Them's the Leaks...

 Today I have a game that the family played quite a bit "back in the day" (as all the hip kids say). Water Works by Parker Brothers! Water Works is a card game, although it doesn't feel like one to me. It's really more of a construction game in my book. In it, you play the part of a plumber having a really bad day. 

The whole point of the game is to build your pipe from source to spout while fixing leaks that your opponents throw in your way. Very much like real life, in a way. Let's look at the pictures, shall we?

This game was released in 1972, and I have that edition. Note the groovy font on the box!

What you see when you open the box...

The cards are held in a plastic bath tub. They didn't have to do that, as just putting the piles on the table would work, but I like the attention to detail.

The cards... There's a lot of drama in those cards...

And your secret weapon, the pipe wrench. Use them carefully, though!

A typical, staged, "game in progress" picture.

One thing that surprised me was the amount of instructions in this game. I really didn't remember there being a lot. I think it's because most of them are really common sense. I'll include them in case you want to take a look...

What really surprised me about this game is how fun it really is! In my research (limited as it was) I read that some players complained because luck has too big a role in winning due to the fact that the better cards you draw, the easier it is, but isn't that just life? 

All in all, this was always a family favorite! I recommend it for rainy days, or just boring ones. Good times! (much more so than actual plumbing work- trust me!)

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!

Sansui Complete!

 A few years ago (more than I'd like to admit, actually) I decided that I wanted a stereo system that could play pretty much anything that had ever been recorded. I started with some components that I had left over from 40 years ago, or so and then just kept building. 

This wasn't a focused, determined build, mind you. I would simply pick up something here and something else there and kept adding. Sometimes (pretty often) the things I bought at estate sales and garage sales ended up not working, but since I only spent a couple bucks on them, it was no big deal. 

Tape decks (reel to reel and 8 tracks) seemed to be a particular problem. They have so many moving parts and belts, heads, etc that have to be in perfect working order that it's almost impossible to find a working unit "in the wild." I got several of each, with no luck.

I finally decided about 10 years ago that I would get a professionally restored reel to reel, and so I made a visit to Dallas Vintage Audio. They had a Sansui QD-5500 machine that they assured me was a good deal. I have since learned that this is a rare quad deck, and they are highly regarded in vintage audio circles, but at the time I was looking at the price tag, which was many times what I had ever spent for a reel to reel. Still, with the encouragement of a supportive Mrs. Stu, I went for it. 

And thus was the Sansui rabbit hole opened. Sansui was a Japanese company that made  some top of the line stereo equipment in the late 60s and early 70s. A few years later, I decided that I needed a quad receiver to go with my tape deck, and found, at the same store, a Sansui QRX-7500A. 

Slowly, over the years, I added a turntable and speakers. All Sansui, to keep the system as compatable as possible. Finally all I needed were a set of SP-2000 speakers, for the "rears" of the quad system. I had already found SP-3000s for my "mains." 

Ladies and gentlemen. This past week, after literally months long negotiations, I got my SP-2000s! I now have the complete system! Here is everything...

My Sansui QRX-7500A receaver with a Technics cassette tape deck, and EQ, and a (working) Panasonic 8 track on top!

One of my SP-3000 speakers. These are huge and heavy, but sound great!

The QD-5500 reel to reel that started the craziness...

My Sansui SR-1500C turntable that I found on Marketplace. By the way, it's sitting on a Sony 200 CD changer...also found on Marketplace.

And finally, the SP-2000s!

I still have to hook up the SP-2000s, but I tested them before I bought them and they work great! So, now that the system is complete, I guess I'll have to find another white whale to chase. Such is the life of a collector!

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!

Disney Pins!

 Hey Attic Folks!

Today I have a couple of pins to share with you. The first I got as a "freebee" from someone on eBay years ago when I bought....uh....something. Ok, I can't actually remember, but I'm sure it was a Disney item. Anyway, they stuck this pin in (pun unintended, for once) just to be kind.

Yep it's a "Farewell Season" pin from the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland! As you see, it's dated 1996. It's better if you just assume that was 20 years ago and go with it. 

The Main Street Electrical Parade was inspired by the Electrical Water Pageant at Walt Disney World, which is STILL running after it's start in 1971! It was replaced by Light Magic (Light Tragic?) which is better left forgotten. 

These next pins are a couple of cleaner examples of a pin I already shared. Here ya go!

Yep, the Breakfast A La Disney pins from the Empress Lilly!

Let's see what the ol' interwebs can tell us about the Empress Lilly, shall we?

"The Empress Lilly was a riverboat-themed restaurant complex (not a functioning boat, but a static building designed to resemble a 19th-century paddle steamer) located at what is now Disney Springs (formerly known as Walt Disney World Village, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, etc.). It was named after Lillian Disney, Walt Disney's wife, who christened it.

It officially opened on May 1, 1977. Multiple reliable sources, including Disney's official D23 encyclopedia, historical accounts from MousePlanet, Disney Avenue, and Wikipedia, confirm this date, noting the ceremonial opening with Lillian Disney present.

It operated as the Empress Lilly under Disney until it closed on April 22, 1995 (some sources note April 23 in announcements, but the final day of operation was April 22). The interior was then remodeled, exterior elements like the smokestacks and paddlewheel were removed, and it reopened in 1996 as Fulton's Crab House (later becoming Paddlefish in 2017)."

Wow, that was a lot! These pins are from 1995, right before she closed. And these adorable pictures are my daughter, Jessica, basking in Disney character glory!

Again, I've already run a couple of these. So why am I running them again? Because it's Jessica's birthday month! Happy birthday, Kid! I love you!

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!