“Come into my parlor,” said the company to the kid
October 24, 2011
Consider this ad (taken from yesterday’s 1963 Sea Hunt comic) a forerunner of the “Captain O” ilk of my own youth. I’m more and more coming to the realization that these things are windows absolute evil, getting kids to do grunt work (selling cards) for the promise of bikes, toys, sports gear, and other accoutrements of youth. This isn’t on the same level as a pedophile luring children into his house with video games. It isn’t Gordon Jump plying Arnold with ice cream, comic books(…) and cartoons. But it’s pretty low.
Maybe joining the “Junior Sales Club of America” gave kids gumption and taught them the value of hard work. Maybe I’m being a skeptical prick. I don’t think so.
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Jared
blog into mystery 
I never did get into selling seeds or cards or cloverine brand salve. But somebody must have, because these ads ran forever.
Don’t ask me to back this assertion with facts, but I’m convinced that the staying power of these ads marks the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis.