Old Cracker Jack toys you'll never see produced again

I was perusing eBay recently for collectibles, and there were several Cracker Jack toys that caught my attention.  You'd never see the kinds of Cracker Jack toys I loved so much as a kid in this day and age.  Why you ask?  Well.. there were all manner of small toys, trinkets, charms, and collectibles that served as the inbox prizes.    If a kid were to eat or swallow one of those prizes, the lawsuit that would surely ensue could really hurt a company.  Even if the company prevailed, the legal fees alone can still have quite a negative impact. 


Looking at some of the Cracker Jack toys from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, I can see how many of those toys would never be released today and not just because of possible legal ramifications.  Check out some of these old Cracker jack toys..


 Mini folding knives.  I would have loved to have these as a kid!




 Mini Gun charms


Mini pack of cigarettes




 Folding knife, Tobacco Pipe, and liquor bottle charms




 Kids Tattoo of a Bulldog smoking a pipe
kinda looks like a tattoo an old sailor would have



 Native American toy w/peace pipe


Native American toy performing war chant




El Diablo, Old Nick, Beelzebub.. aka the "Devil" charm




Revolver charm


 Gun Belt w/revolvers
would nicely fit any kids pinkie finger


I have a sneaking suspicion that a kid toting some of these items to school in this day and age would get sent home, if not suspended or expelled.  I find myself more than ever shaking my head and thinking "My.. how times have changed!"



Blew out a flip flop..

This has been a long brutal Colorado winter, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Before you know it, I'll be able to rock these Margaritaville Flip Flops I picked up last year..






These flip flops are finely crafted, super comfortable, and look sharp to boot.  The perfect footwear for wasting away in Margaritaville (or your back yard).





Retro model kits currently on store shelves

It does my heart good to see so many retro model car kits coming back, complete with original box art.  I saw these recently at Hobby Lobby..


 I actually put together the General Lee model back around 1984.



This one made me laugh.  It's funny how something that was scoffed at years before, can now be totally endearing.



 The ECTO-1 looks like a fun model to put together.



 I believe my brother put this model together in the 70s



 The Meyers Manx
A very popular model and Hot Wheels design back in the day.



This one takes me back to the days when the masses wanted to customize and travel the country in their tricked out vans.


 Grandpa's DRAG-ULA and the Munster Koach
Wanted these as a kid.. still want them today!


Seeing these makes me want to get back into model kit building again.  I may buy a couple of these kits, even if its just to display the great looking boxes on my shelves.


My 70s Book

The "When I Was A Kid..." Book For The Generation That Grew Up In The '70s

I recently had to dust off "My 70s Book" written by Darryll Sherman. It's always a pleasure to thumb through this book, because it feels as if the author is speaking to me personally.   This book is a nostalgic and fun read for 20th century retro males (and females).  Being born at the beginning of the decade in 1970, I could directly relate to about 98 percent of what Darryll wrote about.  From family life to numerous aspects of pop culture, the author accurately and endearingly paints an incredibly accurate picture about the decade.

My 70s book is an enjoyable and easy read.  I read the book over the course of a couple hours one lazy winter afternoon.  It's one of those books that gets you reminiscing about the good old days, and just how much things have changed over the years.   Things like vinyl LP's, television programming, automobiles, and paper routes had me reminding my kids of how good they have it with their ipods, smart phones, live streaming, and pampered lifestyle!  Wow.. I just read that last sentence and realized I'm indeed turning into my old man!!

This book had me longing for simpler times when a kid could play outside all day and not be seen again until dinner time.  The book confirms in your mind just how much things have changed..  for better or worse.  Anyone from the ages of 30 to 60 will absolutely love this book.  It also provides a super entertaining history lesson to younger readers as well!

You can read more about the author, view excerpts from the book, and purchase it for $11.95 at..
www.my70sbook.com

Darryll also used to write a great blog called All about the 1970s  If you're feeling a bit nostalgic for one of the most colorful decades ever, swing by and read some of his archived posts.

10 retro advertising jingles permanently seared into my brain.

Like many others of my generation, there are a multitude of advertising slogans and jingles permanently burned into my 20th century brain.  I could go on for days about jingles I love, hate, or often recite.  However, I've decided to limit the list to my top ten favorites.  For better or worse.. here's a list of jingles that are floating around my brain, always ready to surface at any given moment.

  • FOLGERS -The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup

  • BRILL CREAM - A little Dab'll Do Ya!

  • ROTO-ROOTER - Roto-Rooter, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain.

  • STATE FARM - Like a good neighbor.. State Farm is there.

  • ALKA SELTZER - Plop Plop.. Fizz Fizz.. oh what a relief it is!

  • McDONALD'S BIG MAC -
    Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

  • SLINKY -

    What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound?
    A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing.. Everyone knows it's Slinky.
    It's Slinky.. it's Slinky.. For fun it's a wonderful toy.
    It's Slinky.. it's Slinky.. It's fun for a girl or a boy.
    It's fun for a girl or a boy.

  • CHICKEN OF THE SEA - What's the best tuna? Chicken of the Sea!
  • LUCKY CHARMS - Frosted Lucky Charms.. They're magically delicious!
  • OSCAR MAYER -

    Oh I wish I were Oscar Mayer Wiener.
    That is what I'd truly like to be.
    'Cause if I were Oscar Mayer Wiener,
    Everyone would be in love with me.

Looking over this list has impressed upon me just how deeply these jingles have ingrained themselves into pop culture!  I can't even count how many times over the years that friends and I have used these jingles (or altered versions of them) as hilarious puns and punchlines.

It truly takes an extraordinary talent to come up with such catchy jingles.  In fact, many recording artists were jingle writers at one time. A lot of people have no clue that Barry Manilow had a very successful career writing jingles before hitting it big in the music industry.  What's more.. he's the one who wrote the jingle for State Farm which is still used to this very day!

I can't think of many jingles from the last decade that I have a fondness for.  Sure.. there are a lot of annoying  jingles, as well as rehashed 60's, 70's, and 80's music which have been used for branding popular products, but no real jingles that are as unique unto themselves like the ones listed above (In my humble opinion).