Just in time for Father’s Day comes this excellent new book covering all aspects of masculine merchandise. Mantiques: A Manly Guide to Cool Stuff by Eric Bradley is a “must add” to your bookshelf.
Fueled by Testosterone and Attitude
Not all men can be butt-kicking and headbusting Liam Neesons, Steve McQueens or Clint Eastwoods, but at least their taste in Mantiques can reflect their inner shirtlessness.
If ever there was a book made for me and my interests, this is it! Just look at a few of the chapter titles, and you’ll see what I mean:
- Freakin’ Cool
- Star Power
- Whore House Meets Grandma’s House
- Dangerous Pursuit
- Gamer Cave
- …and the list goes on and on.
I curled up in my Batman Snuggie and read this book cover to cover thanks to lines like, “Racy art and novelties are as old as horn dogs themselves,” and “A proper home bar needs three things: Booze. Friends. Crazy shit on the walls.”
Eric Bradley works at Heritage Auctions, where he gets to see and hold amazing items every day, which has made him the authority on what guys like to collect. He has taken his own passion for cool things and written this roadmap for others to follow. I never knew I could buy a 1920’s floor lamp shaped like a cobra, but now I think I have to have one.
It’s always fun to peek behind the curtains and see other people’s collections, and Mantiques showcases collectors who have amassed weird and wonderful vintage items. Obviously, I enjoyed the sections on collecting entertainment memorabilia and vintage video games, but I equally enjoyed the topics that don’t typically fall in my areas of interest, such as the sports and fashion sections. The photography and history of the items presented is so interesting to read that I think I may need to expand my collecting pursuits. I definitely need some taxidermy on my walls!
If you are a man and you like cool stuff, you will definitely want to add Mantiques: A Manly Guide to Cool Stuff
I will put it on the list!