Disc-Go-Case: A Glorious ’70s Flashback

Back in the late '60s, a company called Charter Industries invented a unique hip way to tote around a bunch of 45s. They called it a "Disc-Go-Case." It was available in 7 colors: green, yellow, red, blue, brown, lavender, and pink. Each case would hold approximately 60 discs. I still own my green, "Disc-Go-Case." I got mine in 1969 and quickly started to collect records. Some of the first 45s I got as a kid came from my Aunt Linda. The record she gave me was, "The Monster Mash," by Bobby Boris Picket. The 45 still has her name on the original Garpax Records label from 1962.

The fun part was that it was easy to take to a friend's house due to the neat handle built right into the top. The bottom half was a black base with a tube the size of the hole in a 45 record. When you put the top on it you would twist the handle and it had a plastic lock mechanism to keep it in place. A simple twist from the top would reveal the 45 records inside.

For a kid, it was pretty cool to have one. I had a total of three Disc-Go-Cases: green, light blue, and bright yellow. I do have a collector's blue one with, "The Beatles," on it but it is a knockoff of an original version. My friend gave me a stencil of the Beatles and I put it on myself. Real Beatles Disc-Go-Cases can go for a lot of money. I saw one for 750 dollars! Check your parent's attic... you never know what you will find. Garage finds are also fun especially if the records are still inside.

Record purists didn't like the "Disc-Go-Case," because of the way the 45s stacked up on each other. I find if you are careful of how you handle your records they won't be damaged. Then again, I wouldn't keep one of my super rare 45s in it. You might have a shot at finding one at a mom-and-pop record store, or garage sale. or online. I love the "Disc-Go-Case" for the memories it brings. One place I have seen originals in stock is Melodies & Memories in East Point Michigan

Favorite Toys By Year That Ruled The Seventies. It was a wonderful simpler time and fun for a kid.

In the 1970s, some advances in toy technology started with computerized games of Electronic Football and the Atari computer and home gaming system. Pop culture also continued to greatly influence many youngsters by being able to recreate their favorite movies or tv shows with matching action figures and dolls like the Six Million Dollar Man.

The 1970s were a time when parents kicked the kids out of the house and said go play outside. Kids spent their summer vacation going to the movies to see Jaws, then not going into the water rest of the year. Dress to impress with very high tube socks and shorts that were pretty small. We worshiped "The Fonz" from Happy Days and quoted catchphrases from Welcome Back Kotter and Saturday Night Live.

My hero was a late-night TV host named the Ghoul who showed really bad movies. We watched the Red Wings, Tigers, and Lions even though they were pretty average. The Toys we had could never be released today. Jarts is a toss game like horseshoes but with metal projectiles. Light bright-colored pieces of glass on a grid plugged into an outlet. These toys made a fork in the toaster not look so bad.

Who didn't have a big wheel? It was one of the coolest toys Marx made. The only thing... it wasn't built for going off homemade ramps.

Parents loved this toy as it was hard to destroy anything in the house playing with a NERF BALL. Low injuries were reported and nobody I know died.

The official rules state that the X player to go first. Each player starts with three beanbags. Players stand approximately six feet from the board to toss their beanbags, alternating turns. The beanbags are only retrieved after all six are thrown. Whenever three matching symbols in a row are turned over by either player, the game ends immediately. Trick shots were allowed where you would score on more than one box at a time. I still have mine and it's in great condition. 

Shrinky Dinks has enthralled children and adults with its crafty charm. The idea is pretty basic. Color a sheet of floppy plastic to create a fun design and then slide your creation into a warm oven. Amazing how there were no lawsuits over this product. 

The first official "pet rocks" that were sold in the 1970s were simply nice stones from Rosarita Beach in Mexico. These pebbles sold for a penny and were resold with goofy accessories for a lot more. They looked, well, like a typical rock. The inventor went on to make millions of dollars. 

Ideal Toys, the manufacturer of Evel Knievel toys, got their start in the Knievel business when they released the first Evel Knievel action figures.

I had a Star Wars Tie Fighter. Didn't last long as we blew it up in a homemade movie.

Wild how Vincent Price did the voice in the TV commercial. It got my attention as a movie buff. Fun game to play. Later in life, it became an after-school / weekend drinking game.

Designed for younger children with its clean simple design and more importantly its tactile keyboard to prevent damage from food and small objects. It's still pretty cool if you had one in 1979.