Kiss and tell...ads in vintage teen magazines

 Admit it...as a kid, you probably read at least one issue of Tiger Beat or 16 Magazine. I certainly did, at least if there was a photo of my crush David Cassidy on the cover. I've been collecting teen magazines from the early 1970s. Like most old magazines, the best part are the ads. They teased teenyboppers with offers to meet and even kiss their favorite stars.

Teen magazine ad -- David Cassidy
An ad like this one made me yearn for a puka bead choker. For some reason, my parents wouldn't let me have one.
Teen magazine ad -- David Cassidy
Teen magazine ad -- David Cassidy
I remember buying a set of these posters. It was hard to decide...did I want four normal-sized Davids looking at me from my bedroom walls, or one huge one?
Teen magazine ad -- David Cassidy
I don't want to be petty, but the David Cassidy posters are much more compelling than this Beatles one...
Teen magazine ad -- Beatles
For just a dollar, you can learn about The Beatles "from Liverpool to swimming pool." (I guess they thought their fans didn't know where babies come from.)
Teen magazine ad -- Beatles
16 Magazine offered to turn wishes into "thrilling reality" by providing readers with a phone call, letter, or pin-up from their fav celebrity.
This "Kissing Kit" includes "oh-so-kissable" photos, tips on how to dress "like a Roller," and important information about "what turns them on in a girl -- and what turns them off!" (Those hair styles are a turn off, if you ask me!)
Teen magazine ad -- Bay City Rollers
Remember when John Travolta was a teen hearthrob? Me neither...
Teen magazine ad -- John Travolta
Weep and worry no more...as long you change EVERYTHING about yourself, you have a shot at becoming popular. I wonder how much harm these "marvelous books" did to young, insecure teens?
Teen magazine ad -- Popularity book
The book promises "to make a new you" using "tried-and-true hints on hair, makeup, grooming, clothes, dieting, exercises." You'll learn how to "act, look and be like you've always wanted."
Teen magazine ad -- Popularity book
Looking at these ads now, I'm surprised that I reached adulthood with (most of) my sanity and self-respect intact.

Comments

  1. Too funny.
    I remember our second cousin, Patricia, had Beatles cards, similar to baseball cards. They were all strung with thread across the ceiling in her bedroom, criss crossing all over the place there were so many or them, hundreds.

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