Search Results for: shopping

The 50’s were a charming decade-a time where everything seemed so simple. Food (especially candy), music, and movies used to be so cheap, which meant there was always something fun to do. But If you were still bored, you could just walk on over to your neighbor’s house and see what they were up to. If you grew up in the 50’s, you will remember how true these were. 20. Horse-drawn milk carts… iStockphoto The milkman had a horse and cart. Yes Ernie really lived… and you WOULD hear the clip clop of his horse and the clink of the bottles on the doorstep as he made his way down your street well before dawn. 19. The Corona Lorry It came around once a week and your biggest decision was whether to choose root beer or cream soda! And you always kept the bottles to return, as you’d get a penny back on each one! 18. The communal telephone Polyvore You had just the one, and it may have been a party line, shared with a neighbor You’d have different numbers, but if you picked up and they were talking, you’d just have to wait to make your call! 17. The Rag And Bone Man Pinterest He’d also came round on a horse and cart (yes, just like Steptoe and Son!), ringing a bell so you’d know he was around, and shouting out ‘Any old iron, any old iron?’ 16. The Rented TV Pinterest Yep, back in the 1950s, the telly was paid for each week up at the Radio Rentals shop, and if you were lucky your mum and dad would change it every year or so for the latest model. 15. The arrival of color television! Blogger Nothing quite compared with the excitement of seeing your favourite programmes in blazing colour for the first time. Joy! 14. Making a go cart Hot rods and jalopies 13. The cold! Pinterest There was no central heating. Individual rooms were heated with a coal fire or a gas heater – turned on only when the rooms were being used. Your bedroom wasn’t heated! 12. Play time Pinterest We’d go out and play for hours – sometimes all day. Our mom wouldn’t have a clue where we were or what we were up to – and she didn’t worry! 11. Old Money Pinterest Decimal coins came in 1971, so we grew up with the old money. Click "Next" to find out what is next on our countdown. 10. Stamps and Coupons Pinterest Your mom collected Green Shield Stamps and Co-Op ‘divi’ stamps, your dad collected the Embassy tokens from the cigarette packets and you spent many a happy hour flicking through the catalogs deciding what to ‘spend’ them on! 9. Cigarette sticks and coconut tobacco Smosh We’d pretend to smoke our candy sticks – complete with a pink tip – and scoff brown coconut ‘tobacco’ from a pouch. There were also Jamboree bags, gobstoppers and milk bottles (and thankfully you can still buy them today!) 8. Your dad’s car Pinterest To start it, he’d pull out the choke to let the petrol into the engine. Too much and it’d flood, and much cursing would ensue while you waited for it to dry out so he could try again. When he indicated, a little orange arrow-shaped indicator popped out from the side of the car. Seatbelts? What were they…? 7. The first tights The Vintage Knitting Lady Oh the joy of giving up your suspender belt and nylon stockings for a pair of tights. It was life changing and, yes, we wore bum-scraping mini skirts and tiny hot pants the first time around! 6. Eating out Pinterest You’d meet your mates in the local Wimpy Bar for a cheeseburger, cola float and a sticky Rum Baba. A trip out with mom and dad was steak and fries, followed by Black Forest Gateau at the local Berni Inn. 5. New supermarkets Made From When you were little, your mom went to lots of different shops – meat from the butcher, bread from the bakery, veg and fruit from the greengrocers, but then the first ‘self-service’ shop opened in your high street. Supermarkets had arrived. 4. Your first job Time It paid less than $20 a week, you got your wages in a brown envelope on a Friday and, if you were lucky, you also had a Luncheon Voucher every day – it was enough to buy a sandwich AND a bag of chips! 3. ‘Proper’ music iStockphoto Remember your little hand-held transistor radio? You took it to bed at night to tune in under the covers when your mum thought you were asleep! You listened to your 45s and LPs on your mum and dad’s huge wooden gramophone, or up in your bedroom on a portable ‘Dansette’ record player. 2. You went to five and dimes Pinterest Forget the Dollar Store—you shopped at Woolworth’s. You bought candy, nuts, toy soldiers, makeup, hair clips, balloons, handkerchiefs—whatever childhood treasure you could afford with your precious nickels. And after shopping, you sidled up to the lunch counter for the most delicious sandwich and fountain soda you’ve ever had. Try getting THAT at Walmart. What's Number 1 on our countdown? Well, we are leaving that up to you! What did we miss? What can you add? Source: (Life Death Prizes, Grandparents) RELATED: 10 Things You Never Knew About Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’