Photoing On Car

Submitted by Nessa July 15th, 2010
Certifikitsch WinnerClassique d Camembert

When I’m not hunting the flea markets and yard sales for award-winning kitsch, one of my favorite things to do is go on road trips to take pictures of roadside stuff, like cool old buildings, signs, and funky vintage stuff that is fast fading from our landscape and collective memories.

So of course, I was pretty stoked when I found this toy:


“Photoing on Car?!” That makes absolutely no sense. That makes it awesome. (For the record, I didn’t pay the marked $12 for this, the guy took less than that.)

She has red hair! (I have red hair!) She has a camera! (I have a camera!) She likes to go photoing on car! (I like to go photoing on car.! Or *in* one, at least.) Her boyfriend the driver is missing his head. Oops. I didn’t really care about that too much.. Actually I didn’t notice until I was forking over my cash. I have enough dolls in my stash that I can probably find a head somewhere that’ll fit on that headless body. He might end up being a girl, though.
I know this isn’t very old, I’m guessing mid-to-late-1980s judging from the fabrics, but it’s just so silly and appropriate that I had to have it.

She raises her little camera and takes pictures. I wish I had a red convertible. I have a convertible, but it’s currently broken down, ha.

I know you’re gonna love the improper English on the box…

They don’t look like they’re having much fun. And that’s what her boyfriend’s head would look like if he had one. He keeps his eyes on the road, I guess.


Paparazzi?

I love the little camera!

Most unfortunately of all, I haven’t been able to get it to work. But I’m still trying.

17 Responses to “Photoing On Car”

  1. Allee Willis

    I LOVE this!! Everything is so wrong. She’s weird looking, he’s headless. “Photoing on Car” so brilliantly WRONG it makes no sense at all.

    Everything that could possibly be stuffed into this car is. The description of the ‚Äúmystery action” is poorly translated and fabulous. Your description is excellent. What’s not to love about such madness? Not to mention the flash goes off.

  3. Nessa

    Oh wow, the Classique d’ Camembert! Thanks! I knew I couldn’t leave this thing there when I saw it, it was just too perfect.

    I’m glad you like it =)

  4. MyFunCloset

    Kudos for your highest praise. This is a keeper. Changing his head weekly is like a new date every Saturday night.

  5. windupkitty

    no way! this is the holy grail of toys!!!! being a car fanatic, i have to say, i am completely inlove with that convertible…look at the head lights! whoever designed this, cared and i LOVE that!!! i think the boyfriend looks much better without the head,really, but i do like how he’s shorter than his girl even with his thinker in place……wow, i wish it worked;if it’s not too rusty maybe a clock/watch maker could help…..

    • Nessa

      Thank you! If I get it to work I’ll definitely take a video. I can’t see any rust or anything that would make it not work… it has an on/off switch and takes D batteries. But I put in fresh batteries and nothing happened. So I’m going to try to clean the contacts.. if that doesn’t work… well.. I have some technical friends.. maybe the switch is bad or something.

  6. k2dtw

    Just saw this on ebay…

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Photoing-Tin-Car-Battery-Couple-w-camera-ME630-/140426928630?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b218e1f6

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Photoing-Tin-Car-Battery-Couple-w-camera-ME630-/140426929199?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item20b218e42f

    I thought maybe you needed to see the toy (one car is red, the other is blue) to see the boyfriends’s head size…smile.. But, I guess the box has a good picture of him???…
    I was hoping he was the same size as “Ken”, but I guess he’s a lot bigger???…hummm???.. ..I still hope this helps???…

    • Allee Willis

      I used to buy a lot of stuff in the toy district in downtown LA in the 80’s and 90’s. I passed this toy up many times because it was too expensive at $12. Now that it’s got a healthy starting price of 80 bucks I of course I wish I had sprung for it.

    • Nessa

      Haha, that would definitely make the car more interesting… that is a good idea.

  9. ginger

    I just pulled my boxes of toys out of the closet, found my Photoing on Car, put batteries in, and to my surprise it works! The camera flashes, the headlights shine, the horn honks and he drives in circles.