Remembering the happier hard times.

[Horsefly]

From ‘53 to ‘66 we lived 12 miles on Red River from Muenster Texas where Dad tried so hard to be a farmer. Lots of Saturday’s Mom would go to town and drop me and my twin brother off 3 or 4 miles from town so we could pick up pop bottles outta ditch. 2 cents each. We had a tow-sack and jar of water. If she had to go on to Gainesville to bigger stores like for clothes we’d be in Muenster waiting on her. We spent the money on BB’s. Sometimes we’d only get the little 10 cent tube, great day would be the 25 cent tube. I still have a Nickle bag of the old Daisy BB’s. We both still have or original Daisy model 80 guns that still shoot. Nearly worn out and still twice the power of the new Red Rider I bought my grandson. 

[FC]

Good story. We were getting a nickel for a bottle. 

[Dr.Hess]

When I was a kid, we would get together, like 4-5 of us and go door to door saying we were on a scavenger hunt and needed things.  We would ask if they had any of a few odd ball things that didn't matter, and some Coke bottles, etc.  They would frequently give us the bottles, which we would return to the store for the deposit and buy candy.

 

[Horsefly]

We made good money for kids picking up pecans in the fall. That was every other year. My brother and me picked up a tow-sack full each and made about 9.00 each one year and were on top of the world. Actually 2 sacks each because it was on the half’s. Landowner got half. I think we got a nickel for pop bottles when Coke came out with King Size Coke. When we got big enough to haul hay we learned what real work was. I didn’t inherit Dads dream of farming. Helping Dad and Grandpa build pipe corals I wanted to be a welder and did for lots of years. 

[Racepres]

Hmmm

Shoveling Manure paid OK... when yer under 12YO it was a fortune!!! But, Driving a tractor pulling an asparagus cart was more lucrative... tho very Boring. Still needed to be home for Cow Milking...twice a Day... paid room and board I guess!!!! Milked them buggers till I was Drafted!!! Came home on leave.... cows were Gone!!!!

Havent Pulled no Udders since!!!!!

[AzRednek]

Guess I was a juvenile delinquent. We used to go behind a restaurant and steal pop bottles. At two cents each and the wood crate worth about 52 cents got us an even buck. Didn’t take long for the grocery store we cashed them in at to get wise. When the store manager confronted us demanding to know where we got them. Being typical 10-11 year old kids. My partner in crime told him his mom used to own a restaurant in New York. She took the bottles with when they moved to Phoenix. The manager gave us the choice of returning the bottles or he would call the Sheriff. There wasn’t another store around, being scared of getting caught returning them we dumped the bottles in the canal. We almost got caught but were able to run away stealing deposit milk bottles behind a feed store that had a milk, eggs and bread aisle. The perpetrator that lead us into stealing bottles. Later in life him and his brother spent several years in prison for grand larceny. 

[FC]

You were a bad one!