Trailer Trad Grooming: The Right Toothbrush

The Right Toothbrush

What’s happened to toothbrushes? While I realize the benefits of motorized toothbrushes, I have working wrists and am more than capable of generating the action needed to cleanse my big yap. However, where are the plain ol’ toothbrushes that can fight plaque and, if needed, clean the grime from M-1 rifle barrels?

What I don’t need is a five dollar toothbrush that looks like something that you hop on and fly around on at Hogworts Academy. And then, after a week, the bristles bow outward or get stuck in your teeth. A plain, well-made plastic toothbrush at a good price was no where to be found. Until now.

Reach by Johnson & Johnson puts out an economy pack of plain acrylic sturdy toothbrushes in cool colors like emerald green and cobalt blue. Four for $6.00 at Target works for me.

Blog entry update – As with most traditional products that are good, solid values, the Reach toothbrush four packs were removed from my Target much to my chagrin. They have been replaced by more of the flimsy, flashy jobs. So, as it is with most traditional products that are good, solid values these days, I rooted around on the internet to find what I want. At Walgreens, the manager found some in the back for $1 a toothbrush and I bought every one.-Score!

Trailer Trad Collecting: May Picking

It's Springtime in Raleigh and the yard sales are in bloom. As always, it's tough to find cool stuff but hopefully some of this will strike your fancy...

These chairs probably came out of a doctor's office and are straight 50's. Great yellow color and Mid-Century streamlined design. They are built like tanks and weigh a ton.

These drafting tables originally came from a architecture design department and are made of oak. They have a great industrial look and can be used as a kitchen island or dining table in addition to meeting your drafting needs!

I bought these antique Japanese samurai woodblock prints at a yard sale in downtown Raleigh. The lady holding the sale said that her Granddad was stationed in China and brought them back with him. They are well executed and could have done in 1930....or 1730.

I really can't tell since I can't read Japanese. She was nearly sixty so I'm guessing that they were brought back Home in the 1930s.

This 1915 basketball team photo was picked up at the fleamarket. The team is from 'EHS' (Episcopal High School?) and the studio that took the photo was from New York. Cool image even though the matt was chewed up.
Industrial look, anyone? These steel stools are from the 1950s and are quite popular right now. The Steel Case model above is really nice considering the great condition of the upholstery and paint.

This bench was actually a better find than it looks. I bought this bench from the same lady that I got the Japanese prints from. It's a fairly old country bench with a few 'cut' nails and original 'pumpkin' color paint. Among country painted-furniture fans, pumpkin ranks alongside robins egg blue as the most desirable furniture color.

What is this? It's a quilt made out of old silk labels strips from a textile mill. A mill worker probably gathered these, took them home and made a quilt out of the scraps. Some of the old labels are pretty cool.