THE MOST SENSATIONAL TOY IN AMERICA! HONEST!

It is stated that this is "THE MOST SENSATIONAL TOY IN AMERICA." It was sold by Honor House. Who wouldn't trust a company with "honor" in their name? I'm sure the ship was exactly as they described it. No kid was disappointed when their huge space ship arrived in a small cardboard box.

Click on image to see it larger. Remember, the details are in the fine print.

I mean, who doesn't remember their "ELECTRIC SPLIT-LEVEL, FULLY FURNISHED DOLL HOUSE WITH COMPLETE DOLL FAMILY" for only $2.98? Or the "AMAZING WRIST RADIO" for...of course, $2.98.

What could possibly go wrong?

Click on image to see it larger.

Vintage comic book ads are often the only good part of old comics. Even when the comics were new the ads were usually so mysterious, so enticing, so expensive to a kid who got 10 cents a week for making her bed. Not once did I ever send away for anything. I'd have never heard the end of it from my folks. Hard earned money was not to be spent on useless items in the back of comic books. So instead I saved up to buy more comic books and anxiously awaited each issues ads.

And what did it actually look like? Looks like these little fellows were pleased.

(SOURCE: Terror Daves)

Click here to see another version of the ad. And click here to see the actual ship in pieces with instructions.

I'm guessing this was the space ship dashboard which obviously needed some assembly...and imagination.

I sort of wish all of these things were still available for $2.98 because now I get even more for making my bed each week. I think first I'd buy the Sea Monkeys and the X-Ray glasses. I'd hold out awhile before purchasing the space ship.

Someday I'll get around to buying this book. I've had it on my "to buy" list for several years. It looks like a great collection of all the old ads, some I don't even remember. Better yet is that the author delves into the mystery behind all of this junk. Are kids more savy these days? Some are, some aren't. But I think most kids these days would be a little unhappy to get a cardboard space ship for Christmas after playing computer virtual reality games.

HONOR HOUSE strikes again!

If we were deceived by the wrist radio from yesterday, what's the deception in the item below?

Even if I'd saved enough allowance money to purchase this doll house with "all modern conveniences" and a "beautiful grass lawn that actually grows on our magic soil" my folks would have said "no!" So comic book ads were like wish books, the Sears Christmas catalogue on a smaller scale. Each comic provided numerous items that I'd dream about buying. Of course, kids don't read the fine print. We looked at the pictures. We determined what the value of the toy was by how it was being shown and that's what advertisers like Honest House counted on.

Click on image to see it larger.

If we did read the copy we weren't very good at reading between the lines. We'd see "excitement," "sensational," "little princess," and "magic." Our folks on the other hand would see "the special material used and mass production techniques" and "easy assembly instructions."

So again I ask, did anyone ever buy one of these? How fast did it fall apart? What exactly was the magic soil? Has anyone ever seen one for sale on ebay? I do recall seeing a metal dollhouse like I actually owned for sale several years ago. Alas, mine never came out of storage after our move to Hawaii, not that I'd have a place to put it.

This ad is from the 18th issue of Betty and Veronica Summer Fun published by Archie Comic Publication in September 1962.

So, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE DOING?

Even today when I first see this ad I think, "Cool, wrist radios that allow me to talk to other kids!" This would have solved a lot of problems during childhood when my best friend and I were sick at the same time. Instead of cutting letters out of construction paper and holding them up to our bedroom windows at night while shinning a flashlight at them in a futile attempt to spell out words, window to window, and generally getting sleepy before either of us ever managed to spell out a complete sentence...talking into our wrists would have been A LOT easier.

Click on image to see it larger.

From the February 1964 "She's Josie" comic book published by Radio Comics.

Ahhhh, but no, this is not what they're selling. Read the copy. Even if the ad makes it look like these kids are talking to each other, what you've really got is just a small transistor radio. I'm betting it was made in Japan, which at that time generally meant it was junk. Boy how times have changed.

I would love to know of anyone who ever bought one of these. I wonder if any still exist or did kids stomp on them when they arrived, angry that they'd been "duped" by a company called Honor House. I cannot find any information about Honor House other than a lot of other ads for junk toys which most surely disappointed every child who anxiously waited by their mailbox for their special delivery.