70s Back to School Meltdown

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I can't believe summer's over! Being a September baby I kind of enjoyed the whole back to school season as a kid, here is me doing my best to blend into the walls of my grade school.

My mother took this same picture without fail until I asked her to stop, this morning my son asked if I could not walk him to class, which i capitulated, albeit begrudgingly.

So what better time to look back at the bright side of vintage back to school, lots of eye candy after the jump!






School Supplies can be Fun! Like these Alco Superhero sharpeners and erasers. These kinds of things always made BTS shopping more enjoyable.





OK, Clothes Shopping Kinda Sucked: I'll admit that I didn't dig this angle of BTS until high school, especially because my mom seemed to dress me exclusively at "Marks and Sparks". The only upside of this was I was often placated with a toy, usually a Star Wars figure or a Micronaut. I still have the last toy my mom ever bought me BTS shopping in the fifth grade, a Micronauts Pharoid with Time Chamber.



Lunchboxes Rule: Every couple of years I picked my theme, I started my school career with Hong Kong Phooey and I ended it with the Black Hole, which I covered in "Clash of the Titans' stickers I got in sugar crisp. It was an important choice in your life, I remember coveting it.


If you want more Back to School mayhem, check out our Facebook page, where I'll be adding new stuff all day!




Oh and this Sunday, I'll be setting up at Canadian Toy Con/Mego North. It's a great vintage toy show with a classic arcade! I'll be selling vintage toys, copies of my book Rack Toys and Brick Mantooth action figures. Please come bye and say hi!

For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[TomStrong]

I had that Superman lunchbox, wish I still did. I thought grade school was a vast conspiracy to keep me from being away from all my toys.

[MysteryWho]

I'm pretty sure I collected Sugar Crisp UPCs until I could mail in for a Clash of the Titans poster. Anybody else do that?

[HardyGirl]

Even though my mom never let me have one, I miss that wall of lunchboxes you would always see in the grocery store at back-to-school time. (I had a Bobby Sherman hand me down!) But my favorite ritual; shoe shopping! Buster Brown Shoes was 2 blocks away, and I would usually get the popluar shoe that was advertised on TV that year. My favorite being "Chaws", (after the merchandising craze of Jaws!). The one shoe I wanted and didn't get was "Bigfoot", b/c they were "Earth Shoes" and Mom was convinced they'd ruin my feet.

Ahhh...Back to School memories!

[HardyGirl]

Here is one of those Buster Brown shoe commercials I mentioned. I had the Topsies shown.

[Gorn Captain]

That Monsters lunch box is fantastic...

The kid in the Snoopy sweater, on the other hand...

[Earth 2 Chris]

The last BTS bribe gift I remember was my 1984 Super Powers lunchbox. It was the last one I got to carry.

I love that Batman is considered a pal of Bugs Bunny. They did tour together, after all!

Chris

[Werewolf]

Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox!

[jwyblejr]

I feel sorry for the kid in the Snoopy shirt. "My haircut does not make me look like a girl!"

[PNGwynne]

Ah memories... I had that Universal Monsters lunchbox (and still do: I use it to store extra Remco Monster parts).

[brannon86]

I remember going to K-Mart at the beginning of every school year, and seeing a full isle(on both sides) packed with lunchboxes. That was such a GLORIOUS site back then.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I've told this story a million times, but I chose the Super Friends lunchbox over Superman: The Movie. It was a HARD decision to make, but I figured I got more bang for my Super Hero buck with the SF.

It wasn't until DECADES later that i realized the emphasis on Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl and Catwoman, combined with magenta trim, made this a girl-centric lunch box!!! I was posthumously mortified. Thank God no kid caught onto it!

That Universal lunchbox is beyond AWESOME. I'd love to have one.

Chris

[ScottA]

I'd still buy those pencil sharpeners today.