Back to the candy shop

So, for a long time since that productive visit to a musical instruments store, I thought that I had in my possession the ultimate 50’s microphone. Hey, if Elvis used one of these, it had to be, right? Well, there’s no doubt that the Shure 55S is the most famous vintage microphone. But as time went by, I started finding out about other mics, while watching some movies and music videos. That’s when I came across Ebay. Or should I say, my personal doom. One search with the words “vintage microphone” and I was hooked. Not that I spent all the money I had, sold my car, or got myself in debt to buy things on Ebay, but I have to admit that some portions of my paychecks did go to acquiring vintage mics. How else would I have assembled such a precious and beautiful microphone collection that will be passed on through generations as historic pieces of art? Not really convincing, is it? Ok, so they aren’t a real Matisse, a Kandinsky, or Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair. But they are my personal collection of the type of design I like as an Industrial Designer and as an individual. Simple and fascinating.

Little by little, I started creating a decent microphone collection. Right now I have to thank my sister-in-law, without whom I wouldn’t be able to obtain about half of my mics. Christina, thanks for all the patience through all these years and for not throwing out all those cardboard boxes before I got to them. Let me explain. About a year after I married my wife, her sister moved to the US. So our annual visits actually started 6 months before we even got there. I would buy some mics on Ebay and have them shipped to her address. She was not only gracious enough to let me have them sent to her, but would also store them in the guest room we always stayed in. (I wonder if that’s the reason she’s moving to another country). While I’m at it, I would also like to thank Maria Luisa, my other sister-in-law, and Monique. I had some mics sent to them as well. You see, if I had them all delivered here in Brazil, I would probably have to spend twice the amount I did, with international shipping, customs fees, etc. It’s safe to say I would have to end up getting another job to nurture my collection.