KathieB Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Do you remember the little books of stamps that we collected with great fervor in the 50s and 60s? I can remember pasting and pasting the strips into the little booklets. We'd have Sunday night pasting parties. It was sometimes a challenge to pull apart strips that glued themselves together after getting damp in a grocery bag. I remember going to a redemption center with a whole bag of books to claim a prize, some kind of household item, but I can't remember what it was. Most of the items were things that you find at yard sales nowadays. The program began in 1896. At its peak, after WW II, S&H distributed 3 times more stamps than the US Postal Service. They printed enough catalogs to circle the globe one and a half times. Sperry and Hutchison was the single largest publisher in the United States and the largest purchaser of consumer goods in the world. It was estimated that 80% of households collected the stamps. The little stamps faded away in the 70s, but apparently they have been reincarnated as Greenpoints and are collected via an electronic card that is swiped by participating merchants, primarily on the east coast, and are redeemed online through http://www.greenpoints.com More on S&H at http://www.shsolutions.com/press_pdf/sh_everything2_0406.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grazhina Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I hit the jackpot when I moved my refrigerator in the early 70's. The previous tenant had left a pile of Green Stamps books behind when they moved out. I rushed out and got something before it all ended. My mother got a sewing machine with hers back in the 60's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hallowell Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 It's funny, we were just talking about S & H Greenstamps at home a couple of days ago. I miss the fun of filling those little and looking through the catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyG Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 My mother always saved the stamps in a small brown bag...and periodically, when the bag was stuffed, she gave them to me, along with some empty books, and I filled them! Then, the next weekend, we made the 32 mile trip to the S&H Green Stamp store. I remember going in and the entire store had shelves along three sides, displaying things you could get, and how many books of stamps you needed to get them. My parents would look over the merchandise before they decided on what they wanted. I can't remember any particular item they got, but just that it was exciting. Like you won something! The cards sound interesting...but I still prefer the green stamps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToScaleHouser Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 What a neat topic! I remember the S&H Green stamps and going to the S&H redemption center to cash them in on a floor lamp for the living room when I was a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 About 15 years ago one of our grocery stores did something similar with dinnerware. I'd find some elderly person in line with me that was saving them to give mine to. When I went off to university DM hauled me to the Top Value Stamp Store (the golden-yellow colored stamps) to get me a blanket for my bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovecats Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I remember them! I was a kid and our parents would take us to the place you turned them in and they would find an item in exchange for whatever amount they had enough stamps for. it was cool. i can still picture the place that we went to...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymakesstuff2 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 My grandma always had blue chips. We would get the neatest stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 My oldest DD's baby bed was purchased using S&H green stamps that my MIL had saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just One More Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I got so many things with Green Stamps when I first got married back in the 50's. Now they have just continued the Betty Crocker coupons. I must have had close to 2000 and now they are worthless. Those kind of things are fun because it's like getting things for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Day Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I remember my mom collecting these, and I have a vague memory of the store where you redeemed them, but that might actually be a scene from the Brady Bunch that I remember! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I remember the way the green dye would turn my fingers green when I'd fill the books. Going to the redemtion store was always fun. The one I remember most was a mantle clock my parents had for years. My mother saved a long time for that one. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I haven't thrown out my Betty Crocker coupons yet, I guess I should. At least I was able to get our oldest son & ourselves silverware chests, I was saving to get another one for the second son (sigh)... Of course, I just stopped cutting out the Purina Dog Chow weight circles last year! I still clip recipes off of packages & labels, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 We too got so many things for the house! Brand name items too! Those were wonderful! Then there were plaid stamps, Gold stamps - but all went away. Glad to see they "may" be coming back - in another form maybe - but something coming back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honeybunny Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I remember Mom collecting the stamps, and I loved putting the stamps in the book. But, I can't remember her getting anything with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet2Dawn Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Up until, I want to say the late 80's there was a redemption store in East Windsor, CT, I used to work near it at the Ramada Hotel. Funny brings back memories talking about them, my mom saved them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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