More Stuff From the Box
Have you missed the STUFF FROM THE BOX? Well it's back! New and gluten-free.
First up is this neat item, a 1949 “Andy Pafko” score-keeping ring, given away as a premium from Muffets Shredded Wheat (a Quaker product, I believe). Andy was a member of the Chicago Cubs (1942-1951) and he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves. He was also a five-time All-Star and World Series champ in 1957.
As you can see, the ring has three small dials, and cut-out windows so that the wearer could keep track of balls, strikes, and outs during a game. My ring is kind of worn (you can see traces of the original red paint where the stitches are), but I love it just the way it is.
Next is this tin-litho badge, date unknown (but maybe 1970s or even 1980s?), declaring that the possessor of this item was a member of the BIG BOY CLUB. As in Bob's Big Boy. Not Shoney's, not Elby's, Marc's, none of that malarky, it's BOB! If I'd received one of these as a kid, I would have been very happy. Now I'm craving a double decker burger and a chocolate milkshake (with the extra milkshake served in the separate metal cup).
This next one is a bit odd... a stickpin advertising Gorton's Fish Foods. Not food for fish! You can still buy Gorton's fish sticks, and I think you should. Put some on a toasted bun with tartar sauce and pickles, and maybe a slice of American cheese; a meal fit for a king! I don't know the date of this item, but stickpins generally seem to come from the early 1900s.
For a while I was picking up old employee pins of various kinds, and these two are very nice examples from the Hughes Aircraft Company. They are about 5/8" in diameter, with attractive gold and enamel, and tiny "gems". A ruby for a fifteen-year employee, and a diamond for twenty years.
In spite of the fact that I generally don't collect political pins, I've still wound up with some. It just happened! Here's a small tin-litho badge for fans of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
And finally, a plastic puzzle in the shape of a Shmoo. What's a Shmoo? A Shmoo is a fictional cartoon creature created by Al Capp; the character first appeared in the comic strip Li'l Abner on August 31, 1948. One surprising detail about them is that they are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten! These came in a variety of color combinations, and yet I have somehow wound up with two that are just the same. Sure, I could take this puzzle apart and put it back together. I could do it blindfolded! I just don't want to.
There is lots more STUFF FROM THE BOX!
14 comments:
Major-
Who doesn't love a nice stickpin-? Especially one featuring a fish-! I'm totally smitten.
Thanks, Major.
While I like the looks of the baseball ring, its usefulness seems rather dubious. I mean, the Balls, Strikes, and Outs would be tallied on the big scoreboard, right? While the kid is looking down, messing with the ring, he's gonna miss a triple play!
I wonder, did they hand out the Big Boy pins to anybody who wanted one? Or did you have to spend "x" number of dollars to become a club member? I'm also wondering what that design is on the tab at the top.
I like the Gorton's pin because, you know, sparkly, glittery gold and all. I'm getting mesmerized just looking at it. My eyes have rotating spirals in them, like in the cartoons.
My favorites today are the Hughes employee pins; very attractive! Glittery gold, flashy gems. The white background really makes them look elegant.
I appreciate the simplicity and clarity-of-message of the "IKE" pin. He was the first president in my lifetime, although I don't think I have any memory of seeing him on TV then, even though I probably did.
The Shmoo is interesting, and I do like puzzles. How big is it, Major? Any idea where it came from? Cereal box, maybe?
Nice Stuff again, Major.
I didn't know about the Shmoo's history. The only time I ever heard that name, it was associated with a late 1970s cartoon, about a group of crime-fighters who traveled around with "The Shmoo," sort of like the "Scooby Doo" group. I don't think I even watched a single episode, because I had stopped watching Saturday morning cartoons.
I think my favorite today is the Gorton's stick pin, because after all these years, I still trust the Gorton's fisherman. And wasn't he married to Mrs. Paul?
Thanks for more Stuff, Major!
My grandmother had a hall table with a drawer in it that, among other items, contained a bunch of pins from the 1950s. In addition to my mom’s Girl Scout pins, it also had several political pins and multiple variations of “I Like Ike,” including at lest one identical to yours. I have fond memories of rummaging through that. Thanks for dragging those to the surface.
TM!, I remember that Shmoo cartoon, but I never watched it, either. A girl I had a crush on watched it because her mom had been a huge fan of the character when she was a girl.
I was tempted by a job at Hughes Aircraft back in the day, but didn’t take it because I would have to move to LA. I’ll take one of those pins today I guess, or the Big Boy pin. That milkshake sounds good.
Wouldn’t a sheet of paper and a pencil work better than that baseball ring?
Major, you’re right about Gortons, we make fish tacos with the fish sticks.
I used to have a McGovern-Eagleton pin somewhere, but no idea where now.
I remember the shmoos from the comic strip but not much else.
Thanks Major! The Box never disappoints.
JG
'Round 'bout these parts the Big Boy wasn't Bob; he was Kipp! You see, Big Boy was franchised out. Other than the name, everything was the same. I'd love a Big Boy burger with a Hot Tin Roof Sundae about right now!
I like Ike! He was born in my hometown of Denison, Tx! Tjey still have a state park that features a huge bust of him. Terrifying, really.
Nanook, I actually do like a nice stickpin! I just got an oldie with “Mutt” (of “Mutt and Jeff” fame) that I really enjoy.
JB, there have been baseball stat gizmos going back 100 years, I guess there are those fans who like to keep track of all of the details of the game, in spite of the big board. I don’t know who got to be a member of the Big Boy Club, but my guess is that was mostly kids. I think that might be a union “bug” at the top of the badge. The Hughes pins are pretty nice, I don’t really collect employee pins anymore, but I do have a lot of them that you haven’t seen yet! My grandparents liked Ike and had quite a few election pins in various drawers around their house. The Shmoo puzzle is about 1.75” tall, I don’t believe it was a cereal prize.
TokyoMagic!, I feel like I’ve known about the Shmoo for a long time, though I’m not sure why, since I never really read “Li’l Abner”. Pairing the Shmoo with Scooby Doo sounds like one of those nutty Saturday Morning Cartoon ideas, like the Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. Huh?? I can’t keep track of the Gorton’s fisherman’s romantic dalliances.
Chuck, apparently my grandparents also liked Barry Goldwater, I still have a small group of items from his unsuccessful campaign, including a bunch of “gold” coins with his stern likeness on them. I’m sure they are legal tender. The Shmoo is very much like Gloop and Gleep from the Herculoids. As you know. Maybe they weren’t as edible?
JG, I knew a man who had a long career as an illustrator for Boeing, back before their planes fell apart in midair. He owned a beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills, it’s probably worth millions now, all on an artist’s salary. Amazing. A sheet of paper works fine, but it’s not as fun as a gizmo. I’ve seen other score-keeping doodads of all shapes and sizes, so it was definitely a thing for baseball fans. I have at least one McGovern pin, maybe I’ve already shown it on GDB. It was definitely NOT from my grandparents, since they were die-hard Nixon fans.
Anon, yes, depending on where you lived, Big Boy went by any number of names. It was quite a culture shock when I moved to Pennsylvania and saw the restaurants going by the name “Shoney’s”. I’m not sure I knew that Ike was from Texas, so now I have learned something.
That was Stu!
The Schmoo was originally a satiric conceit. It was entirely edible, tasting like chicken or steak depending on how it was cooked. Its whiskers and eyes were ideal for toothpicks and replacement shirt buttons. It would entertain you -- a bunch of them would do Broadway musicals. It multiplied so fast you never ran out. And its only desire was to serve / be served to man.
Therefore it was a deadly threat to America and the world. The capitalist system would collapse, since nobody would need to work or produce anything with the Schmoos providing everything. There would be no crime or war, because with Schmoos everywhere there was no need to steal or fight. So of course the Schmoos had to be banished. Over the years the Schmoos made occasional returns, usually in some variant of the original tale.
Schmoos became a fad and were heavily merchandised, somewhat separated from their original role as unwitting vehicles of anarchy. The Hanna-Barbara cartoon stripped away everything but its name and appearance, make the Schmoo a cheerful shape-shifter. There was no reference at all to the Li'l Abner comic strip, just as they spun The Thing off from Marvel's Fantastic Four and kept nothing but his name and design.
Cartoonist Al Capp evidently took some heat for the subversive nature of the original Schmoo, since he later did a story in which Schmoos loosed in communist Lower Slobbovia also destroyed THAT social order.
He also created the slightly similar Kigmys, little human-like creatures, cheerful and talkative, who loved being kicked in their ample behinds. Unlike Schmoos they were a boon to society, allowing citizens to release their hostilities on somebody who enjoyed it. Kigmys would be dressed up as whoever you wanted to kick. Then one day a Kigmy discovered it was more pleasant to kick than be kicked ...
DBenson, you must be a scholar of old comic strips, or at least of Li’l Abner! I did not know the detail about the Shmoos being a deadly threat to America and the capitalist system, that’s pretty hilarious. My understanding is that Al Capp was a crusty but brilliant guy. I’ve mostly read “Fearless Fosdick” comics, and those things are awesome, supposedly a big influence on MAD Magazine, which totally makes sense. Thanks for the fun history lesson!
I'd guess that ball/strike/out counter was more for kids playing baseball where there is no big scoreboard.
For my 20-year anniversary at work, I got a form email from the CEO and a vacation day. No diamond pin.
Dean Finder, hey, at least you managed to do 20 years at one job! I've had to jump around from employer to employer more times that I care to think about.
TM!, I remember that Shmoo cartoon, but I never watched it, either. A girl I had a crush on watched it because her mom had been a huge fan of the character when she was a girl.
Chuck, and don't forget....that cartoon led to the children's musical variety show, "The New Shmoo Revue" (Is Coming Right At You!) ;-)
TM!, I almost spit my breakfast out laughing!
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