Little Ads - The novelest of novelties.

Already, in 1948, the thriving American industrial sector was making good use of production capacity and technological advancements brought to them by wartime efforts. Those lucky enough to have survived World War II could spend their $1.95 ($19.28 in today's money!) on an astonishing, amazing illuminated bow tie -which is also "jazz"! - or a merely amazing "Guzzlin Charlie" drinking bird. Truly, victory was ours.

Just in case you forgot how Homer found a way to have this bird do his job for him, see below. I think this makes the choice obvious. Buy the drinking bird and get a nice afternoon off.

On page 66 of the same magazine, we found this ad. It seems that the novelty electric tie market was really heating up in '48. This tie is not astonishing or amazing. It is forty five cents cheaper, but it's merely "good for lots of laughs". You can do better. The manufacturer called themselves the "Electric Bow Tie Co", in a spasm of inspiration. They could apparently not do better.

For only $8.45 (or $83,56 in today's money), you could order this radio-phone. Tip for all the inventors out there: Taking a device that already exists (a radio), and adding the fun of holding it up to your head equals "the magic of tomorrow". I've got an idea for an apple slicer phone of the future. Gotta go.

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