My 1984 Sticker Collection (Part 1)

My 1984 Sticker Collection

Part 1

I'm pretty fortunate that alot of the stuff from my childhood has survived. Included in those memories that managed to be stored in a trunk for safe-keeping is one of my prized possessions...my first sticker book. I came across it probably a year or two ago during a trip home to PA. It's definitely a glimpse inside the brain of an 8 year old boy in 1984. I'm not sure who bought the book for me, (I'm pretty sure I didn't buy it for myself, because I think it was actually meant for a girl looking through it now) but I managed to make it my own despite the pastel colors and doll pictures contained within. So without further ado, lets start the venture through each page!

The Covers

You'll be noticing a recurring theme as we go through this book...Q*Bert. The vast majority of pages have Q*Bert stickers, which was definitely one of my favorite video games and Saturday cartoons. I believe I can still name of all the Q*Bert characters in this book, which is a little scary. Someone will need to help me with the large Terminator-like sticker that I used for 1/2 of the front cover. I can't remember where that came from.You'll also notice a half-worn Smurf on the front cover. This was actually not a normal sticker, but one of those rub-off type transfer stickers. You pressed it against anything flat and with something flat or a pencil, you could transfer the picture. Unfortunately, they were not that durable.

Page 1 Inside Front Cover

Pride of ownership on this page. My first address was R.D. 1 Box 340...remember when addresses used to have R.D. (Rural Delivery) in them? Notice I took pride in my grammar with changing the line to read "my favorite stickers are old cars." The next question is probably the giveaway that this book was meant for a girl, but I wasn't afraid to answer it..."Gizmo" from the Gremlins movie was rather pretty until you fed him after midnight.

Page 2

It's amusing to me that Laurel and Hardy are in this book. Obviously way before my time, but one of my favorite movies to watch on Thanksgiving (thanks to WPIX in New York) was Laurel & Hardy's version of March of the Wooden Soldiers. Could be why I chose to add them to my collection. Snoopy makes an appearance as Joe Cool "hanging around the dorm." Funny, I don't see any textbooks! Gumby and Pokey also here, which I do remember watching occasionally on television. Also, the aforementioned favorite Q*Bert and another favorite Donkey Kong with Marion apparently not afraid to kick some ape behind.

Page 3

This is a pretty good glimpse of my world. As much as I liked Transformers, GoBots were a good fit for me too. I could spend hours playing with matchbox cars in my driveway and the small GoBots were just up my alley. These stickers were the the kind when you moved them side-to-side, you could see it transform! G.I. Joe was a part of my life back them too, as represented by Quick Kick. Not sure about the unicorn sticker here...must have been a gift? The A-Team was also one of my favorite shows. Mr. T was my favorite, but I don't remember him being able to lift the front end of a truck! (Must've been the cartoon version.) You'll also notice a sticker of K.I.T.T.'s voice transmitter. Fans will identify that this is from season one, before it was changed to the more memorable one with three lines. And of course, more Q*Bert!

Page 4

Page 4 features a look at K.I.T.T.'s dashboard, that I guess will be helpful if I ever decide to build my own replica. More of the same stickers from previous pages, except I don't remember being a Mets fans...ever! I did like baseball so I guess this sticker (and more to come) might have been a gift or just the right price for me to buy and add. You'll also notice the "J8", referring to my name and age.

Much more to come in this 18 page sticker book, including two pages of scratch-and-sniff stickers! The big question...will any still smell after 18 years?

Part 2 of my 1984 Sticker Collection