Of my four pucks of vintage Williams, three have been the Bicentennial variety. That is, they contain the offer for a special edition Williams Americana Shaving Mug to commemorate America's Bicentennial. Just send in $4.95 and allow 4-6 weeks for delivery!
According to measuringworth.com, $4.95 in 1976 would be $19.00 in 2010, going by the CPI.
Question one, has anybody seen and handled one of these mugs? The one I saw on eBay once cost way more than I would have paid. The advertisement says that it's "virtually unbreakable" and "looks and feels like real pewter". I'm thinking some kind of plastic, or maybe plated pot metal, but those are just guesses.
Question two, how many years was this offer around? It occurs to me that a majority of the vintage Williams I see available has this special offer on the box. I'd expect that marketing tie-ins for the Bicentennial started at least a couple of years before 1976, and continued for a few years after, but I don't really remember. I wonder if this offer could have continued into the 80s, or maybe been renewed periodically. Then again, it could just be selective attention on my part.
According to measuringworth.com, $4.95 in 1976 would be $19.00 in 2010, going by the CPI.Question one, has anybody seen and handled one of these mugs? The one I saw on eBay once cost way more than I would have paid. The advertisement says that it's "virtually unbreakable" and "looks and feels like real pewter". I'm thinking some kind of plastic, or maybe plated pot metal, but those are just guesses.
Question two, how many years was this offer around? It occurs to me that a majority of the vintage Williams I see available has this special offer on the box. I'd expect that marketing tie-ins for the Bicentennial started at least a couple of years before 1976, and continued for a few years after, but I don't really remember. I wonder if this offer could have continued into the 80s, or maybe been renewed periodically. Then again, it could just be selective attention on my part.
