Novelty Dog-Face Mug

Who buys novelty dog-face mugs? Perhaps the shop owner who has this displayed in their shop window realizes the impracticality of such a mug, which has such a wide lip it would be impossible to drink from. After all, there is only one in the window and it is dusty at that. In addition to all this, it is ugly! Who even believes such a thing sells? It raises the important question – who designs this stuff? Are they aesthetically disabled? What other stuff are they foisting on the world? Perhaps the manufacturers and designers of these novelty dog-face stuff are themselves contenders for the Landfill Prize, or some landfill site where their decomposing bodies won’t be noticed.

Catherine photographed this mug in a Coburg shop.

Giant Tennis Balls

Who buys giant tennis balls? Tennis balls in their original size work well – they can be hit by racquets without too much fuss, you can use it in place of a cricket ball for beach cricket and you can play fetch with it with your dog. Take these giant versions – are there giant racquets, or giant cricket bats? So what is the point of a giant tennis ball? Dogs like them and the giant versions are better than the normal size as dogs can’t puncture it. The Diadora website lists the giant tennis ball as an accessory (an accessory to what?) which can be used to collect autographs. But wait! Someone has found another use for it – set it on fire and bounce!

Catherine photographed this selection of balls in a Coburg shop.

Replica Animals

Who buys life-sized painted replicas of animals, like bears, gorillas and giraffes? All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things bright and wonderful, this shop has stocked them all. Once again we descend into the depths of décor gone mad with replicas of half of Noah’s ark on display. Animals are popular and if you can’t have the real thing then these life-sized replicas could be a poor substitute. But who wants a replica gorilla in their garden or a replica bull in their backyard? Who has the space let alone matching décor?

Mark photographed this stuff in a shop in Coburg that specializes garden ornaments and décor like this.

Native American Figurines

Who buys figurines of Native Americans? Fans of Westerns and Cowboy/Indian shoot ‘em up movies? Not Native Americans themselves, as these figurines are trite and rather tacky. If you are ever tempted to buy one of these, step away slowly…. In 2001, the US Commission on Civil Rights declared that such mascots and logos using Native American images were offensive and denigrating to the native population. This was followed by resolutions of the American Counselling Association and the American Psychological Association calling for the end of the use of images of Native American Indians. Figurines are generally representative objects of veneration, so what would someone buy these for? A sense of guilt?

Catherine photographed this selection of figurines in a Coburg shop selling all manner of giftware.