I sent a lot of boxtops as a kid to get random toys, etc. It taught you patience, if nothing else. There was always a clause, like, "Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery". That was an eternity when you're 9 years old. I'll bet some companies purposely set a long wait on delivery with the expectation that the kids would forget about it, and they could avoid sending it at all.Hot Wheels
Growing up in the 1960’s in our house in Silver Spring we drank a lot of Hawaiian Punch and Hi-C fruit punch. In 1968 Mattel’s Hot Wheels toy cars came out and were all the rage. Then my brother John and I saw this “Special Offer” from Hi-C. Since we didn’t have any Hot Wheels we pleaded with Mom, “Look, they’re only 50 cents! It says so on the back of the can . . .”
It also said that with the 50 cents, you had to send in “the large word “Hi-C” clipped from the front of six 48-oz, size cans of any flavor of Hi-C Fruit Punch.” The offer specifically said, “select from these four cars . . . each with collector’s button.”
John and I insisted that we had to have all four of the cars offered. Because 50 cents each! Twenty-four 48-ounce cans of fruit punch. Even at ages 9 and 6, that must have taken us weeks to compile all of the required can labels. However long it took, the labels were clipped, two dollars were added to the envelope and off it went to St. Paul, Minnesota.
And we waited. And waited. Perhaps it took us way too long to drink all that fruit punch. Perhaps we didn’t start collecting the labels until late in the offer period. Who knows. And waited. Finally, Mom had had enough of our waiting and checking the mail and dealing with her kids hopped up on fruit punch, so she called St. Paul, Minnesota. I have no idea how she figured out whom to call, perhaps she called everyone in the City.
Eventually a beat-up manilla envelop arrived! It had four Hot Wheels cars inside!! But wait, where were the collector buttons? And wait, these cars don’t match those on the back of the can!?! And wait, these cars seem to have been played with . . .
No matter, John and I had Hot Wheels – we were happy!
Somewhere in or near St. Paul, there are sons of some Hi-C executive from the late 1960’s. These sons still wonder to this day what happened to four of the Hot Wheels cars from their childhood collection . . . after their father took a certain phone call from Silver Spring, Maryland.
You reminded me of once when I was perhaps 12 years old I had saved up box tops, I forget what, and sent them off for a toy Batman Mobile. It never came.
I sent a lot of boxtops as a kid to get random toys, etc. It taught you patience, if nothing else. There was always a clause, like, "Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery". That was an eternity when you're 9 years old. I'll bet some companies purposely set a long wait on delivery with the expectation that the kids would forget about it, and they could avoid sending it at all.Hot Wheels
Growing up in the 1960’s in our house in Silver Spring we drank a lot of Hawaiian Punch and Hi-C fruit punch. In 1968 Mattel’s Hot Wheels toy cars came out and were all the rage. Then my brother John and I saw this “Special Offer” from Hi-C. Since we didn’t have any Hot Wheels we pleaded with Mom, “Look, they’re only 50 cents! It says so on the back of the can . . .”
It also said that with the 50 cents, you had to send in “the large word “Hi-C” clipped from the front of six 48-oz, size cans of any flavor of Hi-C Fruit Punch.” The offer specifically said, “select from these four cars . . . each with collector’s button.”
John and I insisted that we had to have all four of the cars offered. Because 50 cents each! Twenty-four 48-ounce cans of fruit punch. Even at ages 9 and 6, that must have taken us weeks to compile all of the required can labels. However long it took, the labels were clipped, two dollars were added to the envelope and off it went to St. Paul, Minnesota.
And we waited. And waited. Perhaps it took us way too long to drink all that fruit punch. Perhaps we didn’t start collecting the labels until late in the offer period. Who knows. And waited. Finally, Mom had had enough of our waiting and checking the mail and dealing with her kids hopped up on fruit punch, so she called St. Paul, Minnesota. I have no idea how she figured out whom to call, perhaps she called everyone in the City.
Eventually a beat-up manilla envelop arrived! It had four Hot Wheels cars inside!! But wait, where were the collector buttons? And wait, these cars don’t match those on the back of the can!?! And wait, these cars seem to have been played with . . .
No matter, John and I had Hot Wheels – we were happy!
Somewhere in or near St. Paul, there are sons of some Hi-C executive from the late 1960’s. These sons still wonder to this day what happened to four of the Hot Wheels cars from their childhood collection . . . after their father took a certain phone call from Silver Spring, Maryland.
You reminded me of once when I was perhaps 12 years old I had saved up box tops, I forget what, and sent them off for a toy Batman Mobile. It never came.
There, there (pats CF on head). Its time to let go.I sent a lot of boxtops as a kid to get random toys, etc. It taught you patience, if nothing else. There was always a clause, like, "Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery". That was an eternity when you're 9 years old. I'll bet some companies purposely set a long wait on delivery with the expectation that the kids would forget about it, and they could avoid sending it at all.Hot Wheels
Growing up in the 1960’s in our house in Silver Spring we drank a lot of Hawaiian Punch and Hi-C fruit punch. In 1968 Mattel’s Hot Wheels toy cars came out and were all the rage. Then my brother John and I saw this “Special Offer” from Hi-C. Since we didn’t have any Hot Wheels we pleaded with Mom, “Look, they’re only 50 cents! It says so on the back of the can . . .”
It also said that with the 50 cents, you had to send in “the large word “Hi-C” clipped from the front of six 48-oz, size cans of any flavor of Hi-C Fruit Punch.” The offer specifically said, “select from these four cars . . . each with collector’s button.”
John and I insisted that we had to have all four of the cars offered. Because 50 cents each! Twenty-four 48-ounce cans of fruit punch. Even at ages 9 and 6, that must have taken us weeks to compile all of the required can labels. However long it took, the labels were clipped, two dollars were added to the envelope and off it went to St. Paul, Minnesota.
And we waited. And waited. Perhaps it took us way too long to drink all that fruit punch. Perhaps we didn’t start collecting the labels until late in the offer period. Who knows. And waited. Finally, Mom had had enough of our waiting and checking the mail and dealing with her kids hopped up on fruit punch, so she called St. Paul, Minnesota. I have no idea how she figured out whom to call, perhaps she called everyone in the City.
Eventually a beat-up manilla envelop arrived! It had four Hot Wheels cars inside!! But wait, where were the collector buttons? And wait, these cars don’t match those on the back of the can!?! And wait, these cars seem to have been played with . . .
No matter, John and I had Hot Wheels – we were happy!
Somewhere in or near St. Paul, there are sons of some Hi-C executive from the late 1960’s. These sons still wonder to this day what happened to four of the Hot Wheels cars from their childhood collection . . . after their father took a certain phone call from Silver Spring, Maryland.
You reminded me of once when I was perhaps 12 years old I had saved up box tops, I forget what, and sent them off for a toy Batman Mobile. It never came.
I think about that Batmobile I never got sometimes. I wish I could remember the company whose boxtops I saved.
Yeah, that's where ours came from. There were several Batmobiles used in filming the show. I can ask my friend the Pop Cult blogger whose memory may be better than mine regarding this specific Batmobile in the Kanawha Mall in 1989.I'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
That show was so cheesyI'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
Sure. But to a 10 year old, Batman, Lost in Space, Gilligan's Island, McHale's Navy, F Troop, they were great even if I saw them as reruns. What other shows like that?That show was so cheesyI'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
I was just making an “Edam West” joke.Sure. But to a 10 year old, Batman, Lost in Space, Gilligan's Island, McHale's Navy, F Troop, they were great even if I saw them as reruns. What other shows like that?That show was so cheesyI'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
A few months ago we started watching Space 1999. God what a horrible show that was. But at the time I thought it was great.
I was just making an “Edam West” joke.Sure. But to a 10 year old, Batman, Lost in Space, Gilligan's Island, McHale's Navy, F Troop, they were great even if I saw them as reruns. What other shows like that?That show was so cheesyI'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
A few months ago we started watching Space 1999. God what a horrible show that was. But at the time I thought it was great.
heya @crazyfingers - if you aren't sure of a joke's meaning, look for absurdity, and, try an online search to gain contextual information. Consider the source, as the level of absurdity or humor could be related to something about the joke-teller.
I guess I still don't get the joke. I've never been good at getting jokes.
You meant “Adam” West, but wrote “Edam”.I was just making an “Edam West” joke.Sure. But to a 10 year old, Batman, Lost in Space, Gilligan's Island, McHale's Navy, F Troop, they were great even if I saw them as reruns. What other shows like that?That show was so cheesyI'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.
A few months ago we started watching Space 1999. God what a horrible show that was. But at the time I thought it was great.
I guess I still don't get the joke. I've never been good at getting jokes.
You must have watched a different version! Mine starred Adam West. It was still cheesy… but had a different star.I'm afraid that being almost an old fart, the batmobile I never got was from the 1960's Edam West TV show.