 sj |
||
|
||
BS: Box Top Sendaways
|
|
|
|||||||
|
BS: Box Top Sendaways |
Share Thread
|
||||||
|
Subject: Box Top Sendaways From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 15 Aug 02 - 08:19 PM I don't know if this is just an American pastime, but when I was a kid, the dullness of the days would be immediately brightened when the mail came and I'd find a little package (from Battlecreek, Michigan) with my latest acquisition that I'd get for just a boxtop of cereal or the peel off label of some other food product and a dime.
Two of my favorite prized posessions were an atomic bomb ring and a "look-behind-you" ring. They came up with a million different kind of rings, but these were my two favorites.
The atomic bomb ring had a fat little plastic bomb on it with a removal tail piece. The instructions that came with the ring were that you close yourself into a completely dark closet, then turn on the light and stare directly into the bare lightbulb. After you'd stared into the lightbulb for a minute or two, you would remove the tail piece of the atomic bomb and look into the secret viewing window, and you could ACTUALLY see atoms moving around. Of course, they looked suspiciously like spots in front of your eyes, and if you looked carefully you could see "G E 60 watts" mysteriously spelled by those moving atoms.
The "look-behind-you" ring was invaluable if you were prone to getting beat up on the way home from school. It had very small mirrors on the bevels of the ring, so when you were walking along, you could casually hold your ring up to your eye and if you tilted it just right, craned your neck and got into an extremely vulnerable pose you could see the punk who always beat you up, just before he grabbed you by the back of the neck and started pummeling you. But, hey, what do you expect for a boxtop and a dime?
Any memories out there? Jerry |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Sorcha Date: 15 Aug 02 - 09:02 PM Crackerjacks...........baking soda/vinegar fishes. Lots more I'm sure. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Giac Date: 15 Aug 02 - 11:18 PM In the mid-late 40s -- WWII military aircraft. Each little plane was grey, but had fair detail. A bit later came the little submarines that you put backing soda in, and they'd dive to the bottom, then resurface.
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: katlaughing Date: 15 Aug 02 - 11:47 PM I have a teeny-tiny harmonica, can't be more than half an inch long that my big sister gave me. I think she got it out of crackerjacks and it still works! Forgot, she and my Rog each have a square inch of Alaska, with a deed and all. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: GUEST,Les B. Date: 16 Aug 02 - 03:27 PM I'd totally forgotten those little grey subs and the soda - what a memory rush! Seems to me there were also some little pink plastic baby dolls about the size of your thumb nail that also came in Cracker Jacks. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Tiger Date: 16 Aug 02 - 04:34 PM It's CrackerJack, folks (has to rhyme with "I don't care if I ever get back"). |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 16 Aug 02 - 05:26 PM Cracker Jacks. Ah yes, that's another story. But, with cracker Jacks you didn't have to eat a whole box of cereal, slip a dime in an envelope with the box top, mail it off to Battle Creek, Michigan and then wait what seemed like forever for them to send you your prize. I'm talkin' about delayed gratification, folks... something that has become extinct in these times.
Of course, it wasn't just cereal box tops that you sent in... The most unhygenic of all were mailing in a big wad of Popsicle wrappers. We were never organized to actually save the wrappers. Besides, they got disgusting almost immediately, with caramelly, sticky drippings all over them. When we saw something that we really wanted, we'd just scour the area within a hundred feet of the corner store and pick up at least four or five wrappers on the ground. By then, they ants had found them and were feasting on the sticky gops of melted popsicle. But, hey! We didn't care... just stuffed an envelope full, ants and all. :-) Jerry |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Giac Date: 16 Aug 02 - 09:19 PM How'd you like to have to open the envelopes. Now, that would be right up there in the bad job category. ~;o) Mary |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: John Hindsill Date: 17 Aug 02 - 12:43 AM Jerry, those Atomic Bomb Rings came from Cheerios. I sure wish I had mine yet...they're worth bucks |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Chip2447 Date: 17 Aug 02 - 01:38 AM Being just a tad younger, I can remember limited edition HOT WHEELS tm Cars that required several Wheeties (I think) box tops each. My family soon grew disgusted of the cereal that I had to have. Wish I had known then what Limited edition hot wheels would be valued at today. Also, in the late 60's the baking soda subs were upgraded to include a small electric motor, not only would they dive and surface, but they would also putter around the wading pool/bathtub. Some where in the bottom of a local swimming hole there lies a plastic submarine that had more dives in it than it had surfaces. To keep this musically related, maybe I should have named her the Mary Ellen Carter. I did run a salvage operation for about a week trying to recover her, and then a young boys mind drifted on to something else, probably the limited edition hot wheels. Chip2447(wondering if this is the reason why I wanted nothing to do with submarines when I served in Uncle Sam's Yacht Club?) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 17 Aug 02 - 06:24 AM To add a touch of music to this thread, here's a verse from a song that I wrote:
"We'd listen to the radio, and drink our Ovaltine
Yes, I had a secret decoder Captain Midnight ring. But my treasure was a grub-white, kinda squishy belt (with holster) that had authentic western designs "carved" into it of brands and steer horns that said The Lone Ranger on it. It was soft enough so that you could sleep in it comfortably. Never know when one of them pesky varmints might try to sneak up on you. :-) Jerry |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 17 Aug 02 - 10:37 AM Secret Code rings seem to have been all the rage. I remember the Captain Midnight ring referred to above, and also the Little Orphan Annie secret code ring, and I think there was also a Dick Tracy secret code ring. Dave Oesterreich |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Box Top Sendaways From: Bill D Date: 17 Aug 02 - 12:08 PM I has a "Sky King" ring... square, red plastic box with magnifying lens in hinged lid...you got several pics of radio show stars with it, and could add your own..also had a ring like a telescope that you thread teeny little film strips thru...which soon were lost
...and, of course...this is the WWW!..it's all out there... |