9 of the best things you could buy with your pocket money in the 60s and 70s - one drove parents mad

• Do you remember the best thing you ever bought with your pocket money?
• You were lucky to get 20p in the 60s and 70s, but that could go a long way
• These are some of the things children spent their pocket money on back then

Getting pocket money for the first time is a big step on your path to independence.

Many people still remember the first time their parents trusted them with their own cash to spend, and will never forget the first thing they bought with that money.

In the 60s, you would have been lucky to get a couple of shillings, while in the 70s, you were doing well if you received 20p.

It might not sound like much to children today, but it’s amazing how much that could buy all those years ago, especially if you saved it up for a few weeks.

From penny sweets to inexpensive toys, below are some of the most popular things people bought using their pocket money in the 60s and 70s.

Rubber poppers

Everyone who grew up in the 60s, 70s or 80s surely remembers these simple rubber toys, even if there’s much debate about what they were called.

Eye poppers, rubber poppers and jumping poppers are among the names they have been given.

The hollow rubber domes came in various colours and sizes. You pressed them down on a flat surface and waited for them to pop up, often with surprising velocity.

For many people, the abiding memory is of getting a little too close while waiting for it to spring into life, and getting whacked in the eye.

Spangles

Many people have fond childhood memories of these boiled sweets, which first came out in 1950 and were popular during the 60s and 70s, before being discontinued in the 80s.

Spangles, which were famously referenced in the Kinks song Art Lover, came in a variety of ‘Old English’ flavours, including liquorice, mint humbug and pear drop.

In the 60s, people were invited to guess the new ‘Mystery Flavour’, later revealed to be fruit cocktail, for the chance to win a transistor radio.

Paratrooper toys

This was another cheap and simple toy that provided hours of entertainment in the 60s and 70s.

The toy paratrooper came with a plastic parachute attached, and many people recall leaning over the bannister to drop one, or throwing it out of their bedroom window.

The results were often disappointing, with the parachute not proving that effective, and many children ended up making their own parachutes.

Spud guns

These cheap toy guns were popular with children in the 60s and 70s, but less so with their parents.

One person recalled: “I remember my mum going mad because I kept stealing the spuds and putting them back with loads of holes in.”

Another said: “We had one and hit a few folk with tattie. When they turned around, we looked all innocent.”

Creamola Foam

This was as close as soft drinks got to alchemy in the 60s and 70s.

Creamola Foam was made in Scotland and came in the form of effervescent crystals which created a fizzy, foaming drink when mixed with water.

The original drink came in small tins, with flavours including raspberry, orange, and lemon.

One person recalled: “I used to have it at my friend’s house. It was like fruity Epsom salts!”

Creamola Foam was discontinued in the 90s, before being revived in 2019, but many people who remember the original say the modern version doesn’t taste anything like it used to.

Paper dolls

These were an inexpensive alternative to the real thing.

You could cut out the paper doll and the various clothes and accessories with which to dress it up.

One person said: “I loved paper dolls and wish they would print them again. I am in my 60s and would still cut them out!”

Matchbox cars

These toy cars, made in a huge variety of styles, achieved peak popularity in the 60s and 70s.

Many people remember going to the shop and checking out all the different models contained within the swivelling display cabinet.

“I can still feel the excitement in my mind as I turned that display around,” said one person.

Fortune-telling fish

These ‘fortune teller’ fish were extremely popular during the 60s and 70s.

You simply place them in your palm and they react to the moisture and heat of your hand, curling up

A slip of paper tells you how to interpret the fish’s movements. If just the head moves, that might mean you are jealous, while if the head and tail move, that could indicate you’re in love, according to the guide.

Black Jacks

You could tell a lot about someone from whether they were a Black Jack or a Fruit Salad person.

Some children preferred the intense aniseed hit of the Black Jack, while others liked the classic combination of raspberry and pineapple.

You can still get both today, but many people who grew up in the 60s and 70s will forever associate them with their childhood.

Other popular sweets on which many youngsters spent their pocket money back then included candy cigarettes, pineapple cubes and gobstoppers, which could last for hours.

How many of these do you remember, and what was the best thing you ever bought with your pocket money?

If you’re looking for more 60s and 70s nostalgia, you might enjoy this look back at the things every teenager growing up then wanted in their bedroom.