Can it get any cuter?
We picked up this beautiful miniature working model of an old fashioned cycle (as we call them) from an Indonesian antique store. Complete with a chain guard that can be raised and the old-fashioned stand. All it needs is some grease on that adorable chain and some mud on those perfect tires! Many a ride I was given by the siblings on that front bar! It's a good thing it did not continue for long; else it would have resulted in some serious malformations of the behind. Well, it now graces our side table. Now if only I could get one of a Bajaj Chetak scooter too... so I can show visitors the exact spot I used to be squeezed into (on top of the fuel tank cap)! But that was the second stage...so we'll get there when we get there...
posted by GratisGab at 3:00 PM
88 Comments:
that is so cute! now all you need is a tiny bhaiya and a milk tin.:)..and then you'll have the whole picture..:)
Oh yes lots of milk cans...and the balancing act that follows :)
Or maybe a kid who's legs can't quite reach the pedals, riding it monkey-style!
"whose legs"...typo!
Gosh! I used to sit on the fuel tank cap too Heh Heh...sometimes we carried our own little cushion!
Shobha
looks all shiny n polished... love the seat and stand and headlight, reminds of our doodhwala n how our colony dogs wud chase him :)
It’s stunning. I am into these kind of miniatures but the passion died when I left Pakistan and moved in UK where ya find nothing in antique shops other then Royal family ornamentation plates and if ya really spend time digging further inside the shop then ya be lucky enough to find beautifully decorate bedpans.
The carrier at the back is so cool as well. Looks like a dynamo is also there to power the headlamp!
BTW, look at the third model (VL1) in
the link below:
http://www.scooterproducts.com/catalog.php?category=Vespa%20Die%20Cast%20Models
Shobha - Your own cushion! LOL! You beat me baby.
mustang - Yes it is very shiny...interferes with the doodhwala image a bit no?
huma - Beautifully decorated bedpans!! You poor thing :) If would be great to have a miniature of those old Victorian carriages....or a rickshaw!...hmm, maybe online?
hiredgun - You rock. That Vespa was as close to a Bajaj Chetak as possible! LOL at the gold and crystal ones :). Yes the carrier is nice but it doesn't have that clip/fastner/grip kinda thing which you can lift up and put your school bag on...if you know what I mean. But know what, the steel rim of the tires has a make-believe valve that you can unscrew! Coolness!
Awwww! The number of times I would have to lift that mud-guard to stick a chain back into place...
*smiles*
Anon, seems like you had a loose chain, longer than it should have been. Remove a link or two and you would be good.
I don't think you came looking for a solution :)
Antique, oldworld buh!! I was riding one of those things as recently as 2002.
Oye Zoheb, man of the earth - Attitude kya dekha raha hai!! Unswayed by the BSAs and the Road Rangers, huh...???!!! Or are you a relic yourself *wink*
I had a nice maroon coloured Hero something. Phoren people like you would come and look at me and say something like - "Hey look indegenious local tribesman, how cute - why this cycle; what happpened to your elephant ? "
Me relic? Perhaps true. That should explain why I am always being offered mega $$$$$ by the local museums to just hang around in the place.
LOL! Notice that I mention rides on the front bar? Been there too mister! I mahself had a silver Hercules with those wire brakes that ALWAYS broke...but the old Hero back-up lying in the garage NEVER had a brake problem!!
Maybe you carry your bike on the elephant (like we do on the cars) to get to a park or trail where you can use it! :)
No, I have never been on the front bar. On one occasion my 200 lb friend (not female!!) decided that he needed a lift on my front bar. I will just summarize and say that instability ensued.
As for you using the car to carry a cycle, even I do such funky things. Like using my dual core P4 desktop and the trans-continental optical fibre network to make silly comments on blogspot :-)
Hi,Gabby,cute memory...sitting on the front bar of the bike..But,now wondering about the fuel tank cap spot on the bajaj chetak where u used to 'squeeze in'...heh heh.Waiting for that post.:)
That's really cute. Now only if you get the Chetak
awww .. this one is really cute .
strangely , i have a miniature canon on my side table .very preety n all that and thankfully there is no associative spot for me to show :D
'squeezed into (fuel tank)' :-)
yeah yeah...good old days.
Ohhh... this reminds me so much of the lovely bicycle I won at Coney Island as a young girl. It looks exactly the same but mine was fire engine red (until they exchanged the boys' bike for a pretty blue one - haha)
Adorable.
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn neat!! awesome!
that is such a pretty miniature cycle! :))
So cute! Me wants one too!
Now all you need is a li'l doll that comes to life at night and rides the bike all over your house at night, making you wonder at the tiny dirt track on your carpet the next morning!! Hmm? ;)
:)
Cool gabby !! it looks sooooo cool !!
Nice :)
How tall is it?
Hehehe...so you guys actually use 'means of transport' as home decor ?? :P
But it is certainly charming in its own way :)
Amit - A family of more than 3 meant the youngest has to either stand in the front part of the scooter holding the handle bar or if you were too tall (actually some people did not consider the height as criteria. A taaaalll kid would stand leaning to one side many a time) you were squeezed between the Mom and Dad on top of the (you guessed it) fuel tank cap!
Rash, Sanguine - Cute na? Sanguine, imagine going "And THAT is where I was shot out from at a high of 120 miles/hr! " LOL!
:-) - Been there? Do you know the pain I speak of?
Weary - Fire engine red! So cool, so retro.
Shub, Gulnaz, Anumita - I know! It's to die for! *in love*
Phatichar - Trust you to come up with a spooky add-on :) You giving me ideas boy!
Anti, Pallavi - I'm on the lookout for a minature rickshaw now...you know Calcutta style..!
sid - you do know these are minature models don't you? Btw, the Vespa is pretty popular here...especially in schools..
ashok - about 5-6 inches high. and that makes that seat with the springs so damn adorable..
ash - "minature means of transport"...please add that :)
Kinda looks like the old Huffy's we used to ride!! SHHHH giving away my age! ;-0}
peg - you can always say you used to ride in India or some other developing nation as recently as 2002 (a.k.a Zoheb here) :)
..some serious malformations of the behind. Well, it now graces our side table.????
OHHH!! u mean the CYCLE graces your side table.
vc - OK smarty-pants.
Hmm...actually the behind can rest peacefully only on soft surfaces since those early childhood days...like that couch you can catch a glimpse of in the picture.
point taken! :)
You have a miniature couch, a bicycle..too much!!! Can my Barbie come and play in your Barbie house?
Alpha - Miniature couch???!!! You've been working too hard Alpha, staring at that computer is doing things you wouldn't fathom!!
You own a Barbie?
I swear I see a miniature couch in that picture. Actually fist time I saw the picture, I thought you finally bought the cycle you've always wanted from radhi wala and kept it next to your couch. Then I went..wow that's a HUGE sculpture you have. Thought you might have lugged it from India...Ajanta caves or someplace.
PS- I flunked my 'Perspective' class because of annoying people who take confusing pictures.
Gabby - Go easy on Alpha. Its probably been a tough week. After all it's.........wait a min. It's only Tuesday. What the hell. Let it rip! In fact let me join in.
Alpha - stop smoking whatever it is u r smoking. In fact, give it to me.
And they end up as Civil engineers *sigh*...
Ok Alpha, forget about the picture. Try reading. The first sentence in the post should do the trick. If not, go back to designing those roads and please delegate all work that involves some perspective to somebody else. Wait a minute I just solved your no-time problem babe! That will leave you with very little work and PLENTY of time to blog :)...and we will love to have you back!
vc, bachhke! she smokes some potent stuff...don't say I didn't warn ya!
vc, I'm completely enjoying smoking this stuff that I really don't feel like sharing. Is that Ok with you? To make you feel good, it's not the smoking that's making me blabber..it's my work. You are free to share that. Actually take it all.
abhey! civil engineers ko gaali?!!!! Wait wait, i'll tell my colleagues in boston to throw in some extra potholes on your roads so that your cycle tyres get punctured and you'll never find a miniature pump. *tathastu*
antique? Dear, such *are* the cycles in India even now! BTW I dont see the brakes anywhere.. are they there? :p.. many cycles in finland dont have them..
and did u get so scared (after seeing the link in mail) there was no jawaab!!
Fairy: Ha! The detective eyez are alwayz at work. Now, can you tell me the missing keyz on my keyboard?
t fairy - no brakes. if pedal backwards, it stops. like your finland ones. that was the one feature i wasn't happy about...
no re benazir, i was mulling on whether to complete the deal as you suggested...expect something soon :)
and give smiley his S-leep back!
I collect miniatures (usually in glass) but this one is very appealing. Is it steel and brass, I could be mistaken. May I ask how much you paid for it?
Anon - Yes it is steel and brass. With very hard plastic for the ends of the handle bar and the seat. And it was US$80. About 5-6 unches high, not too tiny and the finish is very good. I am not a collector myself (or maybe I just became one) but a few people who saw it said it was well worth the money. Let me know if you need store information. They don't have a website but I can the contact information if you need it.
WHAT??!!! Mother of God! 80 Bucks! Woah! I got my giantsized one for 80 bucks! You know I have antique miniature pencil eraser (working model). It's just $50. It's a deal. You and Anon can start the bidding.
Very soon you are going to abandon uncultured friends like me and move on with your curator friends. Paris jaathi hai, antiques kareedthi hai..aur apun tho bas..making mangal in jungles, drinking from talaabs.
I was waiting for your shouts and yells you jungli!
My giant sized bike was LESS than $80. So it just goes to show you where the priorities lie. Like I wouldn't spend $200 on waterproof pants or some such you keep picking up :)
I will never abandon you my dear, where else will we get our Tarzan and Jane stories to tell if not for ya'll?
making mangal in the jungle? Ah the jungle saw some action alright!
Is this cool or what ! squeezed in between the seats on the fuel tank cap !! :-)) I guess chetak(or any bajaj or lml for that matter) is a must have for a family. I have nice memories of me standing in the front holding the head light and acting like I am driving the scoot ! until I became so tall that my dad's chin used to hit my head :)). cool stuff
pingoo (tell me you are Bengali! Or maybe from Orissa?) - Ah so you were one of the leaners...too tall to stand there but reluctant to give up the position with a great view...in exchange for the "I can smell the coconut oil in your hair" position on the fuel cap!
A half-sitting position in the front was not uncommon too, maybe you were promoted to that as well?
ki holo gratis ?? bengali ya ?? enna kindala :p ..na me from Hyd...why that thought about bengal anyways ??
half-sitting, full-standing and all that ...luv it..especially when the hair becomes unkempt due to wind :).
Hey! Even you gult people can have names like pingoo..stop making fun of us bengalis. my cuz married a guy from Orrisa which neighbors West Bengal (in case you were wondering abt my Bangla connections)
I guess I love it here on your blog- poor you!
pingoo - hyd! you were "zara hatke" I see...hyd-ians rarely swing the Pingoo way...o wait a minute "Pingu"...you were actually Ping correct? Now that sounds hyd alright :)..I love hyd, you are henceforth one of my Level-1 visitors. Level-2 gets attitude, ask Alpha, she is a Level-2 and heads her own union and all.
alpha - LOL! I can't even imagine you as a Bengali! Oriya maybe. The Rabindrasangeet mania is a little toned down there. But then you escaped Carnatic music being a Tam-brahm (sacrilege!) so I guess anything is possible.
Bad day, lots of work, smile and let Gabby go no!
Hey Alpha, Pingoo here likes the wind to dance between his tresses, any thoughts on that?
Pinoo shud be glad that he/she/it has tresses that the wind can play with. I know many friends who wud kill for that luxury. That be my take on the matter. I really didn't have much to say and wouldn't have said it if you hadn't prodded me to continue grazing here.
Oh wait, I can add more to this. I bet you would have been standing in the front of the Vespa with you face plastered on the mirror doing touchups to your hair and kajal. Pingoo is surely not your kind. Letting hair go with the wind, no way!
Isn't Pingoo the penguin who had a cartoon show of hisher/its own? Why is he/she/it riding on Vespas?
You know, I know a hyderabadi called Pangu..you think these two might be in the same cartoon?
BTw, I really like that little cycle of yours...if I hadn't told you already..but eight-zero bucks?!!!!
You getting into historical stuff and your hubby drooling over futuristic gadgets, I see a very costly partnership in the two ends of the spectrum.
Let me know if you want my take on anything else. I'm jobless anyway.
Nice chintoo cycil! This type of cycil in our area(yes, Bbay has area-based slang words too!) is affectionately called "ghoda cycil"...well..bcoz of its ruftufness and the fact that it can run like a ghoda(horse)..Sometimes as a tribute to doodhwala(bhaiyya) and all other UPites in our area, it is also called "Bhaiyya cycle". Rental for this one goes as 3-4 Rs per hour based on cycil condison and one's credit-history with the cycilwallah.
But there are atleast 3 things missing in yr cycil. Can you guess??
Coincidentally, I am a proud owner of a miniature Hummer-H2(well, original khareedney ki awqaat nahin hai, naqli hi sahi ;)). Not quite 100% to the details, but well..it will climb over obstacles of even 2 inches height..and run over the wall and tumble, and rollover and head back in the reverse direction again. Best part is, I don't have to spend on petrol. Ha!! what fun!!
For 100 pursent miniature models, click here
Gabby: I felt strange that I was on the verge of remembering something a couple of times I saw this pic since yesterday. And Suhail's commment on doodhwalas pushed me over. Now I know! Thalaivar Rajinikanth played a doodhwala in this movie called Annamalai (roughly translated as Brother Mountain) and he rode a cycle just liek this. And there is a nice song about his cycle sprouting wings and flying in the wind. And incidentally, the heroine is sitting on the front bar and with her weight on it there was no way anything was gonna fly, let alone move! LMAO!
LOL ---@-- 'Ping'-> 'Pingu'.
its a cycle right??..... our love for retro, that is... :)
cute one!! All of us can only eye it? :-)
[Gabby]
"hyd-ians rarely swing the Pingoo way"
huh ?? what does that mean ?? and why this discrimination as to level 1,2 and all ? I thought this is an "equal oppurtunity" comment space and you don't discriminate people based on their roots(both place and hair), bengali and oriya connexions they have, hair strand count and such and such things :| Am I wrong ?
[alpha]
Let me know if you want my take on anything else. I'm jobless anyway.
We can see that :). Let the "hyderabadis" (or any "badis" for that matter) live in peace :p.
Gabby used to sit on the fuel tank it seems and I used to stand in the front of the good old Vespa(letting the wind play with my tresses)..what about you ?? fuel tank, front row or...may be the stepny at the back ?? :p
Been to your abode(blog) a few times, interesting :).
Gratis, am waiting with 'bated breath'..so send it before I choke.. :)
:-), if you had written 'mizzing' instead of 'missing' I would have told you..so you need to ask the right question first :)
Alpha - If you are that jobless, go update your blog *grin*..Ok where did I get this reputation? My hairstyle is the "let it be" or "wash and wear" one and you go straightening it every second...how, how??? It's a funny world I say :)
Yes it is a costly partnership...all those gadgets he picks up are a waste of our hard-earned money. Mr.Gabby are you reading this?
Suhail - A hummer-H2 huh? Nice. Have fun beta. Don't play near the street ok? Only in the verandah/balcony. And if some stranger Uncle offers you candy, don't take it. *grin*
The brakes, the clutch in the carrier, and ???? Tell, tell! It's killing me.
Smiley, my inspiration! (For that one comment people, let's not get carried away )
manu - so true mah man! vintage clothing too...ah if only my granny used to wear off-the-shoulder frocks :)
Arunima - yes my dear. or you can have it for $160 :)
My dad was shit scared to drive a Vespa, so we rode cars instead, with windows up and the AC tickling our hair.
naaah..actually we lived in forests and used buffaloes as mode of transport. I sat on it's spinal cord.
No Anti, I din't forget you. Your comment made my evening meal. I guffawed so loud, my rajma shot out like a projectile. Thought I'll let you know. :)
Pingu - Just enjoy your status na...why do you want to become one of those hot-headed freedom fighters? This comment box is for one and all, but some are more equal than others :) A man with a full head of hair? You are already ahead of the pack man! Almost catching up with us women :)
Alpha was a strong, tall girl. She was asked to ride her BSA SLR beside the scooter. Fast. Word has it that she usually got to the destination before the family made it.
T fairy - It's coming, it's coming. don't want to make a bad impression you see!
[alpha] :)
[Gabby] Ok ! me not hot-headed :) watever status you confer, let me be quiet.
Oh wow thats what I call 'talent abundant' !! Tour de france is happening and may be thats the place she ought to be :)
Gratis, In answer to Suhail's question, the third thing missing is a bell.
helpful - YES! That's it...You helpful types should hang around more often. Thanks :)
3600 rupees for the miniature cycle. Uh Oh .... OK. Gabby, I have a miniature Taj Mahal and Eiffel tower (from the Paris trip :-)) Would you be interested in buying them ? Its only just a little more expensive than the original thing but its so cutee :-) And yeah, you need to tell more about alpha's water proof pants. When does she need them? When walking upside down in the rain?
Zo: I need the waterproof pants when walking right-side-up in normal weather. It works.
Please Zoheb bhai, show me a house in India that doesn't have a mini taj mahal in the godforsaken show-case!!! My newly-discerning eye is looking only for GOOD miniature rickshaw. Hai to bolo!
Come to think of it while walking upside down in the rain, no pant will work (waterproof or not). Unless it has a TIGHT elastic grip which is so uncomfortable..
Ingenious local tribesman, what's happening to the ingenuity? :)
New post please!
Shobha
Misses Gabby..You still missed TringTring ghantii!! and the shiny-jingly RGB reflectors.. neatly arranged on the spokes in 120 degrees to each other...and if we count the rubber-flaps attached on mudguards with their mandatory graffiti like "Raju", "Dilwale", or just an "Arrow cutting through the Red Dil"...hmmpff (you shall be henceforth tried under penal code 143, subsection a.1.5 for missing the ghantii)
btw somewhere i glanced $80. I mean is that U_S_AAiiddyyy DOLLARS?? Listen madam, the real H2 comes for $50k+. But since you have been good to me in giving me aunty-type advice -- having called me beta, you leave me no other choice, ha! -- haan tau hum kahaan they..haan so I can give my H2 to you for only $25K, 10yr,100000miles warranty, and a free insurance thrown in. Vot say? Also enlighten, what to do if not-so-stranger aunty gives goody advice :p
1 kweschan: Can I email you? (which effectively means, can auntie drop by Calvin's Inbox?)
As I said, I have a good miniature Eiffel that you can climb on top of for an elevated view. I dont have a rickshaw, but I have a rickshaw horn that you could use if Mr. Gabby isn't paying enough attention.
As for water proof pants, methinks alpha wears them inside out, so that when she is totally pissed on the inside it isn't visible on the outside. Nothing else explains the 200$ investment :-)
Also, all you rich ladies, plzz update me on your fetishes and things you find "cute":-) There might be some money for me in it.
I have some miniature awww cute 10 paise coins from yesteryears. I can send them across for a 100$ bill, unless of course you meet me at a "signal" in which case you can get it for free :-)
Sorry about the loss of ingenuity. Ingenious local tribesman without bicycle is like a woman without her fish/fetish.
Yucks, I was just editing my response, when I hit the enter key by misshtake. Now you can see lots of my redundant garbage thinking in original unbuttoned glory ..... whatever :-)
zoheb, chee chee chee! This is your true self?!!! (which is not very different from your edited self) But still, chee chee chee.
What does meeting you at a "signal" mean? *innocent eyes turning innocenter* Does is have anything to do with my signal design?
Oh man, I dont know what "signal" means in alpha-speak. Shouldnt have double quoted it. In India it is at "signals" (intersections) that I get rid of my 10 paise coins.
As for your signal design, when are you going to upgrade yourself to the design of pedestrian crossings and gutters?
Gabby, get off that bike now and post a new one here..quick! *scolding tone* :))
arre sishter likho na ! :D
Hi Gratisgab,
I came from a friend's blog that you left a comment on. Superb blog you have here. I will be back regularly now!
LLK
Zoheb - Do always come by. Your crankiness is the only existing match for Alpha's. LOL @ waterproof pants joke. Bad joke but funny joke.
Now Alpha, Zoheb, go play outside!
phatichar, sanguine - Do I dare disobey!
LLK - Thanks. & Welcome :)
& me ?? :(
The picture reminds me of my BSA SLR I used to have way back in early school days:)..I used to feel as If I was driving a 100cc bike at that time.:) atleast thats what my bro made me feel so he can keep me away from his "real" bike.
Any day better than a 100cc man...no pollution, no expensive gas, and if it does get stolen, no tears...
hiya gabby... got here via rhyncus's blog....the piece caught my attention (u'r writing too :))...it's awesome!! (u'r writing isn't bad either :))..do you know the year of make?
vc - thanks for coming by...and for putting a word in about the writing...it's a 1979 - restored. Cool na?
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