Photographed this past summer in Rossville, an unincorporated village in Allamakee County in northeastern Iowa.
THROUGH THE FILTER OF MY MEMORY, I picture her seated at the kitchen table, booklets spread before her on the stiff floral oilcloth.
She’s licking strips of Gold Bond Stamps, carefully placing them within a paper grid.
Fill the booklet and she can redeem the coveted stamps for merchandise. Except I cannot remember anything my mom ever got with those stamps.
Rather, I recall the stockpiling of stamps, watching her and, occasionally, myself, running my tongue along the glue then meticulously positioning those precious golden rectangles upon paper.
Oh, the memories of Gold Bond Stamps.
© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Those and S&H Green stamps……….I finally got smart and used a wet cloth to moisten the stamps!!!!! I got lots of “stuff” with them (in fact, we are still using the avocado green bath scale!!!!!). Oh the memories…..LOL!
Now that you mention it, I think my mom also resorted to a “rag” occasionally. That you are still using your avocado green bath scale is astounding.
And it’s reasonably accurate!!! Just 1 to 2 lbs variance from the MD’s office!!!!! They don’t make things like THAT any more!!!!!
That’s for sure not. The scale we got as a wedding gift in 1982, along with a clothes hamper, broke long ago. We still use the hamper, for Randy’s filthy, stinky work uniforms. Both were gifts from the aunts on my side.
Ha!
I am constantly struck by the parallels in your memories and mine. I grew up in southern Minnesota in the 50s and 60s in a small Norwegian Lutheran community. This Gold Bond Stamp picture really took me back. Did your mother do Green Stamps, too? I loved the promise of untold riches as we pasted all those little stamps into the books.
Thank you for your beautiful pictures and sharing your memories.
Shirlee, you are most welcome. Yes, my mom also collected the green stamps. I like your phrase “the promise of untold riches.” I think that’s how my mom must have felt pasting those stamps into those booklets. She could get items she would not otherwise be able to afford.
I think my grandmother had green stamps back in the day – way to long ago and little at that time too! I do remember her throughout the years stockpiling promotional items (i.e. doughboy figures, milk carton holders, magnets, bottle openers, etc.).
You remember a lot of items. Not me.
It is easy to remember because she would show them off and then wrap them as gifts for birthdays and the Holidays – ha!
Ah, that explains it.
She knew about organic farming, farm to table, repurposing, recycling, etc. when it was not even COOL yet:)
I think a lot of our mothers did.
I remember…. one year mom got all our Christmas presents with those stamps, I also remember a coffee pot she purchased. Audrey you should ask your mom if she remembers any of the things she bought, might stir up some fond memories 🙂
Yes, next phone call to Mom, I’ll ask.
Wow – haven’t thought about those stamps in years. We used to collect merchant’s green stamps. My mom gave us books of them when we got married and we got our first stainless flatware with those. Fun to remember those times.
What wonderful memories you have of those stamps.
I’ve never heard of these stamps. What were they used for? xx
When you shopped for groceries, you got a certain number of paper stamps depending on the amount spent. These were then placed in special booklets until you had enough pages of stamps to redeem for free merchandise.
I remember S & H green stamps but not Gold Bond stamps. I also saved Betty Crocker coupons and that is how I got our flatware when we got married. 🙂
Oh, yes, Betty Crocker coupons. I remember those, but I don’t think my mom saved those.
We also saved all three…my 2 sisters and I would fight over who got to lick the stamps! lol I remember turning them in at the Gold Bond store and getting a Cosco step stool for the kitchen and a card table with chairs set one time, another time it was a bathroom scale.
I still have my flatware from Betty Crocker and use it each day! MKy Mom gave me all of hers when we got married.
What great memories!
P.S. My favorite “collectible” was the the thermal cups/glasses ad bowls (ones with the basketweave inside and many colors) from the milkman, cottage cheese, cream, butter and other things came inside them!
Now that you mention it, I think I fought with my siblings, too, over who got to lick and place the stamps in the books.
What great memories you have of items “purchased.”
S&H was the brand my Mother saved [was it used by stores other than Krogers?], but I knew about other saving stamp brands. My Mother used her S&H to get my everyday Melmac dinnerware for a wedding present and used her Betty Crocker coupons (also asked friends and her mother/my grandmother for more coupons) to get my stainless cutlery set. Both sets still in daily use, but I only have 4 plates, 2 bread&butter plates & the cups and saucers left – we have always used mugs instead of the dinky cups. The cutlery was augmented by a fantastic ‘find’ in a Calif. thrift store about 5 years ago. I had lost a few pieces over the years, but now I have extras / more than the original 8 of everything.
That you still use that Melmac dinnerware and cutlery is so impressive.
I have no idea what you’re talking about!
Ah, you must be too young, dear Gretchen.
Grocery stores gave out actual stamps (like postage stamps) for merchandise purchased. Those stamps were then pasted into booklets and could be redeemed (like points) for merchandise.
I remember hearing about Green Stamps!
Audrey, and other readers, do you remember the stamps that Erickson’s Bros Gas stations, (now Holiday) gave out with the purchase of gasoline? Mom and Dad loved them, as a book got filled, they would go into the station and buy great stuff, radios, dinnerware, blankets, etc. The stations did not have groceries at that time, but had stock of sporting goods stuff and the other fore mentioned items. The Erickson Bros gas stations were usually quite small, but loaded with stuff everyone was attracted to. Good memories of yore. I will bet that not one person will remember this or what I am talking about. Guess I am too old, and your readers all all too young. 🙂
Sorry, Allan, but I don’t remember Erickson’s Bros.
Readers? If you do, comment here so Allan stops feeling “too old.”
I remember those, or at least I think I do. I remembered them as Holiday though, so perhaps the name changed. Though there was an Erickson’s near where I grew up. I remember the Gold Bond stamps as well.
Ah, the memories…
Audrey, I think Ma-Cat got those ugly white and brown lamps for the new house with stamps. What a fun time it was to lick the backs of those stamps.
I have to ask her the next time I call. Forgot to ask yesterday.