Couldn’t find out anything about the artist or whether this figurine is based on a comic book character. Anybody out there know? E-Mail us at tips (at) scooterswag.com.

The figurine number is NEM9952. It has a lot of detail as it’s hand painted. Measuring approximately 20cm long x 16.5cm tall X 10.5cm wide the figurine also comes in its own presentation box.

This is one dangerous site. Retroplanet.com has way too much scooter stuff all packed into it with reasonable prices. You can order tin signs as well as magnets for both Lambretta and Vespa. Prices range from $3.99 to $19.99. To see all their scooter stuff, click here.

Thanks to Daniel S. for this find!

Here’s a re-usable double walled ceramic cup with silicone lid. It’s both dishwasher and microwave safe and holds 12 fl oz. Made by Decor Craft Inc. and can be ordered here for $14.50.

Swagger Glen B. reports that the silicone lid is nice because “your coffee won’t taste plasticy.”

Normally I have posts ready to run for at least two weeks out. But I have run out of swag to post about. This has only happened maybe three times since I started the blog in late 2005. Yipes! (I’m scared. Hold me.)

So anybody out there know of swag that hasn’t appeared here yet? Maybe you’ve got a great collection to show off? Or an incredible art or crafts project that needs some face time? Or some rare swag that you snapped while on a vacation? Or a souvenir you picked up when you were in another country?

Now is the time to send me your tips!

Cheers and thanks,
Tracy

Here’s a $42.00 sunglass or eyeglass case from the always stylish (and expensive) Jonathan Adler who obviously has a fondness for scooters. (Good on him!) It’s handmade needlepoint on wool on one side and velvet and the Adler monogram on the back. It’s padded inside and measures 3.5″ X 7″. The ties are silk/cotton and $95.00 each. To see other Adler swag we’ve posted click here .

To see the eyeglass case and the ties, click here.

This charming traffic scene makes me want to hop on a plane right now and smell all the lovely exhaust. The illustrator is Peter Donnelly and this artwork can be purchased as an unframed or framed art print or on a stretched canvas in assorted sizes. You can also buy it on greeting cards or as iPhone/iPod cases or skins. Prices range from $12.00 for a set of 3 cards to $150.00 for a 24″ x 35″ stretched canvas.

Thanks to the great site retrotogo.com for this find.

Buy Peter Donnelly’s London Traffic print at Society 6.

An interesting pin that appeared on eBay that I hadn’t come across before. No apparent markings were listed.

Despite the fact that I have been surrounded by Menchie’s frozen yogurt shops everywhere I have lived, I’ve never actually seen one. So if you’re not as oblivious as I am, visit one of their stores to pick up a “Moto Fro-Yo” insulated bag with their mascot riding a pink scooter. It runs around $9.99. I’m also including some other scooter imagery from a quick web search.

To find a Menchie’s near you (and they’re very international) click here .

Thanks to Heather M. for this find!

Every now and then I would stumble upon a scooter card featuring dogs. And I would think “Man, someone at Avanti likes dogs and scooters.” Then I began to think “I bet the photographer is a scooterist and sells them these images and then a writer comes up with the lines.” The other thought I had was “I bet they Photoshop the h*ll out of these photos. The dogs aren’t even sitting on a scooter.” Yes, I do have OCD. Why do you ask?

Well after interviewing the charming New York based photographer Allen Wallace I realized I was wrong about everything.

The most recent Avanti card (on top) listed a name. So I Googled it and found Allen who has a very interesting story. Yes, he was a scooterist. (More on that later.) No, Avanti comes to him with the idea in a tight sketch and then he executes the photo. No, no one at Avanti is scooter crazy. This is marketing folks. They know people like dogs and people like scooters. And no, those images are barely Photoshopped. Stunned? So was I. Allen says he hired professional dogs who will do things like wear goggles and sit on scooters. Usually there are handlers holding the dogs that get edited out later. The only thing that really gets Photoshopped are the scooters themselves. They change just enough of the scooter’s details to avoid problems with Piaggio.

The “Dozens Like Us” Scooter Club, Washington D.C., Circa 1984

The Dozens Like Us Scooter Club at 2013 Reunion

“Spow” Mod Culture Zine Cover

More from “Spow”

Of course Allen does more than just photograph dogs on scooters. He works with ad agencies, magazines and so on to earn his bread. But long before the photography gig he was a proud member of the scooter club “Dozens Like Us” based in Washington D.C. (That’s him in the front in the first photo and in the polka dots in the second.) He was also a scooter mechanic at a shop called “Big Wheel Bikes.” And he put together a mod zine called “Spow” that some of you may remember. (See delicious vintage 1984 Xeroxs above.) In fact putting together Spow is what got him into photography.

Allen at the track.

Allen and his kids at the Piaggio Vespa Museum.

Although Allen is more akin to racing motorcycles these days, his scooter heritage runs deep and he still attended scooter events. He’s also working on a creative project of photographing owners with their scooters. So if you’re on the East Coast and have a rad scooter, shoot him an e-mail at studio (at) allenwallace.com. To see some of the photos he’s already taken, visit his scooter portfolio here.

Want to order the card on top? It’s $2.69 here. The inside reads “You had me at woof.”

I have always had a fondness for “Tank Girl” although I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and read an entire comicbook. I’ve just seen frames from the books and of course the Lori Petty movie which people seem to love or loathe. I loved it because at the time it was really freakin’ rare to see women kick ass. I do remember that the target roundel showed up here and there but I didn’t even know what that was about at the time. I just thought she was making herself a target which fit in with her M.O. perfectly. I also didn’t think of her riding a scooter. A yak-like animal and well, a tank. So I was very happy to come across these images and things all started clicking into place. It is a British comic after all.

The poster magazine up top is available for £6.99 at this site.

The other cover can be considered a bit of Rare Swag but the tenacious among you will no doubt find it.

And for a little mid 90s nostalgia, watch the Tank Girl trailer here.

Tank Girl Trailer 1994