Ole Bobbleheads gone, dish rags, wings too
Californian on Christmas tour reports missing items
The Runestone Museum gift shop was open for a quick visit the day after Christmas. I asked the new proprietress for a couple bobbleheads and she said they are no longer available. "That wasn't the best deal ever made with China," she said, "we had to sell them for $20 to make a profit and people only want to pay $10. No, no more of those." I asked if she had something that could only be purchased at her gift shop, and she produced a dish towel with Big Ole carefully embroidered by two local sisters, who sell this item exclusively to the shop, but she only had two of them. One is mine and the other goes to a friend. More dish towels will be available when I return to the shop on March 8.
Then I asked my every-visit question, "Do you have a license plate holder that says 'Alexandria, MN, Birthplace of America?' That would be an exclusive to this shop too." She said no, she didn't, but that was a good idea, which is what every clerk has ever told me. But this woman thought about it.
"You know, next year is our 50th anniversary. Maybe that would be a good item. Wonder how many we should order?" I said I would surely be back to buy a few, that I knew I could order a custom license plate holder from the Internet, but I'd rather wait to buy one from the actual birthplace. She took my name and phone number and will call me when they are available.
We had a good chat then about Ole and his maintenance. "This is a good time to get a picture of him. He doesn't have his wings on his helmet. One wing fell halfway off and we had to get a crane to go up there to get it, so we took them both off to get repainted. This is the only time to get a picture of him without his wings." (see attached pictures, somewhat exclusive). I asked why the helmet has wings and not horns, but she doesn't know that story. She did know a lot of stories about expensive things that happen to Ole, like the year his Santa suit caught on fire.
"Yeah, we don't have to keep him heated, but he costs a lot to maintain. You would be surprised."
So that's what I know from Ole for now. No wings, no horns, and no bobbleheads.
The Cub replies: I seem to remember filing a story last May and submitting this photograph of a one-winged Ole.
My northern California sister Solveig "Sam" Rolfsrud Shearer spent a short week with our mother in Alexandria this year and produced numerous reports of her experiences. Here's one you may enjoy:
The Runestone Museum gift shop was open for a quick visit the day after Christmas. I asked the new proprietress for a couple bobbleheads and she said they are no longer available. "That wasn't the best deal ever made with China," she said, "we had to sell them for $20 to make a profit and people only want to pay $10. No, no more of those." I asked if she had something that could only be purchased at her gift shop, and she produced a dish towel with Big Ole carefully embroidered by two local sisters, who sell this item exclusively to the shop, but she only had two of them. One is mine and the other goes to a friend. More dish towels will be available when I return to the shop on March 8.Then I asked my every-visit question, "Do you have a license plate holder that says 'Alexandria, MN, Birthplace of America?' That would be an exclusive to this shop too." She said no, she didn't, but that was a good idea, which is what every clerk has ever told me. But this woman thought about it.
"You know, next year is our 50th anniversary. Maybe that would be a good item. Wonder how many we should order?" I said I would surely be back to buy a few, that I knew I could order a custom license plate holder from the Internet, but I'd rather wait to buy one from the actual birthplace. She took my name and phone number and will call me when they are available.We had a good chat then about Ole and his maintenance. "This is a good time to get a picture of him. He doesn't have his wings on his helmet. One wing fell halfway off and we had to get a crane to go up there to get it, so we took them both off to get repainted. This is the only time to get a picture of him without his wings." (see attached pictures, somewhat exclusive). I asked why the helmet has wings and not horns, but she doesn't know that story. She did know a lot of stories about expensive things that happen to Ole, like the year his Santa suit caught on fire.
"Yeah, we don't have to keep him heated, but he costs a lot to maintain. You would be surprised."
So that's what I know from Ole for now. No wings, no horns, and no bobbleheads.
(Obert - how cum you can't get scoops like these? TB)
The Cub replies: I seem to remember filing a story last May and submitting this photograph of a one-winged Ole.(Sorry -- TB)
