Tuesday Teen Review: A Look at Vintage '60s Teens through the Etsy Lens

     I had so much fun with yesterday's post, "Monday, Monday! Vintage '60s on Etsy", that I thought I'd take a look at what that era was like for teens. Of course we will be viewing the era through the lens of what Etsy has to offer from teenage life at that time. But first I thought you'd get a kick out of hearing from one of the bands that came on the scene in the early '60s and continued to successfully add to the popular beach music of that decade.  Here's a fun video of "The Beach Boys"! Take a look at how young they were and check out their matching outfits. Who tailored their pants? Definitely NOT sexy! The boys themselves were pretty cute, though!  
http://youtu.be/mN7Xs9WVNBU.....nice, huh? What did you think of their clapping, head nodding and general movements? It appears to me like they were warned not to move much, but a couple of the guys could barely keep themselves still! The '60s brought a lot of change to the American cultural scene. Here are a few fun facts about this decade:

• Unemployment 3,852,000
• Population 177,830,000
• National Debt 286.3 Billion
• Average Salary $4,743
• Teacher's Salary $5,174
• Minimum Wage $1.00
• Life Expectancy:  Males 66.6 years, Females 73.1 years
• Auto deaths 21.3 per 100,000
• An estimated 850,000 "war baby" freshmen enter college; emergency living quarters are set up in dorm lounges, hotels and trailer camps.
• The post World War II Baby Boom had created 70 million teenagers for the sixties, 
•   Barbie dolls, introduced by Mattel in 1959, became a huge success in the sixties, so much so that rival toy manufacturer Hasbro came up with G. I. Joe, 12 inches tall and the first action figure for boys.
• The Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421, 1962, that prayer in the public schools was unconstitutional.  
• The Woodstock Festival at which 400,000 young people gathered in a spirit of love and sharing, represents the pinnacle of the hippie movement.

     Teens in the '60s were heavily into music.  They had been introduced to rock-n-roll in the '50s through the Beattles, Elvis, and others and were primed for the "go-go" dancing the decade delivered. The Etsy shop Orbiting Debris got it's name from the owner's tendency to be on the look out for interesting vintage items. She tucks her away whatever she finds into pockets, glove compartments of cars, etc. and calls it her "orbiting debris" as she works to organize it and put each item "where  it goes". She loves to collect and she loves to pass on her "debris" to people who appreciate it and can find the perfect use for it. Her 

"Teen Dance Party - Set of 5 Vintage 60s Teen Dance Party Litho Pictures with Mod-A-Go-Go Big Eye Kids, Signed Lee and Kwatz, Large 20"x16" is a great example of art from the '60s that represents the attitude of the kids and the influence of music and culture. Check out the other vintage items she has at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OrbitingDebris?ref=seller_info   If you find something you like, don't forget to use the coupon code BLOGLOVE and get 10% off!

     

Fresh Dame, another Etsy shop, offers vintage fashions from every decade. Their 

"60s Debu-Teen Mini Day Dress Bright Colorful"  is a classic example of teen '60s fashion. Check out the entire shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/FreshDame?ref=seller_info

     

 Ismoyo's Vintage Playground is Etsy shop specializing in home, kitchen, toys, children's books and more. You can check them out at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ismoyo?ref=seller_info and while you're there check out their

"Vintage 1960s Romance Comic Magazine Charlton Teen Confessions", it's a great example of '60s teen literature.

Margfar Tuesday Towels is a great little shop with a fascinating collection of vintage '60s "stuff". This shop doesn't focus exclusively on teen memorabilia, but it's one of the places I love to visit because I can completely lose track of time, while browsing through their items. Take a look at what they've got at http://www.etsy.com/shop/margfar  Their 

"Date Line vintage vinyl photo scrapbook" takes me back to the days when scrapbooking was unsophisticated and fun.