Art-Necko Ties

Minnesota artist Mark Larson debuted his line of Art-Necko ties in 1978. These were plastic, see-through ties, and the gimmick was that he filled them with various stuff.

source: flickr



As described in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Nov 26, 1978):

There is the aquarium tie (a snail, a plant, some gravel and a puzzled guppie floating on the wearer's chest). The Paint-by-Number tie. The captured-flight tie (two broken toy airplanes and a dead moth). The floral arrangement tie (dirt and live plants). The regimental stripe (available in dirt and candy stripes or the more restrained hairline stripes, executed in human hair in gentle tones of rust, brown and gray).

The neon tie, however, is the current front-runner. Larson's favorite, it's a stunning red-and-blue creation that makes a glowing statement about the wearer—providing he's hooked up to a power source.

And these have nothing on the proposed ties. There could be—well, the world's loudest tie (armed with a tiny loudspeaker to broadcast jets taking off); the horror movie or Vincent Price model (containing dry ice, with tiny holes in the front to permit the wearer to trail wisps of fog); the Fit-to-be-Tied Tie (a self-inflating strait-jacket that takes over when you feel you are losing control), and the chow mein tie, inspired by the Seal-a-Meal machine that is basic to the Art-Necko process.

The cowboy tie



People magazine (Jan 15, 1979) listed a few more:

Railroad Tie has an HO-gauge track, pebbles and a miniature crossing sign inside.

Fishing Tackle features Goldfish crackers, a hook, sinker and a rubber worm. Vanity contains false eyelashes and phony fingernails. And for the ghoulish, there's Bones—scrubbed and boiled shortribs.

At the time the Art-Necko ties sold for $10. I found one for sale on eBay for $14.66. So not much increase in value in the past 40 years.
     Posted By: Alex - Thu May 20, 2021
     Category: Art | Fashion | 1970s





Comments
Thank you for reporting on this oddity, it's is so perfectly odd that I had to buy it!
My husband's workplace dresscode is: quirkyness is a plus, i'll email you a picture of him wearing it where he works some day soon!
He's also the mascot of a hocky team and he has been requested to wear that at his job on occassion as well.

Fun fun 😊

Scrap Exchange of Durham, come check us out!!!!!!
Posted by Jessica on 05/20/21 at 08:43 AM
Jessica, that's great!! Looking forward to seeing a picture of your husband wearing it.
Posted by Alex on 05/20/21 at 12:15 PM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.