PlayStation

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Text on Button Play Station
Image Description

Red, blue, green and yellow logo and white text on a black background

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The PlayStation series of video game consoles was introduced by Sony on December 3, 1994, in Japan. The original PlayStation was simply called "PlayStation," and the term can refer to that specific console or the brand, which now includes the PlayStation 2 (released in 2000), PlayStation 3 (released in 2006), and PlayStation 4 (released in 2013), along with their handheld Playstation Portable (PSP) consoles.

The inception of the PlayStation began with a joint project between Nintendo and Sony to incorporate CD-ROM technology into Nintendo's gaming consoles, which primarily used cartridges. Nintendo broke the deal after they could not compromise on the specifics of sharing revenue, and Sony tasked executive Ken Kutaragi with developing the PlayStation into a rival for Nintendo. The resulting PlayStation was hugely successful, becoming the first video game console to sell 120 million units. The success has continued for the series ever since, and the PlayStation 2 is the highest-selling home game console to date, having sold over 155 million units.

Catalog ID AD0620

Palmer Method

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Text on Button PALMER METHOD
Image Description

Illustration of a hand holding a pen on a white background with a navy blue outer edge with white text.

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The Palmer Method Button The Winner has Satisfactorily Mastered the First 25 Drills in The Palmer Method Manual The A.N. Palmer Company New York Boston Chicago Cedar Rapids IA Philadelphia

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The Palmer Method of penmanship instruction was developed around 1888 by Austin Palmer. The cursive handwriting system was simpler than previous popular systems and was meant to allow the writer to compete with the speed of the typewriter. The Palmer Method maintained popularity from its inception until the 1950s. This button indicates that the bearer has mastered the first 25 drills in the Palmer Method Manual.

Catalog ID AD0682

New Idea Manure Spreader

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Text on Button THE NEW IDEA MANURE SPREADER AT WORK IN THE FIELD MANUFACTURED BY NEW IDEA SPREADER CO. COLDWATER, OHIO
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Color illustration of a wagon pulled by two white horses on a farm with black text.

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Manufactured by The American Art Works (union bug) Coshocton -Ohio-

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The New Idea Spreader Company, formerly known as New Idea Spreader Works, was founded by Joseph Oppenheim in 1899, with the help of his son B.C. Oppenheim. The senior Oppenheim was a schoolmaster and came up with the idea to modify the manure spreaders after watching his students play tom ball. During the game, he noticed that the person handling the bat could control which direction the ball went by angling the bat differently. He felt the same could be done with the spreaders. After trial runs with the help of his son, their idea worked, and they were able to sell some of their early models to neighbors. Later, they expanded the New Idea Manure Spreaders and produced them in a factory, which produced a machine about every three minutes. In 1930, New Idea purchased the Sandwich Company, which provided them with new farming designs like fine corn shellers and hay loaders. After being sold several times, New Idea was closed and liquidated in 1999. 

Sources

Albert, S. (2018). New Idea May Be Gone but the Memories Still Alive for Many. The Daily Standard. Retrieved from: https://dailystandard.com/archive/2018-06-14/stories/35192/new-idea-may…

Mangen, M. (1982). Rebuilding the New Idea Manure Spreader. Small Farmer's Journal. Retrieved from: https://smallfarmersjournal.com/rebuilding-the-new-idea-manure-spreader/

Catalog ID AD0643

My Hero

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Text on Button MY HERO
Image Description

Illustration of a hero sandwich and brown text on a white background.

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A deli sandwich served on a long bun with hot or cold meat and veggies, cheese, or toppings is known by several names, each with its own distinctions: submarine/sub, grinder, hoagie, and hero. In 1936, New York Herald columnist Clementine Paddleworth described thick sandwiches in New York City as "hero sandwiches" because "you had to be a hero to eat it," which is likely the origin of the moniker. A hero sandwich could be a hot or a cold sandwich, including cold cuts, meatballs, or chicken parmesan, unlike the sub, which is traditionally cold. Hoagies, or hoggies, were distinguished by their piles of meat, which are often also a trait of hero sandwiches. A grinder is a New England term for a hero sandwich, likely derived from having to grind your teeth to eat it and more commonly eaten by dockworkers where the slang term gets its origin.

My Hero Submarine Sandwich Shoppes, established in 1964, was located in Chicago on Western Avenue. Only cold sandwiches were served, and, without seating in the shop, customers took their sandwiches to go. One family owned the shop for several generations before being bought by Denise Mitchell. Denise bought the shop because her mother worked there for twenty-five years. The place held a lot of nostalgia for both Denise and the many locals who frequented the shop. My Hero Submarine Sandwich Shoppes closed in 2017.

Sources

Hero’s Submarine Sandwich Shop - CLOSED. Retrieved 20 February 2021, from https://www.yelp.com/biz/heros-submarine-sandwich-shop-chicago

My Hero Submarine. Retrieved 20 February 2021, from https://web.archive.org/web/20191020145227/http://www.myherosub.com/ind…

Warshaw, B. (2019). What’s the Difference Between a Hero, Sub, Grinder, and Hoagie?. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://www.eater.com/2019/9/15/20866864/whats-the-difference-between-h…

Catalog ID AD0681

Mobile Home

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Text on Button Livin's Easier in a Mobile Home
Image Description

Green text on a white background.

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The first examples of mobile homes can be traced to roaming bands of Roma who traveled the countryside in horse-drawn homes as far back as the 1500s. The modern version of the mobile home became popular in America before the Depression as an inexpensive way to travel. However, in the 1930s, these traveling homes became a more permanent solution for many who had lost jobs.  Although they were never originally intended as a permanent dwelling, manufacturers picked up on the trend.  Mobile homes became increasingly popular during WWII when hundreds of war industries needed housing for workers, and portable trailers were seen as a convenient and economical answer. 

After the war, mobile homes became popular due to limited housing for returning soldiers and their families.  Over time, average square footage and amenities in mobile homes increased, and mobile home parks sprouted up all over the country.  Miss South Carolina shocked audiences when she introduced herself at the Miss America Pageant in 2013 by proclaiming, "From the state where 20% of our homes are mobile 'cause that's how we roll, I'm Brooke Mosteller, Miss South Carolina." The Recreational Vehicle/Manufactured Housing (RV/MH) Hall of Fame is located in Elkhart, Indiana.

Catalog ID AD0670

Mennen Quinsana

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Text on Button Cool it! with MENNEN Quinsana Foot Comfort Spray Powder
Image Description

Blue illustration of a foot in an ice cube with blue text on a white background

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"Cool it!" was the slogan for Mennen Company's leading athlete's foot treatment, Quinsana. The foot powder debuted in 1939 and became a staple for soldiers fighting in World War II. Post-war, Quinsana remained a popular over-the-counter treatment for athlete's foot and is still sold in drugstores today. 

Sources

Sacks Brothers Formulations, LLC. (n.d.) Quinsana - Our Story. Retrieved from http://www.quinsana.com/history/

Catalog ID AD0675

Melorol Ice Cream

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Text on Button I'M BALMY about MELOROL ICE CREAM
Image Description

White text on a red background

Curl Text PARISIAN NOVELTY CO.. CHICAGO
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Melorol was an ice cream novelty produced by Borden Dairy and its subsidiaries from the 1930s through the 1960s. Melorol consisted of an individually wrapped, cylindrical serving of vanilla ice cream and was distributed throughout the US and Canada. Spokespeople for the treat included Slim Timblin, the Dionne Quintuplets, and Borden’s mascot, Elsie the Cow. 

Catalog ID AD0599

Marion Hotel

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Text on Button MARION HOTEL
Image Description

Illustration of a hotel building with black text on a white background

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The Marion Hotel was located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and at eight stories, it was the tallest building from its opening in 1907 until 1911. As a luxury hotel, The Marion hosted many famous visitors over the years, including President Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, and Helen Keller. Pulitzer Prize winning author, Richard Ford, spent his childhood and adolescent summers at the hotel visiting his grandparents, who lived on the premises. The Marion Hotel was demolished in 1980 to make way for a new hotel and convention center.

Sources

Marion Hotel. (n.d.). The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?en…

Catalog ID AD0598

Make a Date

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Text on Button MAKE A DATE
Image Description

Illustration of a woman in a yellow outfit with a hat  and a red and white scarf and white gloves on a blue and white background with red text

Curl Text CRUVER MFG. CO. CHICAGO
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Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Catalog ID AD0597