Hi all! I just wanted to drop by the new site and check it out. I met Eddie more than a decade ago and he helped me populate my book Mail-Order Mysteries with some of the rarest items out there.
The book came out nearly ten years ago, but the subject still pops up here and there on a regular basis. Laura Legends' recent youtube videos on the topic prove that there is still interest in these items even among people who didn't experience the phenomenon in their childhood. Incidentally, I find that the spring and early summer is usually when I get the most email and attention for the book. I know that's the time of year when i especially liked to ride my bike to the local convenience store and buy comics. Maybe others make the same mental association.
The site is looking good and so is the product line! I was fortunate enough to receive one of the House of the Unusual Deluxe, signed U-Control Ghosts and the quality of the materials has never been so good! If a kid were to actually play with it, I'm pretty sure it would easily outlast what they actually sent in the mail back in the day. But naturally this version is more of a collectible, than a toy. The presentation is attractive, and it's a nice addition for anyone who takes their fun seriously.
I'm glad that House of the Unusual is keeping the spirit alive! I look forward to seeing what you have in store.
Hey Kirk Thanks for the comment.
Hey all: On the Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 podcast we talk about “the dreaded wait” for mail-order “treasures” to arrive as a kid. A friend of mine ( thank you, Aaron ) sent me this article on a study conducted called “The Marshmallow Experiment” which studied immediate vs delayed gratification in kids over a 40 year period. Little did we know that our childhood mail-order agony was actually building our character and increasing our chances to succeed in life. ( Although I still question the judgement of anyone who truly believed they were getting a “7-Foot Ghost” in the mail. ) 😎 — TRM
https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification
At 30-something I still thought I was getting a bonafide pair of X-ray glasses that would let me see bones. When I ordered from The House of the Unsuable....ahem...Unusual...I was sorely (pleasantly?) disappointed that they were a sham....and they took forever to arrive! What the heck?! Where’s my instant gratification? Well time to go put on my X-ray glasses and chase the wife around the house. 😂😂😂😂
That’s real funny Joe that’s the best one.
Hey, Joe:
1.) Good to hear you were still that naive at 30-something. I'm afraid to ask, How old were you when you quit believing in Santa Claus? Ha!
2.) I'm already having trouble calling "House of the Unusual" by its proper name. (Sorry Eddie.)
3.) I immediately conjured up a cartoon image of you chasing the wife around the house in your X-Ray Glasses. LOVE IT! That graphic would have made for one-helluva-ad.
4.) I never ordered X-Ray Spex as a kid ( or a young adult ) but dang ... what an icon for the mail-order novelty industry it has become. They are visually awesome. Love to look at them, much less thrilled at looking through them. But there in lies the joy and wonder of old-time mail-order. 😎 😎 😎
Who said I stopped believing in Santa Claus? 🎅🏻 HO HO HO!