Greetings…
I am very new to the forum and have enjoyed reading the previous posts. The wide variety of subjects is welcome.
I have a question…
A couple of years ago I saw a small article, probably Q&A, in CTT about older issues of Life magazine, and Look, or Ladies Home Journal that had train ads in them. Does anybody have that listing? I have an opportunity at a junk store to search, BUT ALL OF THEM?
I don’t have a list, but the Lionel ads usually ran in one of November’s issues in 1950s Life magazines. Lionel and American Flyer also made cameo appearances in numerous ads for other products as well. One year, Lionel set up a whole bunch of helicopter cars and launched them at the same time for a two-page photo spread in Life.
- Lou
They also ran add’s in the National Geographic in the Nov/Dec issues back in the late 40’s and early 50’s.
In the early 60’s, Boy’s Life Magazine had ads for Lionel and I believe American Flyer.
As others here have suggested, check issues of consumer magazines–almost any of them–offered in the postwar period through the mid-1950s, and particularly issues published in the pre-holiday season. Lionel, in particular, advertised extensively during that period. You would see Lionel ads everywhere, including in the Sunday comics section of many local newspapers. Not only that, but you would also see Lionel trains everywhere in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hardware stores, department stores, toy stores, five-and-dime stores, auto parts stores, etc.–nearly all of them sold Lionel trains (along with Flyer and/or Marx) during those wonderful times.