A few months ago, we reminisced about cough drops, baby aspirin and various medications from days gone by. That opened the floodgates. Many readers shared memories of products we rarely see today. Let's take a trip down the aisles of the supermarkets of our childhood.
Hair products are a big deal today, but nothing can compare with the commercials of yesteryear. Ladies were bombarded with ads for Prell, Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific, Dippity Do, and Pert shampoo. Plus, Bonnet hair dryers, which had a shower cap attached to a motor with a vacuum cleaner hose. Oh, and those permanents, like Lilt and Toni. The entire house smelled “like a permanent.” Women also slept with pink sponge rollers in their hair on Saturday night, so they would look good in church on Sunday. You ladies know how to have a good time.
As for the guys, we had a vast selection of styling creams and oils: for grease-free grooming, there was Vitalis. We also had Wildroot, Butch Hair Wax (for flat tops), and, of course, Brylcreem. I can still smell them. Ken Thomas in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee wrote, “By mistake, I brushed my teeth once, and only once, with my granddad's Brylcreem.” No doubt, Ken learned the hard way that just a little dab'll do ya.
Speaking of toothpaste, a few decades ago, “4 out of 5 dentists” were endorsing dozens of brands. Whatever happened to Pepsodent, Ipana, Gleem, Close-Up, and my favorite, Stripe. In my dating years, I was smitten by Ultra-Brite. The commercials said it would give your mouth “sex appeal.” I needed all the help I could get.
You would think Hai Karate cologne would have been sufficient. After all, “instructions for self-defense” were included in each package, because “it will drive women out of their minds.” The Hai Karate commercial ended with the warning, “Be careful how you use it,” but I was never in danger. Apparently the girls of my dreams were immune to both my dental and aromatic charms.
Clorox wipes and Tide detergents are among today's top cleaning items, but back then we were tempted by products that bribed us with in-package freebies. Duz detergent offered a dish in the box. A box of Breeze included a towel. We loved those little extras.
Faithful reader Elaine in Walker County, Georgia, recalls another grocery item that served a dual purpose. “Flour came in pretty cloth sacks. Our family recycled them into clothing. My first grade school clothes were made from flour sacks,” she wrote. Towels were often attached to flour bags too.
We kids, who often had to be forced to take a bath, changed our tune when Mr. Bubble came along. It was just soap powder, but seeing the commercials with those luxurious bubbles in the tub suddenly turned us into clean freaks.
Any mention of mid-20th century shopping must include the ultimate bonus: S & H Green Stamps, and their competitor Top Value stamps. Yes, you had to save a few thousand to redeem them for anything worthwhile. But my family's persistence with those stamps got me my first bicycle, so I am forever grateful.
I used my family store's grocery counter for my first entrepreneurial endeavor. There was a weekly tabloid-sized newspaper called “Grit” published in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it was aimed at rural communities like mine. Kids were recruited to sell copies for 25 cents each, and we got to keep 10 cents from each copy we sold. When I was 12, I was clearing about five bucks a week with absolutely no effort. People just bought them in our store. But, all good things come to an end. Grit soon raised its price to 35 cents, and for my customers, that was a bridge too far.
Speaking of grit, remember Lava soap? With its scratchy texture, it definitely got rid of the grit. I knew I had done some real work if I needed Lava to get my hands clean.
In a future column, we'll remember some other grocery items that have largely faded away. Got any favorites from your childhood? Tell me about them, and I'll spread the word.
David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.
