Have you ever heard of this stuff?

[alexandra]

Those were all the TV stations I grew up with! I heard that Bobby from Taxi is going to be in a reality show about being in rehab. He apparently has a substance abuse problem -- and isn't the cute guy he was twenty years ago (well, I can't say I retained any cuteness from back then either).

What I like about Pyrex is that it is traditional, yet varied (I swear, I can make sense of that statement!).  Some pieces are the same today as they were decades ago.  And other peices are definitely dated -- and interesting because of it.  The bowls can be dated/timeless.  The casseroles have, in many instances stayed the same.  But the refrigerator sets -- now that's vintage worth drooling over.  Especially if the sets are complete with lids.

Because I mix and match, I like the fact that many of my Pyrex lids work with Corningware casserole dishes.  It's not always an exact fit when it comes to the square pieces -- but it's pretty close.  It's kind of hard to mess up with the round ones, though.

Now for all you old TV buffs from the Metro/NY area... who remembers the UHF masterpiece called "The Uncle Floyd Show" -- starring Floyd Vivino.  I wish I could find it now -- is it maybe on youtube???  It was hilarious -- better than Pee Wee's Playhouse (and done years before).

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[superiorgirl]

I got mine for a wedding gift in 1975

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Oooooooooooo, Alexandra, I think your "traditional yet varied" comment makes PERFECT sense! It's a great line.

The Pyrex fridge sets seem to sell for big $$ on eBay. I don't think I've ever seen one "in captivity", only in pics. Do the pieces match the colors of *the* mixing bowls set?

Now you've got me thinking--Uncle Floyd?? I think I'm stumped What UHF station was he on? Can you tell me more about the show? I will ask DH if he remembers.

Floyd Vivino--now, there's a name!

The only UHF I remember was one out of Long Island that played "cool" 80s music videos and had a guy on there named "Emo" who talked really slowly and twirled his hair alot. And the best video:  "Fishheads"! It's a classic.

superiorgirl, do you still have your Pyrex?

[SecondhandSophisticate]

PS:  http://www.amazon.com/Best-Uncle-Floyd-Show/dp/B0001I553S

I am totally impressed!

[Jay2TheRescue]

Oooooooooooo, Alexandra, I think your "traditional yet varied" comment makes PERFECT sense! It's a great line.

The Pyrex fridge sets seem to sell for big $$ on eBay. I don't think I've ever seen one "in captivity", only in pics. Do the pieces match the colors of *the* mixing bowls set?

Now you've got me thinking--Uncle Floyd?? I think I'm stumped What UHF station was he on? Can you tell me more about the show? I will ask DH if he remembers.

Floyd Vivino--now, there's a name!

The only UHF I remember was one out of Long Island that played "cool" 80s music videos and had a guy on there named "Emo" who talked really slowly and twirled his hair alot. And the best video:  "Fishheads"! It's a classic.

superiorgirl, do you still have your Pyrex?

Fridge sets were available in many of the popular patterns of the 50's - 70's.  The only patterns I can think of off hand that are popular collectors sets in the mixing bowls that don't have matching Frdge sets are the dots, stripes, and Sunflower patterns.  You can usually find something else that would work well with your bowls though.  For example, if you have the Sunflower bowls I would suggest a fridge set in Citrus.    For the Dots or Stripes patterns I would suggest a fridge set in the original Primary colors pattern.

-Jay

[Mattie]

As for Wonderama, I always figured it was "fixed" for some girl to win the bouquet of flowers on the "open the can" game.  I could never figure out how a girl always wound up winning the Ross Apollo 5-Speed bike.  THERE'S NO JUSTICE!

Not this time! 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tq1PMd15iRo&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Tq1PMd15iRo&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0</a>

  And check out the cool toys those kids won!

Larry Ferrari--does his name rhyme?
When you saw organ music, do you mean the stuff that used to be played at roller skating rinks back in the day? and on soap operas when they were live, like The Edge of Night ? Or, to date myself even further, silent movies?

Yes, his name rhymed. He sat at a big organ and played popular tunes until the end of the program, when he would play a hymn.  He would smile at the camera while he played.  The man was on TV for 43 years!  Just playing the organ!  He was a fixture in thousands of households every Sunday morning.

How fun to be between mainline Philly and Noo Yawk! Double your cultural and shopping fun!

No, no fun at all.  We never traveled to either city.  I went to both on class field trips, but that's it.  My family, like most families in our small town, feared the big bad city.  I knew many elderly people who had never traveled more than a handful of miles from home in their entire lives.  Sad, huh?


Oh, and my knowledge of Pyrex is limited to the starter set my brother gave me when I graduated from college in 1983.  All clear pieces, all still in constant use, no breakage (knock wood)!

[alexandra]

Seso, for a sampling of Uncle Floyd, go to youtube: 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_efvfxmJDGQ&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/_efvfxmJDGQ&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0</a>

-- and it looks as if he probably found his jacket at a thrift.

The guy was sooooo funny -- and a great piano player.  He also featured many notable musical performers in the 80's -- The Ramones, Blotto, Cyndy Lauper, etc.  Dr. Demento was on, and Floyd was a big fan of Soupy Sales.

He still performs -- but as I understand it, not as Uncle Floyd per se.  He is a very talented pianist and has an astounding repetoire of old vaudeville pieces.

For an example of his humor, I can't help but recall a bit he did about Hitler and his vegetarianism (featuring lots of flatulence). 

UHF was only available using old rabbit ears.  It always came in fuzzy.  The show ran opposite Star Trek and there was always an effort by Floyd fans to get that show cancelled.  They say it took them five years, but they won...

Anyone from metro Jersey would most likely find his various features on the Eastern environs of the state quite interesting.  He did travelogues of various sections areas.  Hilarious.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Mattie]

You people are a bad influence!  There I was at Thrift Town, minding my own business, shopping for stuff I can use in artwork, when...WHAM!  I am struck by the beauty of a four-quart Pyrex Cinderella nesting bowl in pink with the white gooseberry pattern.  (Of course, I didn't know all that at the time, I just thought, oooh, pretty Pyrex thing!).  It was only $3.99 so I had to bring it home.  While researching it online I saw pictures of other pretty Pyrex things.  Now I'm afraid I'll be coming home with this stuff every time I go shopping. 

I sense a dangerous new addiction forming...

[Good Buddy]

Yes another victim of the dreaded disease, Pyrexia!

[Big Daddy Audio]

I think I have to interject at this point that I enjoy Uncle Floyd more than Pyrex.  I have a DVD of some of his best stuff.  My favorite stuff is with Oogie.  Either Oogie or Hugo (man of a thousand faces).  His crew was also a nutty assemblage of some of the craziest dudes east of the Mississippi.

There's also a link on You tube of Zoogs Rift on Uncle Floyd.  Crazy.  Zoogs makes Uncle Floyd seem like Edward R. Murrow.

See you next time
bye for now

[Zed Simon]

I was also lucky enough to live between NY and Philly...but a little too young to remember the full craziness of Uncle Floyd. And I never ventured into either city either, except for a school trip to NY to see CATS, or Philly for the Franklin Institute, the Liberty Bell, or one time, the Bourse.

SeSo, since you mentioned Larry Ferrari, do you also happen to remember the Al Alberts Showcase, which channel 6 also ran?

(Something tells me we now have very little hope of talking much more about Pyrex in this thread since we've strayed so far...sorry for the interruptions!)

[Monimania]

I am a pyrexia addixted person, I took a new picture of my pyrex

AND i am an Uncle Floyd fan, I used to watch it all the time and I had pictures on the wall and I have a hugo doll
YOu know that Mugsy passed away, I was on his Yahoo Message board and I got an email

In his Obit, it said he had a son Hugo(he had no kids they were talking about the puppet)

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Zed, I mentioned Larry Ferrari 'cause Mattie mentioned him. Until she mentioned him, I didn't know anything about him, cause I was in New England and didn't get him up there.

From what Mattie tells me about Larry, however, I am sorry I never had the opp to see him. Is he on YouTube? Just watching him play and smile at the camera for an hour would be enchanting, I think. Mesmerizing. Hypnotizing.

As for Uncle Floyd, I want to thank you all for introducing me to him and his talent. Alas, I don't remember ever seeing his show or even having access to that UHF channel. But anybody who likes The Ramones has to be superlative in the talent department.

Zed, I did want to tell you I am listening to my Ferrante and Teicher (sp?) Christmas Album that they did in 1959.  The music is played by plucking on piano strings and has a rocket on the cover. It was .50 at a thrift in the middle of a July heat wave.

Mattie, welcome to Pyrexia.  I didn't have it, either, until I came on this board.

Monimania, I think I would have enjoyed Mugsy, from what you tell me about his Obit     

xo, Dahlings!

[Big Daddy Audio]

That's too bad about Mugsy.  I wonder how Netto and Looney Skip Rooney are holding up.  We used to tune into Uncle Floyd on channel 68 (out of Newark, I think) using a double bow-tie UHF antenna placed up on the top bunk in my brother's and my bedroom; we had to splice in extra 300 ohm antenna cable scrounged from a neighbor's house basement.  We also started enjoying "Lucha Libre" broadcast on the same channel on Wednesday nights.

We watched on a GE 13" black and white set.  It was heaven.  Maybe this is why people today need 1080p and 65" of plasma.  As the quality of the programming goes down, the quality of the set must go up.

See you next time
bye for now