My 50 Year Love Affair With Spencer Gifts Continues Today

It was the summer of 1977.

It was quite possibly the best summer ever.

I remember jumping on my bicycle, riding to my friend's house, then heading to our "local mall."

(Wait! I just Mapquested the ride. It was 4.6 miles! That wasn't that 'local.' Good thing I didn't have helicopter parents back then, or they would never have let me ride that ride.)

Anyway, once we got to the mall, it was straight to our favorite store - Spencer Gifts!

Best purchase ever at Spencer Gifts

By the way, yes, it was the same Spencer Gifts that's now simply Spencer's. And, it's the same Spencer's whose corporate offices are located in my hometown, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

It is a small world!

Back to 1977.....

Inside Spencer's I always made a beeline to the poster section. (In the 70s and 80s every kid had posters up on their bedroom walls.) On this particular trip I made the proper 14-year-old purchase - I bought the Farah Fawcett poster!

Fawcett's red swimsuit poster is still the best selling poster of all time. Over 12 million copies were sold, mostly to 14-year-old boys, of course.

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Spencer Gifts was the best store for 14-year-old boys

In those days Spencer Gifts was the must-go-to-store at any mall.

After seemingly hours of flipping through the poster display, it was onto the black lights, strobe lights, and eventually, "accidentally" ending up in the adult novelty section.

Again, 1977, best summer ever.

Check out this video that does a decent job in remembering the old-school style Spencer Gifts stores:

Spencer's today

Spencer Gifts began in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1947, and eventually the headquarters moved to the Atlantic City area.

Spencer's also owns and operates the successful Spirit Halloween brand.

As I mentioned, I live in Egg Harbor Township -  the home of Spencer's. Their headquarters is being upgraded with some new office space.

It looks pretty good!

When I grow up, maybe I can work there!

Thanks, Spencer's, for helping me remember what it felt like to be a 14-year-old boy having the best summer ever!