If you fondly recall flipping through comic books not just for the stories but for the bizarre ads in the margins, "Mail-Order Mysteries" could be a delightful time capsule for you. It’s a treasure trove of the promises versus realities of these products that tapped into the imagination of youth. Picking up this book is like rifling through a childhood memory chest, reigniting the joys and letdowns of those whimsical purchases.

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Rediscover your sense of wonder! Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic laser-gun plans, x-ray specs, and even 7-foot-tall monsters (with glow-in-the-dark eyes!). But what would you really get if you entrusted your hard-earned $1.69 to the post office? Mail-Order Mysteries answers this question, revealing the amazing truths (and agonizing exaggerations) about the actual products marketed to kids in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Pop-culture historian Kirk Demarais shares his astonishing collection, including: 100 Toy Soldiers in a Footlocker, Count Dante’s World’s Deadliest Fighting Secrets, GRIT Hercules Wrist Band, Hypno-Coin, Life-Size Monsters, Mystic Smoke, Sea Monkeys, Soil From Dracula’s Castle, U-Control Ghost, Ventrilo Voice Thrower... and many, many more! With more than 150 extraordinary, peculiar, and downright fraudulent collectibles, Mail-Order Mysteries is a must-have book for comic book fans everywhere. Trust us.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.