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!

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

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.

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.”

Remember this “Rare Bit O’Swag” I posted awhile back — the Goggo/IWL/Heinkelesque cookie mold? Well I finally got around to making cookies with it due in large part to the help of my friend Jessica S.

We had loads of fun making them and we were amazed a wooden mold could make such great looking cookies. I want to play around using other recipes to see what kind of results I get.

Want to take a stab at making Speculaas with you own molds? Check out this very well done video and the recipe. Keep in mind that Jessica and I used double the spices for a delicious result. We even added fresh ground pepper.

Martha Stewart Speculaas Making Video

Martha Stewart Speculaas Recipe

The accessories maker “Fluff” has come up with some more accessories featuring their retro scooter girls. We featured their bags awhile back. Now you can tart up your iPhone 4/4s or iPhone 5 with these hard cases. They’re made in the USA and come with a tough, scratch-resistant finish to protect the lovely ladies from tarnished reputations. $25 each.

Thanks to Julie G. for this find!

fluffshop.com

We’ve featured some scootering chefs in the past but this is quite the bonanza.

The first three photos feature the chefs made by Benzara. They are made out of “polystone” and cost around $39.95 for the set. I wasn’t able to find the trio in a set but now you know what to look for.

The other chefs are made by Bon Appetit and are a bit trickier to find.

Speaking of tricks, I like to use Google Alerts as well as eBay Saved Searches to hunt down treasures.

Thanks to Cassie for these finds!

Benzara Scooting Chefs

Scooterpatch.com (in the bright orange banner under our own banner) has introduced a new kind of patch for this scooter rally season. Now you can choose from embroidered or woven patches. What’s the difference? Embroidered patches are sewn of course. And it’s the thread gives the images on patches a nice 3D quality. But you are limited to how small you can make lettering and other details.

Woven patches are flat and are made on an electronic loom so a much finer thread can be used which lets you do much smaller details like 1/8″ tall lettering or even smaller. Take a look at the samples above. Then think of the brand and size labels in your clothing. Now you’ve got the idea.

Jeff Bass, owner of scooterpatch.com, describes it this way: “Embroidery is analog and woven is digital.”

Be sure to peruse their site to see more examples, see the other goodies they can make and get a special ScooterSwag offer .

Here’s a phone case for your iPhone 5. Made of silicon and priced at $35.
Thanks to Melissa L. for this find!

katespade.com