Remember how mom’s purse was like the world’s best Mary Poppins style magic bag? If mom wanted to pull something from her bag, she’s got a practical solution for almost every situation. Back when we had traditional non-phone accessories, handbags were like survival kits. They contained things that would probably baffle a kid today. Let’s remember some of those essentials we would find in mom’s purse.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. S&H Green Stamps
- 2 2. Church Key Can Opener
- 3 3. Paper Roadmaps
- 4 4. Flash Cubes
- 5 5. Printed Phone Numbers List
- 6 6. Dime Store Reading Glasses
- 7 7. Trading Stamps
- 8 8. Typewriter Correction Fluid
- 9 9. Emergency Dimes for Pay Phones
- 10 10. Printed Coupons
- 11 11. Film Rolls and Developed Photo Packets
- 12 12. Leatherette Checkbook Cover
- 13 13. Plastic Rain Bonnet
1. S&H Green Stamps
Before you could earn rewards with credit cards, there were S&H Green Stamps. Mom would get little green stamps every time she made a purchase at participating stores. Then she had to lick the stamps, put them in a book, and wait until she earned enough stamps to get a free toaster or a toy. The Green Stamp store was a huge deal, and every mom’s purse had a collection of that Green Stamp currency.
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2. Church Key Can Opener
Long ago before ‘pull tabs’ and ‘pop tops’ became the norm, a ‘church key’ was ever present in mom’s purse. The ‘Church key’ was a convenient way for a parent to make a drinking hole, and a pouring hole on the other side so that a child could drink from the can and pour the drink. To kids, this might seem like some brutal torture device!
3. Paper Roadmaps
Long before there were smartphones and GPS, navigation was a matter of fighting with the most difficult paper map to fold. Because every mom’s purse had one, or many, gas station paper maps that would have coffee rings and highlight marks showing where the family had traveled. It was a skill to fold the map neatly again without having a degree in origami. The real skill was right there in front of you!
4. Flash Cubes
Before everbody had a digital camera in thier pocket, and the possibility of endless selfies, mom always had extra flash cubes for her instamatic. These cubes contained four single use flashes so you would rotate the flash used for each picture. At the child family gathering there was that satisfying pop noise followed by a brief blue flash that was part of everyday family life. To children, the idea of waiting to see the pictures would blow their minds like an empty bottle rocket.
5. Printed Phone Numbers List
Moms had a sheet of paper or a small spiral not book with telephone numbers written on it. It was not just a list of contacts, these were guides to survival because they contained all the numbers needed for life including the family doctors number and the number for pizza. Some mom’s even made alphabetical order, but most just jotted down numbers as they came creating a fascinating record of family activities.
6. Dime Store Reading Glasses
Before mom had prescription glasses, she had reading glasses that she would bring along from the local dollar store and stow away in her big purse. These reading glasses came in a cheap plastic sleeve, and because they were so easy to lose and break, it was not uncommon to see multiple pairs. The frames were typically a neutral color, and it always seemed like every pair had the same slightly uneven arm that was never fixed.
7. Trading Stamps
S&H Green Stamps were not the only trading stamps that moms collected. There were also Top Value and Blue Chip stamps. Smart shoppers would know which stores gave out which stamps. Moms would have a special envelope in their purse for these stamps to keep them organized until they could be glued into a collection book at home.
8. Typewriter Correction Fluid
Before the backspace key became a fast way to erase mistakes, many moms carried a small bottle of correction fluid. Liquid paper would fix typing mistakes, and would leak in purses, leaving white stains on everything. Today, kids wouldn’t understand why you couldn’t just hit delete to fix a mistake.
9. Emergency Dimes for Pay Phones
Coin purses had a section for dimes that were kept for emergency pay phone calls. The idea of not being able to talk to anyone at any time would be so foreign to children today.
10. Printed Coupons
Mom’s purse used to be full of paper coupons. Kids of that era remember the sound of paper coupons like the rest of us remember the sound of scanned coupons. Coupons were organized by date and store; sorted to have the greatest savings.
11. Film Rolls and Developed Photo Packets
Mom often used to receive undeveloped rolls of film as temporary housing, and her purse acted as a temporary home for those little packets of freshly developed photos from Fotomat or from the drug store. The anticipation of seeing what pictures had been taken and how they had turned out was a big part of the experience and often lasted weeks.
12. Leatherette Checkbook Cover
Every mom had a checkbook covered in leather, complete with a calculator and calendar. Checking people out at the grocery store really became a thing, and and closing the store felt like an event. Little pencil vials in the spine of the checkbook cover were like little pieces of gold because once they were gone, they were gone and you had to borrow one from the check out!
13. Plastic Rain Bonnet
Many mothers prepared for the rain by putting plastic bonnets in their bags. These bonnets served a purpose just like shower caps, and were made out of plastic for all the rain that you would encounter. Slip one of those plastic bonnets over your head and avoid ruining the hairdo you had gotten done at the salon for a little bit of beauty.
