an auction. It was a nice Sunday yesterday to travel around and buy something that I like.

By the way, I ain't sure how long that elderly person was standing along that main road 'coz I didn't go back that way.

Singapore

Three Kings, DVD in a Silly Box

Three Kings, Warner Home Video 2000, NTSC1, Widescreen Version, 115 mins.

This is an exciting Hollywood movie about a search for a huge cache of gold bullion during the Persian Gulf War.

The plastic clip at the 2 o' clock position was broken when I'd received this DVD from an online store in the USA.

I don't like this kind of silly packaging design 'coz there ain't no replacement for it if more of the clip is broken. I hope Warner Home Video will wake up its blinking (fcuking) ideas and use those common vinyl keepcases instead.

Hollywood

The Dam Busters

The Dam Busters, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Inc. 2006, NTSC1 (Region Code 1) B & W, 125 mins.

This is a 1954 black and white war movie that I haven't seen before in any local cinema or televised screening by any local TV station.

I have been waiting for quite awhile for this 2006 DVD release that I'd bought at a reasonable price from an online store in the USA last month.

I didn't want to bid for any of those used DVDs of this title from eBay auctions 'coz they're quite pricey and most were of Region Code 2. Sometimes a little patience pays off quite nicely, heehee!

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone, Columbia Pictures, 3-disc VCD Box Set, 155 mins.

Even though I'd watched this classic war movie in the cinema in the 1970s, I still find it exciting and refreshing to watch this movie time and again after I'd bought this 3-disc box set about 12 years ago.

Hollywood

Force 10 from Navarone

Force 10 from Navarone, Columbia Tristar Home Video 2000, 2-disc VCD, 120 mins.

This 1978 movie is supposingly to be the long overdue sequel to the 1961 classic war movie, The Guns of Navarone.

The two discs are enclosed inside a tin casing, made by Alliance Entertainment Singapore Pte Ltd.

Hollywood