1 Candy Dish
Memories of my grandparents’ house. Grandma kept this candy jar, always filled to the brim, on the dining room table and my sisters and I were allowed to help ourselves, which was a far cry from home when mom rationed our sweet treats and cookies.
2 Autograph Book
I was desperate for an autograph book – I don’t know why as the chance of meeting anyone famous and getting their valuable signature was probably about nil – but my school friends all had them so I wanted to follow suit. I did fill the pages with autographs from my family and neighbors (I was only 7 so don’t judge me!)
3 Tupperware
If your mom suddenly developed a great social life during the 70s and your dad wasn’t a part of it, you may think this worrying. Fear not, as she was disappearing to parties, Tupperware parties that is, getting over-excited at orange bowls and airtight lunch boxes! Tupperware was huge and the kitchen cupboards took on a new meaning. They were overloaded with a range of Tupperware for every occasion. My mom still has loads of Tupperware and, although she doesn’t have much use for the dozens of items bought 40 years ago, she refuses to part with them – just in case!!!!
4 Disney Trapeze Characters
These take me way back. I used to collect them and kept them on the top of the book shelf in my bedroom. I also had the swingers, group of 4 monkeys, which I was particularly fond of. I ended up selling them all at my dad’s garage sale many years later. I didn’t get much for them and I wish I had kept them now, as a childhood memory.
5 Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking was an unusual girl in that she was financially independent, with a sack of gold pieces. She could sail the Seven Seas and was stronger than the strongest man in the world, lifting a horse as proof of this! I read all the books and loved the TV show, as well as the movie. She instilled confidence in us young girls and made us feel we could do anything if we put our mind to it – if only this were true!
6 The Bump
One of the unusual dance moves from the 70s. I suppose it wasn’t that odd, bearing in mind we also sat on the disco floor, in a long line, and rowed the boat to “Oops Upside Your Head” (the Gap Band). If you were partners with a groovy dancer, the bump was executed smoothly but, if one of you didn’t have the right rhythm, it looked like you were just invading someone else’s space.
7 Scooby Doo
The best cartoon on TV, with the Flintstones a close second. After school, I would run home, have a snack, do my homework, to get it out of the way and then sit down and watch cartoons. The original cartoon, “Scooby Doo. Where are You?” was aired on a Saturday morning but, as the years went by, it could be seen during the week, before dinner. They don’t make them like they used to and I miss the originals.
8 Lite-Brite
A great toy from the 70s that consisted of a light box with colored plastic pegs that fitted into a panel and lit up to create a picture. I, personally, had good fun with this as I could either use the templates included in the pack or create my own image on a sheet of black paper. When I lost (or my sister stole) some of the pegs, mom got me a refill set so I could make My Little Pony and Scooby-Doo characters. Lite-Brite was advertised widely on TV and I nagged my parents for it. They told me to be patient and it turned up as one of my Christmas presents, a really happy memory for me!
9 Toy Record Player
I had wanted this for ages, to feel grown up, and to dance along to. The dance moves were a bit restricted though as the records with the player were only nursery rhymes and there were only so many times you could listen to them before getting a bit fed up! I remember selling the record player at my dad’s garage sale, hoping to buy another toy but I only made enough to purchase candy and a little-beaded purse!
10 Charm Necklace
This was a bit of a craze in the 80s, with charm bracelets as well as necklaces. We were always chatting with our school friends about which charms we were going to buy next. The most popular ones seemed to be the babies bottle and the little book with real pages.
