Collecting Trading Stamps: Finding Redemption?
04.29.08 By The DeanOur local newspaper, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, publishes a syndicated column titled Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne. It’s one of the question – answer type articles that I find entertaining and informative.
While not an ardent music collector, we do have Edison to vinyl to tape and disc formats and a working Victrola in our Deco room.
One item caught my attention in the last edition of Mr. Osborne’s insiteful column, included a question about the lyrics of the Pat Boone song “Speedy Gonzalez”. Speedy said: “Hey Rosita, Come Quick! Down At The Cantina They’re Giving Green Stamps With Tequila.”
The questioner had no idea what green stamps were. Well I’m old enough to remember the saver stamp craze.
Today we receive “Rewards, Points, Miles”, or what have you, for inducements to use the same service, product or credit card over and over. They are recorded and presented on our screens or monthly printouts in snail mail from a host of companies.
This concept is not new folks, and what Pat Boone was wailing on about in that 1962 recording was trading stamps from Sperry & Hutchinson, known as S&H Green Stamps or more commonly just Green Stamps.
Started in 1896, the trading stamp craze reached its peak in the 1960s, when all sorts of stores and services offered stamps from a slew of vendors. A set number of stamps were dispensed based on the dollar amount of your purchase with slow sales days titled Double Stamp Day. Local gasoline companies offered their own stamps, such as Super America and Clark Oil Co.
Top Value (TV) stamps were common as well as Gold Bond and I remember 3 Star stamps also.
I have stamps from a local Dutchland Dairy Store and The Boston Store.
The National Tea had the S&H books with their own advertising on back.
The Plaid Stamps evoked the thriftiness of the Scotch.
Redemption centers for the stamps could be found in cities around the country and in its hay day, the merchandise catalog from S&H was the largest catalog of any type printed. Wisconsin law did not allow residents to redeem the stamps for anything but cash, so a Sunday drive was needed to visit our closest location in Waukegan, Illinois.
The range of goods offered was truly stunning but much of the super high end items were most likely just for show, while the average redeemer received a cooking pan, Nesco, set of bar glasses, ice bucket or knife set.
Today collectors like the oldest and most obscure examples of these stamp books and it helps to have a rubber stamp imprint on back, placing the book with a special local merchant, as the stamps and books, especially the green ones, were distributed in quantities to rival movie tie-in giveaways from a fast food chain, and are often found when digging for treasure at an estate sale.
As advertising collectibles the counter signs and larger metal or plastic outdoor signs are often available at flea markets and antique malls with pricing all over the board, but with any outdoor advertising, color fade and damage affects the pricing.
Lastly, a rememberance from the past. As a young’un, it was my ”reward” to lick and paste the stamps in the redemption books, Yuk, double YUK.
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Article Tags: Clark Oil Co, Double Stamp Day, Dutchland Dairy Store, Gold Bond, Green Stamps, Mr. Music Jerry Osborne, S&H Green Stamps, Sperry & Hutchinson================
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June 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
i have booklets of s@g food stamps i want to sell
July 26th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Shawna,
Thanks for your interest in my article.
May I suggest a look at online auctions to determine a possible value for your collection. Then if you want to sell the collection, check with some of your local antique malls, most will offer to purchase a collection out right, or suggest a dealer that specializes in paper. Some may offer to place your collection in a case on consignment.
The Dean
August 7th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
i have booklets of top value stamps i would like to sell .
August 16th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Gene,
May I suggest a look at online auctions to determine a possible value for your collection. Then if you want to sell the collection, check with some of your local antique malls, most will offer to purchase a collection out right, or suggest a dealer that specializes in paper. Some may offer to place your collection in a case on consignment.
The Dean
September 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
our folks passed away and we found KIN-SHIPSAVINGS BOND book of stamps. THE STAMPS HAVW AN OLD SAILING SHIP WITH THE WORDS YOUR HEARTS DISIRE WITH KIN-SHIP STAMPS KIN-SHIP FOUNDATION. ASK YOU MERCHANT FOR KIN-SHIP STAMPS. FILL YOUR KIN-SHIP BOND WITH KIN-SHIP STAMPS. WHEN YOUR BOND IS COMPLETED WITH KIN-SHIP STAMPS, DEPOSIT IT TO A SAVINGS ACCOUNT IN THE BANK NAMED ON THE BOND. ETC.
DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE STAMPS.
THANKS MIKE
September 5th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Mike,
Thank you for your interest in CQ and my article.
While you were able to provide some tantalizing clues, I found no reference to Kin-Ship stamps. It does sound like a typical merchant inducement stamp program with a special twist that provided a monetary reward at a local bank, possibly also tied to a religious, fraternal or ethnic group. My best guess is the program was localized, and during the Great Depression era.
Is Kin-Ship spelled this way? Was the back stamped with a location for redemption, and what cities did your folks live in? Is the bank still in business? Any references to the printing company that produced the stamps or booklets?
Readers, Can anyone else help us out?
The Dean
dean@collectorsquest.com
September 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I have a bunch of “New England Trading Stamps”. They have a Pilgrim hat in the middle Has anyone ever heard of them ?
September 6th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Juvy,
Thank you for your interest in CQ and my article
Wow, I show some regional stamps in my blog (Clark Oil, Dutchland Dairy, SA) and I should have realized how prevalent these stamp programs were across the whole country.
Since these stamp programs were hot in the fifties and sixties, I will have to ask some of our older readers if they can tell us more info and answer your question. Or the younger set might check with older rellies for info on the New England Stamps.
The Dean
January 25th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I have received several trading stamps through an estate of a dear friend of mine. I
have found the redemption centers for the S & H green stamps and the Macdonald Plaid stamps. However, I have several “Goldblatt’s” trading stamps and cannot find anything on them at all. I have gone to several websites, but cannot find anything on them at all. The stamps themselves I believe are pink with blue in, and state that they are Goldblatt’s profit sharing stamps. Goldblatt’s possibly was in the south side of Chicago area? Could you possibly give me any info you may have?
January 26th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Keren,
Thank you for your interest in Collectors Quest and reading my article on trading stamp collectibles.
Goldblatt’s Department Stores were sold to Ames Department Stores I believe in the 90s. The did have several locations and I think Chicago was included.
Collectors Quest has recently added a “Market Place”, where our community members can sell their items or purchase from other collectors. One only needs to click on the Market Place link above, log in and click “Create a Listing” on the right.
Above the “Create a Listing” box is the “How Much Is It Worth” link for an appraisal of your item.
Simple walk through instructions will guide you through the process of loading a title, picture and description of your items. Have the pictures, description (including size, age, flaws, manufacturer, country of origin and weight if heavy), selling prices and shipping costs planned ahead of listing for your convenience. Decide if you would consider an offer as an option to your selling price.
Please continue to view and enjoy Collectors’ Quest
Best Regards
The Dean
Staff Writer
noegretsantiques@sbcglobal.net
January 27th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I WAS WONDERING IF THE TOP VALUE STAMPS ARE WORTH ANY MONEY? I HAVE TWENTY OF THEM NOT IN A BOOK THERE BY THERESELVES. IT PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THREE OF THEM ARE RIPPED BUT THE OTHER SEVENTEEN ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE WOULD THIS BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Judy,
Top Value (TV) stamps were well distributed, over many years. I have quite a few full sheets in my collection. The collection has no great value even if it fills a couple of shoe boxes. One of our CQ community members, Karen wrote that she had found a redemption center for S&H and Plaid stamps, which would indicate some value for full books. If the value is retained from the books I show, then these filled books would only be redeemed for a dollar or two. All the stamps I have, came in box lots of paper goods in estate sales or auctions were my interest was on some other item within the contents of the box.
Please continue to enjoy our postings on Collectors Quest.
The Dean
noegretsantiques@sbcglobal.net
March 16th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I just came across your response posted on September 8, 2008, regarding Kin-Ship Stamps. I recently found among my mothers collected papers an unfilled Kin-Ship stamp booklet in a Kin-Ship envelope and including a published list of Vancouver, WA, merchants who distributed the stamps. When completely filled in, a “bond” could be redeemed at any branch of the Seattle-First National Bank. The envelope is copyrighted 1952 by KIN-SHIP FOUNDATION, INC.
The included flyer has further information, including five ways to achieve “the happiness of sharing”:
1. The merchant shares his profits with you.
2 You send deserving students to college.
3. You support independent colleges.
4. You share in community betterment.
5. You help build business in your community.l
More information, if requested.
March 17th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Ken,
Thank you for taking your time to inform our readers about the Kin-Ship stamps that both you and Mike have found. I was able to e-mail Mike (he had the original question on the stamps) with the text of your information.
Please continue to enjoy our Collectors’ Quest community of collectors.
Best Regards
The Dean
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Do you reckon trading stamps will ever come back? I really wish they would.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Siobhan,
Thank you for your interest in my posting on Collectors’ Quest.
I believe S&H is still in business but I’m not sure of their function. With all the giveaway gimmicks, and other inducements to buy, including points programs, the stamp maybr too out of fashion. But don’t count out the idea, and of a self sticking sticker placed in a booklrt with a redeemable value for merchandice.
Please keep checking back to Collectors’ Quest for all of our community features.
Best Regards
The Dean
May 13th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The Kin-ship stamps are listed and pictured in Art Mongan’s book “Deposit, Rebate, Savings, and Trading Stamps. He lists about 4000 varieties of trading stamps and even that listing is not complete.
May 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Douglas,
Thank you for the information on the book by Art Mongan, so many replies on the subject and I had no idea a book existed,
If you already have the book you mention, that would mean your a true collector of these stamps. How extensive is your collection? Is the book a price guide? And does it give info on the dispensing companies that had redemption centers?
Best Regards
The Dean
May 15th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
i HAVE APPROXIMATELY 300 SHEETS OF CLARK OIL TRADING STAMPS IN MINT CONDITION. I AM WONDERING IF THEY HAVE ANY CURRENT VALUE. I AM SEEKING A INTERNET SITE THAT CAN PROVIDE ME WITH INFORMATION.
GARRY
July 1st, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I remember trading stamps my mom collected with an elephant on them. I thought they were the Top Value ones, but now that I see them again, I don’t see an elephant on them (although she did collect both Top Value & S&H Green). Am I recalling an image from something else?
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:22 am
Kathy,
Thank you for reading my posting on Collectors’ Quest,
You have a very good memory, Toppie was the elephant and I seem to remember him on the stamps, but I do know he had a cartoon of some kind and here he is playing baseball. See attachment.
The Dean
Staff Writer
dean-ferber@sbcglobal.net
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