Remember The Brady Bunch episode where the kids try to cash in their green stamps? The boys want a boat and the girls want a sewing machine. The Solomon-like Mr. Brady decides to settle the dispute by having the kids build a house of cards - the team that knocks the house of cards down is SOL.
I remember those stamps all too well. They were immensely popular during the 60s and 70s. In fact, the S&H catalog was the largest publication in the U.S. and produced three times more stamps than the U.S. Post Office! As early as 1980, the green stamps were over, and didn't rebound until the green rewards program on the internet.
Little known fact: The inspiration for the names "Starsky and Hutch" came from S&H green stamps (Sperry and Hutchinson)..... just thought you needed to know.
I can't help but wonder if green stamps could ever have a place in our debt oriented society. Everyone puts things on plastic - it's all about instant gratification, rather than saving up for something as mundane as a toaster or bath towel.
Anyway, I've got an old green stamp catalog from 1975 and thought I'd scan it in for posterity's sake. I imagine a lot of you reading this post don't even know what a green stamp is - so, consider this a lesson in 1970s history. Enjoy!
