Odds & Trends

RISING FOLD-UPS

A standard yuk in 1930s movies was the moment when a pair of closet doors would open and a Murphy bed would come crashing down on someone's head. Over the years, the bed's Buster Keaton image hurt sales so badly that the Murphy Door Bed Co. Inc. of New York City began making kitchen cabinets. But with apartment rents soaring, the fold-ups are making a comeback among folks seeking to make the most of their living space. The company last year racked up a 15% increase in sales of its beds, which go for anywhere from $130 to $525. Says William K. Murphy, head of the firm: "Mr. Average American won't make fun of us any more."

HOT SHEETS

For those who will not scrimp on slumber, some U.S. stores are stocking super-sheets. Macy's in Manhattan has some by France's Porthault that have hand-sewn scalloped edges and are made of 100% cotton, but might as well be gold: a queen-size set costs $645. Uptown at Bloomingdale's, a set of cotton sheets, pillow cases and comforters by Italy's T&J Vestor goes for $5,000. Big-ticket bedding is "a fashion statement," says Bloomies. It could also serve as a bank statement.

CLIMBING CURD

Tofu, or bean curd, a custard-like cake made from curdled soybean milk, was a favorite of Taoist priests in ancient China. Now Americans are learning to use the nearly tasteless curd (flavoring must be added) to replace cheese in cheesecake and meat in burgers. A 4-oz. serving of tofu has nearly as much protein as an equal amount of hamburger but fewer calories (150 vs. 237) and no cholesterol. At 99-c- per lb., it is also cheaper. One large supplier, the New England Soy Dairy, Inc. of Greenfield, Mass., peddled 300 to 500 lbs. of curd a week in 1977, its first year. It now sells 25,000 lbs. a week.

RAMBLING TO GAMBLING

Every Friday, weekend gamblers from Southern California make the five-hour drive to Las Vegas. When the radio signals fade, deep boredom sets in. But next month a new FM station, KRXV, will come to the rescue with news, weather, tourist information, plus the music of Vegas headliners. Owner Howard Anderson won approval for his station, which will beam its signal directly along the highway, by arguing that his listeners form a "mobile community" with common needs. Not all of them are wagerers, however. Seems that fully 25% of the 23 million people who drive the route each year peel off into the Mojave Desert just to spend a few days nowhere at all.

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