Top 25 Things We Wish Would Make a Comeback

[cookiejar]

Ahh, Those Were the Days ...

Remember when opening a toy package just meant opening the box lid and didn't require power tools? How about phone booths where people had their conversations in private? This whimisical list of the top 25 things that they wish would make a comeback. Some of their picks have virtually disappeared, while others may still be around but are becoming more and more rare.

 

You may not agree with those from the original poll but could probably find a few to agree with. Feel free to add some things you miss. Keep it CLEAN folks and non-political...

Miss something? My secret add on is at the end of the list...

 

No. 25: Grape Nehi Soda

Grape Nehi has sadly disappeared from shelves of American grocery stores. Since the mid-1920s, it was iconic of rural America, the America of ice-chest coolers where bib-overalled farmers parched from the fields dropped a couple of pennies on the counter and fished an ice-cold Nehi from the icy water depths. Nehi changed its name to reflect the popularity of its premier brand, RC Cola, many years ago. Grape Nehi is still available from HometownFavorites.com, but unless they deliver it in its own floor cooler, it just won't taste the same.

 

No. 24:

House & Garden Magazine

The magazine was launched in 1901 and was transformed into one of the first publications about interior design. While it went through several rough spots, even closing down for a few years in the 1990s, it was still always at the top of the list of venerable magazine titles. The magazine's departure in December 2007 didn't sit well with its loyal readers', and they've been clamoring to get the stylish title back since. We're certainly eager to see its return.

 

 

No. 23: The Use of VowelsIve 2 ADmre a gNR8N dat hs lrnD 2 liv w/o vowels. Textglish is so much more efficient, allowing the young to increase the speed of their communications while keeping anyone over 30 from understanding them. Nonetheless, we have a soft spot in our hearts for vowels, probably because we labored so long to learn them. (By the way, that first sentence is "I have to admire a generation that has learned to live without vowels.")

 

 

No. 22: Lard in Pastry

As WalletPop's Sarah Gilbert puts it, "My mother made pie crusts with lard when I was a girl, and I grew up with the firm belief that there was no better part of the pie than the crust. Pie experts know that lard 'makes the flakiest, most flavorful crust known to man.' It's due to the chemistry of lard's lipids, which form unusually large crystals."

 

No. 21: Howard Johnson's

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made it so special, and everyone will have their own reasons for being nostalgic for the restaurant, which got into the hotel business in 1954. Other than its orange roof, it wasn't flashy. It was very predictable, and that's what a lot of people liked about it. Nothing changed, and that's how you wanted it. Not that Howard Johnson's is gone. But, no offense to the new owners, it's not what it used to be. In 1979, the original Howard Johnson's Company was sold.

 

No. 20: Vent Windows

Blogger Josh Smith says, "While riding around with my dad as a youngster, the vent windows in his Jeep were part of the enjoyable experience. I remember using the vent windows not only on summer fishing trips but also during cold winter snow plowing expeditions. Unfortunately they have disappeared from cars and trucks for the most part since those days of my youth. This development means that, until I have the luxury of restoring an older vehicle or automakers go far enough retro, I won't be able to enjoy vent windows in a vehicle I own."

 

No. 19:

Screaming Yellow Zonkers

It's all in the marketing. Or was. The snack was born in the 1960s with an irreverent name and kept that theme in some of the most imaginative packaging in snack food history. Zonkers boxes might have an explanation on the bottom on how to determine that this side was, in fact, the bottom.

 

No. 18: Train Travel

There's something romantic about train travel. Is it the memories of the model train running on tracks around the Christmas tree? Maybe it's the names of the trains, like the Silver Meteor which has run from New York to Miami since 1939. The sound of the wheels on the tracks, the blur as the country slides by outside the window of the dining car, appeals to us. Travel by rail was at its peak in the 19th and early 20th centuries and it's just possible that it can make a comeback.

 

 

No. 17: New 'Potter' Books

After seven books, there will be no further Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter is finished as a primary character; his story is done. On the other hand, I still have some hope for his kids, particularly Albus Severus Potter."

 

No. 16: Chromed Metal

Blogger Gary Sattler reports that he's noticed in the last year that chrome is being used a bit more on new cars than it has been over most of the last decade. Thin silver strips around windows and doors have reappeared and you'll see occasional chrome door handles. But these little baubles can hardly hold a candle to the vehicle dressings of years past. Those huge shining bumpers and personality-providing grilles, lights and mirrors shall likely never be seen again on new cars, except as expensive after-market add-ons.

 

No. 15: Gelatin Salad

Like bell bottoms and Madras plaid, the JELL-O salad had suddenly been declared passe, replaced with ethnic dishes or nouveau veggies like the jicama.

 

No. 14: Drive-in Theaters

The very first drive-in theater opened on Tuesday, June 6, 1933, showing the movie 'Wife Beware.' By the end of the decade, 18 drive-in theaters were in operation in the U.S.. By 1958, nearly 5,000 drive-in theaters were in their twilight entertainment glory. As of 2007, sadly, that number had dwindled down to only 405, according to Drive-ins.com.

 

 

No. 13: Gas Attendants

A state law enacted in 1949 bans self-service gas stations in New Jersey. According to Infoplease, Oregon is the only other state with such a law, purportedly enacted to prevent accidents. We realize that these are antiquated laws and the 48 other states seem to be getting along fine with self-serve gas stations, but we have to admit that we really miss full-service gas stations.

 

 

No. 12: Milkshakes With Milk

Unfortunately, today's milkshake is barely recognizable compared to those of the middle of the century. Most come from McDonald's, Wendy's or Starbucks where they are all individually "branded" to make it clear that milk is a minor player. (Think Frosty & Frappuccino.) Instead they are full of nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, guar gum, dextrose, cellulose gum, and vanillan. Give us simple ice cream, a handful of berries or a teaspoonful of vanilla, and a nice pull from the milk machine. Now that is a milkshake.

 

No. 11: 45 rpm Vinyl Records

You may well wonder, especially if you're under the age of 30, why anyone would want the 45's to come back. We do think we have one good argument. Buying a 45 was a special experience. You had to go out and physically get the record. Sure, it sounds corny, but when you had to make an effort to go get your music, there was something kind of special about it. Yeah, we've downloaded music, but it does lose something when you can just download a song, listen to it, and four minutes later be onto something else in your life.

 

 

No. 10: McD's 'Fried' Pie

Anyone who grew up in the '70s will remember the fried apple pie with a tear in their eye that crunchy, processed pastry crust. Alas, we have only memories. McDonald's fazed out these bad boys in favor of the ostensibly more healthy "baked" apple pie sometime around 1992. That didn't sit well with the treat's many fans, however.

 

No. 9: Cursive Writing

Elegant handwriting elevates one's thoughts from the mundane to the sublime. In correspondence, it suggests a degree of attentiveness and respect that a "Wassup" text message can't match. On a more practical level, a person who has mastered well-written script is able to take faster, more comprehensive notes.

 

 

No. 8: Full-Size Spare Tire

There was a time not so long ago when all automobiles were outfitted to carry full-sized spare tires. As the automobile import age overtook us and cars were made smaller to facilitate profitable international shipment, everything became much smaller, including the spare tire.

 

 

No. 7: Day Games During Baseball Playoffs

The day game has virtually disappeared in the baseball playoffs, and is indeed extinct in the World Series -- all in the name of extracting the most advertising revenue from television. According to Wikipedia, the last outdoor World Series game to be played in the afternoon -- East Coast time -- was game five of the 1984 World Series between the Tigers and the Padres, and in 1987 the final World Series day game was played in Minnesota's Metrodome. We say, bring 'em back!

 

No. 6: Phone Booths

Phone booths were great in their day. If you needed to make a phone call, and it was raining, for instance, you could jump in the phone booth and talk to your heart's content and your mouth grew weary -- or at least until you ran out of spare change. Then, of course, there was the simple idea of some privacy. You could talk inside a phone booth and not worry about anyone overhearing you -- except possibly the operator.

 

 

No. 5: Pleasurable Air Travel

We're not suggesting that the security measures put into effect after 9/11 were unnecessary. We just remember that there was a day when traveling by air was a pleasure rather than an ordeal. Our goal should be to recapture those days, rather than accept that the current state of affairs is the best we can do.

 

 

No. 4: Hydrox Cookies

Hydrox wasn't just a knock-off. It was the original, started in 1908. Oreos didn't jump on the bandwagon till 1912. By the 1990s, Hydrox fell victim to corporate scheming. Keebler bought its maker, Sunshine Biscuits, then changed the name to Droxies. Then Kellogg's bought Keebler and in 2003 they quietly killed off Hydrox cookies. Loyal fans only learned the news when they realized the always difficult-to-find cookies had became impossible-to-find. Some complained; others petitioned; no one listened.

 

No. 3:

Easy-to-Open Packaging

We miss the days when it was simple to open a new package, like an album wrapped in plastic so thin we could puncture it with our nails -- as opposed to shrink-wrapped CDs and DVDs. The editors at Consumer Reports seem to agree, since they started something called the Oyster Awards (named after the infamously difficult to open mollusk) in 2006, a "hard to open packaging hall of shame." Last year, top honors went to the Oral-b Sonic Complete Toothbrush Kit and the Bratz Sisterz doll.

 

 

No. 2:

In-Store Lunch Counters

As kids, there was nothing quite like the thrill of the spontaneous grilled cheese or ice cream break at the lunch counter of the local drug store or five-and-dime. We'd place our own orders on the swiveling stools, watch the food prepared and joke with the friendly waitresses. To be sure, you can still eat at the counter of many a diner or family restaurant. However, we would argue, it's not quite as spontaneous and fun as the experience of eating at an in-store lunch counter.

 

 

No. 1: The Far Side

For blogger Tom Barlow, the comics page of the newspaper lost interest for him on January 1, 1995. That was the day that Gary Larson, author of the single-panel strip The Far Side, put down his inking pen, leaving those devoted to his warped sense of humor bereft. He wonders how the next generation will learn the lessons taught by Larson's genius. That nature has a way of eventually evening up the score. That the different between looking ridiculous and suave is merely the point of view.

 

(Cookie's secret add on- Remember Dippity Do?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WormGuy]

Cherry Humps candy bar. Not really a bar, more like a Mounds bar. It had a cherry on top covered in chocolate. No one remembers them but me...am I that old?

 

 

 

John

[JCK88]

John,

I don't remember those....but I'm old, too, LOL They might have been a regional thing so not everyone would remember them. In fact....I got curious while writing this post and found this -This candy WAS very regional and also they had a leak problem so the company stopped making them.....check this out :

 

 

Sweet Winona: City's candy making history a story filled with success and Humps

By Darrell Ehrlick of the Winona Daily News

 

.

Oh, how sweet it is.

 

In fact, Brach's candy in Winona is so sweet that the business goes through 250,000 pounds of sugar and 400,000 pounds of corn syrup a week. That's at least one semi-truck load of sugar per day as the Winona factory turns out nearly 30 million pounds of gummy and fruit snacks per year.

Larry Stuart, the president of the plant in Winona, didn't candy-coat the facts of his business as he gave an audience at the Winona County Historical Society's "Food For Thought" forum something to chew on.

 

With packs of gummy bears and fruit snacks, Stuart explained the history of the company in Winona and how Schuler chocolates in Winona sold the rights to a product called a Milky Way bar to Mars in 1929 for $5,000, of how the death of the mom-and-pop grocery stores also doomed the legendary Cherry Humps and how two candy companies named Brock (or Brach) came to be owned by Barry Callebaut.

 

Schuler's Chocolates traces its origins to 1907 in Winona, while William Brock started his candy business in Winona in 1906. About the same time in Chicago, Emil Brach was starting his candy store. Eventually, these companies would combine under the same "Brach's" name, and their headquarters would move from Winona and Chicago to Chattanooga, Tenn.

 

The move to Tennessee would leave behind more than the Brock and Schuler name, though.

 

"Do you make Cherry Humps anymore?" someone called out from the back of a packed room at the historical society last week. "You get me addicted and then you quit making them."

 

At that moment, Stuart was swirled like nougat into the real matters of history. Forget the gummy bears or the Milky Way bars. Heads nodded and voices murmured approvingly.

 

There were other Cherry Humps addicts present.

 

Stuart explained the problem with the Cherry Humps was the "leakers."

 

The cherry hump was a uniquely Winona confection. Two cordialized cherries places in a fondant and coated in chocolate.

 

"If you had a bubble in a chocolate or a bump during the delivery it would leak," Stuart explained.

 

Larger stores didn't want to stock them because one bad cherry seemed to spoil the whole bunch.

 

And vending machines?

 

Forget it.

 

Brach's tried to firm up the fondant to cushion the fragile cherries, but the new formula gave the cherry humps the consistency of previously chewed bubble gum, and the product was discontinued. The last cherry hump was sold at the historical society in the late 1980s.

 

A lot has changed since the first cherry hump hopped off the line at Brock's.

 

Winona no longer makes chocolate confections, but rather gummy and fruit snacks. It was Bill Schuler's son who helped start the first gummy craze in the early 1980s.

 

One of Schuler's sons had been studying at the London School of Economics. When he came home, he brought some Gummy Bears, a snack from Germany, to his parents and told them of their popularity in Europe. Schuler's wife made the first American batch of gummy bears in her Winona home, he said.

 

Before long, the Winona plant was ordering machines from Germany for the gelatin-based snacks, and now Winona not only produces gummy bears in 30-pound bulk cases, but also makes gummy sharks, fish, worms, tangy rings, lips and hearts. The plant, which employees between 115 and 120 people, produces fruit snacks that feature Barbie, Spiderman, Hot wheels, Bob the Builder and Clifford the Dog.

 

While both Schuler's and Brock's started out making everything by hand, not a single hand touches the snacks today before it gets ready for shipping.

 

"No one touches the product from the time it is made to the time it gets to the warehouse," Stuart said. "It is very non-labor intensive."

 

Ninety-nine percent of the food that is made in Winona by Brach's stays in the U.S., mostly because world sugar prices make competition overseas impossible.

 

Sugar prices aren't the only cost to the plant.

 

On an average day, Stuart said the plant uses $1,000 in electricity, $500 per day in natural gas.

 

"You have to sell a lot of gummy bears to afford that," Stuart said.

 

Brach's may be one of the only places in Winona that has the boilers running in the summer and the air conditioning in the winter. After all, the climate must be right for the gummy products. Too cold and the gummy products will harden, too hot and they will stick together.

 

Currently, the plant is heading into its busy season. It's not Easter or even Christmas that worries him. Halloween scares him.

 

"We've been working on Halloween for months," Stuart said.

 

 

[CrabGrassAcres]

How about party lines? We used to have fun with those. Know how to start a rumor? LOL Now they call it conference calling, back then it was "Two shorts, must be Miz Pearl, everybody be quiet, I want to know if Faith Marie had that baby yet."