When I was a kid (in early 1940’s), I used to order stuff from this catalog, such stuff as sneezing powder, cigar loads, etc. I remember getting a battery powered projector with several loops of film including Superman. In a shed behind our garage, I set up a “theater” with benches. I would invite friends to my “theater” and charge them two cents to watch the loops. My mom provided free Kool Aid.
I now get their catalog which is named “Things You Never Knew Existed”. There are still novelties, but also a lot of funny tee shirts, seasonal stuff like Christmas and Halloween.
In the link below, you can click on various categories and browze through all kinds of stuff that would be instantly “Kitschable”.
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Allee Willis
My love of old novelty catalogs is superseded only by my love of the novelties themselves. I used to order tons of stuff out of the backs of comic books and begged my parents to let me order tons of stuff out of the backs of popular magazines in the 50s and 60s. They rarely obliged but that never obliterated my love for that category of artifact. I can’t even begin to look through this catalog as I know I’ll be way too tempted…
k2dtw
Great post.. I love your theater Bob, how fun that must of been.. and what a great mom….smile