This Christmas season at Retroplanet.com we thought it might be interesting to bring you a photo and a little information about some of the interesting retro Christmas items we have here in our offices. So for the next few weeks we’ll be featuring different retro Christmas items from our own collections. Please note these are shown here merely to entertain and inform. They are not for sale.

This is a package of a half dozen glass Christmas tree ornaments. These ornaments are quite small; only about 1.5 inches in diameter. They were made by Paragon Glass Works, Inc. of Elizabeth, New Jersey in the 1950s. Proudly displayed on the package is the phrase “American Made”; something that you wouldn’t see today. These round ornaments are painted in typical retro colors, pastel versions of the colors so popular on today’s trees.

Manufactured by:
Paragon Glass Works, Inc.
Elizabeth, New Jersey

If Tiki is your thing, or you want to create a place in your home where summer never fades, take a look at all of the new Tiki inspired items we’ve added to our product lineup. We’ve added over 60 new products! There are Tikis to decorate your bar or table with, from wooden Tiki figurines and lamps to adorable hula place card holders. We’ve added mugs, table accessories and an assortment of decorative ukuleles. And you can add a little summer to your car with one of our sassy dashboard hula dolls.

Now you can jazz up any room in your home with one of our new wall decorations. They’re retro-inspired and ready to be painted any color you choose to give your home or office a trendy, modern look.

Remember: we’ve added a terrific new Christmas Gift Ideas landing page to make your Christmas gift-giving easier and faster. You can shop the way you want to: by price, subject or interest.

Be sure to check out our blog additions, including the latest, “Never Too Early to Shop!” We welcome your feedback, so please blog-in and let us know what’s on your mind.

It’s November already and it’s not too early to start your Christmas shopping. Get a jump on gift buying and avoid the malls by shopping online with us at Retroplanet.com. We have a great selection of items, suitable for a variety of tastes. We carry many unique items that you can’t find in your local stores.

To make shopping faster and easier, click on the link to our Christmas Gift Ideas page. There you have the option to shop several ways. You can shop by whom the gift is for, the amount you’d like to spend or by the type of gift you’re looking for. You can also browse groups of items featuring a specific character or movie star. And of course there is also the option to shop by a specific interest or hobby. Making your gift shopping experience easier and more pleasurable is our goal.

And remember: we offer free gift wrapping on many items. Click on the “Free Gift Wrap on Select Items” icon on the left of the web page to see which products qualify for this service. To make gift selection even easier, we have assembled a great selection of gift sets. They’re a lot of fun and each make a complete gift that’s sure to please the recipient. From toy sets to classic Coca-Cola tableware, we’ve got the gift for your loved one.

And to finish your shopping off, our Stocking Stuffers category contains nearly 100 items to choose from. Browse these pages to get some great gift-giving ideas. In addition, this category includes many smaller items that would make a great gift for a friend or coworker that you wanted to remember without spending too much. Or add one of these quirky items to a hot cocoa and mug gift set to make your present complete. There are any number of ways to do it. We hope that you get inspired and that we’ve helped get your Christmas shopping off to a great—and early—start.

November 1 – November 7

Did you ever wonder about what The Beatles were up to on a week-to-week basis?  Are you a Beatles trivia buff?  Test your knowledge here as you look at what happened to The Beatles in a specific week in time.

November 1, 1962 – The Beatles began their Hamburg, Germany tour with a show at The Star Club, with Little Richard.

November 2, 1963 – The band played at the City Hall in Sheffield as part of their “The Beatles Autumn Tour.” The “Daily Mirror” coined the phrase “Beatlemania” while reviewing their first performance of the tour.

November 4, 1964 – The Beatles played at the Ritz Cinema in Luton as part of their British Tour.

November 1, 1965 – “The Music of Lennon and McCartney” was recorded at the Granada TV Centre in Manchester.

November 1, 1967 – “All You Need Is Love” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” were mixed for the Yellow Submarine movie.

November 1, 1968 – George’s soundtrack for the movie “Wonderwall” was released on Apple.

November 1, 1969 – “Abbey Road” climbed to the top of the US charts, staying there for 8 weeks.

November 2, 1973 – John released his album “Mind Games,” and Ringo released “Ringo,” both in the US.

November 2, 1974 – George embarked on a solo tour with his first stop being the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.

November 3, 1980 – “The Beatles Box” was released in the UK. It contained eight albums and was available by mail order only.

Here at Retroplanet.com we are surrounded by all things retro. Not only the things we sell but original items and collections that decorate our offices. We thought it might be interesting each week to bring you a photo and information of an interesting, and maybe unusual, retro item we have kicking around. Please note these items are not for sale.
This is a vintage Zenith transistor radio. This particular style, called the Model 500D was manufactured in 1959. The Model D was the third generation of the 500 model Zenith radios that were first introduced in 1958. This model was only available in two other colors: tan and maroon. Weighing about a pound, this radio, when new, would have sold for $75.00. These 8-transistor radios were powered by 4-AA batteries. Originally about 250,000 of them were produced. These have been nicknamed the “owl eye” radio by many collectors, because of the shape and placement of the dials.

What’s New at RetroPlanet

For the many fans of our Classic Cruiser car cartons, we’ve added even more styles. There is an awesome assortment of new car makes and models, in addition to a crazy Zamboni and Space Rover version! And if you’ve never purchased any car cartons from us in the past, maybe now is the time to give them a try. They’re great for holding food, candy or anything else you can imagine and would make excellent party favors.

We have a great new Tiki-inspired setup in the Decorating Ideas Gallery. It’s a fantastic retro bar decorating solution that brings you back to the earlier days of Tiki bars and restaurants. The Tiki theme was first made popular in the 1930s and has experienced a revival nearly every decade since then. Get this trendy look and create a great place to relax with family and friends. A Tiki décor is sure to be a huge hit with everyone!

Coming soon—to make your shopping even easier, we’re offering a large selection of gift sets, with more on the way. These are items we’ve assembled to make a unique gift set with a specific theme. There are many themes to choose from, for all kinds of retro tastes. There’s something for everyone on your shopping list.  And gift-giving will be a breeze!

There’s new Retroplanet blog content, so be sure to check out all of the new retro information posted weekly. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback, so please blog-in.

“Deluxe Quality Beverages”

Red Arrow soda is a brand that I haven’t been able to find much information on. But the name of the soda seems to have an interesting history. It appears to have come from the Red Arrow, or 32nd Infantry Division of National Guardsmen from both Michigan and Wisconsin that fought bravely in WWI and II. Due to this honorable history, Red Arrow has become a very popular name in the Michigan area. The name has been given to many landmarks and establishments. There is even the historic U.S. Highway 12 that has been renamed the Red Arrow Highway to honor the men of the Red Arrow Division.

Some of the flavors that Red Arrow produced were Cream, Wild Cherry, Cherry, Black Cherry and Birch Beer. Today there is a Red Arrow Products Company located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin that produces wholesale food products. I don’t know if this is a remnant of the former company, or something completely separate.  If you can share any history of the Red Arrow Bottling Co., please blog-in. We’d love to hear from you.

The Red Arrow Bottling Co.
Detroit, Michigan

This Sunoco road map is a commemorative piece for the 1939 World’s Fair, held in Flushing, New York. In addition to being a map of the Northeastern U.S., it includes detailed maps of the Metropolitan NYC area and Long Island. The cover of the map has a great Art Deco style graphic representing the fair.

Sunoco was the abbreviated name for the Sun Oil Company of Ohio that was founded in 1890 by Joseph N. Pew and Edward O. Emerson. In 1901 the name was changed to Sun Company. In 1932 Lowell Thomas became the newscaster for the NBC news, sponsored by Sunoco. Information about when the broadcast could be heard and on which stations is listed on the back of the map. Thomas continued to do the broadcasts until 1943 when it ended with the breakup of NBC. Sunoco continued to sponsor the NBC news, but without Thomas.

This is an interesting map, not only because of its connection with the 1939 World’s Fair, but also because it harkens back to the days of the Golden Age of radio. During this time people got all their news either from newspapers or via radio broadcasts in their home or in their car.

Tiki décor is experiencing yet another revival. Its popularity has been renewed throughout the U.S. as people discover retro decorating. This year Hawaii is celebrating their 50th anniversary of becoming the U.S.’s 59th state. Perhaps that has had some effect on the Tiki culture’s popularity as well. Whatever the reason, Tiki has returned as a favored design scheme, as it seems to do every decade or so.

The Tiki design trend, as it has become known in the U.S., is a romanticized version of the Polynesian island culture. Travel by servicemen during WWII resulted in many exotic items being brought back to the U.S. Some of these were used in restaurants and bars (many of them located at the beaches, but also many were not). It is in these locations where the notion of Tiki design was developed. It also explains the Tiki association with restaurants, bars and the beach. Popular culture, including music and movies, only served to increase the popularity of the Tiki trend.

If you are thinking about decorating with a Tiki theme, we have some suggestions for you. In our Decorating Gallery, we’ve added a large array of photos to help you visualize what you can do in your own home.

For starters, we purchased an inexpensive bamboo bar set at a local retailer, The Christmas Tree Shops. Sets like these are also available online and at seasonal retailers. Once you have your bar established, you can have a great time decorating it with anything that you feel gives it that exotic Polynesian look.

Chief among the Tiki items we used, is of course, the Tiki god himself. These carvings were the inspiration behind the Tiki design movement and make a striking addition to your Tiki bar setting, with their mythical, yet whimsical appearance. A beautifully carved wooden palm tree lamp, like this one, gives off a soft ambient light that enhances the exotic mood.

The signs we decorated with are exclusive Retroplanet designs that add a funky Tiki look and designate your bar as THE place to have fun. Just add some colorful Tiki drinkware, a Pu Pu platter stacked with tasty food and some awesome music. Bring in your friends and you’ve got a luau atmosphere in which to entertain. And it doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside when you decorate your den, basement or gameroom with a Tiki theme.

October 25 – October 31

Did you ever wonder about what The Beatles were up to on a week-to-week basis?  Are you a Beatles trivia buff?  Test your knowledge here as you look at what happened to The Beatles in a specific week in time.

October 26, 1962 – “Love Me Do” officially entered the chart listings.

October 28, 1962 – The Beatles support Little Richard in their first performance at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

October 25, 1963 – The first concert in their Swedish tour was played at Nya Aulan, Sundsta Larovek in Karlsatad.

October 25, 1964 – The band won five UK Ivor Novello Awards including Most Outstanding Contribution to Music.

October 26, 1965 – The Beatles went to Buckingham Palace to collect their “Medals of the Order of the British Empire.”

October 29, 1967 – Scenes were shot in Battersea for “Magical Mystery Tour.”

October 27, 1969 – “Something”/”Come Together” and the album Abbey Road were certified gold in the US.

October 26, 1973 – Paul released “Helen Wheels”/”Country Dreamer” in the UK.

October 28, 1974 – Allen Klein, a business manager, lost the court case against John, George, and Ringo.

October 25, 1982 – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson’s “The Girl Is Mine” was released in the UK and US with Michael Jackson’s “Can’t Get Outta the Rain” on the B-side.