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There are two years in the 60s where there were no `fun title` gifts if I recall correctly. Of course Dandy & Beano only gave them in 1960 and `Sparky` didn't arrive until 65!
However, neither Topper or Beezer gave any in 63. 1968 must be rather unique though because as well as nothing from Dandy, Beano, Topper and Beezer- it was the only 1960s year that Sparky came gift-less! 1968 the big `fun-title` gift giving drought!!
Looking at Phil's list from the 1950s and carrying on here- it looks like Bunty comic will equal or surpass Sparky's record of 22 gifts in nine years! Bunty's first four weeks came with gifts. Can Ray/Kashgar confirm Bunty is the only DCT title to give gifts on its first Four weeks please?
Spike also gave free gifts in it's first four issues. They were,
The Super Swooper Glider
Ten Tattoo Transfers
Screamin' Demon Whistle
Ghostly Glow Badge.
chrisb wrote:Spike also gave free gifts in it's first four issues. They were,
The Super Swooper Glider
Ten Tattoo Transfers
Screamin' Demon Whistle
Ghostly Glow Badge.
Hi Alan, Victor had free gifts in its first five issues and Bimbo in its first six so both beat Bunty.
1962
In 1962 Thomsons published 572 issues across eleven titles but the number of free gifts from previous years was greatly reduced to 21 partly because no new titles were published within the year with their usual gift giving bonanzas. This and the fact that five of the eleven titles gave away no free gifts at all, namely Dandy, Beano, Rover & Adventure, Wizard and Topper.
No 322(17/3/62) The Humming Hornet
No 323(24/3/62) The Beezer Boomerang
Bunty
No 244(15/9/62) Rosebud Ring
No 245(22/9/62) Stars of the Ballet booklet
New Hotspur
No 118(20/1/62) The Rocket Gun
No 119(27/1/62) The Air Flights of Flyer Hart strip book
In an earlier post I misremembered this as being titled 'The Phantom Flyer' so apologies for that, The artwork was by Ian Mackay and was created especially for the book as a prequel to the Flyer Hart strip which would begin in the next issue of New Hotspur No 120 with artwork by Ron Smith.
No 155(6/10/62) My Wallet of Famous Teams in Football History + 4 photo cards
No 156(13/10/62)-158(27/10/62) 3x4 photo cards for wallet
Judy
No 107(27/1/62) The Wishing Star Ring
No 108(3/2/62) Dancing with the Stars photo book
Victor
No 58(31/3/62) Cup-Tie Stars of All Nations Wallet + 4 photo cards
No 59(7/4/62)-61(21/4/62) 3x4 photo cards for wallet
Bimbo
No 49(17/2/62) The Magic Castle
No 50(24/2/62) 8 stand-up of figures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
No 81(29/9/62) The Magic Island
No 82(6/10/62) 5 stand-up figures
No 83(13/10/62) 4 stand-up figures
Don't be getting too disparaging about train spotting, Phil. I was collecting LMS train numbers when I was still in the primary school. It was a time when you had to buy a penny platform ticket if you wanted to spot inside Lancaster Castle Station. You didn't get charged at Lancaster Green Ayre Station, which no longer exists because the line to Morecambe was decommissioned by Beeching, but then you never saw any decent engines there anyway. The booklet below is from 1952.
Ray /Kashgar mentioned in the 1950s thread `Sugar Puffs` giving `Glowing Ghosts` free! They were called "Luminious Spooks" The large size puffs box had a `haunted house` design on back. You could affix the `ghosts` on it! Strangest was the glowing Grandfather Clock! Today-because of H&S such gifts never allowed!
Philcom earlier this thread mention Topper & Beezer as `Rolls Royce` & `Bentley` of DCT fun comics and Dandy & Beano as Mini's! Perhaps the staff at DCT figured Sparky as an `Edsel`?
alanultron5 wrote:Ray /Kashgar mentioned in the 1950s thread `Sugar Puffs` giving `Glowing Ghosts` free! They were called "Luminious Spooks" The large size puffs box had a `haunted house` design on back. You could affix the `ghosts` on it! Strangest was the glowing Grandfather Clock! Today-because of H&S such gifts never allowed!
I think another reason why free gifts are banned from cereal is that they're no longer allowed to use enticements like that to encourage kids to eat sugary foods.
I remember those 'glowing ghosts' really well. Maybe it was just the luck of the draw but I seemed to find myself saying 'Oh no, not another grandfather clock' with every other box I opened!. I'm pretty sure they also did a series of luminous deep-sea fish. Sugar Puffs were a truly horrid breakfast cereal, but they made pretty good sweets when eaten separately (apart from the indigestible corn husks that got stuck in your teeth!).
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Last edited by philcom55 on 06 Jun 2016, 12:43, edited 1 time in total.
Incidentally that Flyer Hart strip book in New Hotspur sounds like a really desirable item - especially as picture strips by the wonderful Iam Mackay were so few and far between!
