I Found my Childhood on eBay

Miracle Wheel

2012-01-30T20:09:00.004-03:30

I'm not sure what we called this toy, but the box says it is a "Miracle Wheel". I know we didn't call it that. With a flick of the wrist you could make the wheel travel along the wire frame and defy gravity. It was my brother's.

Eaton's 1973 Christmas Catalogue

2011-12-20T11:04:00.001-03:30

Another Christmas catalogue from my childhood.

Carpet Sweeper

2011-06-23T14:05:00.000-02:30

We had a carpet sweeper like this one only it was green. Mom would use it when she didn't want to haul out the vacuum cleaner......a 70's version of a hand-held vac I guess.

Valentines

2011-02-12T12:30:00.000-03:30

I distinctly remember these Valentines from the 70's. I was in elementary school and every Valentine's Day we would make a Valentine card holder for our desk (usually out of 2 paper plates or a shoe box). We would decorate it with cut out hearts and on Valentine's Day distribute Valentine cards to our classmates.

Hockey Cards and Hopscotch

2011-02-07T19:31:00.000-03:30

I remember this reader from grade 4 I think it was. I believe it had either all Newfoundland or all Canadian stories it it.

Kitchen Garbage Can

2011-01-20T19:05:00.000-03:30

We had a garbage can like this in our kitchen but ours was harvest gold to match the rest of the kitchen.

Christmas Tree Topper

2010-12-30T12:46:00.000-03:30

We had a tree top similar to this one as you can see in the photo of our very sad looking Christmas tree from the late 60's.

Santa Mug

2010-12-23T13:27:00.000-03:30

We had a mug like this but I don't remember anyone ever using it. It was always in the cupboard above the fridge.

Mistletoe

2010-12-20T13:59:00.000-03:30

Ah, the classy plastic mistletoe that we used to hang every year. We always hung it in the doorway leading from the hallway to the living room. One year we even got a picture of Mom & Dad kissing underneath it.

Stained Glass Angel Ornament

2010-12-17T15:10:00.002-03:30

These were not real stained glass, but plastic. We had a few of them on our tree, I thought they were cute.

Hymnbook

2010-07-12T20:37:00.003-02:30

When my sister and I were small we'd play "church" and sing hymns from this hymnbook. I think ours was blue or green.

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School Day Treasures

2010-04-24T13:22:00.003-02:30

When my younger sister, brother and I were growing up we had these scrapbook/photo albums. They were called School Day Treasures and there was a page for each grade in school. There were spaces to write in your teachers' names, activities you were involved in, a place for photos and each page was a folder where you could keep mementos like report cards and other school work. My sister probably still has hers. Our books had a different cover than what is shown here but the inside pages were the same.

Blender

2010-03-22T14:44:00.002-02:30

We had a blender like this only ours was harvest gold to match the rest of our kitchen (harvest gold fridge, stove, dishes, canister set, etc). I think we only used it to make egg nog at Christmas time.

Vintage Valentines

2010-02-14T12:30:00.003-03:30

Some of these valentines look very familiar, especially the envelopes you had to cut out and glued together. And I know I had the parachute valentine in the middle of the first photo.

Lord's Prayer Cross Necklace

2010-01-08T11:39:00.002-03:30

My oldest sister had a necklace like this one. In the middle was a tiny window and when you looked inside you could read the Lord's Prayer. I was always fascinated with it.....how could they make printing that tiny I wondered. We were talking about this a few moths ago and my sister said she still has it. That would make it almost 40 years old.

Plastic Santa Ornament

2009-12-20T21:08:00.003-03:30

I remember this on our tree, I think it held candy at one point. I don't ever remember seeing candy in it and I don't know where it came from. Probably our aunt next door.

Candle Perfume Bottle

2009-12-16T19:55:00.004-03:30

I got this bottle of perfume one year for Christmas, it came from Avon. The label says Sweet Honesty Cologne.....I am sure I was sweet and honest when I was a teenager.

1976 Sears Christmas Catalogue

2009-12-04T16:24:00.001-03:30

Who remembers this catalogue? The Sears Christmas catalogue was an important part of our Christmas. We couldn't wait for it to arrive and by the time Christmas came pages were falling out.

Pierrot

2009-10-21T19:06:00.002-02:30

When I was a teenager Pierrot was very popular. My sister and I had posters like these and stationery with these pictures on it as well. I even bought my sister a Pierrot clock one year for her birthday or Christmas.

Retractable Light

2009-10-14T12:13:00.002-02:30

We had a light fixture similar to this one in our kitchen. You could pull it down but we never did, except when we were fooling around and then Mom would tell us to "put that light back".

Plymouth Rock Salt & Pepper Shakers

2009-10-06T16:31:00.002-02:30

Mom had a set of salt & pepper shakers like this, Plymouth Rock. My uncle, who lived in Boston, must have gave them to her.

Red Handled Ricer

2009-09-23T20:00:00.002-02:30

Mom had several red handled kitchen tools, this ricer was one of them. I remember seeing it in the kitchen drawer but I never saw her use it.

Frustration Pencils

2009-09-22T18:06:00.003-02:30

My sister and I bought these one year before Christmas. I think I was in grade 6 or 7 and I remember it vividly. We were in Corner Brook shopping with our parents. We were at Woolworths on West Street and the store had a small Christmas tree decorated with the frustration pencils. They had a little tag attached to them with this saying: "When you're frustrated and don't know what to do, twirl me between your hands and I'll blow my top for you". We thought they were so neat.

Blog of the Week

2009-09-20T18:48:00.002-02:30

My blog has been chosen as "Blog of the Week" at NLBlogRoll....yay! Check out the previous blogs of the week too.

Rooster Potholder

2009-09-17T19:38:00.003-02:30

My aunt had a potholder like this, it had a magnet in the loop and she kept it on the side of her fridge. Funny the little things I remember.

School Desk

2009-09-15T19:30:00.002-02:30

This was the type of desk I used when I was in elementary school, in the 70's. I haven't been in a classroom in a long time so I don't know if this type of desk is still in use.

Ogilvie Cookbook

2009-09-13T20:04:00.003-02:30

Mom had this cookbook and it was well used. The jacket was missing but it had a pink hard cover. I remember making a coconut cake using a recipe from this cookbook when I was a teenager.

Coke Bottles Salt & Pepper

2009-09-08T17:30:00.004-02:30

In Mom's large collection of salt & pepper sets she had a set like this....Coke bottles.

Rose Brooch

2009-09-06T15:53:00.002-02:30

My mother had a lot of brooches and she had one a lot like this....a gold rose.

Stencils

2009-05-05T16:48:00.002-02:30

The printing on this stencil says "1970 Kelloggs". I guess it came in cereal. I remember stencils like this one, but not necessarily this design. We could have had it though. I remember sitting at the kitchen table tracing the lines with a pencil. Fun stuff!

Last Supper Illuminated Picture

2009-04-20T19:15:00.002-02:30

One of my aunts had this picture in her home, I don't remember who. There was a light on top that shone down on the painting. Tres tacky, sure glad we didn't have one in our home.

Newfoundland and Labrador Road Map

2009-04-17T19:18:00.002-02:30

When I was growing up we had a truck camper and every summer we would drive around Newfoundland. This map is from the 70's and I remember the cover of it. We explored almost every town in Newfoundland in our camper.

Rain Hats

2009-03-19T19:33:00.002-02:30

I remember plastic rain hats (rain bonnets) that came in little plastic containers and pouches like these. Mom would get one every time she went to the hair dresser (or beauty parlor as we used to call it). The plastic rain bonnet would get used and thrown away but my sister and I would keep the containers and pouches to play with.

Fingernails

2009-03-09T16:23:00.002-02:30

Does anyone else remember these plastic fingernails? I remember having several, but not enough for every finger. I have no idea where we got them, maybe from a gumball machine.

Clock & Pen Holder

2009-03-04T22:10:00.003-03:30

Dad had a clock/pen holder like this. I'm pretty sure it was exactly like this with green hands (they probably glowed in the dark). He kept it on the dresser in the bedroom.

Matchbooks

2009-02-23T15:38:00.002-03:30

When I was in high school I had a matchbook collection. My aunts and uncles would bring them back to me from hotels and I collected them wherever I could find them. I found these matchbooks for sale on eBay, they are all from Newfoundland and I am sure I had some of them.

Hinterland Who's Who

2009-02-17T18:35:00.004-03:30

This is one of the few things on eBay I actually wanted to bid on and buy. When I was growing up Hinterland Who's Who "ads" would come on tv. The muskox, the loon, the grizzly and other animals found in Canada were profiled in these tv spots and the best part was you could send away for free brochures about the animals. We sent away for them a couple of times. You never knew what ones you would get and we read them many times. You can see many of the original ads on YouTube.

Cinnamon Hearts

2009-02-14T15:22:00.002-03:30

I remember getting a few of these when I was growing up. I used to save the plastic container and use it for storing trinkets. I found these for sale on eBay, not sure I'd want to eat the 20 year old candy. I think you can still buy these today.

Canada Games Badge

2009-02-05T16:09:00.002-03:30

The 1977 Canada Games were held in St. John's. I remember this badge/button from then.

Milk Can Opener

2009-01-23T19:08:00.002-03:30

Another odd thing I remember from my childhood. A can opener for cans of Carnation milk. It certainly made opening them easier.

Clock Radio

2009-01-11T21:19:00.003-03:30

The first clock radio I ever saw was one like this. It was white and rather than having light-up numbers, the numbers were on little plastic pieces that flipped over every minute/hour. My older sister owned it and of course I wanted one like it. By the time I was old enough to get my own clock radio these were out of style and the new ones were out.

Ornaments

2008-12-29T17:01:00.003-03:30

These ornaments could have been taken right off our tree when I was growing up. I think we had one like every one in the picture.

Avon Boot Perfume Bottle

2008-12-22T16:06:00.002-03:30

I got this for Christmas one year, I must have got it from a friend or classmate. I don't remember what the perfume was like at all.

3-D Ornaments

2008-12-19T19:11:00.003-03:30

We had a couple of ornaments like this....put two flat pieces together to made a round ornament. Hi-tech!

Noel Fork & Spoon

2008-12-18T18:39:00.002-03:30

This was hung on our front door every Christmas. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a giant plastic fork and spoon, right?

Reindeer

2008-12-17T17:06:00.002-03:30

My aunt had flocked "velvet" reindeer like these that she put in her window each Christmas. They were cute!

Bucket of Christmas Candy

2008-12-16T18:57:00.004-03:30

I am too young to remember this candy but apparently every year my older brother and sisters would get a big bucket of candy each for Christmas. That tradition must have been stopped when I got older because I don't remember getting a bucket of candy. The can was for sale on eBay (empty) and you can see a bucket in this old Christmas photo, taken in 1967. I am the sad looking girl looking down at my younger sister.

Ornament

2008-12-12T20:03:00.001-03:30

We had a couple of ornaments like this on our tree when I was growing up. I think my sister still has one of them.

Candy Tree

2008-12-09T15:40:00.002-03:30

My aunt had a candy display tree like this one. The box says "crystal tree" but it was plastic. She put it out every Christmas on her dining room table. I think she usually had jelly candies on it, the kind coated with sugar.

Angel Ornament

2008-12-05T17:57:00.002-03:30

We had a couple of ornaments like this, in different colours too I think.

Remembering Our Childhood

2008-12-04T19:45:00.003-03:30

So it seems I am not the only person out there blogging about my childhood (not that I ever thought I was). I got an email from Tim telling me about his blog where he too reminisces about things from his childhood. It's a cute blog, you should have a look here.

The Little Red Caboose

2008-12-02T15:20:00.002-03:30

I remember this book. I don't know if my brother owned it or if I got it from the school library, but it's familiar.

Cat Clock

2008-11-19T15:59:00.002-03:30

We didn't have one of these but I remember seeing one at the house of a distant relative we visited one year. My sister and I loved it.

Calculator Watch

2008-11-03T18:55:00.002-03:30

I didn't have one of these but I remember when they came out in the 80's. I was in high school and math teachers sometimes had to confiscate people's watches along with their calculators during exams.

Busy Bee Card Game

2008-10-29T20:32:00.002-02:30

I vaguely remember having a card game with a bee on the front, much like this, when I was in grade 2. I think it was a math game.

Sock Monkey

2008-10-23T13:50:00.002-02:30

When I was in high school one of my aunts taught my sister how to make sock monkeys. Then she made several for her friends.

Sewing Machine

2008-10-22T20:06:00.002-02:30

Mom had a sewing machine much like this one. She kept it in the utility room (we were the only family I knew who had a utility room......a combination laundry room/pantry/storage room). I remember the smell of the sewing machine, a plastic-y electronic smell mixed with the smell of the varnished wood.

Old Maid Card Game

2008-10-17T19:05:00.003-02:30

My aunt lived next door and when my brothers and sisters and I were growing up we'd always go to her house and play games. She had this Old Maid card game, or one a lot like it. We must have played it hundreds of times.

Pen Watch

2008-10-16T16:29:00.002-02:30

These came out in the 80's when I was in high school. Everyone had to have one, I think I got one for Christmas one year.

1975 Sears Catalogue

2008-10-10T15:25:00.002-02:30

This coat and beret don't look too bad, I suppose all fashions come back sooner or later. In 1975 I was 9 years old.

Black & Decker Dustbuster

2008-10-06T18:57:00.002-02:30

Mom had one of these in the 80's. What a fantastic invention, no need to pull the big vacuum cleaner out for small spills. We thought it was great.

Spinning Wheel

2008-10-02T19:14:00.002-02:30

Dad collected antiques, he had all sorts of them in the basement - irons, tools, jugs and a spinning wheel much like this one.

Powdered Sugar/Candy

2008-09-12T18:22:00.003-02:30

Does anyone remember these? Little plastic fruit shaped containers filled with powdered sugar. I remember the strawberry one.

Plastic Jewelry

2008-09-09T17:28:00.002-02:30

I had some of this "jewelry" when I was small. The red bumpy bracelet looks very familiar and I definitely had a stretch bracelet like the red and white one in front. I think mine was pink and white and I remember it broke when I was at my aunt's house. She said she would string it on elastic for me but she never did and years later when I was a teenager I remember her showing me the pieces she still had kept. The beads look familiar, too, especially the starfish shaped one.

Archie Comics

2008-09-02T16:01:00.003-02:30

My younger sister, brother and I bought a lot of Archie comics, especially when we were on vacation. These are from the 70's and we probably read them.

Record Holder

2008-08-27T19:21:00.001-02:30

My aunt had a record holder similar to this one in her living room. Her's might have been silver in colour.

Glass Fishing Float

2008-08-01T17:32:00.002-02:30

Dad had one of these, I guess he picked it up at a beach somewhere. It was green just like this too. Mom kept it in a bottom cupboard of the china cabinet.

Rubik's Cube

2008-07-30T20:23:00.003-02:30

The Rubik's Cube came out in the early 80's when I was a teenager. I think my brother had one, I know there was one around the house. I could never completely solve it, the best I did was 4 or 5 sides. One day my younger brother showed it to us, saying he had solved it. But then we figured out that he had removed the stickers and replaced them.......cheater!!

Yellow Tumblers

2008-07-23T20:59:00.002-02:30

We had yellow tumblers like these to match our yellow (harvest gold to be exact) melamine dishes. Ah the 70's!

Folding Comb

2008-07-18T19:19:00.004-02:30

My sister had a folding comb much like this one and I am sure we had a brush like that as well.

Toronto City Hall Puzzle

2008-07-15T16:29:00.002-02:30

We had a jigsaw puzzle just like this one. We must have put it together hundreds of times.

Mushroom Lamp

2008-07-09T14:04:00.003-02:30

I am not sure of the exact name of this type of lamp. Mushroom or tulip lamp maybe. My cousin who lived next door had one in her bedroom, I am not sure if it was pink or purple but I loved it and wanted one just like it.

Rook Card Game

2008-07-02T14:38:00.002-02:30

I remember playing this game with my older brother and sisters but I don't remember any of the rules.

Pendants

2008-06-27T14:28:00.002-02:30

I had a floating heart necklace in high school, my older sister gave it to me. It didn't come on a card like this one but I do remember these cards on display racks in the stores. I am sure I bought more than one necklace or pair of earrings on a similar display card.

Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner

2008-06-26T14:12:00.002-02:30

My aunt owned an Electrolux vacuum cleaner like this one. Hers may have been a darker green though. She loaned it to me when I went away to university and was sharing an apartment with friends. By that time it was probably 20 years old or older but it worked fine.

Singer Sewing Machine

2008-06-25T16:16:00.002-02:30

My aunt owned a sewing machine like this. She was an excellent seamstress, she made my high school graduation dress among hundreds of other things. She did not want a modern sewing machine and used one like this her entire life.

Crumb Broom

2008-06-24T14:49:00.001-02:30

My aunt had one of these on her kitchen wall by the stove, I remember it vividly. The dress on hers was pink, though. It was a little broom and dustpan for the table. I don't think she ever used it other than as a decoration.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

2008-06-20T14:36:00.002-02:30

I haven't seen this game in ages, but I suppose they still make it. This was the version I played at many birthday parties when I was a child.

Crochet Bookmarks

2008-06-19T13:44:00.003-02:30

I remember having a gold bookmark like the one on the left, my aunt must have crocheted it for me.

Soap on a Rope

2008-06-18T14:30:00.002-02:30

I remember when soap-on-a-rope came out, I thought it was a cool invention. I am sure Dad got more than one of these for either Christmas, his birthday or Father's Day.

Plastic Tumblers

2008-06-17T15:54:00.004-02:30

This is what we drank out of when we were kids, plastic tumblers in different colours.

Picture Frames

2008-06-13T15:16:00.002-02:30

We had gold tone pictures frames like this, in fact I think every photo on display in our house was in a gold picture frame similar to these, some double and some single.

Don't Break the Ice Game

2008-06-12T19:15:00.002-02:30

Another game I didn't own but my friend did. I remember playing it with her. They still make this today, I wonder is the quality as good?

Metal Picnic Basket

2008-06-11T15:13:00.004-02:30

I don't remember this, I was too young (that's me on Mom's lap).

Milk & Sugar Containers

2008-06-10T16:40:00.005-02:30

We had the 2 smaller containers, I think we used them when camping. One for milk (Carnation of course) and the other for sugar. I don't remember the larger jug.

Purple Bedspread

2008-06-06T12:23:00.002-02:30

This bedspread was for sale on eBay. They didn't show much of it but it looks like the bedspread that was in my and my sister's bedroom. Here she is sitting on her bed, this was probably shortly after the new bedspreads and curtains were bought. And purple carpet to match! Taken in the 70's.

Newfoundland License Plate

2008-06-05T12:37:00.002-02:30

1966 was Come Home Year in Newfoundland and also the year I was born. These license plates celebrated that (Come Home Year, not my birth). In the first photo you can just barely make out the words on the license plate, that's my 2 older sisters standing in front of the car.

Brownie Camera

2008-06-04T11:46:00.001-02:30

My mother had a Brownie camera long before I was born, you can barely see it in the photo that she took of herself in the mirror. I remember playing with it when I was small, by that time it had no flash and was never used only as a toy.

Swing Away Can Opener

2008-06-03T16:10:00.002-02:30

We had a can opener like this one mounted on the kitchen wall. It was easy to use and just as good as the modern electric can openers.

Sewing Kit

2008-05-30T15:43:00.003-02:30

My sister and I each got a sewing kit similar to this one one year for Christmas. It was a blue plastic case and inside there was embroidery thread, patterns and needles. Probably more too but I don't remember what. I did a lot of embroidery as a teenager and I guess this was what started me on it (as well as watching Mom do it).

Record Player

2008-05-29T17:17:00.002-02:30

We had an old record player a lot like this one. It was an RCA, I remember the classic picture of a dog sitting next to a gramophone on the inside cover. My parents kept it in the living room as a piece of furniture even though we did not listen to records or the radio very often.....usually only at Christmas. It's featured in a lot of photos, it was one of the best places to get a birthday photo done. That's me on my 2nd birthday.

Moose Rug

2008-05-28T12:54:00.004-02:30

We had a moose rug like this one on our living room wall. It was there for years until we got another one, of a bear (I blogged about it here already). That's my older sister in the photo, it was obviously her birthday, and what better place to take a birthday portrait than in front of the moose rug?

Chinese Fan

2008-05-27T11:18:00.002-02:30

My sister and I had fans like this one, I think we had them on our bedroom wall for decoration. The design was a bit different but the style was the same - bamboo handle with very thin opaque material that had a painting on it.

Camping Toaster

2008-05-23T14:46:00.003-02:30

We had dishes, pots and pans that we only used in the camper. This "toaster" was one of them. I don't remember it working very well, you put the bread on it and then placed it on the camp fire or, in our case, propane burner. It never toasted very evenly.

Tool Boy Robot

2008-05-22T14:41:00.003-02:30

My younger brother had this and even though I was 3 years older than him I loved to play with it too. There were 2 screwdrivers that went in a holder at the front. You used these to raise and lower the arms, the legs, the body and the head. The eyes spun around and after he popped up you could push him down and start all over again. It was a fun toy.

Potbelly Stove Salt & Pepper Set

2008-05-21T13:58:00.001-02:30

Mom had this salt and pepper set in her collection. It must have been popular because there are several for sale on eBay.

Don't Spill the Beans Game

2008-05-20T15:20:00.001-02:30

You can still buy this game today but it's not the same. My friend up the street had this game when I was growing up and I remember playing it with her. The beans back then were real dried kidney beans, I distinctly remember eating one of them, just to see what it tasted like. The beans now are plastic. The original game is for sale on eBay.

Lawn Chairs

2008-05-16T19:30:00.003-02:30

These were the kind of lawn chairs we had growing up. We had 2 like the first 2, with yellow webbing. The frame was aluminum. My aunt next door had the lounge chair. I always wished we had one as well.

Push Button Salt & Pepper Set

2008-05-15T22:18:00.003-02:30

This was another salt & pepper set Mom had in her collection. Just push the buttons on top to dispense.

"The Rapture"

2008-05-14T15:16:00.005-02:30

My parents had this print framed on their bedroom wall. I won't go into all the religious aspects of it. On some mornings my younger brother, sister and I would jump into Mom and Dad's bed after they got up and we'd play "Eye Spy". Finding an obscure item in this print was usually what we did.