Man that was a huge deal in our neighborhood, which was way out in the sticks when they built it, and I think it was 3 or 4 miles* to a gas station, drug store or supermarket. Getting a gas station that we could bike to was a huge deal. And they were giving away phones? Cowboy hats? Dallas Cowboy mugs? Amazing! (to a then-6th-grader)
*(In hindsight that wasn’t really very far, considering some places in the world have to have everything flown in – but it was nothing but prairie around us back then, and by contrast, now it’s completely surrounded by paved developments.)
That’s the last place I remember seeing them, and it would’ve been right after we’d moved to the area.
Yes, it’s somewhat horrifying now to think how much licking-of-substances we used to do, without the slightest hesitation. Green stamps, postage stamps, Christmas stamps, envelopes. For the few envelopes that still require wetting, I now resort to tap water. Who knows, maybe all that exposure strengthened our collective immune systems.
Yeah, stamps are now self-adhesive, but envelopes aren’t. I run a finger through some water and rub it across the strip. Then I shutter to think of what germs and supposed 5 calories you might pick up from licking the envelope strip.
They are if you pay a little extra. Plenty of self-adhesive envelopes available, including ones that are cleverly designed so they don’t need a peel-away strip.
You’re right. I misspoke. The envelopes you buy in packs of 20 or so have the little peel-away strips (or not as you pointed out). But the self-addressed ones from particular companies or agencies don’t usually.
I remember S&H and Gold Stamps. I got a visible V-8 engine plastic model kit thanks to Gold Stamps.
For a while the consumer premium was airline points, even at many supermarkets. If you consider that selling airline points is a major component of an airline’s finances, you can get a glimpse of how the stamps market could be profitable.
This reminded me that back when banks could only pay 4% interest - yes, that long ago - they would give you stuff when you opened an account for a year. My parents had savings accounts, and they moved them around. There was an electric blanket, a set of dishes, a power drill, a toaster and a whole bunch of other stuff. When my father died, he still had a hoard of unused bank premiums. Now, I’d settle for a bank account that paid 4%.
There’s a Porky Pig cartoon where Porky’s brother tries to dissuade him from putting his money in the bank. Porky insists “Nuh-uh,” he’s gonna sock his money away and get two percent! (This was back in the 30s)
