garage sale girly: hot dog

Hey You!!

Long time no see, eh?

Well, I have decided to give the old sewing machine the day off so I could WRITE A NEW BLOG POST! I know, I can’t believe it either. Since today is #SSPS (Shameless Self Promotion Sunday) on the Twitter, I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to do just that!

This week I had an amazing opportunity to be interviewed by an author, speaker, sports marketing specialist, hot dog extraordinaire and all around great guy, Mr. Mike Rudd.

Wine Not? July is national hot dog month! Enjoy a hot dog classy style with a glass of vino while conducting a very serious interview! Photo via Marketing Fun With Mike's Facebook Fan Page.

Mr. Rudd wrote his debut book, “Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing, and A Lot of Fun”. In this book, he explains how working at a hot dog stand in college, taught him lessons that he was able to apply to achieve greatness, not only in his career, but in life as well! It is his story, not necessarily a “how to” manual. One of the great things about reading this book though, is that so many of his stories and “Carry Outs” can be applied to your own life and be beneficial to anyone trying to find their own “Hot Dog Stand”.

My personal copy of "Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing and A Lot Of Fun". I am old school, so I decided to go with the actual physical book...but you can also purchase it as an e-book on his website, Marketing Fun With Mike!

I was honored when Marketing Mike asked to interview this Garage Sale Girly for his Hot Dog Chronicles!

So without further ado, here is the pod cast interview! I hope you will sit down, grab a hot dog and enjoy the pod cast!

I just wanted to say a huge footlong hot dog sized thank you to Marketing Mike!

Marketing Mike beat me to the punch with the thank you though! I added his thank you card to my "insprational" cork board that hangs in front of my sewing machine.

p.s. If you made it to the lightning round portion of the interview and were wondering about my recent best vintage find, that is not for sale…here it is!

At first glance it is an unassuming vintage hard plastic case...In fact my husband and I almost didn't give it a second glance when at a recent garage sale.

But when you open the case...the party begins, a la Don Draper! Yes, a complete c.1960's Trav.L.Bar by Ever-Wear! The set even came with a swell transistor radio!

Well, if you are really in love with it, I did say that I would be willing to part with it for a million dollars! I am pretty firm on that price.

Hope you have the Gas-x handy because this one might cause a little gastritis.

The Hubby and I have a partial season ticket package to The Columbus Clippers minor league baseball games.

scenes from the hot dog race that takes place during every game.

Within each package you are guaranteed tickets to one magical night...

Tensions were high on Monday. The rain had been coming down all day. The game had to go on! We packed an umbrella and I made sure to wear a non-white shirt. (I really didn't feel like participating in an impromptu wet t-shirt contest from a pop up rain shower). And to our surprise the drizzle dwindled away.

It was not that home run that was hit by our team, or even the grand slam that delighted us...this magical night was Dime-A-Dog night. Yes hot dogs for a dime!

new vintage looking t-shirt by Homage.

I know what you are thinking, "Boy, that Garage Sale Girly is a cheap date"! Yup.

Cool or not...I really do love hot dogs. It is not like I eat them all the time, so I guess that is why I savor them when I do get them.

I am not sure if there could be a happier sight. A large girl hot dog smothered in onions

I am not ashamed to say that I find the scent of hot dogs and grilled onions wafting from the little hot dog carts simply intoxicating.

I was thrilled that she was able to stop for a photo with me and the hubby.

FYI: July is National Hot Dog month. Get your grills ready.

Part of my personal stash of vintage fantastic-ness, picture from 1956 Better Homes and Gardens Barbecue Book.

So in honor of my love of hot dogs, and because we were able to attend Dime-A-Dog night, I am dedicating this week's Unique Picks to this delicious food and the fantastic folks that are purveyors of hot dog paraphernalia.

Vintage Gumball Charm from finderskeepersauctions on eBay.

Dear little dachshund sausage on a roll, where did you come from?

Did you know that sausage is one of the world's oldest forms of processed foods? It was even mentioned in Homer's Odyssey dating it back to the 9th century B.C.

Although many lay claim to the invention of the hot dog on a bun, that we know and love today, it was probably first sold from a push cart by immigrant German street vendors in the 1860's.

Read more about the history of the Hot Dog at HungryMonster or on What's Cooking America.

Fantastic original collage found in Dadadreams' Curious Collage Creations etsy shop.

So how do you like them cooked?

Boiled?

Split open and cooked on a griddle with some butter?

Barbecued over some charcoal?

WOW! Vintage chrome Hot Dog Bar-B-Quer in the box! Found in Rec Room Vintage's etsy shop.

Steamed?

Although this vintage hot dog steamer reminds me of the contraption that heats up the hot rollers for my hair, I am sure it would steam up a mighty fine dog. I found this from CLC Garage Sale of Michigan on eBay.

Heated over a bon fire?

I have tried them every one of those ways and can't say that I would discriminate.

But I can honestly say I have never sampled a dog that has been cooked in a machine quite like this one.

This vintage hot dog cooker was found on eBay from seller 4-stars. I think it would be quite dangerous if I had a machine like this. I would always want to fire it up, just to show it off. Then I would have to eat all the hot dogs to ensure the food wouldn't be going to waste.

But if you bought it and asked me over...

Vintage post card from Vintage Cats Meow's etsy shop.

I would gladly come over to assist you in digesting the delicious dogs.

What a wonderful world we live in, that you can buy a crochet pattern to make your own hot dog and condiment toys. Sold in annapaulaoli's etsy shop.

How do you dress your dog?
According to Hot Dog Etiquette on The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council's web page (yes it does exists. Just like the Easter Bunny and Santa).
"Don't use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18."
"Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable"
However you choose to dress them, I would highly recommend picking up some fabulous retro Tupperware ketchup and mustard dispensers to dispense your condiment of choice.

This pick can be found in The Retro Life's etsy shop.

This set of "frank you" notes was designed by HawkGerber, Ink and is sold on etsy.

I would like to just give "Many Franks", to the Countess, on The Real Housewives of New York City, for teaching me that "Elegance is Learned".

In my opinion...

It would be very elegant to serve hot dogs to your party guests using these paper hot dog bags. I found these in Poof It's A Party's shop.

Add this to your powder room

Custom cool embroidered toilet paper from Flat Out Fun's etsy shop.

Be a gracious host, by letting your guests know that they are in for a delicious dining experience at your BBQ.

By the way, according to the Hot Dog and Sausage Council, another don't:

"Don't send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs."

They might approve though, if the thank you note is hot dog related.

"Franks Very Much" note cards sold in the RASILISK's etsy shop.

But whatever you do please do not deny your child the pleasure of eating a hot dog.

"Hot Diggety" toddler tee from DogBoneArt on etsy.

I am not saying they have to have one every day, but in moderation they can enjoy a fantastic tube steak treat!

"Missing You" hot dog postcard set from Tinkering Productions on etsy.

Gee wiz! Don't let those little ones miss out on the frank-ly awesome fun!

This print from Whale and Bee's original artwork, found on etsy, properly expresses my feelings on this subject.

Hot dog humor is not lost on me, and I was able to find so many great examples. So I would now like to share a few..

This pick is appropriately named the "Wiener Pad" and is found in The Paper Chef's etsy shop. This hand bound note pad is perfect for jotting down your shopping list for your next cook out.