Green Stamps
Do you remember that years and years ago stores used to issue green stamps with your purchases and there were redemption centers where you could redeem your stamps for merchandise? You could either do this by mail, or if you were fortunate enough to live near one, you could go in person to make your choice.
I was reading over some of my mom's letters this morning and in one of them, she was telling me that she had turned in some books of stamps, which she had redeemed for cash which was to be given to the women's circle at church for their missions projects.
I'm trying to think what I did with my books of stamps and I'm finding it hard to remember. I do remember that I really enjoyed collecting the stamps and pasting them into the books. I enjoyed looking through the catalogs and planning and accumulating books of stamps for "extras" that I wouldn't use household money to buy. I think I once got a bathroom scale. I know I got a metal step stool, which I still have. The stool can be used as a seat and it has fold up steps for when you want to climb up to reach something up high. When the paint on the stool became chipped and scratched, my husband took it to the factory where he worked in the paint department for a while, and in some spare time, he removed the old paint and had a fresh coat of paint sprayed on it. I thought it was beautiful. It has been in need of new paint for a long time now but otherwise it is in very good condition.
I think I may have gotten the kids' swing set with stamp books. I know there must have been other things, but I don't really remember them now.
There were other kinds of stamps, too, but S&H green stamps were the first, I think, and in my opinion, they were the best.
I was very disappointed when the stores discontinued the stamp programs but I haven't even thought of them for years now until my mom's letter jogged my memory.
Submitted by
lorraine
at 2/14/2006 3:53:46 PM- Oh! I found out some information. Here is the new face of S&H.
Submitted by
nj
at 2/14/2006 5:50:06 PM- Lorraine, there are many things like that which I've forgotten but when I take time to reread my journals, or Mom's letters, it brings it back to me. I'm glad I hung onto those letters. I'd forgotten about Green Stamps, in spite of the fact that I probably see that step stool every day. Let me know if you find out what your mom got with her stamp books. It looks like some merchants are bringing back the idea of stamps to redeem.
Submitted by
Lorraine
at 2/15/2006 8:34:52 AM- She said she never received anything because it would take a lot to get one item, and something about not being near a place to redeem them (she really didn't remember). So she gave would save up the stamps and give them to her sister.
Submitted by
nj
at 2/15/2006 10:25:22 AM- Lorraine, it did take a lot of stamps to fill a book and most merchandise took a good many books. It's vaguely in my mind that my step stool may have been about 13 books. I probably never made a record of how much it required when I redeemed the stamps. We didn't have a redemption center near us here in the Corry area but there was one in the Pittsburgh area that wasn't too hard to get to, but in her letter, my mom told me that she'd gone twice only to find them closed. So, they weren't very convenient. I forgot to tell you that I would guess that they discontinued giving out the stamps maybe in the 70s. I don't really remember though.
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This is why I like your blog. You have a way of bringing back memories of things that I have forgotten. My mother used to collect them, but I have no idea what she got in return. When I call her today, I will have to ask. When did they discontinue the program?