Past, a blast at NHS
The Silly Putty.
The Slinky.
A metal watering can and a bicycle pump.
A 1940s-era automobile, for mood.
Even the television set.
All of these 1940s inventions, some which sat adorning hardware store shelves post World War II, were on display to commemorate the 75th National Hardware Show (NHS), held recently in Las Vegas.
While attendees streamed in the front entrance, happily greeting each other after a two-year hiatus, tables of merch, organized by decade, from the 1940s to present, awaited visitors along the back area of the new Convention Center West Hall show floor.
It didn’t take long for NHS attendees to discover the nostalgic joys awaiting them.
Individual banners, displays and tabletops, set up by decade, contained products representing the past 75 years, during which the National Hardware Shows have been held.
On the 1940s table — 1946 was 75 years ago — products highlighted included childhood favorites such as the Slinky and Silly Putty.
“Who could forget peeling up Silly Putty from the Sunday funny pages and getting a colorful copy,” said one attendee, peering over all the items and misting nostalgic.
Then he stepped over to the gleaming 1940s automobile parked nearby and his friend snapped a photo of him leaning by the front passenger door.
He pointed back across toward the 1940s-era table and said, “and, oh, the noise the Slinky made going down the stairs! What a blast! What fun!”
Memories like these were repeated several times across the three days of the show.
Attendees moved along the tables, decade-by-decade, soaking in and enjoying all the childhood joy of NHS products, once new and so in-demand filling hardware store shelves of bygone days.
Starting from the 1940s, the NHS cleverly captured 75 years of touch-and-feel nostalgic hardware store items, making this 2021 tabletop exhibit a real cool blast from the past.
