Column stirs up poignant ‘that’s the way things were back then’ memories
She was 8-years-old standing in line with her father outside the local Blue Chip Stamp redemption store in 1959 waiting to exchange the book of stamps in her hand for a popular children’s book she desperately wanted to read.
“I was so excited I could hardly wait to get my hands on that book,” said Nancy Rubin. “The people standing in line with us were all white grownups, and there was one African-American man standing by himself trying to talk to people.
“I had not seen many Black people at that time, and I was a little afraid of him and could not understand what he was saying. Later in life I came to understand he had a very thick Southern accent.
“All the grownups were acting strangely. They would not look at him and certainly not talk to him when he approached them.
“My dad took me by the hand and we walked up to the man. Now I was curious. My dad said hello and the man pulled out a wad of Blue Chip Stamps and gave them to him.
“He said, ‘this is all I can do for you, sir.’ My dad thanked him, shook his hand, and we went inside the store. I asked him why the man gave him the stamps?
“My dad said he was trying to be nice and it was a kind thing for him to do. I’m 73 now and I’ve never forgotten that morning. I got the book I desperately wanted with my Blue Chip Stamps, and a lesson in respect and kindness, too.”
Below, readers react and take the time to share their own memories after last week’s column about Blue Chip and S&H Green Stamps, and how important they were in people’s lives in the 1950s and 60s:
“As a young bride in the very early 60s, I remember window shopping at the Blue Chip store when our budget was very low,” said Patty Frozina. “I would mark the catalog for items that appealed to me so I knew exactly how many books I would need.
“Many of my friends were also getting married so I would use the stamps to get them wedding gifts. We will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary in April and we’re still using the clothes hamper one of my bridesmaids gave us as a shower gift. I know for a fact that she used her stamps to be able to give us such a nice gift.”
Paul Le Clerc keeps two books of Blue Chip Stamps in his safety deposit box to remember the good times he had going shopping with his dad or to the gas station to collect the stamps.
He was in the Navy when his mom sold their home with all his baseball cards, 45 rpm records and Lionel trains still up in the attic. She didn’t think he’d want them anymore as an adult. She was wrong.
“Ever since, I’ve had a fear of losing my best memories,” he said. “Now, when I open that safety deposit box I see a blast from the past and drift back to a more pure world of innocence we used to live in.”
It wasn’t so innocent to Chris Jacobovitz. “Those stamps were important because we did not have a lot of money. My mom was not working because my stepfather did not want her working. He was not giving her money for the household, so she needed the stamps to buy things for our home.
“My memories are of sitting with my damp sponge and putting the stamps in the books with her. We’d look through the catalog together and go to the redemption store in Glendale.
“It was our special time together, just the two of us. She died in 2015. I really have so few good memories of my childhood that reading your column brought those good ones back. Thank you.”
Chris, I’d give a dozen tomorrows for just one day of good memories. I don’t think I’m alone.
Dennis McCarthy’s column runs on Sunday. He can be reached at dmccarthynews@gmail.com.