Mattel's Worst Toy Of 1974 - Lady Spinwelder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ธ.ค. 2023
- Really just a way to squeeze some extra units out of the production of Spinwelder tools, this is really not hitting the mark by a long shot. Welcome to being a Girl in the 70's! Enjoy!
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I remember as a little girl figuring out that this was not real metal and it was just plastic. I asked for a chemistry set instead.
Oh, much better choice!
Unless you got a chemistry set of the kind they sell today. Dumbed down to the extreme. Sad to see.
@@fredknox2781 The ones we had in the 1970s looked like the EU's banned substances code. Chromium salts, cadmium salts...
It's unfortunate that safety tends to run counter to fun in chemistry.
Anybody do Sulphur and candlewax? Perhaps I should ask if anyone _didn't._
I received a 'Lady SpinWelder for Christmas, 1975. It was my favorite toy of all time, and I soon became obsessed with welding even at age 13. After 10th Grade, I went directly to Trade School to learn Professional Welding. After graduating, I started working at a small Machine Shop as their Welder. Within 2 years, I started my own Welding Shop which immediately became very successful. I then expanded to Mobile Welding and had 15 Trucks on the road. Not long after that, I opened Welding Shops across the Country with 57 locations in the US and 12 overseas. Today we continue to grow and expand to the point of selling Franchises. All because of the 'Lady SpinWelder'!
😁
What an awesome story. It's so important to plant the seeds in young people that they can do more with their lives than just be a consumer of stuff that other people make. If you open your mind to the possibilities of actually creating and building things, your future will be much more fulfilled.
You mean you believe that?@@louisvillaescusa
Right
oh this FOR SURE happened...
I know my spinwelder worked fine back in the day because I remember getting burned with molten plastic several times.
We are better people because of the toys we had in the 60’s. My Vac-U-Form was amazing then and now!
@@Willam_J Yes. When I was around 12 we had fun in a ship modeling shop, vacuum-forming fiberglass hulls. Sometimes the epoxy bucket overheated and blew all kinds of fumes. Ventilation? what ventilation? My younger brother started paragliding at 14 and quit after a crash while still at high school. This was close.
Ever get the Spinwelder wrapped up in your hair?
@@Willam_J me and my brother had one . first time we used it we burned ourselves on the hot plastic. that was the last time we saw the machine.
Ah, second degree burns, the gift that keeps on giving.
I remember giving a Spinwelder to my ten year old nephew back in the day. Someone else gave him a talking battery operated Woody Wood Pecker doll, and he used the Spinwelder to seal Woody's mouth shut. It was pretty funny to hear the doll trying to talk with its mouth sealed shut.
fight toys with toys
Trivia tidbit. Yes, it was from K-mart. A lot of people don't know, but every department in K-mart was actually a separate company which leased space within K-mart. The reason the price tag says Key 1 is because K-mart had to have a way to record sales for each company/department. So when this was rung up at the register, they would enter the price and then press Key #1 and that sale would be recorded for the General Merchandise dept. I worked in shoes for a while and the company that owned the shoe department was Meldisco, (Melville Discount) owned by Frank Melville who made his initial fortune when he founded the Thom McAn shoe store chain.
Key 1: General Merchandise Key 2: Non-taxable Key 3: Camera & Jewelry Key 4: Infants Apparel Key 5: Men’s Apparel Key 6: Ladies Apparel Key 7: Sporting Goods Key 8: Automotive Key 9: Shoes
That sounds very similar to the theme tune to "Are you being Served" 🙂
This is FASCINATING! Truly, that is so odd. Neat. I’m almost 50 and I had no idea that’s how KMart used to work.
The "SS K" on the price label came from the fact the official name of the company was still S. S. Kresge, even though the first K-Mart opened in 1962. The S. S. Kresge stores from before the launch of K-Mart continued to operate for at least ten more years (I remember them from the 1970s) and S. S. Kresge labeled items would be sold in K-Mart stores so we don't know for certain which store this was sold through. The name of the company officially change in 1977 from S.S. Kresge Company to K Mart Corporation.
The fact the price on the original sticker is covered by the new sticker indicates a price increase. We were instructed to let the old price show, if the new price was lower.
@peterholthoffman I seem to remember that Kresge had a "Jupiter" brand as well, but I have no idea what that was.
That's from SS Kresge, the "dimestore", the predecessor to Kmart. I worked for one back in the late 70's
Or “Kresge’s” as we called it.
kresge at the top of the hill in 69th street!
Yup. Exactly.
That original motor should work but you need very light pressure, only pressing down after 3 seconds. The light touch heats up the plastic and then you push down to "mold" the rivet. It's a sequential process :)
It worked fine back then. The plastic “rivets” have lost some level of their polymers. Yes, it was minor “hit” back then, but again getting kids to make things is always a good thing.
It’s a bit unfair to judge a products worth back then from today’s view. Everything we played with in the 50’s, 60’s and the 70’s helped us become the makers we are today, comfortable building and modifying everything around us.
Agree 100%.
This seems pretty cool for a 50 year old toy.
don't press hard, give it high rpms and time to melt!
Yep I agree. =)
yeah it really bothered me to see she making it wrong,and i never used one
Typical Christmas present of the 70s. It either broke by Christmas afternoon or didn't work at all.
Could it be that after over 50 years the plastic has become brittle and now it doesn't work for "spin welding"? You're fun no matter what. Thanks for a great video.
just fill out the reorder card and get some new stuff.
@@tYNS😂
I reckon that after nearly 50yrs, the "permanent" magnets in the motor will have lost much if their initial strength hence the poor torque?
@@simonstroud2555 More likely all the oil or grease has dried up making the motor sticky. Could even have dead spots on the commutator (mild corrosion) that make the motor spin unevenly. If that's the case and the motor happens to stop in the wrong position (brushes on one of the dead spots) it won't even spin up again.
Or the motor is fine and there's just more of a technique to it, like waiting until the motor is at full speed and applying very little pressure.
So it's like a Bedazzler but with Lego coloring, more pain and less durability. The plastic chunks might even jam the washing machine's pump so little kiddo gets to watch something bigger get fixed.
I wonder if that plastic hardened and shrunk over the years, if this was fresh maybe it would have worked better?
Yeah this was my thought. I wonder what type of plastic it was?
@@alexandralamberton5615Probably something that, years later, was discovered to be very toxic. 😂
@@alexandralamberton5615 Maybe PVC or ABS? The 50s were when plastic really started to take off. Earlier materials were mostly toxic, flammable, or both. The plasticizers added half a century ago would certainly have started breaking down or evaporating by now.
@@01chippe If Fran doesn't post for a few weeks, we will know why!
@@stickyfoxNot ABS it was and still expensive.
All my toys back then were mostly Styrene.
The cheapest ones were LDPE.
The few that survived past my childhood;
The Styrene ones virtually unchanged though it's possible they were a poor grade of Styrene and changed over the decades.
The LDPE ones "hardened" "shrunk or warped " and fractured from age I guess.
There are in fact additives called "plasticizers" added to plastic. (I always thought it interesting that plastic needed additives to make it more plastic!)
Those compounds can be volatile enough to seep/evaporate out of the plastic over the years.
Yes, the plasticizers like Bisphenol are also endocrine disrupters, easily liberated from the plastic into solution aided by common alkaline dish soap.
The distinction between thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics is an important aspect of the broader category of materials often referred to as "plastics." While both are types of polymers, they exhibit different behaviors when subjected to heat and pressure.
Thermoplastics:
These plastics are characterized by their ability to soften and become pliable when heated.
They can be molded into different shapes when heated and solidify into the desired form upon cooling.
The process of heating and cooling can be repeated without significantly altering the material's properties.
Common examples of thermoplastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
Thermosetting Plastics:
Thermosetting plastics undergo a chemical change when heated and molded, resulting in a permanent and rigid structure.
Once set, these plastics cannot be re-melted or re-shaped by heating.
The initial heating process typically involves the formation of a three-dimensional network of bonds, making the material hard and stable.
Examples of thermosetting plastics include epoxy resins, phenolic resins, and melamine.
The term "plastic" is often used broadly to refer to both thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, contributing to a common misconception. Colloquially, people might use "plastic" to describe a wide range of polymer-based materials, whether they are thermoplastic or thermosetting. The distinction becomes more critical in technical and industrial contexts, especially when selecting materials for specific applications or manufacturing processes.
In summary, when people use the term "plastic" informally, they may be referring to a range of polymer materials, including both thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. The technical distinction becomes more relevant in precise discussions about material properties and applications.
This is probably styrene which is used without plasticisers. But it breaks down over time just from ambient heat like most polymers, becoming brittle due to lost cohesion.
The most important additive in this family of plastics is a flame retardant, but rumour has it, it has the propensity to accelerate polymer degradation.
At least the battery clip looked to be a clever design
Connector designed to avoid kids from shorting the terminals and sparks flying and battery bursting. Still risky exposed as a toy.
My dad had a work lantern that used 2 of those batteries. I used to "borrow" it at night and would read under the covers for hours. I don't think he ever discovered why the batteries didn't last long. I saw a couple of the new batteries at a store yesterday and they were $16.95 each!
That's expensive. Nowadays you can go online and get a lithium LFP rechargeable kit for $25. That's a much better value.
Today, you can friction weld your 3d printed cosplay pieces... you can even use the same type of rivet system to connect your 3d printed plastic pieces to fabric.
Omg, when you pulled out the DeWalt and chucked up the Spinwelder bit in it, LoL 😆
I had a regular spinwelder as a kid and it was great. After I made the car in the kit I discovered it would also weld milk jug plastic and I made a DIY toy spaceship.
I'm thinking that the problem is not with the spin welder or the concept but the actual plastic. I mean that stuff's been sitting in a box for 50 years. So I don't know how many volatile organic compounds evaporated out of it or how much it oxidized I mean, we don't really even know what kind of plastic it is. But I'm guessing if you use that tool with some new like milk jug plastic it would work with no problem
I wonder if anyone tried to order replacement tips for half a cent each, as the price list indicated (" .50¢ ").
5:12 Exactly, toss in a $5.00 bill in the order and indicate this is payment for 1,000 tips.
The transition to the Drill gave me a good laugh.
The idea of trying 3dprinted studs for easier to work with PLA comes to mind.. but if I was to bother printing it.. I might as well make it in a way not to need the spin welder. (ie pin that you tap together with a hammer)
I had a similar toy when I was growing up in the 70ies-80ies. It was more of a construction set that had little spin rivets (marketed for boys). I really enjoyed making things with it but it stunk of burning plastic. It was like a plastic erector set. I remember it working better though...
My sister grew up to be an engineer. There was nothing stopping girls from having the same toys as boys, or playing with their brothers' toys. It largely depends on the parents and their private attitudes. My dad was an engineer and had no problem with my sister getting "Meccano", the toy for building things. The most masculine toy she got was "Battle Wagon", a magnificent warship, she also got "Action Man" before I did ("GI Joe"). When she grew up she had a career in engineering, but eventually gave it up after she married and started to have children. This was her personal preference not the result of brainwashing.
Agreed and Thank You!
No wonder it was only $1.50! I bet 70s parents were thrilled when their daughter butchered her sunday dress. 😆
For what it's worth, $1.50 in 1974 would be equal to $9.34 in 2023. Obviously, still a cheap price.
The price for replacement parts indicates it was probably around $10, perhaps a little less, before being marked down several times.
@@SianaGearz And adjusted for inflation that makes a lot more sense. It's not like this was a high-tech item, just loads of injection-moulded plastics, cheap to produce in high volumes, and a small motor.
I had one of those spin welders. I loved it. I learned about friction, welding and plastic at the same time!
LOL I was just welding up some fashion yesterday. I made a friendship bracelet from some I-beams we had left over.
Coolest part is the connector for the lantern battery. I've never seen one like that.
Loved my boys spinwelder, still remember laying a bead on my f15 jet
I'm thoroughly surprised they didn't make the gun for the Lady Spinwelder in PINK instead of green. Maybe they weren't trying to market it, as hard as we all thought.
Yes. A Barbie crossover toy, and Mattel missed the boat. What was the marketing department thinking?
They were probably repurposing unsold ones so they were already green.
@@listerdave1240
That does seem more likely, although Mattel went to the expense of getting all the new boxes and instructions printing lines set up, along with the injection-moulding dies for the studs and the black tool/chuck, none of which would have been as cheap as just land-filling the unsold spin guns.
Yeah this gender stuff is so over rated , the first thing I bought my wife when I met her was a Bench Grinder . She was so happy about that.
I'm surprised there was no pink anywhere.
In 1971 Mattel had their best year with their Rock Flowers line of women in science dolls
I think the girl on the box is Kim Richards. She was in Escape to Witch Mountain and a 1976 episode of The Rockford Files called "The Family Hour." I received a spin welder for Christmas in the mid 70s. Worst toy ever. I couldn't get the tips to melt. They'd just break. And the kit didn't include enough spares to accommodate the learning curve. Had to send off for more, and then wait 6 weeks for another baggie of 20 tips to arrive in the mail.
I thought maybe Kathy Coleman from "The Land of the Lost" but I do recognize her.
I remember having Spinwelder as a kid. And it worked pretty well as I recall. Now I might have to look on ebay for nostalgia's sake..
OMG Fran! I thought I was the ONLY person who ever got this as a gift! LOL! Hillarious! Thanks for taking me back in time to an awful gift from Aunt Esther...Gawd rest her soul! She ment well :) I laughed when you pulled out the drill. That is what we tried too :) Awwww memories! Try it with fabric! NOT FUN!
Mattel made a vacuum forming machine toy, that you could only imagine how dangerous it was with heating plastic over a form.
Plaster seems safe?
I had one, made all sorts of cowboys and Indians in those molds.
@@wayneessar7489 correction, plastic
What a great line - "Nothing says summer like spinwelding" We love you.
My mom bought me the spin welder for Xmas. I ended up starting Gucci. So not a failure!
There is a Lot of great Science in this toy you don't seem to recognize. As a kid, my spin welder worked great, and my sister Independently found creative ideas to use our spin welder for ART and decorating cloth. The foam you used doesn't have enough static friction to hold the studs. ME-Thinks You Complain too much, ..There are folks who follow directions, folks who write directions, and folks who Create and Inspire. But then I am just a physicist/ Neuroscientist with 35 years of STEAM Education and from a family of Luthiers who cut up perfectly good Gibson's to make them "better" and who was Inspired by the electronics of these toys....and my sister's Dumble....
what surface would you put the studs on - a tablecloth ?
ABSOLUTELY!! We had the tools! The 70's American Culture was different, by gosh we were encouraged to smoke(?)! My Mom taught us how to sew, and I learned the physics of a Singer Sewing machine, while the "Non-Testosterone poisoned" members of our family made creative stylistic clothes from sewing patterns ordered from Sears and advanced sewing skills! Compare a Singer Sewing Machine to a Lathe with a Taper attachment! We "uglified" many cloth based garments. @@highpath4776
Don't remember those but did have a foam cutter. It had a hot wire that you could use to cut up foam sheets or old food trays to make artworks out of. Probably good for 3rd degree finger burns too!
My family was poor so my sister and I didn't get too many of the really cool toys back then.
I had this toy as a kid. I could not get to weld isht! I was pissed! Lol!
I would end up melting the girders making it worthless to build any of the vehicles.
I remember back about 1982 someone gave my brother a Spinweld kit. Can't remember if it was a car or whatever, but we were too poor to afford a lantern battery for the welder. My brother had an unusual affinity for tape, so he decided to try and tape everything together. It didn't go well.
Probably the plasticizers have evaporated over the 50-odd years this has been sitting "new in box", which seems to be the main killer of old plastic items, no just going brown as the mixed-in fire retardant oxidises. I'd guess that the functionality of the original spin-welder relied on the rivets being soft as well.
Ah plasticizers, we meet again. It's always annoying when migratory plasticizers ruin something. Often it occurs when you accidentally lay something silicone on something plastic, and the plastic melts. I ran into someone on a homebrewing channel that was wondering what the heck was happening when his plastic airlocks drooped over like a wilting flowers, then pulled apart like string cheese. My guess was plasticizer migration from the rubber bungs.
Believe it or not, I find that toys and clothes are divided far more sharply now and marketed to either girls or boys than companies did back in the 70s and 80s. Clothes for little girls especially, you see a lot of "Princess" stuff for girls and "Monster" stuff for boys, which is horrible when you think about it! When I went to buy sandals for my son around age 5, he only had a choice of two styles of sandals, whereas for girls there were several shelves filled with all different styles of sandals. I had my son in 1994 and my daughter in 2004 and it was very noticeable how very polarised the clothes and toy markets had become to target boys or girls specifically.
Look at Lego. In the 1970s it was mainly basic sets that both girls and boys could enjoy. Interestingly the company founder refused to produce green bricks as he didn't want Lego to be used to make military vehicles.
Now it is nearly all themed with Lego "Friends" for the girls and Lego "Enemies" also known as Star Wars or Ninjago for the boys.
Thanks Fran I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year all the best from Scotland
Hey Peter! Thanks a ton for the support and best to you as well!
I would say that given the age of that kit. the cheap plastic has lost its oils making it more brittle and less plyant, and the motor magnets have also lost their coercivity due to time, but I love your fix, Fran says "I think this needs more power" pulls out a DeWalt drill motor. Brilliant... 😆
I was expecting a 9v battery
I wonder if the plastic is just so old it doesn't melt that well anymore. Glad I didn't get either spin welder kit as a kid. I got an erector set, and my favorite, a 300 in 1 electronics lab from Radio Shack.
WOW - brings back memories!!! I built them all!
The apron pattern is a nice touch. It's like, hey, we'll let you bedazzle, but don't forget your place is the kitcheennnn!
Instead of getting worked up about reading between lines that are not there, try thinking about it like boys had the short end of the stick.
Anyone could get the original version, but those who identified as girls had more options.
When I was little i not only enjoyed getting oily in the shop where my father worked, i loved baking with my mother, and even sewing with the lady’s who would babysit. Today i work on engines, cook food, and have two machines for working leather or fixing my flannels.
I know, its a weird way to think and not “correct” by todays standards.
I was an "even a 7 year old can do it" in the 1970s. I never saw a "spin welder" until today. Now I understand why.
Some heartfelt stuff!
Ah the 70's, LOL.
I remember seeing these things at a Ben Franklin back in the day, and a girl asking her parents to buy it. father looks at the thing and says "This doesn't look safe." Girl cries, but dad does not cave in.
This is awesome I would've loved this if I was a kid back then!
I had the boys one, and it was one of my favorite toys back then.
When you started talking about those hearts I really *felt* that.
Fran you take me back to my sister’s childhood. They would never let me do some welding 😊
Loved the DeWalt upgrade! 😆
Famous Groucho Marx reply: "go out and find me a 7 year old. I can't make heads or tails of this"
Groucho was a genius.
Check voltage on lantern battery. They don't sell many of them any more, so freshness could be an issue. Could fresher plastic rivets have worked?
Lantern batteries are often built with D cells, and D cells are often built with AA batteries these days. I wouldn't doubt that huge thing is the equivalent to 4 AA batteries in series. I remember when Duracell and Energizer batteries were at their peak in the late 90s/early 2000s and went downhill from there. They were practically guaranteed to not leak, and they lasted. These days, they leak like sieves. I just buy the cheap batteries, anymore. They might actually be less likely to leak probably because they are weaker.
@@robertgaines-tulsaI haven't come across a modern D cell that is just a tarted up AA, they are still heavy full batteries.
Now I haven't taken apart a lantern battery in many years, but I would doubt that they use the big tall cells anymore, they probably aren't even manufactured... Probably just D cells in a plastic case.
@volvo09 AAs masquerading as Cs and Ds are common in rechargeables. It's too bad this toy didn't ask for the larger lantern battery, the one about the size of a recipe card box with threaded terminals on the top. The battery may be giving 6v and change, but that connector looks loose and lossy under load.
She stated in the video that she checked it and it was fresh and at 6.5V.
@@tactileslut yes, that is where I have seen them, but I've never seen it with an alkaline battery.
lol... i built that dragster, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Merry Christmas
I’ve never heard of welding boing in toy form. I wouldn’t mind learning how to weld no, but something like that, how do you fabricate cloth and felt without ruining the welding knife in the process lol. This is a new one on me lol.
Neat! I think i remember you talking about this device in an older video. Its nice to see the whole kit!
Also, maybe the plastic has just gotten brittle with age and is resistant to melting properly. Just a theory
🤣🤣🤣🤣 This is especially funny to me because I was born in 1964, I am the daughter of a diesel mechanic/welder and I am a retired fitter/welder. I was more of a help my Dad in the garage type girl, than a daytime soap watching fashion girl! 😂
The MS paint Style Christmas intro is absolutely adorable. I love it
We got these for the kids. They were great fun!
I've never heard of spinwelding. Will have to do a search on it. Did you notice the typo? Smoth instead of smooth :)
Thanks for video i liked seeing toys from time past
I wanted one of these so badly! Mom didn’t buy into it. Happy to see she saved $1.50 and I avoided a huge disappointment!😁
Id never heard of a spin welder before. Cool
I think the girl on the box is Kim Richards from "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Hello Larry". She's the sister of Kyle Richards and was also on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the first few seasons.
Nice videos as always Fran thanks
It delights me when someone quotes The Shangri-Las.
Watch Apollo 8 reach the moon, while the girls play with the Spinwelder. That was the world I remember 'bout 50 years ago...yessir !
First you have to meet their felt needs before you can interest them in design engineering. This is a valid comparison to industrial processes. I didn't see you put a multi-meter on the battery. I wonder how dead it was.
"Yeah that motor is just so weak... hmmm"
BRINGS OUT THE *BIG GUN*
I had almost forgotten spinwelding. Plastic over time absorbs moisture and becomes brittle and doesn't melt as easily. Something I learned from 3D printing.
The precursor to the Bedazzler. $1.50 in the 70s was a decent chunk of allowance for the time.
I loved when you came back with the Dewalt Spin Welder. Lol
Loved my spinwelder, I always thought at some point they would release a retro version.
" 'bout ", because, girls.
Didn't want to introduce the spectre of math.
Tammy, it looks like this lady spin welder was a lot more complicated than my boy version
Iron on patches back in the 70's. Great vid Fran, love the new intro.
That was fun to watch.
Lady Spinwelder sounds like a character from an Edwardian drawing room comedy.
More tea, Lady Spinwelder?
Merry Christmas have a happy and safe holidays.
Happy Christmas Fran. Also, love the nod to "Walk Don't Run" in your intro... I was in a band who did a full set of The Shadows in our repertoire a few years back. Great music.
I think that was The Ventures “Sleigh Ride”
@@01chippe you know what, I never knew that was an option. Same kind of progression in terms of chords in the part we heard - could've been either. @Franlab - care to confirm? (The Shadows version of Walk Don't Run wasn't as good as the Ventures I think)
I had a spinwelder.
Great toy!
Vielen Dank für die vielen tollen Videos. :) Ein schönes Weihnachtsfest Ihnen! :)
Viele Grüße aus Deutschland :)
I never saw Spinwelder as a child.
I do remember other "DIY" child things.
My (I forgot now if it was my parents or grandparents) bought me a "you build it" Grandfather Clock kit.
It was fun i still remember gluing the wood pieces together and using it after, (& it kept time)
I learned to adjust the pendulum to advance or retard the timing.
I didn't get many toys as a kid, (and my friends broke most of them after Christmas) but because I had to do the work, it was much more memorable over the pre made stuff.
Oooooooh now I am keeping my eyes peeled for one of those lantern battery connectors amongst all our junk!
And the count shall be three and three shall be the count. Not two, except to immediately proceed to three. Four is right out.
Hahahahahahaaa 😂
This is hilarious. I would have more enjoyed a toy that taught actual welding. Your videos are a joy to watch, Fran!
I guess less force and more time are needed for spinwelder,
Again Thanks Fran
It's so easy to put down the decisions made in the past since, but this was a great start for both young ladies and women for the future.
Talk about a blast from the past. I had the helicopter kit. The main rotor was rubberband-powered. Unfortunately, the structure couldn't withstand the pull of the rubberband and broke every time I tried to wind up the rotor. :(
Happy Christmas Fran.
This was hilarious!! I almost choked when you brought out the *BIG GUNS!* @ 13:08 😂😂😂😂 *I grew up with 7 brothers* - and yes, I was privy to their awesome chemistry/ rocket launchers/erector sets/ rocks & minerals/ numerous metal "peddle"cars, trucks and farm tractors way back in the 60's...my parents realized I wasn't into "girlie things" when brother no. 4 was born! 😊 Gosh, those were the best days ever! Lots of cuts & bruises and not a care in the world!
Actually, it probably worked almost as good as it did when it was new. There were hundreds of tech toys in the 70's offering hundreds of hours of fun that probably ended up under a bed or in the closet within the first hour.
Price tag is actually SS Kresge. If you look to the left of the big K, you'll see the two S'es. It makes little difference, though, since Kresge and Kmart were the same company, and I'm pretty sure both stores used those tags in the 1970s.
Kresge was K-mart before K-mart was a thing. Kresge company spun up K-mart stores in the 1960s to compete with larger department stores, but the smaller Kresge stores continued to operate for years afterward. There were still Kresge stores in operation in the mid/late 1980s when I worked for K-mart.
Fantastic to see that old style price tag, though. I have a couple of old record albums from Kresge stores in the 1960s that still have their original price stickers (imagine paying $2.69 for SINATRA AT THE SANDS....), as well as some items that still bear JJ Newberry, Woolworth, and LaSalle's stickers from that period.
Sinatra didn't make his $millions by busking 🙂When the vinyl revival started I put some prices through an inflation calculator and realised that, adjusted for inflation LPs, were about the same price as they had been in the 1970s.
I don't ever remember seeing either of these in stores or the commercials 🤔