Introduction

Introduction

While I was born in 1951, sometimes I feel like I was born in 1914. My father told me so many stories about growing up in Philadelphia, and occasionally even about his family, that I feel some sense of at least one person's life in those years before I was born. While my mother, of course, wanted a child, I'm not sure that my father did. I think there was a part of it all that scared him, so they waited quite a while to have me. I hope I was "a relief" to my father, and I think I worked hard to be a good son. Looking back, especially at those few older pictures I have of my father, I think the very best part of his life was the first half - back when things were simple, he had good friends, and the burdens of adulthood were not yet upon him. Looking back, I feel like the best part of my life was the first half, largely due to my parents. It was a time when life was simple, controllable, and when I was actually organized! I'm sure my father found many good things in his entire life, as do I, but I believe we had this in common - that there is nothing better than growing up in Philadelphia. So, do not find the title of my new blog in any way depressing, my friends, its just a perspective that I've found interesting to investigate.

I'll start by writing about my family. I realize we are nothing special, but as we've learned from millions of pages of memoirs written and published, there can be much to be learned from those who came before us.

As I get past some family stories, this blog may be of interest to anyone who grew up in the Delaware Valley/Philadelphia/Delaware County in the 1950's and 60's, or to anyone married/partnered to one (if you are, there is much you need to understand before the two of you can communicate!).

Please check out my book, Saturday Night at Sarah Joy's. All proceeds go to the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund. Information is available at: saturdaynightatsarahjoys.blogspot.com.

Thank you!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Not S&H Green Stamps, The Other Ones


Many may be familiar with the green stamps that used to be collected, usually at the grocery store and gas station, which would be stuck into books, which were then traded for merchandise.  In Philadelphia, when I was young in the 1950's and 60's, my mother focused on Top Value Stamps, "yellow stamps", that we got from the Penn Fruit grocery store chain. 

The mechanics of the stamps were simple - the benefits amazing.  At the checkout counter you would get a stamp for every ten cents you spent.  One would take them home, and lick & stick them into a saver book, a 30 page book which held 50 stamps per page.          
                          

I'm sure many young boys and girls spent many hours dreaming about the contents of their catalog.  A catalog of free stuff!  All you needed to do is fill books of stamps, each lovingly licked and put into place, and you can go to a "redemption store" and get anything!

Now, the Sears catalog was much bigger than the Top Value Stamps "Family Gift Catalog", but the differences were substantial.  This was a book of dreams. 

My mother was always bringing home stamps, and I was always licking them for her, watching books get filled and kept in the dining room until that day when we could buy something.  I know my mother bought a toaster oven with Top Value stamps. 

I still have our catalog from 1968, and many pages are dog-eared because they contained things I wanted.  You could get a very respectable Schaefer Pen and Pencil Set for only 1 book!  You were officially an adult when you had a Schafer Pen and Pencil set!  As a growing boy, I was well aware that one could get ladies' underwear, since the catalog had the pictures (Lycra Spandex Bra, 1 book).  There were Swank cuff links for 2 1/5 books, that were actual "gold"!  Obviously for real men!

If you wanted to get serious household items, a Haviland "Fontenay" China 5 pc. Place Setting went for only 6 2/5 books.  Expecting parents could get a Wooden Crib for 12 3/5 books or a Whirlpool electric clothes dryer, full size, for 40 books.

I had my favorite set of items in the catalogue.  I could get a rifle - a Remington .22-caliber bolt action, single shot rifle for 7  1/5 books.  A rifle!  What I wanted even more, and actually got (thanks Mom) was a Harmony Classical guitar for 14 books.  Those took a while to save up for!  There were grills, and cameras, small Harleys, sofas, TV's, even mink coats!  I wanted to get a Delta 10" bandsaw  (40 4/5 books) for my father, and a 23" Magnavox Color TV (194 books) for my mother.  I spent hours staring at two pages in particular, reading the descriptions.  Which would I try to get first?  You could get a boat!  They showed a Chris Craft 30 ft Futura Boat for a whopping 2664 books, one of the most expensive things in the catalog.  While I loved boats, I would have been perfectly happy with, are you ready for this?  They listed three cars in the catalog I had.  You could get a 1968 Ford Mustaang Fastback for only 926 books!  It was like a free car!  You have to love a country where you get cars because you bought food at the supermarket!


© 2012 John Allison

the other guys
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)