Do You Still Use "Golden Age" Products?

[gluegungeisha]

I currently take an issue with most of the companies that were completely different establishments in the Golden Era. I wish most of these brands practiced the same ethics they were (hopefully) founded upon. Instead of shopping by brand name, I always try to support smaller companies that choose to use responsible business practices.

Take good ol' Nestle, for example (founded in 1867). This company is guilty of aggressive takeovers of family farms, has been involved in a child slavery lawsuit, and has at least one human rights boycott under its belt. According to the ISO, UNICEF and the US State Department, about 40% of chocolate is produced using child slave labor...and the "vintage" companies are not coming out with their hands clean.

Endangered Species chocolate, on the other hand, produces fair trade, organic, slavery-free chocolate. Its suppliers are small, family farms. On top of that, 10% of the company's profit is donated to wildlife groups.

It's interesting how good of a sales tactic brand familiarity is.

*steps off soapbox*

I'm very old-school when it comes to cleaning supplies. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and boric acid do the trick for me.

 

[kampkatz]

Purina cat food.

 

[Miss 1929]

Purina cat food.

Chow chow chow!

 

[Jovan]

I currently take an issue with most of the companies that were completely different establishments in the Golden Era. I wish most of these brands practiced the same ethics they were (hopefully) founded upon. Instead of shopping by brand name, I always try to support smaller companies that choose to use responsible business practices.

Take good ol' Nestle, for example (founded in 1867). This company is guilty of aggressive takeovers of family farms, has been involved in a child slavery lawsuit, and has at least one human rights boycott under its belt. According to the ISO, UNICEF and the US State Department, about 40% of chocolate is produced using child slave labor...and the "vintage" companies are not coming out with their hands clean.

Endangered Species chocolate, on the other hand, produces fair trade, organic, slavery-free chocolate. Its suppliers are small, family farms. On top of that, 10% of the company's profit is donated to wildlife groups.

It's interesting how good of a sales tactic brand familiarity is.

*steps off soapbox*

I'm very old-school when it comes to cleaning supplies. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and boric acid do the trick for me.

Not quite as bad, but have you seen Arrow shirts lately? Almost exclusively poly/cotton clubbing shirt monstrosities. A far cry from the "Arrow Collar Man."

 

[CaddyKid21]

Funny that you mention Arrow Shirts, because i know this hot rodder guy in my area, who's grandfather created the company.

 

[Atomic Age]

I'm a fan of Altec Lansing speakers. Back in the 30s and 40s almost every movie theater built used Altec Lansing speakers. I still use original Old Spice after shave and I use William's shaving soap and a shave brush.

Doug

 

[fortworthgal]

I love vintage products! Here are a few that we use at home:

- Bon Ami
- Ivory, Pears, Lux, Yardley soaps
- Breck shampoo (sometimes, when we can find it)
- RC Cola, Dr. Pepper
- Jiffy mixes (best cornbread ever!)
- Coty airspun powder
- cold cream & witch hazel

I know we have a long list, but I'm blanking right now.

My husband shaves with vintage safety razors, and uses Burma-Shave brushes and soaps.

 

[Edward]

Hello, in England and America you can be proud of your products.

But in Germany we´re not proud to use Bayer products, because
they (I. G. Farben) sponsored Hitler and took slave labourer from
him (in the "golden age"). It´s not forgotten

-Jörg

Alas, a lot of things have happened in history that looking back weren't something to be proud of. The company that had the licence to bottle Coca Cola in Germany during the Hitler years had paid for Coke adverts in the Hitler Youth handbook (you won't find those in the Coca Cola museum today - a touch of the historial airbursh?). Fanta was actually invented by that company during the war when it couldn't get some of the essential ingredients for Coke.

Regarding Bayer.... they were sanctioned for their involvement with Hitler after the war - if memory serves, the brand was taken away from its owners for years, and only about twelve years ago did they regain ownership. I remember there being some big legal dispute over it when I was an undergrad studying intellectual property.

I currently take an issue with most of the companies that were completely different establishments in the Golden Era. I wish most of these brands practiced the same ethics they were (hopefully) founded upon. Instead of shopping by brand name, I always try to support smaller companies that choose to use responsible business practices.

Agreed absolutely. I try so far as is possible to buy Fair Trade products - including all my tea and coffee, and as many of my clothes as I can. There's a few brands (and countries of origin, though that's a much murkier deal) that I would avoid, too. Been boycotting Nestle since 1993 - gets harder all the time, given they seem to own so much, but eh well - whoever said ethics were easy?

When I think about it, I'm probably using more Golden Age products than I realise. I do buy things from companies that were around then, like Marks and spencer. I buy most of my groceries in Sainsburys (mostly own brand, too). If those count, that is. Occasionally, Kellogs cereals. Oh... and Bushmills whiskey (400 years old this year! ).

 

[freebird]

Lucky Tiger hair tonic
Old Spice
Robeson Shuredge razor
Case poketknife
zippo lighter
John B. Stetson
Resistol
Gillette Safety razor-not the new ones the mid 50's models
Tony Lama Boots
Nocona Boots

 

[Memnon]

I have a few vintage fountain pens that I use...

 

[Burnsie]

Soda Pop

I only drink soda pop made with real cane sugar as I feel high fructose corn syrup to be the root of all evil. I'm currently enjoying a Dublin Dr. Pepper (Dublin Texas - look it up and order some online, it's worth every extra penny)! You can still get RC Cola with real sugar too, in glass bottles if you look hard enough. And alot of the "micro brew" sodas are made with pure cane sugar now.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Thanks to Mike K. for this one. He has literally saved my poor aching head by telling me about these. I owe you multiple drinks for that, Mike. Seriously.


Goody's headache powders. Circa 1932 or so.

Its my excedrin, but in powder form. Comes in cute glassine envelopes that make me look like a drug dealer. But I don't care. Fixes headaches in 10 min instead of 30 for a pill.

 

[Mike K.]

Glad I could be of service!
I hope you have tried the newer orange-flavored ones. They go down a whole lot easier than the nasty tasting originals! They work on most of my minor headaches, but for the migraines I need the prescription heavy artillery.

I suppose if I take you up on those drinks, I might be the one needing the Goody's headache powders! lol

 

[Widebrim]

Schick safety razor that's about 40 years old, and just purchased (among even older examples) a '40s Gillette safety razor which I plan on using. Just ran out of Old Spice, though. Do fountain pens and inkwells count? That's about all I use in my classroom (3rd grade).

 

[LondonLuke]

A touch of brylcreem for the old fashioned hair style. Not greasy though. I do have an old fashioned styled safety razor, although of modern make, similar to the one used on the blane by Bond in Goldfinger.

 

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

counting my age old, but not old aged products at near 3am!

Noxema(1914?)
Ponds Cold Cream(1846)
Max Factor Pan Stick(1948)
Maybelline Mascara(1915)
Vicks Vapo Rub (which my mother swears is a cure-all!)(1880s)
Kleenex(1924)
Scott Toilet Paper(1879)
Suave lotions(1937)
Scrubbing Bubbles(1970s?)
Palmolive(1898?)
Pledge(?)
Gillette Razor (disposable razors... new product, old company )(1901)
Windex(1933)
Listerine(1914)


there's plenty of other things I use such as Vaseline, I often dry the clothes on a pair of wooden drying racks, flour sack cloths for drying the dishes, peroxide for cuts and scrapes, and teeth whitening (which would work better if I weren't a smoker/coffee and tea drinkerlol).

 

[DrSpeed]

Old Spice
Gilette razors
Vergulde Hand shaving soap (most of you probably don't know this brand)
Zippo (even though I don't smoke)
Buck knife

 

[kmike1918]

This morning:

Royal Crown Pomade
Old Spice
Ovaltine!

 

[bsaguy]

I shave daily with a variety of vintage Gillette razors from the 1920's through the 1970's. I have about 11 in my rotation.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Old Spice
I listen to the radio on an old RCA
Brylcreem
I drive cars from the era, or brands that existed in the era
White Owls
Dutch Masters
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Hamm's
Schlitz
Blatz
Old Milwaukee