# 19 Things Every Baby Boomer Will Recognize



## Karen99 (Jan 10, 2016)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebo...-every-baby-boomer-feel-like-a-kid#.nfmVr3e0o


This is fun..I had the Chatty Cathy and the Barbie...

:magnify:


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## Pookie (Jan 10, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebo...-every-baby-boomer-feel-like-a-kid#.nfmVr3e0o
> 
> 
> This is fun..I had the Chatty Cathy and the Barbie...
> ...



Ohhhhhhh my! Thank you soooooo much for the trip down Memory Lane, my friend! Hubby and I loved this!

It brought a pile of laughs and smiles....we needed this so much! We're still smiling about those things as I type!

Thank you!


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## Karen99 (Jan 10, 2016)

Pookie said:


> Ohhhhhhh my! Thank you soooooo much for the trip down Memory Lane, my friend! Hubby and I loved this!
> 
> It brought a pile of laughs and smiles....we needed this so much! We're still smiling about those things as I type!
> 
> Thank you!



yay, glad to hear that Pookie..it's fun sharing memories 

:happy:


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## jujube (Jan 11, 2016)

I had Mr. Potato head before it came with a body.  All you got were the arms, legs, nose, etc. and you had to use a real potato.   About the second time we left a rotting potato in the toy box, Mr. Potato Head left the building....


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 11, 2016)

Love my Silly Putty for the Sunday funnies, my clamp on roller skates and of course, my family transistor radio that my parents let me use a lot.


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## NancyNGA (Jan 11, 2016)

I've seen all these things but only had clamp on skates, transistor radio, and drank TAB starting whenever it came out. 

TV dinners were too expensive.

Oh I forgot about the ViewMaster.  I've still got it.


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

Omg that's so funny, Jujube...you had to use a real potato...I love it!

Seabreeze..  I had those skates too..wore my skate key around my neck on a shoestring..oh my


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 11, 2016)

Ahhh...the good ol' days, wouldn't have wanted to grow up during any other time period.


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## Cookie (Jan 11, 2016)

Had skates, viewmaster, transister radio and mood ring, no Barbie though or silly putty.


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

Nancy.. I remember my transistor radio..it was smaller than that..but I used to go to sleep with it on my pillow..I think I got an earplug eventually. remember dedications on the radio?


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## NancyNGA (Jan 11, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> Nancy.. I remember my transistor radio..it was smaller than that..but I used to go to sleep with it on my pillow..I think I got an earplug eventually. remember dedications on the radio?



Yes!  And also when they used to give the *name of the song and who was singing*.  Now you can like a song but never know it's name or who sang it for years.


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

seabreeze..this is for you..lol..


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## AprilT (Jan 11, 2016)

Howdy Doody was a little before me, I remember hearing about him, not seeing the show though.  The pet rock thing I thought was a newer thing as I'd never heard of that till recent years; I missed out


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

NancyNGA said:


> I've seen all these things but only had clamp on skates, transistor radio, and drank TAB starting whenever it came out.
> 
> TV dinners were too expensive.
> 
> Oh I forgot about the ViewMaster.  I've still got it.



ohh..I remember we begged my mom for a TV dinner when they first came out.  Lol, can you imagine?  It was so cool eating on a real TV tray....:woohoo::sunshine:


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

AprilT said:


> Howdy Doody was a little before me, I remember hearing about him, not seeing the show though.  The pet rock thing I thought was a newer thing as I'd never heard of that till recent years; I missed out



April, I was actually scared of Howdy Doody, my brother had one.  You can imagine later when Chuckie got popular..mg1:mg1:


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## jujube (Jan 11, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> ohh..I remember we begged my mom for a TV dinner when they first came out.  Lol, can you imagine?  It was so cool eating on a real TV tray....:woohoo::sunshine:



I begged my mom unmercifully for a TV dinner.  It was terrible.  How could anyone eat those things back then?

As an "early" baby boomer, some of those things were a little too late for my _childhood_ (Chatty Cathy, banana seats, Pat Rock, Pong, and Easy Bake Oven) and the clamp-on skates were before my time, but the rest were spot on.  Loved my Silly Putty and watching Howdy Doody.  

Tang, now....Tang got me through college.  When I was too broke to go down and buy a Coke from the machine, there was always a great big jar of Tang to mix with cold water from the drinking fountain.   It went real well with the can of Spaghetti-O's that I cooked in the popcorn maker.


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

jujube said:


> I begged my mom unmercifully for a TV dinner.  It was terrible.  How could anyone eat those things back then?
> 
> 
> Tang, now....Tang got me through college.  When I was too broke to go down and buy a Coke from the machine, there was always a great big jar of Tang to mix with cold water from the drinking fountain.   It went real well with the can of Spaghetti-O's that I cooked in the popcorn maker.



Wow..and you know the astronauts drank Tang!  My mom wouldn't buy it but my aunt did..I felt so sophisticated drinking that..so "cutting edge".  Plus you got Spaghetti-O's...now that rocks, Jujube


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## AprilT (Jan 11, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> April, I was actually scared of Howdy Doody, my brother had one.  You can imagine later when Chuckie got popular..mg1:mg1:




Good old Chuckie, I remember going to see that movie, I think I even went to see the second one.  The movies we put ourselves through, but, for sure I wouldn't let a doll like that near me.  Funny, when I was visiting my friend over the Christmas holidays, one of those Chuckie movies came on and she was all into watching it, I said not thanks, I think she ended up going into her bedroom and watched it.  

And yes, I see that Howdy Doody character and my first thought is always creepy.  I've never been a fan of any of those kinds of dolls or puppeteers, marionettes, hand puppets and the like either, they all creep me out.


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## jujube (Jan 11, 2016)

AprilT said:


> And yes, I see that Howdy Doody character and my first thought is always creepy.  I've never been a fan of any of those kinds of dolls or puppeteers, marionettes, hand puppets and the like either, they all creep me out.



Right now, I have a ventriloquist dummy propped up on the bed in my guest room. It gives me the creeps every time I see it.  Can't wait until I'm finished wading through memory lane and put it back in one of the packers.


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## AprilT (Jan 11, 2016)

jujube said:


> Right now, I have a ventriloquist dummy propped up on the bed in my guest room. It gives me the creeps every time I see it.  Can't wait until I'm finished wading through memory lane and put it back in one of the packers.



I so hate those the mostest.:holymoly:. :lol1:


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## Karen99 (Jan 11, 2016)

jujube said:


> Right now, I have a ventriloquist dummy propped up on the bed in my guest room. It gives me the creeps every time I see it.  Can't wait until I'm finished wading through memory lane and put it back in one of the packers.



:hide::eewwk:

Well ok then...I hope it doesn't get upset and drag itself back there after you put him away.


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## Greeneyes (Jan 12, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebo...-every-baby-boomer-feel-like-a-kid#.nfmVr3e0o
> 
> 
> This is fun..I had the Chatty Cathy and the Barbie...
> ...




I remember most of these items. Did anyone ever have a baby pat at burp doll? lol


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## Karen99 (Jan 12, 2016)

Greeneyes said:


> I remember most of these items. Did anyone ever have a baby pat at burp doll? lol



Hi Greeneyes . I didn't have that doll..but I got Tiny Tears...as I recall.  no idea why my mom bought me dolls every year...lol


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## Bluecheese50 (Jan 13, 2016)

I detested dolls as a kid, as I was, and still am, a tom boy. My father bought me a train set when I was four, but I was only permitted to play with it when he was there. As he was so busy that was once in a blue moon!


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## Greeneyes (Jan 13, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> Hi Greeneyes . I didn't have that doll..but I got Tiny Tears...as I recall.  no idea why my mom bought me dolls every year...lol



Hi Karen, I wanted that baby pat a burp and a sewing machine and got both that year...the only Christmas I remember. Never had a tiny tears doll, but had Barbies.


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## Ameriscot (Jan 13, 2016)

I had the original Barbie - 1959.  My grandmother sewed the outfits for her, even a faux mink coat.  

I remember all the rest as well, but didn't own all of them.

Just looked up the going rate for an original 1959 Barbie in mint condition - $27K!!


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## Greeneyes (Jan 13, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> I had the original Barbie - 1959.  My grandmother sewed the outfits for her, even a faux mink coat.
> 
> I remember all the rest as well, but didn't own all of them.
> 
> Just looked up the going rate for an original 1959 Barbie in mint condition - $27K!!



wow...did you keep the 1959 Barbie?


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## Karen99 (Jan 13, 2016)

This was my favorite Christmas gift and I kept it fifty year..from 1961.  Only difference was I had a basket in front.


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## NancyNGA (Jan 13, 2016)

Karen, that is a fancy bike compared to mine.  Mine had those big clunky balloon tires.  Hard to maneuver in grass.  No gears, no hand brakes.


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## Ameriscot (Jan 13, 2016)

Greeneyes said:


> wow...did you keep the 1959 Barbie?



Nope.  My sister and I both had one and when we were teens my mom gave them away to some cousins.


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## Ameriscot (Jan 13, 2016)

NancyNGA said:


> Karen, that is a fancy bike compared to mine.  Mine had those big clunky balloon tires.  Hard to maneuver in grass.  No gears, no hand brakes.



I had one of those as well.  Back pedal to brake.  Big heavy tires.


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## Bluecheese50 (Jan 13, 2016)

I didn't have a proper bicycle until I was eleven. However, we had a small caterpillar tractor used on one of our fields, I was able to drive it from the age of five. It was deadly dangerous as the exhaust pipe ran along the side of the tractor and it was easy to burn oneself on it, no health and safety controls in those days!

I learned drive one of my father's cars when I was twelve, but of course couldn't go on the road until I passed my driving test at 17, the legal driving age.


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## Karen99 (Jan 13, 2016)

NancyNGA said:


> Karen, that is a fancy bike compared to mine.  Mine had those big clunky balloon tires.  Hard to maneuver in grass.  No gears, no hand brakes.



Nancy..I never dreamed I'd actually get _that _bike for Christmas.  My old used bike (which I also loved) was stolen and I had to walk to school for a couple of months...and this was like being handed the keys to a new Cadillac. It went away to college with me and took me many , many miles over my life.  It was just the most beautiful bike I ever saw..and still is


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## AprilT (Jan 13, 2016)

I loved my Barbie, Ragaddy Ann dolls just before aging out of the doll phase, I had a play group, we formed our little multi-culural group, on our own I don't think any of us saw it that way in our little Brooklyn neighborhood.  I only see the uniqueness decades later.  Anyway, we used to make clothing for our Barbie's we also used to ride our bikes up and down the sidewalk.  It was avery fun time stone ave or gates street in Brooklyn NY. I can't remember which, but, ii remember those gals and my best friend in crime, Anna. Thanks for the memories


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## Ken N Tx (Jan 22, 2016)




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## Butterfly (Jan 22, 2016)

Ken N Tx said:


> View attachment 25998



I sure do.  I used to eat there almost every day at lunch back in '63 when I worked downtown.  You could get a nice lunch for a very reasonable price, and that lunch counter was always packed.


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## jujube (Jan 22, 2016)

The Woolworth's lunch counter was my Holy Mecca of dining.  I was NOT.ALLOWED.UNDER.ANY.CIRCUMSTANCES to eat there (my grandmother was convinced that eating at a dimestore lunch counter was a guaranteed bout of ptomaine poisoning as well as the first step on the slippery slope to "becoming _common and/or vulgar_" ).

Of course, as soon as I was old enough to go downtown on the occasional Saturday with my friends, it was off to the lunch counter.  A BLT, fries and a Coke in a paper-cone/metal-holder contraption, served over the most delightful shaved ice, could be had for 50 cents or less.  Round that out with a 40 cent movie (which was actually TWO movies, several cartoons and a newsreel), 25 cent bus fare and a 19 cent forbidden Tangee lipstick and a great time could be had for $1.50.


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## Karen99 (Jan 22, 2016)

jujube said:


> The Woolworth's lunch counter was my Holy Mecca of dining.  I was NOT.ALLOWED.UNDER.ANY.CIRCUMSTANCES to eat there (my grandmother was convinced that eating at a dimestore lunch counter was a guaranteed bout of ptomaine poisoning as well as the first step on the slippery slope to "becoming _common and/or vulgar_" ).
> 
> Of course, as soon as I was old enough to go downtown on the occasional Saturday with my friends, it was off to the lunch counter.  A BLT, fries and a Coke in a paper-cone/metal-holder contraption, served over the most delightful shaved ice, could be had for 50 cents or less.  Round that out with a 40 cent movie (which was actually TWO movies, several cartoons and a newsreel), 25 cent bus fare and a 19 cent forbidden Tangee lipstick and a great time could be had for $1.50.



That's so funny about your grandma . My mom worked at Woolworth's lunch counter when she was 16 and that's where my dad met her.  She got fired for cutting the cake too big..and that was a joke between them for the 50 years they were married before my dad passed.

i remember eating at Kress and Woolworth's lunch counters with girlfriends in jr high.  We would buy cheap makeup and get our pictures taken in the photo booth...4 shots for a quarter...I guess that was my generation's "selfie".  I remember we always did that at the county fair too.


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## imp (Jan 22, 2016)

Our dimestore was a spin-off of Kresge's, owned by a Neisner family, but everything in Ken's pic is exactly like  it. I wonder if Woolworths and Kresges were linked. No "supermarkets"  yet, my Mother, a non-driver, walked the three blocks to Cermak Road several times a week, buying the necessities like meat and milk. Neisner Dimestore was two blocks west of our street. We often ate lunch there, my favorite being open-face hot roast turkey sandwich with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, *99 cents! *After my nephew was born when I was 5, my sister, divorced going to work daily, he became the third party to our shopping trips; he remembers Neisners to this day, probably from about age 4, after which my sister remarried.   imp


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## imp (Jan 22, 2016)

*Early Dime Stores and Many Others (link)*

A few memorable storefronts from Chicago-land area. Of the ones in the link, I recall about 90% of them. Note the vintage cars; 1950s and up.  imp
http://www.craigslostchicago.com/lost-shopping.php


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## fureverywhere (Jan 22, 2016)

Oh thank you so much!!! I still have a scar on my thumb from trying to open one of those frickin' Silly Putty eggs, but what fun. Copying cartoons from the newspaper. Can you imagine the new generation? But it doesn't DO anything. Chatty Cathy and Howdy Doody were before my time but hubby remembers Mr Potato Head when you had to have your own potato.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 22, 2016)

Everything except Howdy Doody - he was a little before my time.


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## Ina (Jan 22, 2016)




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## Pappy (Jan 22, 2016)

This was one of my favorite TV dinners. This, tv table and Howdy Doody and Buffalo Bob. Life was good.


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## fureverywhere (Jan 22, 2016)

I had a yellow Schwinn with a banana seat...my first ride


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## Karen99 (Jan 22, 2016)

I rememer these all over town...then poof they were gone.


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## SifuPhil (Jan 22, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> I rememer these all over town...then poof they were gone.



They had a long, slow, sad slide into obscurity, being bought and sold over the years.

Their own branded health products are still sold in some Dollar Generals.


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## NancyNGA (Jan 22, 2016)

This is a linen postcard of the old Scotts store in my hometown in Ohio.  I don't think it was a chain, but it was just like Woolworths, including a *huge* lunch counter running the length of the store.  On the wall behind the counter was a jungle mural.  As a kid that mural was what fascinated me. It is long gone.


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## Karen99 (Jan 22, 2016)

Nice postcard, Nancy . I remember loving the five and dime stores...but what fun eating at the lunch counter.


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## Butterfly (Jan 26, 2016)

AprilT said:


> I so hate those the mostest.:holymoly:. :lol1:



Me, too.  So creepy.


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## Butterfly (Jan 26, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> That's so funny about your grandma . My mom worked at Woolworth's lunch counter when she was 16 and that's where my dad met her.  She got fired for cutting the cake too big..and that was a joke between them for the 50 years they were married before my dad passed.
> 
> i remember eating at Kress and Woolworth's lunch counters with girlfriends in jr high.  We would buy cheap makeup and get our pictures taken in the photo booth...4 shots for a quarter...I guess that was my generation's "selfie".  I remember we always did that at the county fair too.



OOO -- I remember those photo booths, too.  Great fun!


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## Butterfly (Jan 26, 2016)

jujube said:


> The Woolworth's lunch counter was my Holy Mecca of dining.  I was NOT.ALLOWED.UNDER.ANY.CIRCUMSTANCES to eat there (my grandmother was convinced that eating at a dimestore lunch counter was a guaranteed bout of ptomaine poisoning as well as the first step on the slippery slope to "becoming _common and/or vulgar_" ).
> 
> Of course, as soon as I was old enough to go downtown on the occasional Saturday with my friends, it was off to the lunch counter.  A BLT, fries and a Coke in a paper-cone/metal-holder contraption, served over the most delightful shaved ice, could be had for 50 cents or less.  Round that out with a 40 cent movie (which was actually TWO movies, several cartoons and a newsreel), 25 cent bus fare and a 19 cent forbidden Tangee lipstick and a great time could be had for $1.50.



I remember the forbidden Tangee lipsticks, too.  You had to keep them hidden or your mother would have a FIT!  And you couldn't put it on until you left the house -- then get your trusty little mirror and get glam!


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## Butterfly (Jan 26, 2016)

SifuPhil said:


> Everything except Howdy Doody - he was a little before my time.



Howdy Doody was SOO gross!  creepy, too!


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## jujube (Jan 26, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> I remember the forbidden Tangee lipsticks, too.  You had to keep them hidden or your mother would have a FIT!  And you couldn't put it on until you left the house -- then get your trusty little mirror and get glam!



The 19 cents would get you the lipstick with the little knob to push it up.  29 cents got the twist-up variety.  19 cents was all I could afford.  I remember Tangee only coming in a few shades....neon red, neon pink, neon peach and white....and very waxy.  And, yes, I definitely had to wait until I left the house to put it on and make sure I wiped it off before I came home.  In fact, the very first time I wore lipstick was at summer camp.  I felt so glamorous and daring.  Then there was always the tiny bottle of Evening in Paris (or Evening in Hoboken, as my dad called it) that no purse would be complete without.


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## Karen99 (Jan 26, 2016)

jujube said:


> The 19 cents would get you the lipstick with the little knob to push it up.  29 cents got the twist-up variety.  19 cents was all I could afford.  I remember Tangee only coming in a few shades....neon red, neon pink, neon peach and white....and very waxy.  And, yes, I definitely had to wait until I left the house to put it on and make sure I wiped it off before I came home.  In fact, the very first time I wore lipstick was at summer camp.  I felt so glamorous and daring.  Then there was always the tiny bottle of Evening in Paris (or Evening in Hoboken, as my dad called it) that no purse would be complete without.



I don't remember the "forbidden" aspect of Tangee lipstick.  I do remember my older cousins in the 50's wore rolled down Bobby socks and petticoats to school. They also had this little red box of Maybelline mascara..with a brush..you added water and then applied.  I turned 13 in 1963 and skirts were short, lips were pale and lined eyes were the thing.  My dad was like..why do you want to look like a raccoon...lol.


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## fureverywhere (Jan 26, 2016)

So glad my Dad got me here one more time before it closed.


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## jujube (Jan 26, 2016)

Karen99 said:


> I don't remember the "forbidden" aspect of Tangee lipstick.  I do remember my older cousins in the 50's wore rolled down Bobby socks and petticoats to school. They also had this little red box of Maybelline mascara..with a brush..you added water and then applied.  I turned 13 in 1963 and skirts were short, lips were pale and lined eyes were the thing.  My dad was like..why do you want to look like a raccoon...lol.



The "forbidden" part was that most of us were forbidden to wear lipstick.  Thus it had to be bought on the sly and hidden away.


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## fureverywhere (Jan 26, 2016)

The "forbidden" part was that most of us were forbidden to wear lipstick.  Thus it had to be bought on the sly and hidden away. 

Yehoots, by my time as long as I was wearing a bra I could go out wearing an entire cosmetics counter. I do remember boosting Lip Smackers from Liptons. The Dr. Pepper flavor is still a favorite even now.


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