(I did a few posts about Gel-Pak. Back on this post, I noted that the Gel-Pak business was spread out over three different addresses in the 1970s – 1143 Broadway, 1145 Broadway and 1205 Broadway (the former Gel-Pak building).
The photo in the ad reveals a pretty nice selection of fruit and goodies in those baskets: Indian River grapefruit and navel oranges; Florida tangerines; Florida tangelos; Emperor grapes; Calmera grapes; California figs & dates; mixed nuts; Holland Hams; Assorted imported cheese from Switzerland.
It was kind of nice to be able to order and ship such baskets from a Lorain company, instead of Harry & David. I’ll bet it was cheaper too.
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I noted the Indian River grapefruit and navel oranges in the listing of fruits. I remember the annual Indian River fruit sale held by the Admiral King Marching Band, when its members temporarily became teenage fruit hucksters. I remember going door to door in our neighborhood, taking orders. We bought several boxes ourselves, which we stored in the garage.
It was a different time then, when a kid could go door to door peddling something, and believe it or not, we did get a lot of orders. It was a good idea, and at least Lorain was spared a major scurvy outbreak.
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There’s a Fractured Fairy Tale (as seen on the “Rocky & Bullwinkle” TV show) that always made me think of Gel-Pak.
In the story “Snow White Inc.” a wicked queen has her own fruit basket business – called Witchpak. To get rid of Snow White, she doesn’t just give her a poisoned apple. Instead, she decides to deliver one of her “Sleeping Death Apples” baskets to her instead!
And how does it all end? Watch the cartoon below, courtesy of YouTube!
Different times for sure.Today if a young child were to go door to door they are liable to come up missing or worse,they might get killed.The sweet innocent "Happy Days" are long gone.Replaced by drugs and crime.
ReplyDelete"Fractured Fairy Tales", just the sort of thing for a cold Monday morning; thanks, laddie!
ReplyDeleteI recall a 1975 trip to Florida in my ‘74 Miami Blue VW Rabbit. Coming back, the car was stuffed with so much Indian River citrus fruit that, had I been in an accident, I likely would’ve drowned in all of the orange and grapefruit juice!
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