Growing up in the 80s, I was exposed to toy gun transformers, plastic kungfu swords, and all manner of cheap candy disguised as foil wrapped cigarettes. We can look back in horror(?) now but it was soooo much fun
One of the many robot toy series from Japan is ‘Golden Warrior Gold Lightan’… where the giant hero robots transform into cigarette lighters carried by kids. And amongst the lot is ‘Cutter Lightan’, whose head is actually a pencil sharpener. Coincidentally, Luddite’s recent series of ‘THIS INDUSTRIAL’ premium metal lead cases also includes one design in gold color with a similar diamond head texture. If anyone suspects my sanity, I got mine off Mercari for a fair bit less than the MSRP.
Other fun items in this shot: Pentel’s Hi-Polymer 120 leads packed in a decidedly cigarette soft pack style, with 5 white paper tubes inside looking all the more like actual smokes. I wonder what Japanese teachers thought when they saw these items in the classroom back then?
Lastly, an actual tobacco branded premium: a very slim capped sharp that probably resembled the actual product by Rothmans, packaged in an equally svelt case containing an eraser and a stack of Post-it notes.
Share yours if you have any other stationery in this whacky sub-genre!
It’s interesting that he posted this specific one because I’ve been watching those lots for a couple weeks.
I don’t care to buy them but I saved them to watch.
I usually opted for Lemonheads, PopRocks, Zots, Nerds, or Necco wafers. But I did have compressed powder candy cigarettes and cigar bubble gum on occasion.
Let alone imitation smoking items, even the idea of a candy store is a bit hilarious and outdated now. I was regularly given a few quarter dollars to just buy candy. Amazing.
I guess the Tombow Zoom 505 Havanna should also count? But the special edition that was packed like cigars is R@RE! And that one was only made as a roller pen.
Wow
They didn’t mince words so to speak
It would definitely hurt a company to attempt this now but how cool this product was when it was produced!?!
How often I fidget with the tail end of the pencil at my lips.
The reference was absolutely intentional and meant in a way to be cheeky.
It’s no wonder there was such a prevalence of smoking/smokers created in this generation.
It’s not a wonder why, even without the chemicals, smoking subconsciously embodies a pleasant experience.
