February 5, 2010

Do you remember these?

I uncovered some of these old books of stamps recently...
...and boy did they bring back memories...fun memories!
Remember pasting the stamps in books for your mom?  
We had a system...once our tongues were dried up from licking, we would take a wet sponge, put it on a little plate and form a "wet & paste" assembly line.

It was so much fun...working together for a common goal.
When the books were filled and counted we would look through the catalog page by page wondering what prizes our mom would choose?

 
The catalog seemed to offer just about everything!
  
S & H Green Stamps were a form of trading stamps popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program at grocery stores, gas stations, and other retail stores. The first S&H Green Stamps were issued in 1896!
 
During the 1960s, the rewards catalog printed by the company was the largest publication in the United States and the company issued three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service.
The amount of stamps you would get was based on the amount of dollars you spent.  

You took your stamps to the Green Stamps store...where the prizes were on display.  When your choice had been made...the item would come out from the back stockroom on a conveyor belt for pick up, like the luggage claim at the airport!

What most people do not know is that S&H is still around! Even better, S &H Green Stamps are still valid! Today you can exchange them for their new digital currency known as "S & H greenpoints" or cash.
Fun times...

Oh...and do you remember these too?

Perhaps you have a memory to share about these stamps?



44 comments:

  1. my family used to do these..but I couldn't tell you what we got with them..will have to ask my mom what she got..:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness! I had forgotten all about those little green stamps! I think my mom had an entire set of dishes from saving them...

    Xandra

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! What a blast from the past! Although I don't remember ever actually spending them, I remember always wanting to help put the stamps in the booklets. We all enjoyed looking at those catalogs and dreaming of the things we'd like to get. I had no idea & can't believe they're still in existence! Thanks for a fun trip down memory lane!

    Blessings,
    Tracy

    ReplyDelete
  4. I had forgotten all about the green stamps and can remember my mom having books with the stamps in them. So glad you stopped by and I will be back to visit soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Stamps like these, and the books to paste them in, and the store to redeem them...all were so much a part of my life for so many years. Love this post and the memories that it generated in my heart. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Carrie,What sweet memories.These were the best days of our lives..Hope you have a great weekend.. Blessings, Faye:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a hoot Carrie! Oh my goodness, I remember the Green Stamps all too well! Wow, what an awesome post!

    Have a fabulous weekend, thanks for bringing back those fun memories! =)

    ♥Lori

    ReplyDelete
  8. What good memories! We had to drive to the next bigger town to redeem our stamps. I still have my Brownie bullet camera that I got there. We took turns getting to choose something! We also had stamps called Gold Bond stamps, from a competing store. Thanks for posting all of this...such fun memories! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  9. We did not have these up in Canada..but they look like fun!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am in Canada so we don't have that store. I don't remember stamps either but do have a points reward card from my grocer and it also works at one of the big name gas stations so the points can add up there as well.
    I have used them to get electric razors for my sons, three times, an upright vacuum, a burr coffee grinder, a turkey and I can't remember what else. You can also exchange them for featured items when you shop to get an item free.
    Silly I know but I will pretend I am saving money in my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I WELL remember them! Thanks for the reminder! We had a store here where you could go in and redeem them. We would get so excited to go.....before we realized we weren't picking anything out, mama already knew what she was saving for!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, yes, I definitely remember these. My parents collected them at many of the places that we shopped and then I remember when they would get that long-awaited premium gift for filling their books. It was a big deal to a little country girl!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Those stamps DO look familiar! I think my grandmother had them.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I found a UK version of these stamps when we were clearing out my aunts home

    Victoria xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. I do remember them well. Heck I got married in '72 so I actually had some of my very own!

    ReplyDelete
  16. i do remember those...one of my grandmother had stamp books...how fun!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love S&H Greenstamps. I had no idea they were still around and still redeemable. How cool is that? I used to love my free little shopping sprees with them. This was a great post. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oooo! Oooo! Oooo!
    I remember these. Loved them. I had sooooooooooo much fun putting the stamps in the books and then going to the store to pick out what we wanted. We used these a lot!
    I was soory when the books and stamps went bye bye.
    Good memories--YES, indeed!

    Melinda

    ReplyDelete
  19. My mom didn't save them, but my Aunt did. So every summer, I got to put all hers in her books for her. I loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I remember these, too! If I remember correctly, only one local store gave them out, and once that store was gone, there wasn't much call for the Green Stamp store to remain. I'm sure my parents bought lots of stuff over the years, but I remember it's where we "bought" our very first blue tarp dining canopy. We used camping for years. Thanks for the memory prod!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love this post, such fun images. We had a store as well, where you could pick stuff out. I've been recovering a pair of chairs that my husband's grandmother purchased with greenstamps...so yes, I have been thinking of them!lol
    I'm going to link your post about the stanps, when the chairs make their debut:0)

    Lynea

    ReplyDelete
  22. oh I loved green stamps and looking at the books to see what we could get...

    ReplyDelete
  23. I remember putting them into books but don't remember redeeming them. I must not have been included on that decision. LOL

    karen

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh I forgot about those. I love them!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I also remember these. I loved licking one and finding an empty square to put it on. We had to go about 50 miles to redeem them so we'd get quite a few books filled. I don't remember things we got but I know my Aunt would use them...then start again. I haven't seen them around for years so I'm surprised they're still somewhere out there. We could sure use them again!
    Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  26. great post! i had forgotten about these. used to do a lot of licking for my mom too, but don't remember what she ever got with them.

    who woulda thunk that they still have these stores?

    again, great post!

    dj

    ReplyDelete
  27. Carrie, we sure had a good time helping Mom by sticking the stamps in the Books, and what fun it was to shop with her and see just what she was able to get, to kids it seemed like things were free. We sure had alot in our house from that store! oxox, Diane

    ReplyDelete
  28. My mom worked part time at the blue chip store when I was in junior high. I sure do remember these :-) Cute post Carrie.
    Blessings,
    Marcia

    ReplyDelete
  29. Boy, did that bring back memories! I used to love putting the stamps in our book and looking through the catalogue. I know we got a lamp from green stamps, but can't remember anything else. I had no idea they were still around! Enjoy your day! Twyla

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh yes, I remember! Miss those old days saving and anticipating getting to 'spend' the stamps - thanks for bringing that to our minds again :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. How funny! They were always in the cupboard above the washer!

    m ^..^

    ReplyDelete
  32. I remember Green Stamps. What fun. I am trying to remember something we actually redeemed them for...but I know we did.
    I don't remember the blue chips.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I have never seen these before but they are fab as are all the items you have listed.

    I gave you a little award over on my blog if you would like to pop over and take a look :)

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  34. UGH, I can still remember the taste of the Blue Chip Stamps that my Grandma had all of us Grandkids licking and sticking. But I also remember the sweet little dollie with her own bathtub and pink sponge that my Grandma let me redeem with a book of stamps. So it was all worth it. Ahhh, those were the days.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh BOY do I remember! I can remember when we went grocery shopping and these little green treasures were dispensed. My mother used to give them to me to glue them into the booklet. I remember once the booklet was filled, you would take it in to redeem it ~ stamped, signed, sealed and delivered!
    Thanks for such fun nostalgia!
    Hugs, Nancy & Angus

    ReplyDelete
  36. We had a version of these in the UK when I was a child, they were called Green Shield Stamps, i remember sticking them in the book and also being able to sometimes choose a gift, what lovely memories.

    Hugs RosieP x

    ReplyDelete
  37. They are still around !!???? I had no idea!! I do see the stamps at flea markets or junk shops sometimes. Maybe next time, I'll pick up a stack and going shopping with them!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for visiting my blog so I could find yours! I do remember the stamp books! It seems such a long time ago....lol

    ReplyDelete
  39. looks fun nice to walk down memory lane once in a while lol Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oh my, I remember these. :) My husband drove semi-truck over the road when our kids were young. When he would fill up the semi-truck with fuel they would give out the green stamps. We did not have much money in those days so when I filled up several books I would take my time looking through the catalog to make sure I got exactly what I wanted. Sometimes I would look for days trying to decide what would be good to get for the home. I loved getting these stamps. Thanks for the memories. I haven't thought about this in a long time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. What a fun, fun memory you bring back, Carrie! I hadn't thought of Green Stamps for years! I'm beginning to think that I should never throw anything away ever! What I consider insignificant today, my kids may love looking at in years to come.
    Thanks, Carrie

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh my yes! I do remember licking both green and blue for my mom. Those were such simple days. Thanks for bringing back memories! Marcia

    ReplyDelete
  43. Oh my gosh what memories this brought back. I sure do remember them. Going to the S&H stamp store was so exciting. Yes, mom and I would devour the catalog to decide what we would get "this time". The pictures brought back such vivid memories, I can almost taste the stamps on my tongue. I think as I grew older, I too, used a wet sponge instead. Thank you for such a wonderful part of growin up in the 50's!
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete

It warms my heart to see you have taken the time to leave me a message here...If you are new here I will be sure to stop by and visit...and for my friends...I will pop over a see what you are doing too♥

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...