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Monday, April 10, 2023

1990 - 1992 Hershey's Pumpkin Kiss Candy Dish

My mom has wanted to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania since forever. We finally were able to visit as a family of 5 in September of 2022. 

Those Hershey Kiss streetlights REALLY are charming to see in person. And the factory is worth it. The tour on the old trolley also totally worth doing. 

Between museums, theme park visits, shooting pool in our Airbnb, and going out to dinner, we hit a thrift store in Hershey. This is late September so they had out their Halloween stuff and I saw this little guy, who in all my years as a Halloween fiend, I'd never seen before. The little orange Hershey's Pumpkin Kiss candy dish! I thought maybe it was a local thing (I was in Hershey) and I knew I had to buy it (because... Hershey) and it was a DOLLAR.

It might be my favorite souvenir from the trip. So stinking cute. Anyway, it doesn't seem like it was local to Pennsylvania. It is stamped copyright 1990 but I didn't see them for sale until 1992. Full of Kisses!

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Free 3d Print File: Happy Easter Bunny Standup

 Here's a free Easter bunny standup I made to print. Please post makes!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4796774

Vintage Cleveland Press Pumpkin Print

2023 Update:

I re-created this as I wanted it to look better. You're welcome. P.S. If you use this somewhere on the internet, credit would be nice. Feel free to share this link with everyone!

I was reading a Facebook thread about all the good memories this pumpkin gave to people around this time of year. One commenter even remarked that this was their only Halloween decoration, a cutout from the Cleveland Press (defunct) of a grinning jack o lantern.

I looked for a better quality but this appears to be the only one floating around.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Popular Mechanics 1960 Wood Cuts Santa; Wise Men; Victorian Horses and Carriage

Originally featured in the 1955 Popular Mechanics, this "Patterncraft" waving Santa wood cut was again featured in December 1960. 


 

Sunday, December 4, 2022

1955 Popular Mechanics Patterncraft Santa Waving & Sleigh Woodcut

Popular Mechanics magazine November 1955 provided for readers 2 more woodcut for the handyman or handylady.

The first is a grid pattern "Patterncraft" Santa with his sack of toys and a gloved hand waving. I think this looks as nice as the Douglas Fir Santa patterns, although those are simply pasted on wood and clear coated.

Friday, December 2, 2022

Popular Mechanics 1954 Say Merry Christmas with Plywood Cutouts

The first installment of these Christmas do it yourself wood cuts came in the November 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics. 

Thursday, December 1, 2022

1960 Popular Mechanics Lawn Santa Claus Wood Cutout


I wanted to paint a vintage-style Santa since Christmas 2021. I looked through the Douglas Fir designs and I liked them well enough, but when I came across this Popular Mechanics Santa from 1960, the design was perfect and so was the price: Free on Google books.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

2022 McDonald's Halloween Buckets - The Classics Return!

The masses have spoken (loudly, and for years) and McDonald's finally gave us the vintage style Halloween Happy Meal buckets we've been clamoring for.


Friday, September 30, 2022

2003 Burger King Halloween Hamtaro

 2003 Burger King Halloween kids meal premiums were Hamtaro Little Hamsters, Big Adventures toys. There were 8 toys in all. 


Each character wore a plastic Halloween disguise. Penelope Ghost-Ham, Cappy Pumpkin-Ham, Boss Alien-Ham, Oxnard Spider-Ham, Bijou Witch-Ham, Hamtaro Franken-Ham, Elder Wolf-Ham, and Panda Skeleton-Ham.

Hamtaro ran in the United States from 2000 through 2006.

View the entire Burger King Halloween Hamtaro activity book here, courtesy of archive.org user KoCoProps.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

1977 Toys R Us Ben Cooper Bayshore Kusan Geoffrey Halloween Costume

 

This Toys R Us ad from October 1977 was published in Upland, California. Featuring Ben Cooper Star Wars costumes, 6 Million Dollar Man disguises, Bionic woman and Wonder Woman costumes and Raggedy Ann.

Kusan branded costumes included the Tiny Tot, P.J. Tiny Tot, and Geoffrey costumes!

Finish your Halloween shopping trip up with a Fun World Clacking Skull, a General Foam carrying pumpkin and General Foam Spook Sticks, and Bayshore E-Z Off Masquerade Make-Up.

Thursday, April 7, 2022

1988 McDonald's McBunny Kids Meal Buckets

Buckets. What a useful thing a bucket can be. If you're a fan of this blog, you know how we treasure our Halloween buckets, and rightfully so. They can hold what? Yeah.

Halloween candy.

McDonald's used to make excellent choices by giving us 80's and 90's kids buckets for said candy, even if they were a bit on the tiny side. And then one day in Spring 1988, Ronald McDonald was leading the board meeting at McDonald's headquarters and he suggested more buckets. But not for Halloween. For Easter.

I can imagine the board room blowing the fuck up. FryGuys losing their collective shit. Grimace flailing his purple arms. Birdie the Early Bird rejoicing. The Hamburglar being shady. 

"Easter Buckets!", Ronald says. The smile drooping from ear to ear.

Why these didn't become a yearly this is something I will 1, never understand and 2, never forgive.

The 1988 Easter McBunny pails.


Tuesday, October 26, 2021

2021 McDonald’s Halloween Happy Meal

Another year of Halloween SHADE thrown by McDonald's. The 50th anniversary Disney kids meal premiums parade right through Halloween 2021.

 These seem like they'd be aimed toward adults, not kids.

Thursday, August 5, 2021

1968 Popular Mechanics Halloween DIY Ideas

 


Here's a super cool retro guide to making your own costumes and carving jack o lantern's the Popular Mechanics way. First off, a witch costume with a surprise meowing, grimacing black cat will be sure to get a laugh! 

2013 General Foam Blow Mold Catalog

2013 General Foam Blow Mold Catalog