My tongue went numb at my grandmother's insistence!

April 14, 2003 4:05 PM

If you're of a certain age, you will easily recognize the sign. Warhol made art out of them. Many families whiled away lazy rainy days licking them. Despite being one of the most dominant forces in cosumer's lives during the middle of the 20th century, the 80s saw them fade away, and eventually disappeared entirely just this year. Since 1999, though, they've been back, albeit in virtual form. You might even still be able to redeem your old stamps! Let's fondly remember the most successful implementation of the granddaddy of all today's shopping 'reward' programs...S&H Green Stamps!
posted by WolfDaddy (7 comments total)

So you take something, you frame it, and it's art?

Hmm.
posted by xmutex at 4:20 PM on April 14, 2003

Well, that's what Warhol thought. To some debate, if I remember correctly.
posted by WolfDaddy at 4:21 PM on April 14, 2003

Yes, I helped my mother paste book after book of the stamps together, and I even remember going to the S&H "store" (or redemption center) to pick out the goods. Oddly, I don't remember much she ended up with, but one of the few things I'm sure I got with S&H green stamps was a plastic puzzle map of the fifty states, with holes in each piece where the state capital was, so you could put a dinky little white plastic flag in each hole.

And yet, I still can't guess between Vermont and New Hampshire in two tries.
posted by yhbc at 6:59 PM on April 14, 2003

Vermont is the one shaped like a V. ;)
posted by loopy at 9:06 PM on April 14, 2003

I helped my mom paste those S&H stamps in. But I, too, can't remember a single thing about the "rewards." Perhaps the above links would help. Maybe tomorrow. Good night.
posted by kozad at 9:27 PM on April 14, 2003

I pasted many green stamps for my mom...and then snuck a few books out to redeem for cash...it was like 2 or 3 bucks...a virtual fortune to a 7 year old....ah, the tummy ache from the candy overload...sweet, sweet memories. ;)
posted by dejah420 at 9:42 PM on April 14, 2003

My mother got me a crock pot from green stamps just last year, but then again she lives in Kentucky, so she's at least 20 years behind the times.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:17 AM on April 15, 2003