Do You Still Use "Golden Age" Products?

[Fibber Mcgee]

I like to pick old brand products over new like Aqua Velva (1929). When possible I would rather pick the old product like my watch is a Eska (1948) , my every day Pen is a Wearever Zenith (1940s) ,my razor is a Gillette (1940s)my radio/phonograph is an Olympic(1948) and I'm almost done restoring my Philco 40-190. I also drive a 1941 Ford Tudor and a 1949 Ford F1 and just bought a 1950 Chrysler Imperial for $550 but it needs a lot of work so I don't drive it ....yet.

 

[Shangas]

A lot of brands and products have been around for decades, some over a century. So I probably do. But I couldn't name them all!!

 

[Fading Fast]

My girlfriend and I listen to the only classical music station left in NYC (which is stunning to think about considering the size of this market) on a 1948 Fada Bakelite radio. The sound is warm and deep. We like it better than our modern Bose iPod speaker system - which also has very good sound, but lacks a certain warmth or depth.

 

[Seraph1227]

We get the glass bottle milk from the one in Wooster Ohio now and then. It's amazingly good, with the cream on top and everything. We'd get it all the time, but jeebers, it's like $3 a quart. Well worth it, but yowch. Just now and then.

We just finished off the eggnog from the same dairy.

the cream top chocolate is like drinking melted ice cream, yummmmmmmmm

 

[Seraph1227]

RC Cola and a Moon Pie!!!

Nothing Better for lunch!!!


I also remember taking Sunday drives with my folks growing up and stopping a country store and getting some baloney and cheese from the case and a pack of crackers.

Good eats!!!

nothing goes better with pizza then good old Royal Crown Cola

 

[Seraph1227]

I sure do... here's my list...
Royal Crown pomade
Murray's Superior pomade
Lucky Tiger pomade
Sweet Georgia Brown pomade
Witch hazel
Pinaud Clubman aftershave
Pinaud Talc
Safety razor

love royal crown pomade, its my dapper dan

 

[Unlucky Berman]

Mostly my wristwatches and pens. But I also have a razor of the 1950s and a clock that are still in use. Then, well guess what, a Fedora from 1957 and one from the 60s, cufflinks.
I would want more things for the daily use from that era. I kind of like using things that are already there and can be still used. That is much better than always buying useless new stuff and throwing things away for which resources had been used.
All those ridicioulous nonsense about economic growth as the only possibility to save our future and wealth is just stupid. Growth can only be achieved when something fuels it but with resources that are finite a growth forever is just impossible. I think to go back to a time where things were used a bit longer and could be repaired much easier that would be better for the society.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Indeed. An engine only runs if you burn something in it. We -- human beings -- are the fuel that's getting burned to keep the engine of mass consumerism running.

I use the same stuff I've used all my life, unless it gets discontinued, in which case I find the closest possible equivalent to replace it. I avoid expensive name brand products for skin care, shampoo, and such, and find that the cheapest stuff from the bottom shelf does what I need it to do at a fraction of the cost. Often these are old, Era-vintage products, and often they're just plain generics.

One of my favorite products surviving from the Era is Boraxo hand soap. I salvaged the Boraxo dispenser from our gas station, and still use it in my bathroom using industrial boxes of Boraxo powder from the local wholesale house. It's still the best product in the world for getting hands clean after doing filthy, grubby work.

I refuse as a matter of principle to use or wear any "Designer name" products -- what possible reason is there to pay for the privilege of going around with some Frenchman's name on my underpants? Better to put the name of the slave laborer in Bangladesh who put them together on the label, at least that'd be honest.

 

[GHT]

Have you ever seen that clip from: "Crocodile Dundee?"

[video=youtube;uF3y_ocbXfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF3y_ocbXfQ[/video]

Hand on heart, have you ever done something similar? Have to admit, I have.
We go to various vintage festivals throughout the year, one in particular requires camping.
In the morning, in our camper van, I shave using a safety razor, then, outside, with a passing audience,
I shave with an open (cut-throat) razor.
Mea culpa.

 

[ingineer]

These are going out for re-glazing, new era, but much the same as made in the 40's except modern nose pads and plated instead of gold filled.
Along with WWII homage watch I made.

Richard

 

[VintageEveryday]

I hope people find this an interesting thread.

Do you chose products or items from "the Golden Age" over other items that are for sale on store shelves? It is interesting to see some things are still being made even though the company may have changed hands a few times since the 30's/40's.

What I mean is - Do you chose:
Colgate (over Crest)
Hershey
Planter's Peanuts
Bayer Asprin
Beemer's Gum


What else do you buy that people in vintage times bought when they went to the store?

Have Fun!

BRS

I still use brylcreem, groom and clean. Definitely colgate and bayer.

 

[Tiki Tom]

I had to laugh the other day when I bought some "Old Spice" deodorant. On the back it said "if your grandfather hadn't used this product, you wouldn't be here!"

 

[PeterB]

Like all Fedora Lounge threads, this one brings back some memories. I don't think I have ever bought anything that we did not have in the house when I was a boy back in the 60s, unless I could not find it. Bon Ami, for example, does not exist where I live (Abu Dhabi), but when I saw the name mentioned in one of the posts, I suddenly wondered why we don't have any in my house now. As far as I am concerned, the Golden Age and its products never went away. We did, or do when we have to. But if something worked, why would you buy something else? Regarding Old Spice, I believe it is the world's best selling after shave, and has been for about 40 years.

 

[rosscoinc1]

I scrub my sinks and tub with Bon Ami -- hasn't scratched yet! And I make my own liquid laundry soap with Fels Naptha bar soap, Borax, and washing soda -- gets things clean and is extremely inexpensive.

Me to!

 

[rosscoinc1]

Gillette Double Edge Safety Razor from 1953. Still works great.

 

[Michael312]

Gillette Double Edge Safety Razor from 1953. Still works great.

I've got a couple of vintage Gillette razors, and also use a shaving brush and shaving soap to make my lather.

My shaves are great and my face is much happier than when I used a 5-blade cartridge razor and goo in a can.

 

[St. Louis]

Because I'm trying to retrofit my entire bungalow to 1935-1940 (give or take) I've been looking for containers that I can refill with products as close to the original as possible. It's so nice to open my medicine cabinet and see witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, cold cream, toothpaste (Marvis looks pretty period) and deodorant in period containers. The products aren't always the same, but some haven't changed too much, like Bayer aspirin and Noxzema.

 

[green papaya]

still use lots of common grocery store items like:

QUAKER OATS OATMEAL

KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKES

CREAM of WHEAT hot cereal since 1893

CAMPBELL SOUP

HERSHEY BARS

SPAM

HORMEL FOODS

TABASCO sauce founded in 1868

 

[Flightengineer]

Very interesting topic.
My father ( died 7 years ago) was an excellent engineer and did a lot repair . From him I got a vernier caliper ( very old, I think it was made in the 1940s). I use it because I like to repair what I can do with my own hands, and my father's caliper is as accurate and perfect as it was the day it was made 70 years ago.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I use Barbasol shaving cream and Clubman aftershave and cologne. All of my double-edge safety razors are vintage Gillettes from 1947-1962.