Things you don't see much anymore

Unless you're a collector:

bus/streetcar tokens
ink blotters
ink wells
fountain pens
50 cent pieces
stamps you lick
shoe horns
slide rules
clothes pins
metal credit cards
curb feelers
Rolodexes
hair curlers
rabbit ear antennas (antennae)
portable radios
pocket protectors
beer can openers
flash cubes or bulbs
vent windows (cars & trucks)
cigarette lighters (cars)
slide projectors
film strips (educational)
tie clips
candy cigarettes

Got others you can add?

Dennis, I have a Picket slide rule that I bought when I was a junior at Kimball H.S. in 1961. When my daughter was in elementary school I used it to teach her about logarithms.

I have a bag of clothespins that my wife and I still use to hang clothes. I have seen clothes pins for sale at Ace Hardware recently.

My 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon GL Campmobile has those vent windows that push out. My 2006 Toyota Prius has FAKE ones, that is, windows in the position where the vents would be expected, but they are fixed in place. The VW also has a cigar lighter. Modern cars have power outlets instead.

Unfortunately, I saw candy cigarettes for sale in an Ace Hardware a few months ago.

I have and use a Rolodex.

I have a beer can opener in my gadget drawer in the kitchen, with the cap remover end getting use regularly on the Mexican beer I drink Remember that we used to call this device a "church key?"

How about a "floppy disc?" Computer punch cards? Ice pick? The large "tongs" that the ice man used to carry blocks of ice? Hat pins? Diaper pins? Spring operated watches that have to be wound? A metal coffee can, with many follow on uses? A baby bottle warmer? An oil can (for motor oil), and the gadget for punching a hole in the can top and dispensing the oil into the auto engine? The little correction tapes for use when typing? Paper hand held fans that people used to whiff air on their faces in hot weather (I particularly remember women using these in church)? A skate key? Roller skates that fastened to one's shoes?

The list goes on.

Dave McNeely

Remember book covers? In elementary school we had to put on book covers at the start of the school year.
Usually they were brown paper with some rule marks for help with folding. Some had advertising.

The cool thing for boys about 1962 was to get book covers from the military recruiters.
They had neat photos or artwork on them.

At both Long Jr. HS and Kimball HS we had book covers that were made of a slick paper with illustrations related to the school, especially sports and other school activities. These covers were printed in color. They cost some small coinage, and the proceeds supported the school activity fund. Regarding the kraft paper covers that were given out at no charge and that advertised, usually area businesses, some kids would put them on with the advertising turned inward, and at one elementary school I attended we were admonished not to do so, because the advertising paid for the covers.

One year there was some controversy regarding something printed on the covers. I don't remember what it was now (maybe political?), but those covers were banned and we had to go for a few weeks without book covers until new ones could be obtained. Some kids also used custom covers, made of colorful papers, some with images thought to be attractive. One year my sister made her own covers from kraft grocery bags.

Remember bus cards? I think the city bus fare for kids throughout my time in DISD schools was ten cents. A punch card with some number of places for the bus driver to punch with a hole puncher on the margin was sold at school. The cost of the card was less than ten cents per ride, but I don't remember, maybe 25 rides for $2. The cards were good on any city bus year round, though the main purpose was for riding the city bus to school. I used to purchase several cards at a time, especially near the end of the school year to use in the summer.

Dave McNeely

Cars broken down on the side of the road
barricade lights
boomboxes
home stereo systems
smoking (among people in higher social classes)
women without tattoos
wallpaper
quality toy cars, trucks, construction and farm equipment
pay phones
non-biased newscasts
button-copy freeway signs

Before battery life was greatly improved, highway construction was marked with burning
smudge pots that looked like cannon balls.
When was the last time you saw one of those?
Where did they all end up?