The Irreplaceable Big Boy

Can I get a drum roll please?

ANNOUNCING the winner of the BIG BOY Replacement Contest

after a very brief and TRUNCATED search

the winner is...

...well, the winner is Big Boy. Big Boy has been replaced by Big Boy. That's right. We changed the rules. There was no voting like we promised. 4 contestants? Nope. We chucked that too. (Remember when "to chuck" was a popular verb? I do. Anyway...)

So what's the deal?

Well, it turns out that Big Boy is simply irreplaceable. There's just something about this little plastic piggy bank that we love and simply can't shake.

After selling him at our sale, I sought a replacement as a way to lighten the loss of our mascot. And though I love LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD'S HEAD, she just didn't suffice. Too impractical. I sought out other contestants and never found any that truly called to us. Though, one did come close. It was submitted by our friends Jeanette and Warren. And unfortunately I don't have a picture because it's packed away in a box en route to Illinois. But that little gnome wins runner-up, Warren & Jeanette. So, thank you!

Beyond that, we were stymied. And sort of lost interest in the very contest we created.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived in Barrington to find a small box shipped via Priority Mail containing none other than Big Boy. Not our Big Boy. But a Big Boy nonetheless. It was such a surprise that it brought a tear to my eye. I was so moved by the thoughtfulness of our friends- Brian and Jami- who went on eBay after our Estate Sale to find a proper replacement.

Can you tell the difference?

BIG BOY #1

BIG BOY #2

We loved him.

We set him free.

He came back to us with a new stance, smirk and attitude.

Thanks, Brian & Jami!


-A History of Big Boy - Wikipedia

My mom ate at Elias Brothers Big Boy in Detroit as a kid... which is where I first went to Big Boy and acquired my original Big Boy piggy bank.

This was Mom's favorite Elias Brothers Big Boy meal as a 12-year old:

-Slim Jim (TM) sandwich (Lean ham, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and special sauce, grilled on a Grecian roll.)
-Onion Rings
-Strawberry Pie for dessert

What about you? Do any of you have any Big Boy memories?

Announcing the BIG BOY replacement contest!

You've all met Big Boy.


He was with us a while. He's been sort of our little mascot over the years. A traveling gnome in suspenders with, as Nina (a Littof reader) noted, Rod Blagoevich hair.

But I sold him at our sale. For $5.

He now belongs to these nice people:


Who wrote us this e-mail:

Hi steph,
Loved reading your most recent post. We’re big boy’s new family and are honored to have him join us. We will have to send a picture of him in his new place (looking happy, I hope). He is currently in transit, actually, from Corralitas Drive over to Echo Park.
Don’t worry, you can certainly post the picture any time you’d like. I would love to hear big boy stories posted some day as well.

Thanks for letting us into your home and allowing us to enjoy your well-loved pieces. Glad it was a fun sale- we were amazed at your organization and all the friends just enjoying the day together. Thanks for sharing your story in your blog –so inspiring and beautiful!

debbi

Thanks to Debbi's e-mail, we now feel good about Big Boy's new home and are already on a quest to replace him.

Here's how this will go. We will introduce 4 contestants here on the blog starting today. Once all 4 contestants have been introduced, we will ask Littof readers to vote. The contestant with the most votes wins.

So, without further ado, we introduce CONTESTANT #1

Little Red Riding Hood's head:



BIO: She once was the top to a collectible Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar that belonged to my grandma. Grandma eventually gave the cookie jar to Mom who had always wanted it for her collection. Yes, Mom had quite an impressive cookie jar collection. The Little Red Riding Hood jar became the crown jewel. And Mom enjoyed it for a while. Then in an effort to downsize and declutter, she sold her collection... all but Little Red Riding Hood. After Grandma passed away, Mom sent me Little Red Riding Hood. But sadly the only part that survived that journey through the mail was her head. So I saved it. And displayed it.

PROS: She's very pretty. Colorful. Makes me think of my grandma (just like Big Boy did.)

CONS: She's fragile. Pointy. Not so easy to just shove in a duffel.



Comments? Feedback? Thoughts? Suggestions? Please....