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Oh My God – Where Did the Summer go!

Well summer is long gone, Autumn is in full swing and we are nearly back into the thermals! Brrrr !!!

All is calm here at Retro B headquarters gearing up for the next mad round of shows. We are off to Oxford late November and have three visits to London before the end of the year.

We have some fabulous new stock coming to the shows – from the kitsch (a gorgeous glass standard lamp) to the cool (pair of G-Plan butterfly chairs) plus lots lots more. We will also be bringing a selection of our MP3 converted vintage Speakers & radios , in all shapes and sizes which will make ideal Christmas presents. We also have a great selection of bar stock – soda syphons, ice buckets, Babycham, shot & wine glasses so you can enjoy the festivities in vintage style.

We will be selling at the furniture flea in Oxford on 21^st November, which will again take place at the Catholic Chaplaincy. This was a roaring success in June and we are looking forward to going back. Click on the Furniture Flea logo for more info.

This will be followed by Modern Shows main event on 22^nd November at Dulwich College. We will be in our usual place by the stairs in the South Cloister. As the show gets very busy it is best to book your tickets in advance to save queuing and money. Follow the link to book your tickets http://modernshows.com/the-shows/dulwich-nov-2015/

For details of all the shows we are attending before Christmas take a look at our events page https://retro-bazaar.co.uk/events/

JVC Videosphere TV with Freeview!

We currently have this amazing JVC Videosphere TV in stock – fully working and converted to Freeview so you can enjoy 21st century viewing in full black & white!

Designed in 1970 by JVC Japan, this iconic round television was inspired by the moon landing in 1969 and the age of space exploration. The shape is based on an astronaut’s space helmet and this version in white plastic with the smoked acrylic visor epitomises this. The Videosphere was first produced in 1974 and was sold up until the early 1980s.

Obviously with the move to digital television the analogue components in the TV no longer pick up a signal, however as our aim is to make old beautiful technology still usable we have retro fitted a remote control Freeview box. The original tube is still is good order, so all we have done is provided a workable signal. The Freeview box is discreetly hidden in the base of the TV, so aesthetically the TV still looks the as it would have when new, but with the added usefulness of the remote control.

The TV is working and in great vintage condition; it has been rewired, electrically checked and fully PAT tested. The Tuning dial, controls for volume, brightness etc, all operate as they should, the metal hanging/carrying chain is present and correct as is the extendable aerial, which is still in one piece.

Pop to our shop to catch this slice of vintage technology.

Go the V&A or Plastics websites for the full history

Vintage Fun at the Fringe!

So excited to be coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this year – we are not performing (you’ll be pleased to hear) just showing and selling our fab wares at Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair .

Being held over the first weekend of the festival – 8th & 9th August – in the the uber cool ‘Out of the Blue & Drill Hall Arts Cafe‘, the fair is a great way to start the festival with a bang. The Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street was built as a military drill hall in 1901 and between 2003 and 2010 was redeveloped to become the vibrant arts centre it is today.

Along with us there will be over 30 amazing stalls featuring vintage clothes, homewares, furniture, lighting, record players and vinyl from 1920s to the 1980s! Should be a weekend packed with retro & vintage treasure.

The fair will be open 11am – 5pm, both days, Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th August. See our events listings for all details on the fair.

Check out the Fringe site to book shows after you have finished all your essential retro shopping!

Soda Syphon Use & Maintenance

As we sell lots of soda syphons and the accessories we thought we’d upload some helpful hints about filling, using and cleaning them.

Filling your Soda Syphon

Press the lever on the head to ensure syphon is not charged (under pressure). If it is press the lever until all the water has been removed.
Unscrew head and remove syphon tube, making sure the plastic sleeve stays inside. Fill the syphon body to the top with cold water, (A). If the level falls after filling DO NOT top up again as this will overfill the syphon.

Replace the syphon tube and screw on head tightly – take care not to cross the threads. (B).

Insert bulb into bulb holder and screw firmly onto syphon head. The bulb is automatically pierced and the gas discharged. The syphon is charged when gas cannot be heard bubbling into the water (about 30 seconds).

Shake syphon vigorously for at least 10 seconds.
Remove bulb holder. There will be a gentle pop or hiss which will stop in a few seconds.

Important Notes

Do not fill the syphon without making sure the plastic sleeve is in position inside the syphon body.
Do not use more than one bulb per fill.
Do not fill the syphon with warm water unless you are cleaning it.
Before using a syphon for the first time or if the syphon has been stored for a long time it should first be rinsed out.

Props Required – Bat Phones to the Rescue!

We had a call from the lovely Jane Kelly who was launching ‘Photoshoot Magazine’ an online quarterly ‘behind-the-scenes’ magazine for photographers, models, make-up artists and other creatives. Editor Jane and the Photoshoot team are a group of professional photographers, journalists, designers, make-up artists and models who host their own in-house creative shoots and they required Retro props for the cover of the new magazine.

Photoshoot Mgazine

She needed a number of phones so we supplied her with two of our restored GPO red vintage dial telephones to recreate an iconic shot from the 1980s. The phones were featured on the front cover of the first edition of the magazine in Nov 2013 and there was a piece about us in the magazine too!

Photoshoot Article

Photoshoot Website