How in the world I’ve been able to keep this Pizza Hut paper place mat in this great condition from my childhood I’ll never know. It’s no wonder I kept it though. Look at the cool art work, the trivia questions on the back, and the big-haired big-boobed blond. Pizza Hut Pete is cool, why don’t business just have fun logos anymore?

Notice how much fun these people are having eating pizza. It’s like they haven’t eaten in days and now they are giddy and delirious.

This is certainly one of the most unique items in my collection. I mean, how many of these do you think there still are? I should stick this on eBay.

Now to the trivia questions.

Adult Trivia, I expect all readers of this blog to get #13, and all Americans should get #9. How many of you could answer #12 before a recent movie came out?:

• 1. Who played Bat Masterson on the TV Series?
• 2. Who played Babe Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story?
• 3. Who was the only survivor of the Battle of Little Big Horn?
• 4. What is the longest bridge in the world?
• 5. Who ran against Woodrow Wilson for the Presidency in 1912?
• 6. Who has won the most Baseball Pennants in the National League?
• 7. When did the reign of Queen Elizabeth II Start?
• 8. Who has won the Indianapolis 500 more times than any other driver?
• 9. What are the first seven words of the Declaration of Independence?
• 10. What is the third best hand in poker?
• 11. What show had a peanut gallery?
• 12. Who shot Jesse James?
• 13. What was the name of Jed Clampett’s banker?

Children’s Trivia, I hope everyone can get all of these, but #8 stumped me.
• 1. Name one of Donald Duck’s nephews.
• 2. What are Uncle Remus’s Stories about?
• 3. Mr. Spock is a character in what TV series?
• 4. Who plays Geraldine?
• 5. Who chases the Road Runner?
• 6. What TV series does Big Bird star in?
• 7. Who was the first U.S. astronaut to fly in space?
• 8. Name the three brothers in the TV series The Partridge Family.
• 9. What Starr plays the drums?

Answers in the next post!

Found in Pueblo. Password game, this is a pretty jazzy box. I dig the cartoon artwork. “These new words are just great George!” Volume three. With the fellas wearing a bow tie and a thin neck tie, I’d say it’s late 1950s, early 1960s. The box looks like it says 1953. My camera doesn’t do to well in dim light and the flash is too strong and always washes everything out. That’s my excuse for the blurry and dark photos.

I don’t know anything about this Skill-Role Game except that I like the box. It was another find at a flea market in Pueblo, CO. “A Bar-Zim Product” sounds cool. I think I’ll just go around today saying “Bar-Zim.” Skill-Role looks like a version of ski-ball or that old Toss-Across game I used to have.

I’m not sure what game this is, I don’t remember Old Maid, but these were at my Grandparents. They could be late 1940s or 1950s. I did a series of posts a while back about all the stuff I found there. 48 State Puzzle, Carrier Air Conditioner Playing Cards, Yahtzee, and a Trouble game.

This is a puzzle that I found under a bunch of games at my Grandparent’s house. It probably would have been thrown out long ago if it wasn’t on a tall shelf and under a stack of board games. With only 48 states, it must be older than 1959. If you look at the full-size photo here, you can see the cool art work for each state. EDIT: to see the full size photo, you have to highlight the web address and hit enter. I don’t know why.

My Grandfather worked heating and air as a living from the mid 1950s, until he retired 25 or so years ago. These cards were probably some kind of giveaway, I got similar stuff when I worked in an auto parts store. The open pack was probably played with once or twice, and the other package is still unopened. Note that they are different AC units: “The Compact” and “The Round One.”

If these weren’t “useful” (as playing cards) they would have been pitched by my grandparents, while my tendency is to keep every little scrap of advertising/publicity that might someday be of interest to somebody. I did get rid of about 3 boxes of auto parts stuff from the 1980s when I moved though (my wife insisted we didn’t have room, and of course, she’s right). I may someday regret that, but the 1980s were not a high point in cars or hot rods, generally speaking.

Anyway, enough about me, Granddad went to heating and newfangled air conditioning trade school on the G.I. Bill after winning a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts in France and Belgium. just northeast of Bastone during the Battle of the Bulge as part of Patton’s III Corps. His part in the war ended just northeast of Bastone during the Battle of the Bulge as part of Patton’s III Corps when a machine gun knocked his legs out from under him. They Germans could have finished him off, but they let him crawl (with one thigh bone shattered and not connected top and bottom) to safety. The war was over before he got out of the hospital. He is my personal hero, for more reasons than just that.

I went to my Grandparent’s house this weekend. My Grandfather turned 91 last week. They’ve lived in the same 1100 sq. ft. house for over 50 years. It’s amazing that they are still independent. I was looking for some games for my kids to play to keep them occupied, and I ran across these games, puzzles, and cards that will be the next few posts. There was more to photograph, but I spent most my time with the people who likely won’t be around much longer. This is a Kohner brand Trouble game with a 1965 date on the box. We own a newer version of this game and box is falling apart and it opens from the end (instead of the top coming off) so all the pegs fall out all the time, the pegs are thin and cheap, and the difference in the quality is really something. This box even has the Trouble logo on the inside of the box!