Did you ever buy something from a comic book?

[RichardWrite]

You know the classic comic book ads: raise sea monkeys, get X-Ray Specs, get muscles so you can beat up tht guy who keeps kicking sand at you at the beach. The question: Did you ever order any of these or other comic book items?

[Frogboy]

I was allowed to buy a few things from one of those ads for my birthday once. I knew that the xray specs wouldn't work, Dad said the hovercraft wouldn't work, and I had no interest in working out. So I bought a bunch of those little prank things; snap gum, trick quarter and marked cards, I think. The I was really disappointed when the trick quarter didn't show up.

[md62]

Sure. Fake vomit. Fake dog poop. Fake arm cast. Some magic tricks.

[dupont2005]

Posters, videos, and comics that never showed up, and comics that did.

[dan bailey]

dupont 2005's listing on non-novelty items reminds me that my first fanzine sub, to Canada's oh-so-imaginatively named The Journal, did come via their ads in Marvel Comics circa '74.

[destro]

I ordered one of those Captain O sales things, and had a horrible time selling enough of their crappy greeting cards to get a remote controlled car...which was junk.

Did anyone ever actually call the number and ask for Bridget as the ad suggested?

This wasn't an order, but I entered a contest from a comic book, must have been a mid 80s Marvel. I actually won a Go-Bot, but it took a year for them to send it to me. By that time I was no longer interested in Go-Bots!! I believe he was a helicopter type robot. Still it was nice to win something.

[Red Oak Kid]

At the tender age of 7 I ordered the Revolutionary War soldiers and the Davy Crockett playhouse. The soldiers were flat and wouldn't stand up by themselves and the playhouse was printed on a sheet of plastic that you draped over a card table.

In the 70s I ordered some price lists from places selling back issue comics. I usually ordered the lists that were free.

I sent off for the Spy Pen Radio but I think I ordered that from a Johnson and Smith catalog. I probably ordered the catalog from a comic book ad.

[JeffreyWKramer]

I used to be a fairly avid stamp collector, and ordered stamps from mail order companies, including some that advertised in the comics of the time.

My first experience with purchasing comics via mail order was through Mile High, based on their ads in the books.

[RichardWrite]

I remember I always wanted to sell GRIT newspaper based on their ads in the comic books....and I wanted to go to Palisades, that theme park where Superman evidently spent all his free time.

[Cash Lone]

i got the Frankenstein Monster poster that was over 7 feet tall and printed on plastic with the same consistency as a trash bag.

[dupont2005]

My first experience with purchasing comics via mail order was through Mile High, based on their ads in the books.

Same here. Those were the ones that actually showed up:biggrin:

Too bad I got screwed over so often back then. Turned me off to mail order for good EDIT: Not for good, but for many years until I became active on eBay and I missed out on some stuff I would love to get my hands on now.

[Lorendiac]

I remember those funny ads. I used to find them interesting when I was a wee slip of a lad, but I don't remember ever trying to order any of that stuff.

[Hoosier]

Back in the seventies, I bought the Spider-Man bronze coin, and the Incredible Hulk bronze coin. Both came with a clasp and chain. I hung the Spidey one on my 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner's rearview mirror, and the Hulk one went onto the key chain.

[benday-dot]

Sea Monkeys. Yes indeed, I bought 'em. At least I think I did. Never could tell from that flotsam n' flakes floating in a bowl.

[Hoosier]

Sixth grade, I remember a classmate bought the X Ray Specs....we were all disappointed they didn't work when we took turns looking at Christi...the most "developed" sixth grade girl in our class. :tongue:

[Cash Lone]

Back in the seventies, I bought the Spider-Man bronze coin, and the Incredible Hulk bronze coin. Both came with a clasp and chain. I hung the Spidey one on my 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner's rearview mirror, and the Hulk one went onto the key chain.

a 73' roadrunner with a spidey medallion hanging from the mirror. that is bad ass and hilarious at the same time.:biggrin:

[DubipR]

I ordered a subscription from Marvel for Howard the Duck... those I got in the mail.

Roman Soliders.... never ever got those.

[MWGallaher]

A friend and I went in together on the 10-in-1 Scope advertised very heavily in DC comics circa 1971. We had a lot of fun with that, actually.
I actually ordered the X-Ray Specs. It's kind of cool being one of the only people I know of who actually know how they "worked".