Mitchell Mauser VS Comic Book Ads

We were discussing on the Mauser Forum how misleading the Michell Mauser ads have been in past issues of the American Rifleman and how they were about as misleading as the comic book ads for various products when were were kids. (I remembered the 7 foot submarine for six bucks and the 'X-ray glasses' showing the perverted guy looking at a woman!)

I remembered that I had some War comics I collected in the 60's and early 70's when I was a kid and I had stored them in an old small suitcase (Other kids my age were probably collecting Playboys about that time, and I walked to the drug store every day near the end of the month to see if the new War comics were out yet)

I located the suitcase in my attic and it has about 100 or more DC War comics in it and the ads were funny and even nostalgic to me. The thread on the Mauser forum was getting way off subject, and I thought a few other members might be of age to get a kick out of some of the scam comic book ads from the 60's so I decided to post some of them here on the General Discussion Forum.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/Comics-1.jpg

This one was one of the ads I remembered -
I always wished I had ordered the submarine that two kids could play in just to see what it was!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/143-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/323-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/233-1.jpg

The next two are for Aragorn243 -
He missed his dream and never ordered them to see if they actually sent a footlocker, huge forts and hundreds of figures for a buck fifty.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/422-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/518-1.jpg

And one of the all time Classics - Don't kick sand in my face!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/615-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/714-1.jpg

Did anyone order these things??? Little humanoid families, and it even says they want to please so much you could train them! (I thought they sounded too creepy!)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/812-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...12/02/99-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/a11-1.jpg

And never forget the 'cool' iron-on patches of the period -

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/02/a10-1.jpg

I ordered the toy soldiers! The footlocker was cardboard and the soldiers were thin, hard plastic that broke real easily. The Civil War soldiers in the add below it were much better. They were made like the army men you could get in the store. Molded and much more durable. They were about 1/2 the size of the army men I got in the store. I remember all those ads, I'm glad you posted them.

I built the Red Baron Tbucket. In those days anything concering WWI aviation or automobiles had my complete attention, the movie The Blue Max., the balsa wood SE5 or Fokkers,my sisters friends's Road Runner Super Bird. Then I quickly noticed Ursula Andress in the Blue Max and the fact that my sisters friend was a six foot very attractive blonde. I did not order the x-ray glasses but I am sure I considered it.

Sea monkies were brine shrimp . I didn't like them much , but my guppies ate up thier show.
Chris

I enjoyed the nostalgia as I was reading through all the old ads last night and hoped you guys might get a kick seeing them again.
It wasn't until today when it hit me they're almost 50 years old now! They're almost antiques - That means I am an antique! :eek:
I guess it's better than the alternative - Cheers to any other antiques still plugging along out there! :beerchug:

Well I must be the pervert.
I was 11 and ordered the X Ray specs. I wanted to see through Janet Latoures dress. Yes, girls wore dresses back then. I was highly disapointed until Janet saw me wearing them and said I looked like Buddy Holly. Then it was Butch wax and rolled up sleves. Sixth grade, I thought I was so cool.
Saw Janet at a reunion. Boy, wish those glasses worked then, until the wife kicked me.
Harlan, thanks for posting. Brings back some fun memories.
Jim

Flash backs!

Was always curious about the sub. Was anyone brave/rich/foolish enough to order it? Inquiring minds would like to know.

That's the one I've always been curious about too! Even as a kid I knew it must be a scam of some sort. $7.00 wasn't that much money, even then. I always wished I had ordered one to just to see how the scam worked.

(I'll bet George Laikos read those comic book ads as a kid and figured they'd make a great business model!) :lol:

Play nice.

The prices are amazing. What's scary is back then, I couldn't afford that stuff. My limited funds went into Ballentine books, the occasional pack of baseball cards, and matchbox cars. It took me several weeks to a month to get the $3 for the Ballentine book.

Probably why I don't shoot much today. It's the way I was brought up. Every bullet was calculated back then. If one shot hit the target, it was sighted in, shooting more than 3 shots was extremely rare. Target shooting and practice was what 22's were for. My 99 savage purchased new when I was 18 is now nearly 30 and probably has not had 200 rounds fired through it even though the bluing is mostly gone from the receiver from carrying it. I figured I average about 5 shots per year with it between sighting in and deer hunting.

Never thought that much about it before. I can remember looking at and drooling over those ads when I was a kid, the comics were second hand from my uncle who was 6 years older than me, so were most of my toys. Never lacked for food or clothing and we weren't any worse off than all the neighbors. There just wasn't much disposable income back then.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Harlan

(I'll bet George Laikos read those comic book ads as a kid and figured they'd make a great business model!)

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You have one vote to start your own comedy thread. Quick mind.