Mirror, Mirror

Remember those little mirrors you could win at county fairs and carnivals? You know, the mirrors that featured a band logo (and the band was ALWAYS Glam). These mirrors were usually prizes in the $1 game tents...for popping a balloon with a dart or shooting a can with an air gun.

If you're from a rural area, then you already know all about the county fair. For a kid in school, the county fair was just about the biggest town event all year. When I was growing up, we actually got a week off from school just so all the farm kids could show their animals. This freedom from school gave me a lot of time to troll the midway for games that gave away Glam prizes.

One year I won a Def Leppard Hysteria mirror. That was huge. I had that mirror for a long time but I think it eventually sold at a garage sale for a dime. Now I still wish I had that thing.

The mirrors were "rough edge" so you could build a little frame for them - or place many along the wall for a sort of tapestry of rock. They were usually packaged in a little white folder. I always remembered loving the damn things...but then having to hold the mirror all day. That part sucked.

I searched on eBay last night for some of those little mirrors...I couldn't find what I wanted though. This seems odd to me as the little mirrors were so huge in the 80s.  In fact, Glam always blared through the midway: Poison, Guns n' Roses and Def Leppard were the three bands I recall hearing the most. There was also some odd circular ride that looked like a spaceship. I think it was called the Graviton. The Glam wafted from this ride too - on the inside, the volume was almost unbearable.

At any rate, I'm on the lookout for some of those little rock mirrors. I think they would look great on the wall beside my wet bar!

Comments

[captkid7800]

I REMEMBER THOSE! I actually have a few of those. I believe I have RATT(out of the cellar), MOTLEY(shout,theatre, & girls), OZZY(bark at the moon), BON JOVI(slippery), and I also have a larger one of POISON(look what the cat). The only ones that are actually the album cover is RATT & MOTLEY(theatre & girls) the others are just photos of the bands from that time period.

Those were a pain in the ass to carry around all day/night.

[Christine Sixx]

I still have my Duran Duran mirror that I won from back in the day. Then in 1999, I was on a road trip to Vegas and happened to stop in the most bizarre gas station/store out in the middle of nowhere and found a Bon Jovi mirror. I bought it for $1. They also sold clown clothes in that store. It was weird, but I still have that mirror. :)

[Tim]

Thanks for the memories, I forgot about those and did win a few back in the day. I wonder if the band got royalties from them...

[al rose]

i have a sweet dr. feelgood one from the mall carnival!

[Damnp78]

I too had a few of them. Like you, regretfully I probably parted with them for mere pennies and wish now that I still had them. Again like you, they'd look great in my wet bar.

[Makel]

I think my friend said she had something like what you're talking about that's Motley, and I'm so jealous, lol.

[Kenny Crawford]

Hell yeah,those things RULED! I still have a Quiet Riot Metal Health one and a Metallica Ride The Lightning one!

[Marc]

I had at least twenty of them. My friends parents would not them them hang them in their rooms after a long day of blowing our money at the midway so I acquired them all. My favorite was always the 12"x12" of RATT's Invasion of your Privacy. Not only a great album but a beautiful model as well! For the life of me I cannot remember what happened to them. They are probably still packed away in one of my many boxes around here.

[Tommy]

I have a bunch somewhere in my cellar , skids, motley etc If i find them you can have them, I still keep my Metallica ones displayed proudly

[bryon]

I had one that had the Van Halen logo on it. No idea where it ever got to. Most likely got damaged in a move and then thrown out.

[Mike]

Do a search for "carnival mirror". I found several. Good luck.

[Beachbum80]

I have been looking all over for those things & can't seem to find any of them anywhere. Those were the kewlest prizes. I use to have stacks of them but over the years they have just disappeared if anyone knows where to find those things please let me know or leave a comment on here. Thanks