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{{toplink|url=http://joelspivak.com|name=joelspivak.com}}[[File:JoelSpivak.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Joel Spivak.]]'''Joel Spivak''' is described by Hidden City Philadelphia as follows:<blockquote> I found him. Joel “Space Man” Spivak is still tethered to Planet Earth. It’s been years since he manned his unique space toy store, Rocketships & Accessories, at 623-625 South Street. His obsession, however, is still going strong.<br><br>From 1981 to 1989 Spivak built a career out of collecting Space Age toys–much of which was loaned to the Smithsonian for the “Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future” traveling exhibit in 1984. Although he’s parted with the bulk of his collection, he still owns more than your average number of rayguns, movie posters, space cadet uniforms, sweaters, and ephemera, all accompanied by countless anecdotes while orbiting South Street.<br><br>Spivak’s store was an oasis for bygone-era science fiction fans. Davy Krieger, former habitué of Rocketships, fondly shares his memories of the store. “A lot of it was the atomic age tin-toys from America, but there were also Japanese imports which, at the time, were extraordinarily exotic. I loved that store. I can still smell the aged cardboard of the garishly illustrated boxes, the muggy Philadelphia summer night, the wet street outside,” recounts Krieger. “As a weird kid in a time before the internet, Rocketships & Accessories was like a little outpost that let me know I wasn’t alone. There were other space-and-monster-obsessed people out there. We had a little capital on South Street, and it was glorious,” he says.</blockquote>
{{NBS}}http://joelspivak.com
[[File:Underjoel.jpg|alt=Joel showing his book|thumb|New Book: Underground Philadelphia|253x253px]]
'''Joel Spivak''' is described by Hidden City Philadelphia as follows:
 
*I found him. Joel “Space Man” Spivak is still tethered to Planet Earth. It’s been years since he manned his unique space toy store, Rocketships & Accessories, at 623-625 South Street. His obsession, however, is still going strong.
*From 1981 to 1989 Spivak built a career out of collecting Space Age toys–much of which was loaned to the Smithsonian for the “Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future” traveling exhibit in 1984. Although he’s parted with the bulk of his collection, he still owns more than your average number of rayguns, movie posters, space cadet uniforms, sweaters, and ephemera, all accompanied by countless anecdotes while orbiting South Street.
 
(See the full "What's Out There" article below)
== Info ==
 
*[[File:A Joel Ray Gun IMG 6543.jpg|left|thumb|72x72px]][http://joelspivak.com/RNAstory.html?fbclid=IwAR2ae9c-MYYaUbj4iQQVMri0TLp4gBF61LV5XxJuzK-FCWS-3zWgORbYykU ROCKETSHIPS & ACCESSORIES]
 
: ''The Inside Story Of The Outer Space Toy Store''
 
*[https://www.google.com/search?q=Joel+Spivak+Trolley&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1h6iSscvkAhUhnuAKHTDRAA4QBQgsKAA&biw=1440&bih=729 Joel and Trolley]
*[http://joelspivak.com/doing.html What's Joel Doing? (scroll for the new book)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPnNVb2z22I Author interview on Philly Factor]
*[[A Joel Article]]
*[https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/joel-spivak-artist-promoter-20250430.html '''Obituarie joel-spivak''']


==In The News==
==In The News==
*[http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/12/whats-that-out-there-south-streets-beloved-space-station/ What's Out There? South Street's Beloved Space Station], Hidden City Philadelphia, December 23, 2014.
*[http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/12/whats-that-out-there-south-streets-beloved-space-station/ What's Out There? South Street's Beloved Space Station], Hidden City Philadelphia, December 23, 2014.
*[http://hiddencityphila.org/2013/02/one-activists-theory-of-historic-preservation-do-shit-and-make-it-work/ One Activist’s Theory Of Historic Preservation: 'Do Shit And Make It Work'], Hidden City Philadelphia, February 26, 2013.
*[http://hiddencityphila.org/2013/02/one-activists-theory-of-historic-preservation-do-shit-and-make-it-work/ One Activist’s Theory Of Historic Preservation: 'Do Shit And Make It Work'], Hidden City Philadelphia, February 26, 2013.
*[http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/07/18/historic-levis-sign-being-relit-for-national-hot-dog-month/ Historic Levis' Sign Being Relit For National Hot Dog Month], CBS-3, July 18, 2012.
*[http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/07/18/historic-levis-sign-being-relit-for-national-hot-dog-month/ Historic Levis' Sign Being Relit For National Hot Dog Month], CBS-3, July 18, 2012.
<br><br>[[Category:Is-Individual]]
 
== Note from Joel, Feb 28, 2021 ==
Hello -
 
Hope you're doing well. Like most people I haven't been doing so much in terms of public events over the past year. But here's a What's Joel Doing update anyway - this podcast (with images) took a look at some interesting aspects of my earlier life.
http://joelspivak.com/doing.html
 
Also we freshened up the links on the homepage a little, including to the new page with the Levis 50-year club members on it
http://joelspivak.com/Levis50.html
 
You can also click through from there to see some of my artworks or read about my community activities.
 
The South Street page is in process and we hope to have it mostly filled in by the end of March. Meanwhile, if you have South Street memories, share them in this survey -- we're collecting them.
https://qluency.com/southstreet50/
 
Joel
[[Category:Is-Individual]]
[[Category:Issue-Transportation]]
[[Category:Does-Public_Speaking]]
[[Category:Is-Historian]]
[[Category:Issue-Antique Toys]]
[[Category:Issue-Science_Fiction]]
[[Category:Is-Member_Of-Dumpster Divers]]
[[Category:Is-Artist]]
[[Category:Using-Found Material]]
[[Category:Issue-Planet_Earth]]
[[Category:Issue-Helpfulness]]
[[Category:Is-Author]]
[[Category:Is-Architect]]

Latest revision as of 19:26, 21 May 2025

 http://joelspivak.com

Joel showing his book
New Book: Underground Philadelphia

Joel Spivak is described by Hidden City Philadelphia as follows:

  • I found him. Joel “Space Man” Spivak is still tethered to Planet Earth. It’s been years since he manned his unique space toy store, Rocketships & Accessories, at 623-625 South Street. His obsession, however, is still going strong.
  • From 1981 to 1989 Spivak built a career out of collecting Space Age toys–much of which was loaned to the Smithsonian for the “Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future” traveling exhibit in 1984. Although he’s parted with the bulk of his collection, he still owns more than your average number of rayguns, movie posters, space cadet uniforms, sweaters, and ephemera, all accompanied by countless anecdotes while orbiting South Street.

(See the full "What's Out There" article below)

Info

The Inside Story Of The Outer Space Toy Store

In The News

Note from Joel, Feb 28, 2021

Hello -

Hope you're doing well. Like most people I haven't been doing so much in terms of public events over the past year. But here's a What's Joel Doing update anyway - this podcast (with images) took a look at some interesting aspects of my earlier life. http://joelspivak.com/doing.html

Also we freshened up the links on the homepage a little, including to the new page with the Levis 50-year club members on it http://joelspivak.com/Levis50.html

You can also click through from there to see some of my artworks or read about my community activities.

The South Street page is in process and we hope to have it mostly filled in by the end of March. Meanwhile, if you have South Street memories, share them in this survey -- we're collecting them. https://qluency.com/southstreet50/

Joel

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