1. Catalogs With Everything
Before the internet, companies like Sears, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward mailed out massive catalogs filled with just about anything you could imagine. These weren’t just ads—they were cultural events, especially during the holiday season. Kids would dog-ear pages, circle their wish list, and practically memorize the toy section. Entire families used them to shop from home, no computer required.
The rise of e-commerce eventually made paper catalogs feel obsolete. Sears stopped printing its iconic “Wish Book” in 2011, a quiet end to a very analog experience. While some niche catalogs still exist, the days of flipping through 500 pages over breakfast are gone. It was a slower, more deliberate kind of shopping that’s tough to replicate with a screen.
2. Cracker Jack Prizes
Speaking of snacks, Cracker Jack practically invented the whole “prize inside” concept back in 1912. For decades, every box came with a little surprise—miniature puzzles, joke books, or even tiny rings. These weren’t exactly high-end, but they had charm and character that made them unforgettable. Baseball fans might even remember special edition baseball cards included at times.
By the 2000s, though, those classic prizes had shrunk to simple paper jokes or QR codes. Cracker Jack eventually replaced physical goodies with digital game codes to cut costs and modernize. While kids today might get a kick out of a smartphone game, it’s just not the same as discovering a real trinket buried in caramel corn. One more analog thrill lost to the digital age.
3. Glassware at Gas Stations
During the 1960s and 1970s, gas stations like Texaco and Shell often gave away full sets of branded drinking glasses with fill-ups. It was a clever loyalty tactic—get a new glass every time you visited and eventually build a whole collection. These weren’t flimsy either; many were high-quality, featuring Looney Tunes, Marvel characters, or sports teams. They made road trips a bit more fun for everyone in the car.
By the 1980s, this practice faded due to higher costs and changing customer expectations. Gas stations shifted focus toward convenience stores and fuel points instead of gimmicky collectibles. But those old glasses? They’re still floating around on eBay, often treasured by collectors. It’s a quirky reminder of when customer loyalty was rewarded with something tangible.
4. S&H Green Stamps
S&H Green Stamps were a staple of mid-century American shopping, offered by grocery stores, gas stations, and department stores. Shoppers received these stamps with purchases and saved them in booklets to redeem for items from a mail-order catalog. It felt like a real reward for being a loyal customer—almost like earning points before digital rewards existed. Some families even treated it like a mini-savings plan.
Green Stamps started to decline in the 1970s as inflation reduced their value and new loyalty programs emerged. Eventually, the S&H name became a relic of a bygone era. Today’s loyalty apps are more efficient, sure, but they lack the tactile satisfaction of pasting stamps into a booklet. It’s hard to imagine scanning a QR code bringing that same sense of accomplishment.
5. Toy Prizes in Cereal Boxes
Remember digging your hand elbow-deep into a cereal box just to grab the toy before your siblings did? In the mid-20th century, cereal brands like Kellogg’s and General Mills made it standard to include a plastic trinket or even a decoder ring right inside the box. It wasn’t just a marketing gimmick—it was a legitimate incentive for kids to nag their parents into buying specific cereals. The excitement of finding that prize made breakfast a lot more fun.
Eventually, rising production costs and safety concerns phased these toys out. Many parents complained about choking hazards, and cereal makers pivoted to offering codes for digital rewards instead. Today’s cereal boxes might promise games or apps, but the tactile joy of a physical prize is long gone. It’s one of those tiny pleasures that made being a kid in the ‘80s or ‘90s just a bit more special.
6. Trading Cards With Gum Packs
Once upon a time, buying a pack of trading cards—be it baseball, Star Wars, or Garbage Pail Kids—automatically came with a slab of pink bubble gum. The gum was usually hard as a rock and lost flavor in 60 seconds, but it was all part of the experience. Companies like Topps included gum as a standard bonus until the late 1980s. It gave kids two reasons to buy: the cards and the sugar fix.
Concerns about shelf life and complaints about gum residue damaging the cards led to its removal. Today’s trading cards are all about condition and collectibility, not chewing. You’ll find holographics and signed cards, but no more brittle pink wafers stuck to your Mickey Mantle rookie. The gum may have been terrible, but its absence feels oddly tragic.
7. Software Demos in Magazines
In the ‘90s and early 2000s, computer magazines often came with free CD-ROMs containing software demos, drivers, or even full games. Flipping through an issue of PC Gamer or Macworld meant you might discover your next favorite game or utility. It was an early way to “try before you buy” in a pre-download world. Plus, it made the magazine itself feel like a product worth keeping.
The practice faded as broadband internet and app stores became the norm. Physical media became unnecessary, and printing costs made the freebies unsustainable. Today, most tech news is digital and fleeting, with no bonus disc to save or stack up. Those demo discs were clunky but oddly magical—little treasure troves of discovery.
8. TV Guides in the Sunday Paper
For decades, the Sunday newspaper came with a mini-magazine: the TV Guide. It offered a full schedule of the week’s programming, along with features, celebrity gossip, and those unforgettable “Cheers and Jeers” sections. Flipping through the listings was a weekly ritual in households across America. It was how you planned your week’s viewing—no remote or streaming queue needed.
As on-screen guides and DVRs became common, the need for printed schedules dropped off. TV Guide still exists, but it’s more of a niche magazine now, not a weekly essential. The loss feels symbolic—like saying goodbye to appointment viewing itself. We gained convenience, but lost the sense of shared national timing.
9. Free Road Maps From Gas Stations
Before GPS, road trips were fueled by free folding maps handed out at gas stations. Companies like Exxon and Gulf printed detailed, often beautifully illustrated maps of states or regions. You’d grab one at the counter, maybe even ask the attendant to mark your route with a pen. They were practical, but also comforting in their simplicity.
By the 2000s, GPS navigation made paper maps feel unnecessary, and gas stations stopped stocking them. Some state tourism offices still offer them, but they’re no longer common freebies. It’s another analog casualty of the digital age. Nostalgics still miss the tactile crinkle of unfolding a giant map across the hood of a car.
10. Promotional Comic Books
Major brands used to give away comic books as a form of advertising, and they were surprisingly good. From the 1950s through the ‘80s, companies like Coca-Cola, Burger King, and even the U.S. Army handed out custom comics at stores, schools, and events. They taught safety tips, advertised new products, or featured crossovers with famous heroes. Kids loved them because they were free and fun.
As marketing shifted toward TV and digital, promotional comics declined. Today’s branded content is more likely to be a YouTube ad or Instagram reel. But those old comics remain collectible and occasionally pop up at conventions. They were a win-win: entertaining and educational without costing a dime.
11. Airline Playing Cards
Flying used to be fancy—and airlines gave out souvenirs like branded playing cards during flights. Starting in the 1950s, carriers like Pan Am and United handed these out routinely, especially on long domestic and international routes. Passengers would pass the time playing rummy or poker at 30,000 feet. It made air travel feel a bit more civilized.
The practice fell off as airlines cut costs and increased efficiency. Most flights today offer little more than pretzels and a screen in the seatback. You can still buy airline cards online, but don’t expect to get them handed out for free anymore. Another small luxury, gone with the golden age of flying.
12. Record Samplers With Magazine Subscriptions
Back in the ’60s and ’70s, subscribing to certain music or lifestyle magazines sometimes meant receiving a vinyl record sampler. These included hits from various artists—often exclusive tracks or previews from upcoming albums. Rolling Stone and other publications used this tactic to hook readers and promote the music industry. It was an effective way to get new tunes into listeners’ hands.
With the decline of vinyl and the rise of MP3s and streaming, the sampler trend died off. Music sharing moved online, and freebies shifted to download codes or playlists. Vinyl has made a comeback, but you won’t find it in your mailbox anymore. There was something thrilling about dropping the needle on a mystery record that Spotify can’t quite match.
This post 12 Freebies That Used to Come With American Products Just for Existing was first published on American Charm.
