# In the dustbin of our cultural history **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703 "2020-12-10T00:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/241 "2020-12-17T23:52:01Z")
At my job in NYC, in 1970, we were paid weekly in envelopes of cash. This included lots of overtime, which was totally off the books. I was always afraid of getting mugged on my way home, with an envelope containing hundreds of dollars in cash. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/242 "2020-12-18T00:09:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > That’s not a landline in all senses, though. For one thing, it won’t work if the power’s down, because the router’ll be down. I live in a neighborhood with occasional momentary power outages. My computer, TV, router, and cable box are all on uninterrupted power sources. The UPS saves me from running around rebooting everything when the power blips. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/243 "2020-12-18T00:11:17Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > The break-up of AT&T brought private ownership of phones by my childhood in the '80s. The monopoly by the Wicked Witch of Ma Bell was ended in 1983, and suddenly you could go out and buy your own phone. I well remember the thrill (I think we bought it at K-Mart). A possibly even greater rush was shopping for _our first answering machine_. Now we didn’t have to talk to people! For those in love with the romance of the rotary dial, there are quite a few of those phones still for sale, including recreations of 1950s pay phones. And you can keep them in your very own phone booth. [https://www.designtoscano.com/product/authentic+replica+british+telephone+booth+-+af4353.do?&code=2019SHPT&utm\_medium=SHOPPING&gclid=CjwKCAiAoOz-BRBdEiwAyuvA6\_yhXDko9e9ZRISh4QakdUxsg72AmFBAeHbZsMSbuUyTnG1zQX5oJhoC7I4QAvD\_BwE](https://www.designtoscano.com/product/authentic+replica+british+telephone+booth+-+af4353.do?&code=2019SHPT&utm_medium=SHOPPING&gclid=CjwKCAiAoOz-BRBdEiwAyuvA6_yhXDko9e9ZRISh4QakdUxsg72AmFBAeHbZsMSbuUyTnG1zQX5oJhoC7I4QAvD_BwE) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/244 "2020-12-18T00:59:21Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I live in a neighborhood with occasional momentary power outages. My computer, TV, router, and cable box are all on uninterrupted power sources. The UPS saves me from running around rebooting everything when the power blips. I’ve got a UPS. It’s good for about two hours. We have power outages longer than that several times a year. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/245 "2020-12-18T01:02:46Z")
> **[Song about ATT anti-trust monopoly lawsuit - Breaking Up Is Hard On You](http://www.protestsonglyrics.net/Anti_Capitalism_Songs/ATT-Breaking-Up.phtml)** > > AT&T anti-trust monopoly breakup song. "I beg of you don’t take my phone, I want to lease, don’t want to own, Reach up and touch some other fool, Yes breaking up is hard on you. " ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/246 "2020-12-18T01:08:44Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > I recently re-watched Smokey and the Bandit and forgot that it was about smuggling Coors beer. I grew up in the 70s and remember hearing about people taking a trip out west to where it was available, and return home with cars full of Coors and probably sell it for a decent profit. I moved to Colorado in 1974 and discovered that Coors was not nearly so well regarded in its home turf. In fact, it was commonly compared to “making love in a canoe.”\* \*Fucking near water. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/247 "2020-12-18T17:15:46Z")
Back in the day many an airline stewardess (as they then were) supplemented her (as they then were) income by hauling cases of Coors from West to East. Nowadays they just drag duty free booze in from wherever. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/248 "2020-12-18T20:27:15Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I think that part of it was the debate about the relative healthiness of margarine versus butter – particuarly at that time, as I remember it, it was believed that margarine was a healthier option, as it doesn’t contain cholesterol. Cholesterol concerns came later. The original reason people bought margarine was that it was much cheaper than butter. You may not feel the difference looking back at old ads, because of inflation. White margarine was before my time and my first job paid 75 cents an hour. What might feel like an insignificant difference in price to modern folks was a crucial difference back then. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/249 "2020-12-18T21:52:16Z")
Here’s another dustbin item - anyone remember Christmas Clubs? I remember my Dad explaining how they work in the early 1970s (deposit a little money every week, and get a check in December for Christmas shopping) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/250 "2020-12-18T21:54:33Z")
I remember those, although my parents never had Christmas Club accounts. There was also layaway, which I don’t think exists any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/251 "2020-12-18T22:38:06Z")
Actually, Walmart has layaway, although the web-page currently says that ‘Layaway season has ended’. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/252 "2020-12-18T23:38:02Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Here’s another dustbin item - anyone remember Christmas Clubs? That’s not a dustbin item. They’re still around. [SERVU FCU - Accounts - Clubs](https://www.servucu.com/home/accounts/clubs) . [Personal Saving Accounts | Five Star Bank | Western New York](https://www.five-starbank.com/banking/personal-banking/savings-and-money-market) . ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/253 "2020-12-19T00:07:56Z")
Here’s one I just remembered…S&H green stamps. You got them when you purchased stuff from a member store, and if you pasted enough into a booklet, and saved enough booklets, you could go to their place and get something for free! (yeah, right, but it was a more innicent age in some ways…). I can dimly remember saving books of them for something that is long left my memory, but it was sooo hard to get enough… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/254 "2020-12-19T00:15:07Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Here’s one I just remembered…S&H green stamps. And there were more obscure trading stamps too, like [Plaid Stamps](http://neighborhoodvalues.com/nv/paper/042PP.htm), distributed by A&P (also in the dustbin of history now). My mother had books of them. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/255 "2020-12-19T00:19:40Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Here’s one I just remembered…S&H green stamps. Ooooh yes! It was my job to paste the stamps into the books; and as a reward for doing that job, I got to spend a certain percentage of them – the stores had things for kids as well as for grownups. I don’t remember what the percentage was; but I remember being excited when my mother and I went to the S&H store to spend our books. I must have been under 10 at least most of the time; I’m pretty sure we weren’t still doing that by the time I was in my teens, though it’s possible that when I was in my teens I no longer found it exciting and my mother just dealt with it herself. – huh. Apparently they were still going pretty strong when I was in my teens. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/256 "2020-12-19T00:29:48Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I moved to Colorado in 1974 and discovered that Coors was not nearly so well regarded in its home turf. In fact, it was commonly compared to “making love in a canoe.”\* Back in the day before craft beer, Coors was one of the best American beers you could get- compare it to Bud or Hamms. It is still pretty good- _for the type of beer it is._ But if you like dark beers or hoppy IPAs, then sure Coors is not the beer for you. For Coor type easy drinking good on a hot day refreshing beer, I prefer Pacifico. It’s better than Corona, and hell Coors is better than Corona. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/257 "2020-12-19T01:02:38Z")
Wow. I did not know that. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/258 "2020-12-19T01:18:07Z")
We had both Green Stamps and Top Value Stamps in our area. If I’m remembering correctly, you could technically get boats and cars, since they were in the catalog. I knew even as a young kid that wasn’t happening, although I held out hope for scuba equipment. All I ever actually got was a soccer ball. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/259 "2020-12-19T01:21:02Z")
Remember grocery “clickers” - a mechanical pocket device for keeping track of how much you’re going to need to pay at the cash register, so you know when to stop buying I suppose. Mom’s looked like this [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/417638565428797217/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/417638565428797217/) - only went up to $20 - because how could a family’s groceries cost more than that… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703/260 "2020-12-19T04:41:26Z")
Green Stamps were uncommon where I grew up (SoCal), but we had [Blue Chip Stamps everywhere](https://www.kozersky.com/store.php/kozersky/pd150409/blue-chip-trading-stamps-sheet-series-cnd-no-35). Allan Sherman tells us about Green Stamps. Video with lots of old-timey pictures of Green Stamps, advertisements, stores, etc. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CmNkoRXFvGI/maxresdefault.jpg "Green Stamps (Green Eyes) - Allan Sherman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmNkoRXFvGI) ETA: One of the images in this video shows a sign for an old-time Sinclair gas station. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-dustbin-of-our-cultural-history/927703.md?page=14)