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marked50

(1,590 posts)
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 10:38 AM Jan 2026

Go back to the Times of the "Johnson Smith Catalog" and all its fun items - Wanted the X-ray glasses-What did you want?

Not only that catalog but the great things you could get from the back of comic books- "Learn to throw your voice"

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Go back to the Times of the "Johnson Smith Catalog" and all its fun items - Wanted the X-ray glasses-What did you want? (Original Post) marked50 Jan 2026 OP
sea monkeys. I always wanted them debm55 Jan 2026 #1
Thanks debm55. I did get some- brine shrimp- they didn't last long. Fun getting it in the mail marked50 Jan 2026 #3
Sea monkeys, until I learned they were really just brine shrimp! Tanuki Jan 2026 #2
Thanks Tanuki. marked50 Jan 2026 #4
If memory serves, they were rather stinky. Unpleasant to the nose. Intractable Jan 2026 #6
In a word, "muscles." Intractable Jan 2026 #5
I remember that one too. Decided I didn't want to work that hard. Thanks Intractable marked50 Jan 2026 #7
;-{) air rifles Goonch Jan 2026 #8
Wow, Goonch. I didn't get one of those but I was sure interested in the BB gun Pistol- much cheaper marked50 Jan 2026 #9
I ordered the Ventrillo nuxvomica Jan 2026 #10
Pretty cool nuxvomica- Thanks marked50 Jan 2026 #11
I got one of those too Marthe48 Jan 2026 #12
Yep, Marthe48 marked50 Jan 2026 #15
I remember using my Christmas money to order Marthe48 Jan 2026 #17
I got the rock crystals Marthe48 Jan 2026 #13
I did get the rock crystals. Not what I thought they would be. debm55 Jan 2026 #14
I remember the rock things but don't remember if I bought them but marked50 Jan 2026 #16
I have some old comic books Marthe48 Jan 2026 #19
That ought to be fun-thanks, Marthe48 marked50 Jan 2026 #21
I remember the teacup monkey ads nuxvomica Jan 2026 #18
As far as I know you can order live chicks Marthe48 Jan 2026 #23
I wanted my own robot after seeing "Lost in Space". LudwigPastorius Jan 2026 #20
Thanks, LudwigPastorius marked50 Jan 2026 #22

marked50

(1,590 posts)
3. Thanks debm55. I did get some- brine shrimp- they didn't last long. Fun getting it in the mail
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 10:51 AM
Jan 2026

Intractable

(2,347 posts)
5. In a word, "muscles."
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 10:54 AM
Jan 2026

Remember the ad about the beach bully who kicks sand in the wimpy guy's face?

Then the wimp somehow acquires muscles and beats up the bully.

marked50

(1,590 posts)
9. Wow, Goonch. I didn't get one of those but I was sure interested in the BB gun Pistol- much cheaper
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 11:08 AM
Jan 2026

nuxvomica

(14,171 posts)
10. I ordered the Ventrillo
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 11:39 AM
Jan 2026

Which was supposed to allow you to throw your voice. It was a small piece of cardboard wrapped with some kind of ribbon that you were supposed to place somewhere in your mouth. I couldn't figure it out and was therefore doomed to being unpopular.

What I really wanted was a computer that you build yourself. It was advertised in a lot of comic books. But my dad said it was a waste of money and I didn't want to push it because I didn't want to admit my goal was to use it for world domination, which is what I thought computers were used for.

marked50

(1,590 posts)
11. Pretty cool nuxvomica- Thanks
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 12:10 PM
Jan 2026

Quite a combination -you could dominate the world and the whole time you could make somebody else take the blame if anything went wrong.

Marthe48

(23,333 posts)
12. I got one of those too
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 12:49 PM
Jan 2026

Couldn't get it to work.

I think a lot of the toys were designed to allow you to throw your money away

marked50

(1,590 posts)
15. Yep, Marthe48
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 01:43 PM
Jan 2026

It was something that if you bought into some of those things and expected great things it taught you a certain level of discernment necessary for your future.

Marthe48

(23,333 posts)
17. I remember using my Christmas money to order
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 01:54 PM
Jan 2026

I think I had $10 and was poring over the ad, trying to get the most for my money. I was about 10 years old. My Mom was hovering and asked me several times if I wanted to spend my money that way. Yes, I did. She let me make the order, and when I got it, lesson learned. I remember the crystals, the voice thrower. I think I got the device that was supposed to cast an image onto paper so you could draw it. I got it set up and working, but the image on paper was unfocused and faint.

Funny, seeing what the stuff was didn't make me stop wanting it.

Marthe48

(23,333 posts)
13. I got the rock crystals
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 12:51 PM
Jan 2026

They were supposed to grow in water. Didn't work.

Do I remember that you could actually buy a live teacup monkey?

marked50

(1,590 posts)
16. I remember the rock things but don't remember if I bought them but
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 01:45 PM
Jan 2026

I do also remember the tea cup monkey- didn't think it real.

Marthe48

(23,333 posts)
19. I have some old comic books
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 03:43 PM
Jan 2026

The post makes me want to get them out and look at the ads.

nuxvomica

(14,171 posts)
18. I remember the teacup monkey ads
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 02:05 PM
Jan 2026

Apparently you use to be able to order live animals through the mail. I pity the postal workers who had to deal with that, and the monkeys themselves, of course. I've never seen a memoir of somebody who actually ordered one.

Marthe48

(23,333 posts)
23. As far as I know you can order live chicks
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 07:37 PM
Jan 2026

A few years ago, my daughter and her husband ordered live chicks for their flock. My son-in-law went to the p.o. office to pick them up. Jokingly told the clerk he'd heard it was a good place to pick up chicks. She didn't think it was funny.

Anyway, the chicks survived the journey and enjoyed the life span of happy chickens. There are so many adventures of the chickens. I had no idea they are so entertaining

I just remembered that I know 2 people who bought dogs that were shipped. I hope there are tight regulations on all of those transactions.









LudwigPastorius

(14,925 posts)
20. I wanted my own robot after seeing "Lost in Space".
Thu Jan 8, 2026, 04:57 PM
Jan 2026

This seemed like a decent alternative until the real thing was available.


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