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On a related note... one of my favorite parts of magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics was always the ads in the back of the magazine. You could

On a related note... one of my favorite parts of magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics was always the ads in the back of the magazine. You could always find all sorts of weird shit advertised back there. Anti-gravity mechanisms, Tesla coil kits, ultrasonic weapons, "free energy" stuff, plans to build your own log-splitter, forge, plasma cutter, whatever. And one of the top places selling some of the cooler stuff was an outfit called "Information Unlimited". They, sadly, went the way of the dodo recently themselves. Apparently due to the death of the owner. :-( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38329274 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38329274

HPsquared 3y ago
Also the ads on old VHS recordings. I don't think many people save ads these days, I guess the equivalent is banner ads caught in screenshots, that kind of thing.
- godzillabrennus 3y ago
  I saved this ad when I was a kid: https://i.imgur.com/npMzu3i.jpg https://i.imgur.com/npMzu3i.jpg Loved the slogan. Vintage tech ads can be fun.
- Kye 3y ago
  Then there's the rare ad meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-more-likely-than-you-think https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-more-likely-than-you-thin...
Loughla 3y ago
I bought plans to build a log splitter back in the day. It sucked until I upgraded it with a hydraulic cylinder from an old d4. Now it can split granite I think.
- mindcrime 3y ago
  See, this is why I love HN. You can pull the most ridiculous, obscure, unlikely thing out of the air... like "ordering log splitter plans from Popular Mechanics magazine ads" or whatever... and without fail, there will be somebody in the comments who actually did that. And then actually built the thing. And upgraded it to an even higher level!! You can't beat this place. :-)
bcraven 3y ago
A relevant podcast: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/08/the-homemade-hovercraft https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/08/the-homemade...
b112 3y ago
This is really sad! When I was a kid, in the early 80s, I had their catalog, and even called them. Some guy talked to me, happily for 20 minutes about their products. I suspect it was the owner, seemed like a nice sort, and seemed to like spreading enthusiastic joy about science.
- Scottn1 3y ago
  I agree, real sad. I too was a pre-teen in the early 80's and I remember how neat it was to have these "secret" catalogs and/or ads in the back of magazines like Popular Science where I could place some cash (or ask mom for a check while I gave her my cash) in an envelope, put it in the mail and in a few weeks I would have these cool sci-fi gadgets in my hand to play with. I was the only one in my friends group who really knew about this stuff apparently (or was the only one geeky enough to think it was cool.) It wasn't just Tesla Coils either. Mail order was in it's golden-years in the 80's and early 90's before the internet. I remember ordering everything from electronic components like caps/breadboards, to magic/card tricks, meters, oscilloscopes etc - all in the many different catalogs I had. I used to even order all kinds of fireworks for the 4th of July through the mail as well back then. Not just snakes and smoke-bombs either, but full on Black Cat (the best) firecrackers, bottle rockets and fountains. Literally send in the money and few weeks later I'd have them dropped off at my front door. Nowadays it is even more amazing as all this stuff is now available in a day or two with free shipping. Heck, I ordered two board games on Amazon the evening of the 19th for with the family the upcoming holiday week and the doorbell rang about 10a the next DAY with them! But nothing beats that feel of a pre-teen and his secret catalogs ordering with his own saved up cash in an envelope and anxiously waiting for two weeks for some off-the-wall gadget to arrive.

HPsquared 3y ago

Also the ads on old VHS recordings. I don't think many people save ads these days, I guess the equivalent is banner ads caught in screenshots, that kind of thing.

godzillabrennus 3y ago
I saved this ad when I was a kid: https://i.imgur.com/npMzu3i.jpg https://i.imgur.com/npMzu3i.jpg Loved the slogan. Vintage tech ads can be fun.
Kye 3y ago
Then there's the rare ad meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-more-likely-than-you-think https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-more-likely-than-you-thin...

Loughla 3y ago

I bought plans to build a log splitter back in the day. It sucked until I upgraded it with a hydraulic cylinder from an old d4. Now it can split granite I think.

mindcrime 3y ago
See, this is why I love HN. You can pull the most ridiculous, obscure, unlikely thing out of the air... like "ordering log splitter plans from Popular Mechanics magazine ads" or whatever... and without fail, there will be somebody in the comments who actually did that. And then actually built the thing. And upgraded it to an even higher level!! You can't beat this place. :-)

bcraven 3y ago

A relevant podcast: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/08/the-homemade-hovercraft https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/08/the-homemade...

b112 3y ago

This is really sad! When I was a kid, in the early 80s, I had their catalog, and even called them. Some guy talked to me, happily for 20 minutes about their products. I suspect it was the owner, seemed like a nice sort, and seemed to like spreading enthusiastic joy about science.

Scottn1 3y ago
I agree, real sad. I too was a pre-teen in the early 80's and I remember how neat it was to have these "secret" catalogs and/or ads in the back of magazines like Popular Science where I could place some cash (or ask mom for a check while I gave her my cash) in an envelope, put it in the mail and in a few weeks I would have these cool sci-fi gadgets in my hand to play with. I was the only one in my friends group who really knew about this stuff apparently (or was the only one geeky enough to think it was cool.) It wasn't just Tesla Coils either. Mail order was in it's golden-years in the 80's and early 90's before the internet. I remember ordering everything from electronic components like caps/breadboards, to magic/card tricks, meters, oscilloscopes etc - all in the many different catalogs I had. I used to even order all kinds of fireworks for the 4th of July through the mail as well back then. Not just snakes and smoke-bombs either, but full on Black Cat (the best) firecrackers, bottle rockets and fountains. Literally send in the money and few weeks later I'd have them dropped off at my front door. Nowadays it is even more amazing as all this stuff is now available in a day or two with free shipping. Heck, I ordered two board games on Amazon the evening of the 19th for with the family the upcoming holiday week and the doorbell rang about 10a the next DAY with them! But nothing beats that feel of a pre-teen and his secret catalogs ordering with his own saved up cash in an envelope and anxiously waiting for two weeks for some off-the-wall gadget to arrive.