What do you miss?

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  • Regular Guy
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2015
    • 170

    #16
    Re: What do you miss?

    I miss uninflated promotional ballons as giveaways.

    Better nowadays:
    Availability of several brands, sizes and forms of ballons from all around the world and the possibility to buy them in several online shops.

    Comment

    • craggy2012
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2012
      • 824

      #17
      Re: What do you miss?

      Everything inflatable was better back in the 80’s even the 90’s I’d say! Regular inflatables on sale today (other than those specialist items made by companies specifically for fetishists) are of a very poor, unappealing quality. The amount of inflatables I’ve purchased over the past few years and ended up chucked straight in the bin is pretty staggering!

      Comment

      • Danniballoon
        Senior Member
        • Mar 2018
        • 553

        #18
        Re: What do you miss?

        I agree with Tracy. I miss airships, like the Aerial ones that were available in the UK and the large knobbly and snake ones that Fantasia did. In the 80's I managed to get some chunky Everts airships and they even did one that was over 100 inch long. At the time, you ride, abuse and pop them thinking that they'll always be available. Everts also did an elongated bird shape that was a decent size. I absolutely loved those. They were a lovely soft and stretchy latex and such an amazing ride. I had a whole bag of them, but they all ened up getting popped

        Comment

        • RubberTech
          Member
          • Jan 2022
          • 51

          #19
          Re: What do you miss?

          Really miss the Qualatex 24" just like everyone else. Also the Tilly Worker balloons, those were great. The Cattex worker knockoff is ok but not the same as the original Tilly. I also miss those 10 foot tall massive doll balloons from Europe. I still have a new one in my collection that I have never inflated although it is quite old now.

          Comment

          • Regular Guy
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2015
            • 170

            #20
            Re: What do you miss?

            I will "transform" the question a little bit and tell you what I WILL miss:

            Belbal soap colors, although I never had some and geo blossoms and donuts.

            Sorry for offtopic, if annoyed, please just ignore this post

            Comment

            • wildheart
              Senior Member
              • Apr 2015
              • 859

              #21
              Re: What do you miss?

              The time McDonald's had bigger crystal coloured balloons. I used to be terrified of them, but at least they looked better than the current ones.
              How big will it go? Only one way to find out...
              My website: loonerstories.weebly.com

              Comment

              • Chip67
                Member
                • Dec 2019
                • 97

                #22
                Re: What do you miss?

                Originally posted by LoonerPlanet
                What I miss:
                Buying large balloons at Woolworth's (plus the display of inflated balloons).
                Vendors selling balloons at fairs and events, or, even better, giving away helium balloons to anyone. (At one time, many zoos sold helium balloons!)
                Renting a helium tank at a reasonable cost.
                Legendary balloons: Q24, Tilly worker, Unique zeppelin.
                And seeing large, public displays of balloons.

                What is better:
                Online balloon sources, especially those run by fellow looners. It has allowed me to try balloons from all over the world.
                Balloons with great imprints, such as anime, We Love Balloons, Blow Me Up, etc.
                And, most recently, looner-made balloons with amazing shapes and sizes.
                I too miss the 2 foot Blue Bird Smiley Helium Balloons at Woolworths back in the early 1960s. The vendors at fairs, amusement parks, NYC 1964 World Fair Official Helium Balloon. So many great memories.

                Comment

                • Alladin
                  Junior Member
                  • Jan 2022
                  • 13

                  #23
                  Re: What do you miss?

                  I miss those big, printed helium balloons they sold at luna parks or street markets when I was a child. Still remenber their smell, their softness and ... very loud boom. Above all, I miss those female balloons vendors. Nowaday they only sell foil balloons and I don't consider ththose toys as proper balloons.

                  At present, the best thing is the availability of all that stuff with models acting with balloons.

                  Comment

                  • gerbil366@outlook.com
                    Senior Member
                    • Dec 2020
                    • 133

                    #24
                    Re: What do you miss?

                    burger king and poppins restaurants(long gone) used to give out big balloons years ago , i miss those ones i think they were 16" or bigger also an organisation called give blood used to give out huge white advertising balloons

                    Comment

                    • Cadillac
                      Member
                      • Jan 2022
                      • 39

                      #25
                      Re: What do you miss?

                      I miss the helium balloon giveaways. In a not too distant time, I used to love going to any indoor mall. It seemed like any mall you went to there would be 1-2 stores that had a sale, grand opening, or some kind of promotion where they were giving away a printed helium balloons. And normally these balloons were being filled and given away by women. I would go to a mall and my balloon radar would always be up. And I could pick up the sound of a balloon being filled with helium what seemed to be a mile away. If it was at the other end of the mall, I could hear it and would immediately start herding my friends/family towards that direction. Now, I would never actually go and get a balloon nor talk about it or suggest to someone they should get one as I guess I was afraid that someone could detect I was turned on by the balloon. Plus, it would look stupid for a man walking around with one. But I would always go to where the balloons were being filled just so I could see it. Same with trade shows, home shows, county fairs, etc. I was always looking for a place that might be handing out helium balloons. I'd usually pretend I was interested in something nearby just so I could catch a glimpse. And they used to be bigger too. Or at least it seemed that way. Sadly, the rarely happens anymore. And if it does happen, they are small - like a 9 incher.

                      Comment

                      • Seidenki
                        Senior Member
                        • Dec 2016
                        • 203

                        #26
                        Re: What do you miss?

                        I definitely miss the old Bluebird punchballs.
                        I miss the amazing variety that older online sellers, like Kaboom, had.
                        I miss scoring bargains - I'm sure Q36s used to be much cheaper.

                        Looking forward, I am going to miss Unique 16s. Tuftex 17s are a good stand-in but they're not quite the same.

                        One thing I do not miss is how hard it was to get larger balloons (until online stores popped up!). Older posts about people seeing 16s and 20s for sale in all sorts of places. Not here. Local brand Alpen sometimes made a kind of 16" by 20" paddle (and you can still get them), but they are definitely inferior to the 16s and larger readily available now.

                        Comment

                        • Axle
                          Senior Member
                          • Jan 2022
                          • 136

                          #27
                          Re: What do you miss?

                          i started out at an odd time, when i first became active online i didnt have the ability to order stuff yet and by the time i did loads of amazing stuff was discontinued! so it would be more accurate to say the loons i missED. i used to dream about tilly 48s and the old bigger qualatex models. i also totally missed out on playloons.

                          but to answer the question properly i miss when a mere 16"er was enough to get my adrenaline pumping. i miss discovering totally new and huge wonders that i'd never heard of before, the excitement of the package arriving.

                          what's better now? i've found my niche. lovely strong 36" loons are absolutely my happyplace. i found what works best for me and refined my tastes. but at the cost of the excitement of finding and trying new things.
                          Curiosity killed the cattex.

                          Comment

                          • loonlun
                            Senior Member
                            • Mar 2021
                            • 162

                            #28
                            Re: What do you miss?

                            I miss seeing the big star and fireworks printed balloons at fairs.

                            But thanks to the internet I can just buy them online now.

                            Comment

                            • gerbil366@outlook.com
                              Senior Member
                              • Dec 2020
                              • 133

                              #29
                              Re: What do you miss?

                              Have you ever tried 17" and 24" balloons ?

                              Comment

                              • Qbubbleballoon (:
                                Senior Member
                                • Apr 2021
                                • 157

                                #30
                                Re: What do you miss?

                                It just stinks that all the best stuff is mostly discontinued...q36 inch hearts, q24s, geo donuts...I will miss all that stuff but thankfully I was able to stock up on most of those precious balloons before they were all gone

                                Comment

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