Just Curiosities

Number of Pages: 64.
Date: 1920’s
Publisher/Distributor: Western Printing & Lithographing, Racine, Wisconsin.
Condition: Good – edge wear, some stains.
Notes: Part of the Star Series from Western Printing.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1940.
Condition: Fair – folder is in very good condition, tennis racket is missing.
Description: Item #708 “Is Love a Racket” is a gag mailer from the Amuse U line of gags. It opens to a tennis racket that, when wound up, will spin and make a racket when opened.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1950.
Condition: Good – The box is in good used condition, the mirror is damaged.
Description: Item # 632, “Jerk in Box” gag box tells you to open slowly and when you do you are looking in a mirror. Stamp on box indicates it is a souvenir of Silsbee, Texas.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: Japan.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good – small tear in envelope.
Description: “Joke Pencil” is a small pencil with rubber led. It looks like a real pencil, but won’t write.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Jokez ‘n’ Prankz.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Jokez ‘n’ Prankz Pen” is a pen that writes with invisible ink. The pen has an LED light in it to all you to read the writing.

Manufacturer/Distributor: S. S. Adams, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: abt. 1940’s
Condition: Good.
Description: “Joy Buzzer” is a device that gives someone a buzz when you shake their hand.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: Austria.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Good – the insert that keeps the two halves of the peanut together is missing.
Description: “Peanut Shell Charms” is a faux peanut shell with the following charms inside: scotty dog, hammer, pig, buffalo, wheelbarrow, and a shoe. It was sold on page 582 in JSC catalog #137.

Number of Pages: 64.
Date: 1918.
Publisher/Distributor: Wehman Bros., New York, New York.
Condition: Very good.
Notes: “Kid Jokes” is part of the Handy Series.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Ladies’ Secrets” is a gag book made of a real book with cut out pages to reveal the gag. This one shows a cloths line with ladies’ underwear on it.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Sold in Johnson Smith & Company catalog.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Excellent.
Description: “Laughing Horse” is a figure of a horse that is laughing.

Manufacturer/Distributor: J. F. W. Smith.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: 1907.
Condition: Very good – minor soil.
Description: “Lemon Card” is a postcard with a lemon on the front and the word LEMON on it. The caption reads, “Was 23 — turn card upside down”. When the card is turned upside down the card reads, “Now 37”.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Adams.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Fair – card is cracked along crease.
Description: “Liar’s Medal” is a Medal For Lying specifically for Tall Story experts.

Manufacturer/Distributor: S. S. Adams, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown. Coin is dated 2000.
Condition: Excellent.
Description: “Liberty Coin” is a fake coin that looks like a real one, but is filled with water and squirts the unsuspecting viewer.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1926.
Condition: Very good – Box is damaged but glass is very good.
Description: Item #603 “Little Wonder Indicator” is a prohibition shot glass that tells sex and breed.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Appel.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good – ink well empty.
Description: Item #656 “Lover’s Ink” is an ink bottle with disappearing ink inside.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Sold in Johnson Smith & Company catalog.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Excellent – never opened.
Description: “Lover’s Ink” is a cylinder with a bottle of disappearing ink inside.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1937.
Condition: Excellent.
Description: Item #709 “Lucky Rabbit Foot” is a real rabbit foot attached to a card that is a souvenir of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Brookside Pyrotechnic and Chemical Co., Elkton, Maryland.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Magic Black Snakes” are little pellets expand and look like snakes when you light them.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Appel.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good – box end is missing.
Description: “Magic Swan Strength Tester” is a glass swan that you fill with water and supposedly blow into to make the water come out of the beak, but the person blowing into it actually gets squirted in the face.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Good – the device is very good, the card is damaged but complete.
Description: “Magnifying Glass Squirt Toy” is a magnifying glass that squirts when used.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Co., Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good – box shows wear.
Description: Item #109 “Matrimonial Prospects” gag box has a cardboard strip with a stork and several babies on it.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Excellent.
Description: “Matrimonial Prospects” consists of a wooden vial with a cover and when the cover is removed a string of metal babies and a stork come out.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Good – bottle is in excellent condition, babies feet are broken.
Description: “Matrimonial Prospects” is a wooden bottle with a cork that, when pulled out, reveals two ceramic babies on a string.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: Japan.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Matrimony Thermometer” is a little card with a thermometer on it that is supposed to show how you are feeling about matrimony.

Manufacturer/Distributor: R. Appel’s Jo-King Corp., New York 12, New York.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1961.
Condition: Excellent.
Description: “Mud On Your Shoe” is fake mud that you can attach to your shoe as a joke.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Distributed by Johnson Smith & Company.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Musical Horn” is a joke item. It is not known what it is supposed to do.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Company, Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1967.
Condition: Very good.
Description: Item # 577 “Nail Manicure Set” is an unsuspecting manicure set of a nail file and a pair of scissors — until you look more closely and realize that the set is made of construction nails.

Manufacturer/Distributor: H. Fishlove & Company, Chicago, Illinois.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: 1967.
Condition: Very good.
Description: Item # 577 “Nail Manicure Set” is an unsuspecting manicure set of a nail file and a pair of scissors — until you look more closely and realize that the set is made of construction nails.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Adams.
Country of Origin: USA.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Nail Polish and Blot” looks like someone spilled nail polish.

Manufacturer/Distributor: Unknown.
Country of Origin: unknown.
Age/Date: unknown.
Condition: Very good.
Description: “Need Banner” is a felt banner that is a joke signifying a ‘long felt need’.