The Boomers who can recall the coonskin cap and Howdy Doody years also remember ads in magazines designed to separate kids from their nickels and dimes. One of these scams, excuse me, opportunities, was tempting kids to get monkeys or dogs that are small enough to fit in a teacup for No Cost! Well, there WAS a tiny "at almost" in front of that statement. So they weren't TECHNICALLY lying.
But seeing how the ads intended audience was prepubescent youth, it was pretty underhanded nonetheless.
There was no doubt about it, having a monkey small enough to fit in a teacup was a pretty stinkin' cool concept. The problem lay in the actual product. The monkeys were generally marmosets or capuchins captured and imported when regulations against doing so did not yet exist. And they started out small, but got bigger. And meaner.
I remember once going to the house of a friend of my father's. He had a capuchin monkey that was supposed to be tame and well-behaved. The nasty little bugger crawled up my back and grabbed two handfuls of my blonde hair and started yanking! I let out a yell and jumped, of course, and that sent it into a rage, jumping all over the living room shrieking! I never wanted to get within a hundred feet of a monkey after that disaster.
But, in actuality, there was practically no chance that you would get a monkey or dog anyway.
The scam began with you sending in a black-and-white photo. The photo could be you, a pet, whatever. They would enlarge it to 5x7 and hand-color it. Then, they would send it back to you along with 20 "get-acquainted" coupons. You handed them out to unfortunate friends and relatives while showing them your bonzer little color photo.
THEN, you got the monkey, right?
Wrong. Read the fine print. You have to actually produce twenty paying customers. Eww, that's nearly impossible.
In the meantime, the company had charged you COD for your hand-colored picture, and you very well might send them a few customers in the process of passing out coupons. So it was win/win for them, but sadly, many a child wished for and never received a teacup monkey or dog.
Sadly, scams are much more profligate today than the innocent 50's. Nowadays, you can get "free" flat-panel TV's, $500 or more gift cards, and other tantalizing goodies. All you have to do is "complete offers." The fine print shows that completing the offers is nearly impossible to do without shelling out your own cash. And if you are shelling out money, why that's not exactly "free," is it? Sometimes, you have to refer a friend who also completes offers.
If there are any Boomers from the 50's out there who have ever tried to earn a free whatever, they may have flashed back to when they were children, passing out coupons in the elusive hope of getting a teacup monkey.
Comments (7)
Those were very attractive ads for kids.What kid wouldn't want a mini-monkey? Monkey's were sold all over the place in the 1960's.They were even sold at Katz Drugstore in Joplin,MO.I wanted a monkey BAD.But my Mom put her foot down on my request.Looking back I agree with her.Squirrel monkey's which sold for around $20 would bite your hand off.
Posted by Steve | October 13, 2007 1:55 PM
Posted on October 13, 2007 13:55
Jay Leno was on The Jimmy Kimmel Show tonight and talked about this very ad! He completed the form and whatever else he needed to do and sent away for his monkey in a teacup and it actually came! He said his mom got the mail and told him there was this little box that was really stinky. Jay said that it was probably his monkey! (His mom had no idea he had sent for it) So they opened the box, out popped this teeny, crazy-looking animal that shrieked and ran around the house. His mom freaked out and chased it all over, swatting with a broom. The back door was opened and the monkey took off outside, chased by the dog, never to be seen again!
Posted by amy | January 11, 2008 6:16 AM
Posted on January 11, 2008 06:16
I saw Jay Leno talking about that same thing. I'm not a product of that era and I thought there's no way they'd sent a live animal through the mail. That's why I came online looking for info. I thought for sure Jay was making it up. I can't believe it's true! Do these types of monkeys still exist anywhere in the world?
I wonder what ever became of that monkey that ran out of Leno's house.
Posted by melissa | February 8, 2008 10:57 PM
Posted on February 8, 2008 22:57
Yep, the capuchins and spider monkeys are still quite common worldwide, although they are illegal as pets in most US localities.
Posted by Ron Enderland | February 8, 2008 11:03 PM
Posted on February 8, 2008 23:03
I do think that in many ways, advertising of that day was more exploitive than now. Really dishonest and in a day when trust and honesty were not so uncommon.
They way gum ball machines were placed at entrances and exits, along with cheap rides. Comics and Candy at checkout lines. TV commercials so misleading.
Its a little different now. They sell teen idols and expensive gear. Its not fake but pries on weaknesses and expensive. cell phones which encourage use and charges.
And of course, you got to have one or your not cool or with it.
We soon realized how silly many of those ads were . . . right? right? It was a part of our legacy and our time. I am still waiting for a good pair of xray glasses.
I remember cereals using cartoon characters. that still goes on. But merchandizing is much more intense now. What a day and age it was, eh?
Posted by Scott I. | April 30, 2009 1:20 AM
Posted on April 30, 2009 01:20
we are loking for a suitable home to giveout our baby capuchin monkeys male and female for adoption. our babies are on the bottle and wearing diapers.babies come with all paper work including health certificate.babies are raised in our home with dogs, cats kits.all babies come with starter kits including bottles, diapers, formula, baby blankets & toys. contact us pls(tracyflores45@yahoo.com).
Posted by tracy | October 14, 2009 6:49 PM
Posted on October 14, 2009 18:49
I will have to ask my mom on this. Well before my time and personally never heard of it!
Posted by Rivers End | November 14, 2009 1:27 PM
Posted on November 14, 2009 13:27