Man, I remember seeing advertisements like these in the Johnson Smith Co. catalog that would come to our house as a kid. Not sure what triggered our house being on that mailing list, but who cares? It brightened many a day of my youth. I think it was also the time I realized that price usually was an indicator of quality. Like Real X-Ray glasses to see a person's actual skeleton (as a boy, I was hoping to modify that setting and wear them to school). But then you see $2.99 and realize you're being had. But in a fun way...as the curiosity factor alone was worth the price. And the waiting was actually part of the charm, as most of this stuff said "Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery," and damn if that stuff didn't ALWAYS take six weeks. It was literally long enough for you to forget you even ordered it. Which would then add a surprise element to the entire experience.
23 comments:
I always wanted to order some of these but alas, my pocket money was spent mostly on candy.
haha
I can honestly say you got more value for your dough. Trust me.
I guess your "bullshit" detector worked better than mine as a kid. When I saw the price it was "Hot diggity! I'm gettin' a pair of these!" I remember being so disappointed when I opened up the package. : ( Do you remember what they were made of???? It was a feather for the lens that caused a blurry doubling effect. I hadn't thought about these monster magazines for decades. Thanks for the unexpected trip down memory lane! : )
haha. typically I fall for all bullshit. So I might be rewriting history. Was it a feather?!?!? I had no idea what was in there. I just recall, like all of these products, that you'd open the box, take the item out, and it would instantly break due to being made of radioactive cheap plastic from around the other side of the earth. Though that was back when you saw "Made in Japan" and made a pfffffft sound.
Yeah, this was fun to think about. My brother bought a tiny thing that's in one of these images.. looks like a tiny barbell that was a static electricity "Light"...a small diode on the end would light up when encountering a static charge...Like on the old TV screens..or on a sweater in the winter...
These ads are so priceless and bring back so many memories for me. Glad you enjoyed it. I was on the Johnson Smith catalog mailing list as well. Kirk Demarais has an excellent book regarding this very subject called Mail Order Mysteries as well as the history of the Johnson Smith catalog Co.
https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Mysteries-Real-Stuff-Comic/dp/160887026X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L4HMM0ZIOFY2&keywords=mail+order+mysteries&qid=1646937325&sprefix=mail+order+mysteries%2Caps%2C54&sr=8-1
Sorry my error his other book is about the history of the SS Adams joke and magic company which was heavily featured in the Johnson Smith Catalog.
Haha. That's okay...I've been known to rewrite history on a few things. That "Light" sounds really cool. I would have loved that since I have such a fixation on tiny lights haha. I have so many memories of pouring thru those monster mags at "The Big Bear" grocery down the street while my mom shopped. That was our Sunday ritual after church. We rarely got to buy the comics or mags...our mom just parked us there in the comic section.....probably drove the store clerks crazy with getting them sticky and wrinkled.
That is a funny memory... you used it as a reading library...
And thanks again, Mike. It was amazing seeing these things and digging up old memories.
Not a problem. I was the weird kid on my dead end block in New Jersey who would order all that stuff and build those awesome old MPC model kits from the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean that moved with the help of rubber bands. Ah those were the days.
haha Nice!
And "Things you never knew existed" catalog. Same company. They had some great (expensive) Halloween stuff, quality masks and latex props, mixed in among some real junk. I don't think any of us know how we ended up on their mailing list, but it was a seasonal marker to get the Halloween catalog in the mail.
Mike V mentioned Kirk Demeraris in a comment above, and I have to give a +1. His books seem to be out of print, but his no longer updated blog might be worth a look https://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/
Thanks for sharing that!
Can't post a pic on here, but, 50 or so years later I still have that 6 foot
Frankenstein monster with glow in the dark eyes that one used to see in the comics.
It's a treasure. Had to attach it (two years ago) to large cardboard to slow the deterioration.
Goes up every year. Always will.
7 feet. typo. advertised as life size as I recall....
I always pined for the sea monkeys ad in the comics! This is so funny! I like the X-Ray ideas. “ if you have the nerve- look at your friends brain”!
So- the one add, with the masks, the cyclops looks like the one in your post of the Halloween home movies. The dad was wearing it I think…
We actually did the sea monkey thing and it was really neat.
Raven176, that sounds really neat... I need to see a photo of that!
wish I could. No insert image option on here...which is probably for the best. lol.
But....links from strangers, I know, I know
I think I did this right.From 2020 before the cardboard.
https://ibb.co/XbjFL9X
WOW. I always wanted ALL of this growing up. Still do. LOL
haha same.
I recall we sent away for a $4.00 camera... thing actually worked. We took photos of fake bigfoot footprints we made in the woods, and a fake ufo.
That's great Rot. Good memories
Raven176, the link worked like a CHARM.
in all my online travels, I have never seen a decoration like that.
It's beautiful.
Everyone reading this, Open this LINK https://ibb.co/XbjFL9X
So you CAN teach an old dog new tricks...
I'm happy to have shared.
On a side note, trying not to laugh, you can see the start
of MY side of the decorations as opposed to the cute items.
I've been relegated to the pony wall and hallway. ha.
best,
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