Get a SCHWINN in 1964

I never owned a Schwinn until I was in college. My first bike was a blue and white Huffy with training wheels. I imagine it was what was for sale at the base exchange. I did love that bike and still remember the time my dad took the training wheels off. I was terrified of falling, but he told me he'd hold onto the back of the bike to make sure that didn't happen. So off we went along the sidewalk (same sidewalk I'd run on to test my PF Flyers) only to discover my dad was not holding on at all. I was on my own. It was exciting. I rode my bike into the street doing circles in front of the house. My parents were proud and I'd discovered that sometimes you just have to take a chance.

Source: Jack and Jill, October 1964

When we moved to Hawaii the Navy shipped my bike with our household belongings. I can remember riding it through the military neighborhood to get down to the beach to watch the ships come in to Pearl Harbor. Eventually my folks bought me a larger bike and my mom used the Huffy. Actually, I think my next bike—which was green and white—was also a Huffy. When we moved back to the mainland Huffy #1 stayed in Hawaii; Huffy #2 came to California.

I didn't know that Schwinn had gone out of business. That's sad to hear. It seems Huffy hung onfor awhile until Walmart did them in. Geez I hate Walmart. I will not enter their store. I find better prices elsewhere with less damage done to local businesses.

The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by German-born mechanical engineer Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1945) in Chicago in 1895. It became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles through most of the 20th century. After declaring bankruptcy in 1992, it has since been a sub-brand of Pacific Cycle, owned by the multi-national conglomerate, Dorel Industries. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

And then Huffy:

By the mid 1990s, Huffy was in deep financial trouble. The U.S. Bicycle industry had consolidated, sharply reducing the number of channels for selling bikes. High-volume retailers had claimed three fourths of the U.S. market, gaining tremendous leverage over bicycle makers. Wal Mart in particular was pressuring Huffy: it ordered 900,000 bikes at one time, but insisted that Huffy lower its prices significantly. To remain a major player in the bicycle market, the Ohio company had little choice but to agree. Even with Huffy's other non-unionized manufacturing plants, it could not make a profit selling bicycles at the prices Wal Mart, its biggest customer, was willing to pay. After requesting and getting a pay cut for its unionized workforce in Ohio, Huffy returned to profitability for two years only to again crumple under the pricing pressure applied by Wal Mart. This forced Huffy to close its Celina, Ohio plant and lay off all 935 employees. Their other two factories in Missouri and Mississippi soon fell to the same fate for the same reason. Even after subcontracting production to China, where plant workers earned only 25 to 41 cents per hour, it remained unable to operate at a profit. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

Get enough SUGAR FOR BREAKFAST?

I ate a lot of cereal as a kid. I was partial to Cheerios, Sugar Smacks, Rice Krispies, and Sugar Pops. I was partial to sugar. It's a wonder I could function.

I do remember in the 50s being one of those kids who would see a cereal ad on tv and then beg my mom for it. My poor dad was always the one who ended up eating my experiments. I remember especially wanting a box of Jets. My dad said that one was the worst of all of them. I ate one bite and refused to eat the rest. The saying in our house was, "Give it to dad, he'll eat anything." My family didn't have money to waste so indeed, dad ate the crap.

This ad comes from a 1964 Jack and Jill magazine I found at an estate sale. I was long past Jack and Jill by the time this ad ran and I don't remember this cereal. But, I'm sure I'd have begged my mom for a box.

Click on image to see it larger.

Now watch the commercial and imagine how much parents wanted to kill the creators of this targeted propaganda.

And just for old time sake...



Mind you, I also fell for the PF Flyers ad that said you could fly if you wore them. I used to run down the sidewalk, which went slightly downhill, picking up speed as I went, only to take a leap right before the final curb and the street. I was convinced I would eventually fly. I never did. I always stopped short of the street. However, the neighbors must have wondered about this kid running down the sidewalk full tilt only to take a little leap, land, turn around and walk back up the sidewalk only to do it again and again. So I'm pretty sure I was convinced Jets would have enable me to break the boundaries of gravity.

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.