retro roadside rescue reveals roller recalcitrance

I've always wanted one of these hairdryer hoods. A few years ago I found one for fifteen dollars in an opshop and gleefully took it to the counter and paid... then the salesgirl suggested we turn it on to be sure it worked before I left. It started to blow... and smell... and burn a hole right through its bottom and the formica counter top. I had no trouble getting a refund. I've always hoped to find another and though I do see them from time to time they've been too pricey for this cheapskate.

While cruising the backstreets of the burg a few hours ago, my heart leapt when I recognised the ovoid silhouette of a GE Portable Dome Hairdryer languishing amid melted Ikea shelving. I strapped it to my bike and pedalled home, trying not to get too excited. I knew I needed to a) manage my expectations, and b) make sure it was on a concrete surface when I plugged it in.



Well it works perfectly! Couldn't wait to do my own Wash & Set! How fun to spend twenty minutes setting my hair on rollers and then to sit unmoving under the dryer for half an hour... hmmm. Don't I own a curling iron that could get the job done in about ten minutes, assuming I could even be bothered with that? Most days my maintenance efforts amount to making sure there aren't more knots on one side of my head than the other...

"That thing's living in the shed, right?" said Simon.

"It's going on ebay" I replied.

"Even better!"

I had a lot of fun photographing it and readying it for sale, but a little bit of googling reveals that secondhand electricals can be a dicey ebay proposition and I've gone off the idea. I've given it a thorough running test and am confident its safe, but if there's even the slenderest chance anyone's head could burst into flame, best it should be my own.