Pluggers by Rick McKee for July 31, 2014

And you’re a Senior Plugger if you still have themI I remember that we got the Early American cricket chairs with pads from Green Stamps. They were delivered in boxes to the local train station and we had to go pick them up. We also got a TV cart, infant high chair,stroller, magazine rack, bathroom scale, luxuries we never could’ve afforded, otherwise. This was big excitement back in the day. The only thing we have left 50 yrs later is the magazine rack.

Bonus question:

What does ‘S & H’ stand for?

And you’re a Super Plugger if you still have things you got with Alpine cigarette coupons.

I faintly remember Bonus Gifts Coupons from the 60s and 70s.

You also might be a plugger’s parent.I remember an episode of Maverick that did a satire of trading stamps. They were called Gold Brick stamps.

My Mother used to get mad at me because I wanted to place each individual stamp in the little boxes instead of putting a whole page in place at once(I think there were 30 stamps to a page—5 wide and 6 high) ! ! !

In 1969 when driving to work I would pass a church that had a “Jesus Saves” sign out front. About 100 yards further along there was a S & H Green Stamp redemption center. They had a portable sign out front like the ones you’d see at gas stations. One day someone in a mischievous mood had relocated the S & H sign. When I passed the church it now said.

Jesus Saves

S & H

Green

Stamps

Does anyone remember the red, plastic calculators that allowed you to keep track of your grocery money while you shopped? Our local Albers (later became IGA) used to give them away once a year, usually tied in with a marketing promotion by one of the vendors like Oscar Mayer. The fancy ones were the four digit kind.

Tigdi, are you from Ohio? Those store names are familiar!

I remember my mom had one of those! I loved playing with it. I also remember Top Value Stamps – the yellow ones you got at the stores.

My mom got me an art kit with Green Stamps once. Now I have a subscription to a club that sends me painting kits.

We still have steak knives we got as freebies at a gas station! (Can you imagine that now?) The glasses broke. The banks used to have promotional give-always, too!

You got it! I think they had an office building in the suburban Chicago area.

I equipped my first kitchen with Green Stamps, and I still have some of the pots, pans, & kitchen tools.

Oh, my! Brings back memories. My mother worked for Green Stamp store in our town….from 1950 until 1975. I still have some things from that store.

Who remembers this? In the 60’s, there were the gas station wars and sometimes you could get 10x the Blue Chip stamps (So Cal) and fill up a book in nothing flat. Also,later, gas stations gave away beautiful glasses, dishes, collectible place mats. This was when gas was something like .24 a gallon. Don’t even ask what annual income was, but we had everything we needed and with the stamp books, a few luxuries. I think we appreciated things more than people do today.

I wonder how many remember the Radisson hospitality empire (Carlson Companies) got its start as the Gold Bond Stamp Company on a $55 investment..Still a closely held company founded in 1938, and still headquartered right here in Minnesota…

HEY!!!

Oh yes, I “bought” with saving stamps! A Cosco kitchen stool (circa 1972) that I still have. TV trays. Boy’s camping tent. Pyrex mixing bowls. Just all sorts of stuff. Green Stamps. Gunn Brothers, Gold Bond.

In Philly the most common stamps were yellow (but never called gold). I don’t remember a brand name for them.

LOL! I was just cleaning out some of our home office paperwork that I haven’t touched in YEARS! Amongst the items was a full book of S & H Green Stamps. I kept it for old times sake, LOL! I also remember A & P Plaid Stamps, free glasses (good Anchor Hocking glasses) being given away at gas stations (Still have a set of the brown juice and wine glasses), and all the giveaways for being a customer. Now . . being a good customer doesn’t count for “squat” at most places.

Not furniture, but a set of dishes and a set of stainless steel flatware.

Had one of those S&H places to trade the filled pages for in Minneapolis.