K.A.C. 2012 - T - 28 ...

    

Ever wonder where George Lucas got the idea for Princess Leia's hairbuns in STAR WARS? A good guess might be at our left. There's just SO much action goin' on here, I'm not sure where to start ... from the corduroy "porn-'stache" dude rocking it in front to the classy couple in back (and by the way, dude - her hairbuns are further up ... ahem ...).

     Now aside from the obvious hilarity of it all, what does this have to do with Christmas? Well, this (and the following pages) all came from the 1975 Sears "Wish List" Book. This is going to take some explaining for you young pups, who have always lived with computers in the Internet Age, so let me give it a shot.

      BEFORE the Internet and online shopping, the major way you would learn about new material goods to buy were through the catalogs sent out by the major retailers (which for most people back then were Sears, J.C. Penney and (a distant third) Montgomery Ward). Sears had their competition beat hollow, as they had been in the catalog retail business since the early 1900s. Many children (myself included) eagerly awaited every year the arrival of the Sears "Wish List" Book, which was their Christmas catalog for the whole family - all the latest toys, fashions, etc., could be found in the book. Among the funnier pages from the 1975 book are the blatant misrepresentations of leftover Halloween costumes as "Christmas pajamas"! Let's see, for the boys we have Superman, check - Batman, check. Satan ... ??? The girls had a much more limited option, it would seem: a bunny or a serial killer clown! 
The tiger is just anyone's guess at this point. Personally I would have LOVED to have seen the family trying to explain their holiday photos with the Devil and the Clown beside their tree on Christmas morning! :)

     

But what about the TOYS, you ask? Surely even if the clothes were nightmare fuel back in the '70s, at least the TOYS rocked, right? Take a look to your left ... no, it's fine, I'll wait ... THAT is what passed for "must-have" toys back then. Now unless you were Jeff Dunham, this is most children's idea of a Very Creepy Christmas! I remember seeing most of these dummies (as well as the ventriloquist dolls!) at Sears during the holidays on display in the toy area ... they were even WORSE in person! Hugo ... the Man of a Thousand Faces rather intrigues me, however - he's like the prototype for Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies ... hmmm.  

     To see the rest of this Nostalgic Nightmare and other 'must-have' items, including the Evel Knieval Stunt Kit, guns, guns and MORE guns and John Holmes (or a very reasonable facsimile) in a kimono (read: what MOM wanted for Christmas!), go here:


 http://www.vintag.es/2011/12/what-people-wanted-for-christmas-in.html


     Come back tomorrow for more!