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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 6, 2001
Nostalgia is always good for reassurance and a smile. These holiday classics will bring joy to anyone who gets to unwrap them.
-- MARY JANE PARK
The classic red Radio Flyer has almost as many functions as duct tape. Classic red wagon (36 by 171/2 by 41/2), about $100; smaller My First red wagon (201/2 by 101/2 by 3 inches), about $20. Toy, department, discount stores.
Fans of TV's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer have four bobblehead designs to choose from: Rudolph, Bumble, Santa and Hermey. About $10 each. Toy, department, discount stores.
Before teeny white lights and their icicle kin appeared on the scene, brightly colored bulbs gave a cheery glow to trees and roof lines. Ceramic colored lights. $5.99, set of 20, department, discount, drug, grocery stores.
DVDs are all the rage, but there's a certain nostalgia for vinyl, too. This record player is portable; plays 33s, 45s and 78s; and has dual amplification stereo speakers. Crosley Record Player. $129.95. Restoration Hardware, Citrus Park Town Center and Old Hyde Park Village, Tampa; toll-free 1-800-762-1005; www.restorationhardware.com.
When Ralphie talks trash in A Christmas Story, his punishment is a bar of red Lifebuoy in his mouth. Original Lifebuoy soaps. $11.95, set of 6; $18, set of 12. Vermont Country Store. www.vermontcountrystore.com; (802) 362-8440.
The poinsettia, a traditional holiday flower, gets an artistic treatment in these hand-carved, hand-painted tropical wood blooms. Wooden poinsettias. Large (36 inches), $18; small (18 inches), $14. Bamboo vase (20 inches), $20. All items, Hula Hula, 2822 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport; (727) 322-5282. Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Tiny tots waiting for Santa to tiptoe through the house will be delighted with this bubbling night light. About $4, department, discount, drug, grocery stores.
A '60s icon gets the glitter treatment. Lava Brand Wizard glitter lamp, available in purple, silver, teal and blue. $49.99. Toy, department, discount stores; www.lavaworld.com.
These playing cards are reproduced from decks first circulated in France and Italy in the late 1800s. Each is a standard deck, with 52 cards, two jokers and four suits, packaged in homemade boxes. Playing cards. $20 per deck. Being, 115 Second Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 822-6252.