I just went to the Vermont Country Store in Weston, VT this weekend while on a getaway vacation with some organizer friends. There is a lot of really useful and unusual stuff in there! But there are also lots of really useless novelty items. I could not resist blogging about this one in particular. Can you believe this? (click images for larger versions)
It's an Electronic Yodelling Pickle. It's plastic with a push button and speaker holes. The sign says, "Surprise your friends with the fun sound of yodelling. They will never guess it is coming from the pickle on the relish tray. $16.95."
It's hard to imagine anything more useless than this, even if you do serve things on relish trays. I used to think that a Hello Kitty waffle maker was pretty bad, but this is WAY worse, don't you agree?
But here's the problem-- it's such a novelty item that someone WILL buy it, and it WILL become clutter in people's homes. Interestingly, it was placed at the checkout counter (where they place impulse purchase temptations).
My friend Monica Ricci and I were there together, and we had a big discussion while we shopped about appropriate souvenirs, which I wrote a blog post about a while back. (Click here to read "Stop the Souvenir Insanity.") Monica said it would be interesting to write in our blogs about the process of shopping and how you cross the line from enjoying and admiring something into actually having to purchase and own and keep it. I think that is brilliant.
We often talk about the idea that you should only have things in your home that are useful and beautiful. But what about "cute," "hilarious," or "adorable?" And what about things that are useful for just one very specialized task? I always try to look a little into the future and anticipate how the item would justify taking up space in my house-- would I really use it regularly? Would it take up space that might be needed by something else that is more important?
Once again, it's about PREVENTION. If you admire and appreciate something, try taking a photo of it like I did. We don't have to own everything. Like comedian Steven Wright says, "I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world... perhaps you've seen it." Have you ever "talked yourself down" from a purchase? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Lorie,
First, thank you for sharing time with me in Vermont. That store was a highlight of the trip! Second, thanks for the kudos on our conversation about the fine line between admiring & appreciation, and ownership. I will blog that soon too!
Third, that stupid pickle is indeed a waste of seventeen bucks! You just know it's the kind of thing that will end up in the garage sale pile in a year. Blecch.
Love love love,
Monica
Posted by: Monica Ricci | September 16, 2009 at 08:47 AM
A few years back, that funcky pickle is exactly the kind of thing that would have ended up in my house. (My husband could not refuse those talking fish.)
On the other hand, that apple, peeler, corer slicer gizmo pictured on the Vermont Country Store's home page is a "must-have" "C-item" for the holiday pie bakers out there. Oops, I think I actually have two of them. It must be time to think about re-gifting. :-)
Posted by: Cherie | September 17, 2009 at 05:18 AM
I admit I own the pickle! Dave Barry wrote a column about it and demonstrated it at talk one time and my husband thought it was hilarious. I bought the pickle for him for Christmas. In fact that pickle sits in the office pencil jar and when I need a laugh a just press the button. It is SO stupid that it is funny.
If I just had the picture would it actually yodel? I guess I could record it with sound, and then re-gift the pickle. But I think I would really miss it.
Posted by: Kerry McCarville | September 17, 2009 at 03:22 PM
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1946140/posts
Here's the Dave Barry article about the pickle...it's actually right on topic!!!!
Posted by: Kerry McCarville | September 17, 2009 at 03:27 PM
Oh my gosh, Kerry, you OWN IT?? That is hilarious. That figures that Dave Barry would be on top of all things pickle and yodeling-related. Thanks for sharing. If it really brings you joy that is great.
Posted by: Lorie Marrero | September 17, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Lorie, I've used the "take a photo of it rather than buy it" approach, too - when that's OK with the seller.
With cute or funny items, the challenge can be to look into the future: Is the items likely to still seem cute or funny after a number of months?
Posted by: Jeri Dansky | September 21, 2009 at 01:41 AM
When I was a child we took a lot of road trips to visit the grandparents. To pass the time, besides playing alphabet, my brother and I had a running thing- I collected roadside advertising sculptures- you know, the big people on the A&W, the fiberglass horse in front of the tack shop- and he "stored" them for me. It went like this:
"Ohh, look, Barry, see the huge piect of cheese with the mouse on it? I want it."
Barry: "OK"
Like the comedian you mentioned, I have a huge collection, all stored in very appropriate locations.
Now if I could just apply that philosophy to some more of my stuff....
Posted by: Julia Foree | September 21, 2009 at 10:40 AM