Yeah! What's The Difference!

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Text on Button YEAH! WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE! MADE IN CHINA
Image Description

Green background with an illustration of a man with red face, red hair, exaggerated teeth and eyes standing next to a chalkboard holding chalk. The main text is in a speech bubble, with the manufacturer location in small letters on the bottom.

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The 1960s brought on new waves of humor along with the proliferation of head shops and novelty gift shops. The design for this button became popular in gumball prizes in the later mid-20th century (1970+), with many labeled as being manufactured in China and/or Hong Kong. Gumball prizes, including humorous pinback buttons, were popular throughout the 20th century. Machines originally intended for distributing round candies became commonly used along with small round capsules to distribute tiny toys to friendly passerby’s.

The 1970s marked a shift in trade relations between the United States and China, opening up new markets from east to west. Toy manufacturing in China had hit an all time high in the late 1970s, establishing the region as a hub for all manner of trinkets and children’s playthings. ‘Made in China,’ labels soon became common in households and on buttons and toys across the United States. 

Sources

Candy Machines. (n.d.). History of the gumball machine. https://www.candymachines.com/History-of-the-Gumball-Machine.aspx

Chau, A. (2021). Hidden Hong Kong: A history of “Made in Hong Kong” toys. Localiiz: My life in Hong Kong. https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-history-toys-made-in-hong-kong

Good Luxe Vintage. (2024). Vintage pinback buttons – 60s 70s misc. novelty pins – you choose – genuine vintage … [auction listing]. ATTIC. https://attic.city/item/AbyK/vintage-pinback-buttons-60s-70s-misc.-novelty-pins-you-choose-genuine-vintage-pin-button-/good-luxe-vintage

Good Times Shoppe. (n.d.). Vintage 1970’s Yeah! What’s the difference comic funny 1.6” pinback button pin [eBay listing]. eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/205545544203

Griz 1992. (n.d.). Yeah! What’s the difference! Teacher chalk vintage pinback/button/badge 1.75” [eBay listing]. eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/365331335828

Halder, S. (n.d.). Antique gumball machine: history, manufacturers, and value. Valuable Antique Detector. https://www.txantiquemall.com/antique-gumball-machine/

Nice Things Emporium. (n.d.). Lot vintages 12 pinback buttons alien cowboy teacher spider humor sarcasm 70s [eBay listing]. eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/256541255996

Rosalsky, G. (2024). How we got to ‘Made in China’. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2024/04/02/1228739124/how-we-got-to-made-in-china

Wong, J. D. (2023). Made in Hong Kong: Deriving value from the place-of-origin label, 1950s and now. Modern Asian Studies 57(3), 895–917. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/made-in-hong-kong-deriving-value-from-the-placeoforigin-label-1950s-and-now/10F7B98B3F772990671D30524D295ED4

Young, C. K. (2023). Hong Kong – A living history of the toy business. Global Toy News. https://globaltoynews.com/2023/03/01/hong-kong-a-living-history-of-the-toy-business/


 

Catalog ID IB0776