15 Things People Collected From Newspapers and Magazines in the '70s

Not only were newspapers and magazines the source of information and entertainment in the 1970s, but their content could also be cut, saved, shared, and reused. Recipes, coupons, star pictures, scores, comic strips, movie ads, music features, columns with advice, tips on interior decoration, articles from the fashion page, historical articles, car ads, travel pieces, patterns for crafting, and memorable commercial illustrations all were clipped and saved. Way before internet users started to bookmark pages and save posts, clipping was a simple method to save useful information and favorite articles.

1. Recipes

In many kitchens, there would be a set of scissors sitting next to the Sunday newspaper. Those who cooked in their homes used to cut out recipes from the papers that seemed worth cooking and store them in recipe books, cookery books, or binders made by themselves. Cakes, casseroles, breads, salads, or preserves used to be found even after the newspaper would be long gone. The recipe file kept since 1973 had handwriting in addition to the newspaper cutouts, proving how useful those collections were. Stains, alterations, or annotations could be found on some recipes in some households before they passed the recipes on.

2. Coupons

Coupons provided an incentive to check out newspapers and magazines before discarding them. Consumers cut coupons offering discounts on items ranging from food products to soap, toothpaste, coffee, cereals, and household goods to use on their next shopping visit to the supermarket. Print advertisements were often used by manufacturers to distribute coupons worth several cents each in the hands of the consumer. A little box or drawer could get filled up with coupons cut out neatly by consumers. There was an element of being patient since every clipping of coupons meant saving some money. With inflation being high during the seventies, this was very important.

3. Celebrity Pinups

Teenage bedrooms were defined by the images from the magazines. The pictures of the stars from magazines would be cut out and stuck on walls or lockers or put in a scrapbook. Magazines like Teen Beat provided the exact type of material with color pin-ups and posters that teens would use. By the late 1970s, pictures of people like Erik Estrada, Andy Gibb, and Leif Garrett could be found in magazines for teenage fans. Some would have pictures kept nice in a folder while others would have holes from thumbtacks and curled corners hanging above a bed. Before there were unlimited online galleries, it was worth having a celebrity picture, as there would not be another without buying the magazine again.

4. Sports Box Scores and Game Reports

Sports enthusiasts would save newspaper box scores, standings, and other articles from significant games. For instance, a fan of the sport of baseball would store a page containing an article on one of his favorite players’ home runs, whereas football enthusiasts saved their news and season statistics. The Los Angeles Times and New York Daily News were some newspapers that continued to publish extensive sports information in the 1970s. The clippings would easily be stored in scrapbooks or files and dressers as a personal account of the seasons they enjoyed. Later in life, those yellowed box scores would remind them of their exciting times of listening to and watching the game on the radio and TV, respectively.

5. Comic Strips

It was rare for comic strips to make it past being thrown into the garbage along with the previous day’s newspaper, so people would occasionally cut out their favorite strips. Comic strips popular during the 70s were Peanuts, Garfield after its 1978 introduction, Doonesbury, and Blondie. A very humorous strip would be posted on the fridge, bulletin board, in a scrapbook, or even on the bedroom wall. Children could save their favorite characters from the strips, whereas the adult reader could save the humor that had been most witty or relevant to him or her. The other benefit of the comic strip was Sunday comics, which came in color.

6. Movie Advertisements

Film ads turned into little keepsakes for those movie buffs who kept up with new movies via the news media. Local newspapers would carry movie theaters’ schedules together with their advertisements for movies like Jaws, Star Wars, Rocky, and Saturday Night Fever. People could cut out the artwork, release date, cast, or any reviews and paste them in scrapbooks. Ads were small boxes for some movies and bigger for blockbuster hits. An ad kept much more than just the name of the movie. An ad captured the time when the movie was brand-new, its tickets awaited at the local movie theater, and people hadn’t memorized its classic scenes yet.

7. Music Articles and Interviews

Music lovers converted magazines into their personal libraries by clipping articles on their favorite artists and bands. Magazines like Rolling Stone, Creem, and Circus were filled with interviews, reviews, photographs, and articles throughout the 1970s. Someone passionate about David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and Eagles could collect a huge number of articles in a folder without paying for expensive memorabilia. The magazine articles would provide information beyond what could be known from album covers, including musicians’ statements and tour or record studio descriptions. While some people collected complete issues, others only took out the relevant articles.

8. Advice Columns

Advice columns were easily cut out since the issues presented seemed relatable. Advice related to marriage, dating, family quarrels, etiquette, finances, and social matters was saved by readers. Dear Abby and Ann Landers continued to be syndicated throughout the 1970s, providing their practical advice in newspapers nationwide. The piece of advice could be put in a purse, hung next to the desk, or kept in a scrapbook. Clippings were also likely kept in case the advice would be needed again for someone else. Before the existence of online advice boards where one can type out a problem and receive immediate feedback, the words of a newspaper columnist could appear to be helpful at the breakfast table.

9. Home Decorating Ideas

A lot of material could be discarded from glossy magazines by home decorators. Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, and other similar magazines contained designs and photos of various rooms and furniture, ideas for paintings, storage spaces, and even do-it-yourself projects in accordance with the tastes of the 1970s. People would cut out images of shag carpets, earth-colored kitchens, houseplants, conversation pits, or smartly designed shelves and save them for their inspiration in the future. One image might become part of the collection dedicated to the design of the ideal living room or an interior project. While people might not afford to buy the actual furniture, they have an idea.

10. Fashion Spreads

Style-aware readers cut out pages from magazines with designs they wished to emulate, stitch, or save for future use. Magazines such as Seventeen, Vogue, McCall’s, and others featured styles ranging from flared pants and platform shoes to prairie dresses and eveningwear suitable for dancing the night away. Home seamstresses could see different shapes, fabrics, collars, and colors before deciding which pattern to purchase. Teenagers would keep a favorite design simply because it reflected the style they hoped to adopt at some point in their lives. The pages collected in folders and scrapbooks formed personal collections that varied according to the season.

11. Historic Headlines

Indeed, many important news events would usually not be recycled because the reader knew that some front pages were historical. For example, during the 1970s, people would save news regarding the crisis of Apollo 13, the end of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, President Nixon’s resignation, and the American bicentennial. While some people would keep entire newspapers, others would clip headlines and pictures to keep in scrapbooks. Educators and pupils also saved news articles for class projects or display. The newspaper would yellow and become brittle, but the aging process was what made it so attractive. By saving a headline, one could own a piece of a historically significant day.

12. Car Advertisements

It was possible for car lovers to put together great collections without even going to dealerships. Ads for cars such as the Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Vega, Volkswagen Beetle, Pontiac Firebird, and Datsun 240Z appeared in newspapers and magazines. Car enthusiasts would cut out pictures, details of the car, pricing information, and catchy slogans, especially if that particular car was their ideal buy. Some younger car enthusiasts would actually compile notebooks of cars that they wanted to drive after acquiring their licenses and enough cash. The ads in magazines were particularly appealing as they often featured beautiful photos and artwork.

13. Travel Features

The travel section provided cheap access to exotic locales many readers had never seen. Travel sections in newspapers and publications like National Geographic provided images, information, maps, and features about cities, parks, beaches, and foreign lands. Readers would clip interesting places for potential trips, assignments, or just plain dreaming. One family planning a vacation could gather all sorts of information about hotels, sites, routes, and dining in one envelope. Children would use the colorful photos of exotic locales in their scrapbooks and school assignments. Before the advent of travel websites where every destination is available with a click, a powerful magazine layout made some faraway place seem suddenly near.

14. Craft Patterns and Instructions

Patterns and instructions were rarely thrown away in homes that loved doing projects with their hands. Magazines for women and certain sections of newspapers carried instructions on how to knit, how to do crochet work, how to sew, how to do embroidery, how to make Christmas decorations, and other crafts. The reader would cut out the projects that they intended to try and keep them along with the fabrics or yarn, or patterns. Family Circle and Woman’s Day and similar magazines always gave good ideas for projects at home. Some of these patterns became real projects or decorations, and some remained unused for many years. But keeping them was definitely sensible.

15. Memorable Product Advertisements

The ads for the newest product line would sometimes turn into a collector’s item simply due to their visual appeal. Magazine pages would promote such items as Coca-Cola, cameras made by Kodak, Polaroid photos, Levi’s jeans, various home appliances, cigarettes, makeup products, and many more using extensive designs. The readers who were into the world of advertising, graphic design, fashion, or certain brands could easily tear out their favorite pages and store them in folders. Some ads had celebrities endorsing the products; others relied on illustrations, slogans, or the specific 1970s font style. Unlike coupons, which saved money and thus deserved keeping, the ad clipping had value in its visuals alone.