A few years ago I noticed a neighbor with two scotty dogs, one white and one dark. It reminded of something, but it took me a while to finally put my finger on what it was. When it finally came to me, I got onto eBay and bought me some “Magnetic Spunky Dogs.” This package has been in my desk drawer ever since. A product, made in Hong Kong, it had a humble header card with a staple smack dab through the middle. Hang hole not fully punched out. (As “new old stock” it was apparently never hung up on a hook.) Same artwork front and back. (No UPC’s in those days!) Note the ¢ sign rather than a $ sign! With packaging like this, I’m guessing there wasn’t a lot of market research done or a focus group conducted about the design. No PRS eye-tracking here! Not saying I love the layout, but it explains the product well enough.
I recently stumbled onto this nice collection of “dime store” packaging on Kirk Demarais’s Secret Fun Spot. (These 10 header cards are from his site.) His collection even includes a Spunky Dogs card. (More about Kirk Demarais and “dime store packaging” after the jump)
I like looking at functional, low budget packaging like this. Not all packaging can be high end. A lot of products are still sold in poly-bags with header cards. Part of the attraction is nostalgia, I suppose. Still, a fair amount of current packaging ironically cribs retro typography and illustration from sources like this. I like the economical “fun for everyone” generic card where the product name (GORY FANGS) is just rubber-stamped on. I like the typography of “Lovely Toys” and the “Mobile” card. A dime store mobile! It would be great to see that. (I wonder if it was Calderesque.)
