How old are you?

[Bill Hodges]

How many of these do you remember?

1 - Blackjack chewing gun
2 - Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
3 - Candy cigarettes
4 - Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5 - Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes.
6 - Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers.
7 - Party lines.
8 - Newsreels before the movie started.
9 - P. F. Flyers.
10 - Butch wax.
11 - TV test patterns that come on at night after the last show and stayed on until the
       shows started again the next morning (and there were only 3 channels).
12 - Peashooters.
13 - Howdy Doody and Buffalo Bob.
14 - 45 RPM records
15 - S&H Green stamps
16 - Hi-fi's
17 - Metal ice trays with lever.
18 - Mimeograph paper.
19 - Blue flashbulbs.
20 - Packards.
21 - Roller skate keys.
22 - Cork popguns.
23 - Drive-in movies.
24 - Studebakers.
25 - Washing machines with wringers.

If you remembered:
    0-5, you are still young
    6-10, you are getting older
    11-15, don't tell your age
    16-25, you are older than dirt

I remembered all 25.  I am older that dirt, but those terrific memories can never be taken away.

Bill Hodges (think I will take a nap now)

[Dick Fowler]

Call me dirt! On second thought... don't!

Hey my first car was a Studebaker.

[catdaddy]

Call me dirt! On second thought... don't!

lmao

[Ralph Wenzel (d)]

All 25, darn it! And I was feelin' so good today . . .

Ralph

[Mike Spiess]

You can still get Black Jack gum. Here in MN sometimes the milk would freeze and push the cardboard covers up and leave about a 2" frozen milk icicle. Sometimes you could here a third person breathing on the line. My first bike was bought with S&H green stamps. It was a blue and silver Monarch beautiful. I get spots in my eyes just thinking about them old flash bulbs. My fingers still ack when the weather changes from a ringer washer.

[Jim Pollock]

AND,

Don't forget - Clothes lines
                    17 cent a gallon gasoline
                    DeSoto's
                    Mud Flaps on cars

Oh fooey, just too many to list.......

Ole double dirt bag

Jim Pollock   

[Joe Gilbert]

I remember 21 of them.

[Randy Powell]

Tragically, personal knowledge of all but 3. I am a little younger than some of you. My first bike was also a Monarch (purple stingrayish thing) from Montgomery Wards. Wooden cap guns and the introduction of the Turbo-Tube and Frisbee (Wammo was a going concern) . Meyer's Manx, Hunnington "strips" and bench seats in the beds of pickups.

[Bill Heher]

Everything but newsreels before the movies - but then I don't think I saw a movie in the theater until about 1964.

Don't forget about wax teeth and orange wax whistles.

[RC Storick]

19

[Jim Thomerson]

I am 73, so I don't remember a lot of that stuff.

During WWII, there were no Hershy bars.  After the war, there was one place in town which had Hershy bars.  We talked our school bus driver into going by and stopping.  We would all go in to buy a Hershy bar.

[Just One-eye]

I am 73, so I don't remember a lot of that stuff.

During WWII, there were no Hershey bars.  After the war, there was one place in town which had Hershey bars.  We talked our school bus driver into going by and stopping.  We would all go in to buy a Hershey bar.

I remember unwrapped candy items, just loose in a box, like Root Beer Barrels, that's is the way that the wax things were sold -- one of which was Vampire teeth that tasted good. 

Jim, how about ration coupons?  And the tin/ metal drives?  I loved to stomp the cans flat to put in the collection box, it made me feel so powerful.  But I didn't even start kindergarten until after August of 1945, when it was over with.  Talking about cars, though, what about the Crosley, Kaiser, Fraser, and the Henry J?

Shoot fire, the Packard and Studebaker were "recent", and the Stude lasted almost until my first kid was born, some 45 years ago now . . ("Avanti")

[Marvin Denny]

  All 25, and most of them I consider modern compared to many of the things I remember.

 Rub board for washing clothes , Hand wringing the clothes out. Box traps to catch varments, Iron wheeled fordson tractor,  mule drawn plows and houses of the half moon and star at the public school.

  Bigiron

[Larry Cunningham]

I could ADD to the list. Nehi grape soda, which you wiped the top
of the bottle off with your hand if you shared it.

I'm old, I've been an old man mentally most of my life..
ENTIRELY too old!

L.

"You only live twice Mr. Bond." -Ernst Stavro Blofeld

[FLOYD CARTER]

And how about telephone numbers of 4 digits and 2-letter prefix?

In Los Angeles, ours was LAfayette 4642  (and NO area codes).  Long Distance?  Forgetaboutit.You had to dial "0" and let some disinterested operator place your call

Floyd

[Russell Shaffer]

You left out curb feelers.  We must be getting old. 

[Wayne Collier]

I'm only 46 and I remimber about twenty of the things on the list, though the studabakers I remember were'nt new.  I mostly know about Howdy Doody from references in other shows, and people a little older than me talking about him.  

[Gary Anderson]

Wasn't there a saying about Camel Cigarettes went to war. Something about the color! I'm way to young to remember that one.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I remember that was Lucky Strike smokes.  Their slogan "Lucky Strike green has gone to war".

What the green package printing had to do with anything I'll never know.

Floyd

[Don Hutchinson AMA5402]

Mack trucks with chain drives and solid rubber tires!
Don

[Joejust]

This memory might raise an eyebrow or two.........We were allowed to bring guns to school and leave them in our lockers so we could go hunting after classes! Or, one could take his or her gun to metal shop for repairs.  The biggerst club in our school was the rifle club and most of the members were girls. We had a rifle range in the high school attic where we were furnished .22 ammo by the federal goverment. I could go on and on, but why bother, it only makes me sad to see how things have changed for the worse in the last 60 yhears.
Joe

[Clint Ormosen]

I remember a good deal of that list and I'm 39 yrs old. A lot of that stuff was still present in the 1970's and a few even survived into the 1980's.

[Herman Green]

I remember everything that everyone mentioned except the Black Jack chewing gum, but I never was much of a gum chewer.  And, my first car was a Studebaker too.  A 1954 Starliner Hardtop.

Herman

[Steve Helmick]

Yep, I remember all that stuff and more. Route 66, Burma Shave signs, weird gas stations and restaurants with old airplanes on the roof. I've ridden in a Packard ('42 Limo that had been Calif. Governor's car), and a Studebaker, and drove my Grandfather's '37 Graham Supercharger 6 around the block when I was 15, 1960.  I remember the family car when it was a new '49 Lincoln Cosmopolitan (looked like a '50 Merc, stick shift, which once stuck in 2nd...in Yosemite...and the big Lincoln flathead V-8 which didn't run very good).  Steve

[Phil Coopy]

In the late 50's when I was in the Navy we ran across some of those Lucky Strike greens on a detail while replacing some life boat survival kits.  They were in cans like sardines. Anyway we decided to try 'em out.  They were so dry that after you lit them, two puffs and they were gone.

And lets not forget those big beautiful steam locomotives, steam shovels, and fresh delivered milk with cream on the top.

Phil

[Garf]

24 out of 25. I don't want to talk about it.

[Bill Sawyer]

I remember them all and my first car was a 1930 Ford model a

[bob werle]

25 out of 25 and don't forget the Crosley and the Henry J

[Peter Germann]

All of the ones we had ove here, Bill. Plus AHC ads in MAN offering Fox 35's for just a couple of dollars.

By the way, Bill, could it be that we have exchanged letters back in the sixties? I believe to remember a name similar to yours...

rgds Peter Germann

[Bootlegger]

  I remember ALL of them including the add-on's.  How about sun visors above the windshield, or spot lights, or rolling the gearshift over on Ford and Merc's so that the shift was on the left?  Nah I'm not old, just been here a LLOONG time, but not long enough..!!!

[Marvin Denny]

  Anybody remember that absolute necessity for starting your car??? No I am NOT speaking of the electric starter, but a device called a CRANK? and how about the aftermarket item to keep passengers warm ,  the Southwind Heater?   AH the good old days of broken arms and carbon monoxide poisoning.

  Bigiron

[john e. holliday]

The phone we had in the early 60's had a crank you turned to wake up the operator.  Then you told her who you wanted to talk to if it was a local call.  Otherwise you went into town if you wanted to call long distance.  Also shared line with 5 other people.  How about the "Chunky" candy square.  It was only available at Charley's Hobby Shop.   Having fun,  DOC Holliday

[posthole_digger]

don't forget the Crosley and the Henry J

and the Nash Metropolitan!

[Bootlegger]

   Suicide knobs...We called them "Lovers knobs"  only one hand on the steering wheel...

[George]

...What the green package printing had to do with anything I'll never know.

Floyd

The green would not reflect light like the white package would. The enemy could see a reflection of the white package in the moonlight.

I remember all of the list and most of the other stuff mentioned. Some may be regional.

Remember that at some age many of us start forgetting stuff so they may still be older than dirt and not remember all of the list.

I'm probably older than dirt (67 next mo). BTW, how old is Dirt? 

George

[walter weatherford]

Rumble seats, gas wars, leaving the front door of the house unlocked, radio programs like Gang Busters, the Green Hornet, Amos and Andy, Fibber Magee & Molly, Sunday funnies with the Katz and Jammer Kids, Dick Tracy, Ally Oop, etc. putting a playing card on the back fork of a bicycle so it would make a noise by running against the spokes, The Black Hawk comic books, buying horsemeat at the grocery store because it didn't take any ration stamps.

Course I don't remember any of this stuff, I am still a kit at 68.

Hothandle

[Leo Mehl]

I remember all of the things mentioned here. there is a couple  i can bring to mind like going to country School and the entry of school buses so we could go to school in town and also gas stamps during world war 2 and seeing the first jet plane and the introductiom of the electric can opener and the first automatic washing machine. My first car was a 39 ford painted metalic green. I am not as old as dirt I inveted it. I also saw Mt Rushmore before it was finished and my dad had a Harley Davidson motorcycle with a side car on it that was left over from ww1. I used to steal cigarettes from one of the local hardware stores and was put in jail for J walking. When I was five I learned to drive so I could go get lunch for the workers in my grandmothers fields during harvest. I remember the string bailers we had for hay and my grandfather and his nieghbor theshing grain with a steam engine tractor. I remember staying at a friends farm and riding horseback to deliver papers. I remember my last conest so I'm not old, just well used. HB~>PS. I also saw Fort Peck Dam before it was finished. There is nothing more tireing that explaining your life!

[Scott Jenkins]

Groan, groan, and double groan, I remember all of them, one of them you
left out are the burma shave signs along the highway. My wife and boys
keep telling me that todays 60 is really only 40 wish my body believed it.  

Scott

[RC Storick]

Lucky strike went to WW2 Green and came back red ,why? The war effort needed green prigment for paint. Don't beleive it? Ask a WW2 vet.

[Dwayne]

Turned 49 yesterday and yup I remember many of those things...lol

[Marvin Denny]

  I think I am the oldest one here with perhaps Leo M, but I believe that Lew Woolard (the Silver foxx)  really invented dirt (he is 85 or 86 )  BUT I actually have in my junk barrel a sample specimen of the original batch of dirt  produced.

  bigiron
  PS I am 78 and thinking 40 or so

[Randy Powell]

Marvin,

Hey "Olde Guys Rule" <da older I get, da better I was>

[Jo Ann Keville]

Hey it isn't just you dudes and guys.  Us gals and dudettes are right up there with you all.. I remember everyone of those on that list. Sp I guess I am as old as dirt too. So instead of being an old-bag I guess I am a dirt-bag. Eew that doesn't sound like a good thing to be does it. 

[Just One-eye]

Hey it isn't just you dudes and guys.  Us gals and dudettes are right up there with you all.. I remember everyone of those on that list. Sp I guess I am as old as dirt too. So instead of being an old-bag I guess I am a dirt-bag. Eew that doesn't sound like a good thing to be does it. 

It's OK, Jo Ann!  You're only "Youth-Challenged", in PC-speak!  Same for me, too, of course.  No one would ever call you any kind of bag, unless it was a "Gucci handbag", maybe, or some such awkward compliment intended to reassure, but as likely to offend, what with male insensitivity and all . .

[Jim Thomerson]

Yes I remember WWII.  We had a scrap drive when I was in grade school.  We gathered up all the iron scrap out at the ranch and loaded it into our '41 Ford Pickup (which replaced a Model T). Got to school, and there was a guy there who wanted a piece of machinery we had.  He gave us another pickup load of scrap for it.  I won the $25 war bond for bringing in the most scrap. 

[Bill Gruby]

 All 25 wow -- and I remember my Grandmother bringing home Margerine with the Red Spot in the middle that had to be worked in by hand before you opened it. My favorite job, I got two soda bottles to turn in for the 2 cents each.

  "Billy G"

[Andrew Borgogna]

For those local to Los Angeles I remember the Herald Express, Examiner and the Mirror new papers. Oh ya and the everything in the list.  Dirt, man I am dirt......
Andy

[Tom Rounds]

All 25 here. I still use Butch Wax, Doesn't everyone still sport a Flat Top !

[Bill Sawyer]

How many here have round skin on top now? How do you get a flat top out of that?

[Jim Treace]

This is fun!  All of them of course!
And then WW II , my father was a B29 navigator in the Army Air Core and stationed in White Sands, NM with one of the 10 crews training to drop the big bomb. My mother was living in a small adobe home on the base and with my 1 yr old brother in her arms and me in her tummy, from the front porch, (at quite a distance of course), they watched the 1st atomic bomb blast July 16, 1945. My wife says that is why I still glow in the night.
Jim