{"id":70426,"date":"2025-08-03T14:09:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T14:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=70426"},"modified":"2025-08-03T14:09:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T14:09:29","slug":"nows-the-time-to-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=70426","title":{"rendered":"Now’s the time to buy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Everyone Wanted One of These Back in the Day<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now\u2002imagine this: It\u2019s 1982, I\u2019ve got grass stains on my knees, 75 cents in my pocket and an entire day to burn. Where do I go? The five-and-dime. Candy, comic books, novelty whoopee cushions \u2026 and the\u2002Bingo  <\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy bestselling books online<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It appeared to be a typical<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/a>your dad might have stored in the glovebox,\u2002Adapter View. But instead of<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/a>,\u2002it contained a shock that invariably elicited a jump and a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How It\u2002Worked: Simplicity, Plus Genius<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d pull that Bingo Matchbook from\u2002your pocket and hand it to someone like it were nothing. \u201cNeed a light?\u201d you\u2019d ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019d flip it open\u2014SNAP! A spring-arm was released and snapped down with a\u2002loud crack. The look on their face? Pure gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t hurt. It was all about the shock. They would laugh too, once they realized what had\u2002happened. Eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Made the Bingo\u2002Matchbook Great<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u2002best gags are hiding in the open. And that was the\u2002Bingo Matchbook genius: It was devious. No wires. No batteries. Just mechanical mischief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It contained a small\u2002spring, and a simulated match strip. The metal arm \u2014 usually embossed with \u201cAdams\u201d\u2014 snapped\u2002shut when released. I think I broke mine from\u2002using it too much. Or from making my little sister\u2002cry too often. (Sorry, Jen.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It reset easily. You literally could prank them all\u2002day long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mad Geniuses at Adams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The S.S.\u2002Adams Company was responsible. These \u2026 people (I\u00a0\u00a0them) created joy buzzers, fake vomit, sneezing powder\u2002\u2014 basically all the funny stuff in your childhood prank kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched in the early 1900s, Adams hawked their stuff in magic shops, comic book ads and\u2002five-and-dime stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy bestselling books online<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each and everyone\u2002of us did at least one Adams: Joke before junior high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why We Loved It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u2002magic wasn\u2019t just the prank. It was the overall package \u2014 the wise grin, the buildup, the\u2002mayhem after the snap. Not about being mean. Just a little diversion of surprise\u2002and laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had imagination and we had a couple of\u2002clever gadgets. You didn\u2019t need an app. All you needed\u2002was some kind of setup and a willing victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Source: Trick Supply<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adults Weren\u2019t Safe Either<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adults got hit too. I saw my uncle Joe at a\u2002BBQ\u2014built like a linebacker\u2014get his fat body lifted three feet in the air by one of these gizmos. The backyard erupted. He even\u2002laughed, after catching his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could slap it on a desk, write\u2002it in a slip of paper and slip it into a pocket, or pass it to someone in a chat. It was harmless. Hilarious. Always worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bingo Matchbook That Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u2002Bingo Matchbook is a time capsule. It harks back to a time when entertainment was rooted\u2002in communion through laughter and shrewd trickery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you pick up one on eBay, or in a\u2002dusty collection? But back then? It was the\u2002No. 1 weapon in your prank arsenal. You\u2002were Mr. (or Ms.) mischief for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrapping It Up\u2014With a Snap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you spot a Bingo Matchbook, don\u2019t close the book\u2002on it. Pick it up. Flip it open. Reset the spring. Think about the laughter\u2002it prompted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy bestselling books online<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you\u2019re brave \u2026 give it to someone and say, \u201cNeed a\u2002light<\/p>\n\n\n\n

also read…..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why Everyone Wanted One of These Back in the Day Now\u2002imagine this: It\u2019s 1982, I\u2019ve got grass stains on my knees, 75 cents in my pocket and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70426"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=70426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70427,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70426\/revisions\/70427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=70426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=70426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=70426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}