Monday, January 7, 2013

Radio Orphan Annie Decoder Pin, 1936

What better way to start the new year at casey/artandcolour than with something seventy-seven years old? I recently found this Radio Orphan Annie Show decoder pin dating to 1936 in a box of things packed away for generations. I'll probably never finish going through my stuff! My aunt Hoohoo would have been eleven years old in '36 so I'm positive she sent away for this. I can just imagine the little Hoohoo sitting in the family home in Leete's Island, listening to the radio program, twirling the ring and finding out each week's "secret" message. Such a cool piece of history!

I just realized I should have turned the outside ring a tiny bit. The letters of the alphabet appear in those blank squares outside of the numbers. You must have been given a series of numbers to match up to the letters to decode the weekly secret message. 

7 comments:

  1. I remember these decoder thingies... not from the Orphan Annie, something else. Those were the fun days of actually waiting for things you signed up for to show up in your mail box. It makes me a little sad there are a couple of generations out there that will never know this special thrill.

    OK, I wasn't going to mention this.....but.....I can't control myself. Tomorrow is my 75th Birthday.... omg.....I can't even believe it. If I were a business it would be special banner worthy. rofl

    A.A.

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    1. Happy Birthday in advance! You're 75 going on 40 if you ask me, lol! One of the best parts of beginning this blog has been "meeting" you and corresponding for these just about 3 years. Thanks so much for just being you, Annie!

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  2. CASEY, HOW EXCITING TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE RINGS. GRAMPS JUST SAID HE HAD ONE ALSO. DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOOD RINGS BACK IN THE 50S.WELL ANYWAYS,I HAD ONE. I WISH I STILL HAD IT. THANKS FOR SHARING THE RING AND YOUR LITTLE STORY ABOUT IT.IT'S SO FUN TO COME HERE EVERYDAY.

    HUGS, GRANNYLOU

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    1. I have a mood ring! I think they were popular in the late '60s or early '70s, but that's still a LONG time ago, lol. I'll have to find it and scan it. I know it stopped changing colors a long time ago. Either that or my mood is always charcoal gray!

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  3. Happy happy birthday Annie! Better up than under, I always say! LOL Hope it's a day of joyous celebration for you!

    xoxox
    Katie

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  4. Hey Katie! It's a bit late I guess but Happy New Year. I hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods!

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  5. Thanks Katie. Hope all is well with you. And ditto Casey's HNY greeting.

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