Dino Drac’s 25 Days of Christmas!
Welcome to Dino Drac’s 25 Days of Christmas! From now through December 25th, I’ll be posting a little something, every single day. Remember to check back, because I won’t be plugging this often!
12/18: Kay-Bee’s Christmas Sale! (1989)
Here’s a Kay-Bee Toys circular from the 1989 holiday season, highlighting their “Dear Santa Sale.” We actually covered the entire circular for the latest Purple Stuff bonus show, but I thought I’d at least show the cover here, since it’s such a beaut.
Featured prominently were two of that year’s hottest gifts: The Nintendo Game Boy, and Toy Biz’s Batman collection. The Game Boy was of particular interest to me, but “Santa” refused to cooperate. I ended up getting one for my birthday instead, a few months into 1990.
It really was a life-changing little device. I owned other handheld games and even a freakin’ Sony Watchman, but no portable thingamajig packed the boredom-destroying power of the Game Boy. No longer did those four-hour visits to Grandma’s house feel like sixteen days. Tetris was like a license to disassociate.
12/17: Starry Cranberry Blizz! (2024)
Acting as a replacement for Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, Starry Cranberry Blizz infuses the usual lemon-lime soda with a blast of cranberry flavor.
It only comes in a Zero Sugar variety, and I’d describe it as more sweet than tart. In my opinion, it doesn’t beat some of the other seasonal sodas (I’d take Cranberry Canada Dry over this), but in fairness, I felt the same way about the Sierra Mist version.
If they make this again next year, I’d like to see them spike the sourness by 15% or so. But even as things stand, it’s a pleasant addition to the holidays. I’m always thrilled when these seasonal sodas arrive without calories, so I don’t have to feel guilty about pairing them with wheelbarrows of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.
PS: If you decide to try Cranberry Blizz, make sure it’s cold. The soda is pretty great when it’s chilled, but when it’s warm, it tastes like Play-Doh.
12/16: Christmas at Kmart in ‘92!
This Kmart circular from 1992 sparks so many memories for me. Back then, Kmart was still the biggest chain in town, and a must-visit during Christmastime. It was where your family bought everything from wrapping paper to stocking stuffers to strands of lights.
It’s fitting that this particular circular gave artificial Christmas trees the cover story, because it was right around 1992 that my parents switched from real to fake. I protested that decision with every fiber of my being, but my father wouldn’t budge.
I don’t even think it was because he disliked real trees. In the early ‘90s, it felt like fake trees – the higher-end ones, anyway – suddenly became a bit of a status symbol. Maybe not to the extent of driving a Mercedes or whatever, but on par with adding a few inches to your TV screen. My father was hardly a slave to fashion, but he could pick his spots. Read More…