After 40 years - lets hear some product reviews on these goofy items

[not2sharp]

Here is the classic comic book ad from 1970. It was sleazy marketing at its best; targeting our pre-teen allowance, and promising way less then it alluded to. Still, there is a wealth of classic gags here. How many of you remember ordering these things?

link 1:
http://southcityfirst.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/1970-comic-book-ad.jpg

Link 2:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/comic_ads-1.jpg

n2s

 

[Mark J]

Fond memories. The Johnson Smith catalog was great. Got the pen that shocks you, the invisible ink, gum that tastes like crap, and a few others. Oh to be young again!

- Mark

 

[not2sharp]

I remember the Electric Bag of Laughs, the Midget Spy Camera, and the Pocket Spy Telescope (I still have one of those ).

n2s

 

[Scott Free]

Sea Monkeys!

 

[not2sharp]

Sea Monkeys!

AKA Brine Shrimp.

n2s

 

[Scott Free]

Yep. My sea monkeys looked JUST like that!

 

[beau5278]

I did the sea monkey thing a couple times but I think it was from science kits or something like that.I always wanted to try the xray glasses.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Sea Monkeys!

I bought "Sea Monkeys".
I wanted that "Submarine" also but never got it.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Johnson Smith is still around: http://www.johnsonsmith.com/

 

[Tostig]

I loved those ads when I was a squirt , they are funny to read now , knowing that most of the things in these ads are junk.

My Sea Monkeys never grew...

Tostig

 

[beau5278]

I wanted that "Submarine" also but never got it.

The one you put the alka seltzer in?I had one,it worked ok it just didn't go very far.

 

[C_Kyle]

AKA Brine Shrimp.

n2s

Sea Monkeys are awesome! I love the ad. "So eager to please".

 

[Piso Mojado]

Still miss those Johnson Smith catalogs from the 1950s. The new ones just aren't the same.

Best items: Joy Buzzer, Whoopee Cushion, Squirt Toilet Seat, Exploding Toilet Seat, Cigarette Loads, Phooey Beer, and the small Carbide Cannon.

The only thing greater than Johnson Smith was that ad for Smithson, John from the comic book days of Mad, reprinted on p. 110 of the second Mad Reader:

Smithson, John had all the things I wanted and couldn't get from Johnson Smith . . . the Carbide Cannon that fired a 230 MM explosive shell . . . and the gizmo that would strengthen your grip so you could "crush your friends' hands into jelly!"

 

[not2sharp]

Here is another popular one.

n2s

 

[Nash The Slash]

I remember many playground discussions wondering if the x-ray glasses actually worked.

 

[not2sharp]

I remember many playground discussions wondering if the x-ray glasses actually worked.

I am sure they worked as advertised.

n2s

 

[not2sharp]

Here is a great site dedicated to the various soldier sets peddled through comic books of the 50s-80s.

http://home.att.net/~1.elliott/comicbooktoysoldiers.html

n2s

 

[THE PUNISHER]

someone show add bout kicking sand in my face/atlas

 

[CDHumiston]

I had the submarine that worked on alka seltzer, it worked OK. I also bought a lot of the gags, the best one was the tube you looked through that gave you a black eye. I also melted plenty of those toy soldiers. The one I wanted to work so bad was those X-ray specs! I had a hot mom neigbor and I did not want to see bones...

 

[Ilovetoolsteel]

The 7' tall monster poster was cool, A friend had it and it was printed with glow in the dark ink in the highlight areas of the image. I wouldn't mind having one now. The spud gun is back. My mother would never let us have that. I wonder what you would see if you looked at the sea monkeys with the X-ray Specs?