The Retro site Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Retro Reminiscing Video and Pictures

Psychic Hotline

Remember when late-night TV was full of mysterious 1-800 numbers promising to tell you the truth about love, money, and your future?

This psychic hotline ad has everything: purple graphics, dramatic music, smiling people on couches, and the magic words every commercial loved to use — “This call is FREE!” Of course, the tiny print told the real story: first few minutes free, then the meter started running.

It is a perfect little time capsule from that wonderfully weird era when TV convinced us that answers to life’s biggest questions were just one phone call away.

Did you ever call one of these numbers, or were you smart enough to just watch the commercial and wonder who actually did?

“Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop”

I remember my mom calling it the “Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop,” and for years I wondered where that came from. Now I know she wasn’t just making up a funny name — that was actually part of Wham-O’s marketing.

The original Hula Hoop craze took off in 1958, but like most fads, it cooled down. Wham-O later tried to bring it back by adding a new twist: sound. They put small ball bearings inside the hollow plastic hoop so that when you spun it around your waist, it made a swishing, “shoop shoop” kind of noise. TIME described the 1967 version as the New Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop, with bright colors and ball bearings inside to give it that “whirry” sound.

That explains why the name stuck with so many parents. It wasn’t just a hula hoop anymore — it was the one that made noise. Toy collectors and nostalgia sites still point to the Shoop Shoop version as Wham-O’s attempt to freshen up the craze, and later versions from the 1970s kept the name alive.

It’s funny how those advertising names became part of everyday family language. A kid might have just called it a hula hoop, but Mom remembered the commercial name: Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop. And once you hear that, you can almost hear the sound of it spinning again.

Put A Little Old Spice In Your Life!

Before Old Spice became the loud, funny commercial brand we know today, it sold romance, confidence, and that “dad or granddad getting ready for a night out” feeling. This vintage ad with Brett Halsey and Catherine Roberts is pure old-school TV advertising — elegant music, a beautiful woman, a handsome man, and the simple message that Old Spice made him unforgettable.

Get Dad an 8-Track Player!

There was a time when a trip to Radio Shack felt like walking into the future — even if you only needed batteries, a fuse, a connector, or one little part nobody else carried.

For many of us, Radio Shack was where we first saw CB radios, scanners, stereo gear, remote-control toys, electronic kits, and eventually computers like the TRS-80. The shelves were packed with gadgets, wires, adapters, and things we did not fully understand but still wanted.

And who remembers giving your name, address, and phone number just to buy a pack of batteries?

Do you miss Radio Shack?

Magilla Gorilla

Magilla Gorilla was one of those classic Hanna-Barbera characters who was impossible not to like. Sitting in Mr. Peebles’ pet shop with his little hat, bow tie, suspenders, and endless supply of bananas, Magilla was always waiting for someone to take him home.

Of course, every time someone did, it usually went wrong — and poor Mr. Peebles would end up with Magilla right back in the window.

Do you remember watching Magilla Gorilla?

Lotsa Luck

One of my family’s favorite shows starring Dom DeLuise only lasted one season, but we never forgot it.

Lotsa Luck starred Dom as Stanley Belmont, a good-hearted working guy stuck supporting his mother, sister, and unemployed brother-in-law. It was loud, silly, and very much built around Dom DeLuise’s lovable, frustrated comedy style.

It may not have lasted long, but if your family watched it, chances are you still remember it.

Did you watch Lotsa Luck?

ABC Saturday Morning Cartoons 1971

This is what Saturday mornings looked like when the cereal bowl was full, the TV was warm, and the whole morning belonged to cartoons. ABC’s 1971 lineup brought together a wild mix of animated favorites, spooky fun, music, adventure, and live-action weirdness that only the early ’70s could deliver.

Did you watch ABC on Saturday mornings, or were you switching between channels?

Johnny Seven O.M.A. — The One-Man Army Toy

The Johnny Seven O.M.A. was one of the ultimate “how did kids ever get this?” toys of the 1960s. Made by Topper Toys/Deluxe Reading, it came out in 1964 and was marketed as the One-Man Army — a giant toy weapon with several play features built into one.

This thing was not subtle. It could act like a machine gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, rifle, and detachable pistol all in one. For kids watching the TV commercial, it must have looked like the jackpot. One toy did everything. You didn’t just get a cap gun — you got the whole backyard battle kit.

But here is probably why so many of us never got one: the Johnny Seven sold for about $10.88 in 1964, which sounds cheap until you adjust it for today. That would be roughly $115 now, so this was not just some little toy tossed into the cart. This was a serious Christmas-present-level toy, the kind you hoped was under the tree but maybe understood years later why it wasn’t.

Looking back now, it feels almost impossible that this was once a mainstream toy. But in the mid-’60s, with war shows, spy shows, James Bond-style gadgets, and G.I. Joe all part of the culture, the Johnny Seven fit right in.

Did you have a Johnny Seven O.M.A., or was this one of those toys you wanted but never got?

Nanny and the Professor-Were You A Fan?

Nanny and the Professor premiered on ABC on Wednesday, January 21, 1970, and ran until December 27, 1971. It starred Juliet Mills as the mysterious Phoebe Figalilly, better known as Nanny, and Richard Long as widowed Professor Harold Everett.

The show had a gentle Mary Poppins feel, with Nanny always seeming to know a little more than everyone else. Was she magical, psychic, or just very clever? That was part of the fun.

For many kids, it fit perfectly into ABC’s family lineup, especially when it aired on Friday nights near The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. It was sweet, quiet, and very much of its time.

Did you watch Nanny and the Professor? Did you think Nanny was magical?

K-Tel Records

K-Tel records filled in the gap of the 45 single hits not on our Columbia House Records!