Vintage 1967 Anson Birthday Popularity Thermometer Gag Box Gift MCM Allentown PA

$46.87 Buy It Now, $8.99 Shipping, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: agitpropshoppe ✉️ (427) 100%, Location: Michigan, US, Ships to: US, Item: 186256137170 Vintage 1967 Anson Birthday Popularity Thermometer Gag Box Gift MCM Allentown PA.

Some Dunlop Rubber Company chemists came up with the first foam rubber in 1929, but it was a Columbia University art student named Arthur H. Anson who introduced the world to foam rubber coasters. And “Porex” air-cushioning pillows, fake gag foam plastic bottle labels, and “chiroprodic” sandals (versions still available today from Scholl’s), all made in part or whole from foam rubber. Anson’s Allentown, Pennsylvania-based firm went on to sell a variety of novelties, including bottle foam “spongers” with different colored tops to differentiate drinks, decorated drink stirrers, and fake embalming fluid bottles to novelty salt and pepper shakers, a giant rotary landline telephone dial that glowed in the dark, and an amazing variety of gag boxes.

      His 1966 “Boozemood Indicator” and 1967 “Sexometer Test” gag boxes were big hits although some of his best-remembered boxes contained cloth crying or weeping towels, one for Korean veterans in 1953, another as a 1960s calorie counters’ version, and one for new retirees who missed sex in 1970. He also produced gag ties and “executive” male bikini-style underwear with appropriately placed openings, “for the man who is always in a hurry!” Anson died in 1980 and his firm went out of business in the mid-1980s. Seemed like Allentown never really appreciated the wonderful jokes that Anson and his products were. Anson even won a $10,000, two-month around-the-world contest in 1955 for writing a 25-word jingle on why he liked to fly the old Northwest Airlines that received scant public attention. Kind of like winning a big lottery today.

       Anson g ag boxes were three-dimensional greeting cards. The top of each box had a picture and setup line(s) and a punch line was always provided by cheap props inside the box. In this case, the prop is a 14-inch (35.5 cm) card designed to tell the recipient if they were improving with age or becoming a “grump”. The answer was provided by an alcohol-filled “thermometer” that indicated on a scale up to 18 different conditions, from “sourpuss” to “amazing”. The colorful card and bulb could be removed from the box and hung on a wall if desired so others could test their level of “improvement” as well. Pictures of an aging man and woman were included at the bottom of the card along with the advice “Place thumb on red bulb and good luck”. 

      This pressed cardboard box, card, and indicator tube are in good to very good condition. The liquid does move up the tube if a warm thumb or finger is applied. The box, which measures 14.25 x 4.25 x 1 inch (36 x 11 x 2.5 cm), is structurally sound but is compressed a bit in the middle (see pictures) and has some light age spots on it. Beyond the millions of obvious prank and gag possibilities, this gag box is a rather unique bit of mid-century modern culture. It hearkens back to a day when youth culture had become supreme and growing old was considered to be humorous or sad (your choice). You could put this on your mid-century modern Scandinavian designed metal and wood shelving with your Viking and Blenko art glass and other MCM decorations. Or maybe on display in your home or business office. Carefully packed for shipping, hence the extra shipping charge. Check out our other gift boxes, novelties, and advertising collectibles at www.ebay.com/str/agitpropshoppe

GC44017
  • Condition: Used
  • Condition: Box and contents are in very good condition. Glass indicator still works. Box is compressed in the middle and has some age spots.
  • Subject: Gag box

PicClick Insights - Vintage 1967 Anson Birthday Popularity Thermometer Gag Box Gift MCM Allentown PA PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 0 watchers, 0.0 new watchers per day, 73 days for sale on eBay. 0 sold, 1 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 427+ items sold. 0% negative feedback. Great seller with very good positive feedback and over 50 ratings.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive