ROX-TV’s Halloween Season themed “Ben Cooper in a box” series returns for a spell. Tonight, we head back to the 1980’s for a fresh look at an old piece.

Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we appreciate all the returning readers for their continued support. It’s Fall in Michigan and that means the “Halloween Season” is here. Outside the window, the wind is moving the trees around, the leaves are turning color again, and there is a Pumpkin on the porch. The skies are gray and cloudy, which perfectly matches the vibe in the air. The year is winding down, the days of summer have long been spent, and the cold front is slowly creeping up on us. I would say that this is my favorite time of year, when the harvests of good green start hitting the streets and apple cider sounds appealing once again.

Even as I type these words, flashes of old memories bombard my mind. Distant experiences from the past are coming into focus. A Cider Mill, a corn maze, cold nights of trick-r-treating, and much more. The sativa must be running hard because there is a wonderful drift going on. Anyway, we like to celebrate Halloween at ROX-TV as much as possible and the season is here.

One of the things I like to do, during September and October, is drop festive content that matches the weather and feel in the air. As many of you know, this is also the Carnival Season as well. There is nothing more magical than wandering through the main drag, digging on all the sights and sounds from every direction. There are bright colored lights, a giant wall of noise and conversations all blending together, screams and laughter…the mechanical roar of the rides and on it goes. The air is filled with smells of chili, elephant ears, popcorn, and fried food. Is there anything better than Fall in Michigan? I really doubt it.

I must say that I’m drawn to the Funhouse probably the most. I can’t say why for sure, but it’s always an attraction that I must engage with. As I’ve grown older, I don’t really mess with the rides though. Most of them are real body shakers and the older I get, the less shaken up I want to be. With rides like the Gravitron, the Himalaya, and the Fire Ball…they are too much for me. But there is something about being around other humans in real life and in large groups. No screen or video will ever be able to replace it. The feel of walking down a side street at night, heading to the Carnival on foot. The closer you approach; the noises and lights start to come into focus. Those feelings are worth gold to me. 333,89.

So anyway, this is the greatest time of year, at least for me. Tonight, in keeping with the spirit of Halloween, I’ve decided to do another “Ben Cooper in the box” episode (just an article really). Tonight, I’m going to be hitting my own personal collection for a new costume that I haven’t previously talked about. Although the subject matter isn’t my personal all-time favorite, it still has a place within the mask collection. Most of my Halloween Costumes are Ben Cooper pieces, ranging from the late 1980’s and going back as far as the early 1950’s. When I started collecting them, it was still not uncommon to find these cool costumes in garage sales once in a while. Since then, the scarcity has increased and more interest in the costumes has grown over time. When I first started collecting them officially, they could also be found at flea markets and also on Ebay for relatively cheap prices. Some were ten bucks, while others were in the high twenties and thirties. A few of them were slightly more expensive due to collectability.

“We are slowed down sound and light waves, a walking bundle of frequencies tuned into the cosmos. We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music”

-Albert Einstein

The first costume I picked up and started the collecting madness was a “Spiderman” boxed Halloween costume I came across at one of those consignment shops. Although I never was Spiderman for Halloween, I think one year I had a “Spiderman” cake for my birthday. Whatever it was, I had some decades long connection with the visuals I was confronted with. I needed that costume and purchased it immediately. From there the passion to find these time machines only increased. For a while, they were easy pickings on Ebay and what not, but people eventually woke up and realized that there was value in them. The prices climbed, and the easy finds were gone after a few years.

I’m sure a few are still out there, waiting in someone’s garage to be discovered but who really knows for sure? I don’t. So anyway, I knew how cool these items were and brought all that I came across. Today, I have roughly twenty-five or so boxed specimens. I display them in the portion of my library that houses my literary collection. Every morning I float into the dining room and gaze at the nostalgia. Some things are worth more than money and anything that takes you back to your childhood is priceless.

There is a wide range of characters in the collection, some were the stars of movies, cartoons, and popular culture of the day. As far as these go, they are cool, but what I like are the lesser-known profiles. Like when a cartoon has a main figure, but there are supporting players in the show. Every now and again, these lesser-enjoyed cast members got a chance to be a costume, if the popularity for the cartoon or show was strong enough. The item we will be checking out tonight is what in the 1980’s we would have called a “girl’s” costume. There was a pretty clear line in society then about marketing things to boys and girls. The boys didn’t like the girl’s stuff and the girls didn’t like the boys’ stuff. It was pretty black and white as far as that went. There wasn’t a lot of things that were marketed to both, or at least not like the choices kids have today…where let’s say, everyone loves Sponge Bob SquarePants or Apple and Onion. The market is blended now, for a more wide-ranging mass appeal I suppose.

“Darkness and decay and the red death held illimitable dominion over all”

The Masque of the Red Death

-Edgar Allan Poe

1842

 

So, tonight’s costume would have been a considered a “girls” costume in the eighties. The character is from a very popular cartoon from the time called “Strawberry Shortcake” and if there are any ladies over the age of thirty-five in the room, I bet they know it well. I didn’t watch the cartoon because of the girl designation, but I was aware of it. The show was popular and so the merchandise machine started filling the gaps. The market was flooded with the main star of the show, but there was a cool thing that happened. One of the lesser known “side” characters was made into a costume. I find that very interesting, when the second string gets a chance, which I would argue is just as rare today as it was back then. The personality picked for a small chance was “Apricot”. A minor role holder, which I’m sure also had fewer costumes made and released than Strawberry Shortcake. In my collecting mind, those side-note items are always going to be rarer than others because less people wanted them back then so theoretically less survived today.

If that isn’t an underdog, then I don’t know what is. I will always go with the underestimated option, its who I am, I guess. The underdog is always counted out, never expected to surprise or win. But every now and again, the underdog comes to life and snatches victory from the unsuspecting. Who can’t love that? So anyway, when I seen this costume, I almost immediately understood that I had found a great piece. I knew that any character other than the main star would also increase the rarity…the price was right, so I pulled the trigger. With some things, waiting on a purchase can be a big mistake, and if I have the loot, I’m willing to snatch the shit up. I could value the historical context of the costume and wanted to preserve it.

As far as the cartoon “Strawberry Shortcake” is concerned. It debuted in the 1980’s and the last television special aired sometime in 1985. By then the popularity had worn off some and the kids were looking elsewhere for the next best toy. The actual character S.S. was dreamed up for greeting cards I guess, sometime in the 1970’s. The images tested positive with the public and more things were released. Based on the rising popularity, by the early eighties, the market was hit with specials on tv. Apricot is listed only very vaguely as a “minor character” on the show. I’m surprised there’s not more to report on. The role was eventually reprised in the early two thousands, when there was an attempt to revive interest in the franchise. So, let’s take a look and see what the box holds.

“Apricot” Costume

by 

Ben Cooper

 

 

Box Information:

Name: Apricot ‘n’ Hopsalot

Copyright: American Greetings Corp.

Brand: Ben Cooper 

The box is simple in design, but still has that eighties dull charm. It doesn’t scream out at you, but the graphics and layout of the package draw you in just the same. The front is very basic, with a window for kids to see what the mask looked like, a strawberry outline around that and some brand identification. As you can see from the pictures, the box is what would probably be referred to as used but in decent condition (when taking into account access to similar items, not many). The less examples there are, slight flaws lose importance. At least that’s the logic that I’m working on with a head full of Russian Snow (Cannabis strain with 17.5% THC). If the article is found to be a bit wordy, then you know who to blame.

The artwork is pretty cool on the “panels” of the box (which I would describe as the outfacing sides of the box) and add some nostalgia to the overall experience. You can almost feel the early eighties when looking at this costume. In the blink of an eye, it could be 1984 again…watching cartoons in front of some big old junky television with “rabbit ears”. I was there, I know that feeling. Even though I didn’t subscribe to the girl cartoons, seeing these images from long ago does take me back in a way.

Upon opening the box, you get a real good view of the “mask”. Overall, I would say that the mask is in pretty good shape. The mask is still functional and the elastic piece in the back is still intact and wearable. The mask is not cracked or torn. The colors appear to be holding up well. Underneath the mask is a plastic bag, which contains the actual wearable costume (made of fire-retardant material) and a paper insert that is original to the box. The vinyl costume is in good shape, appears to have remained folded inside for a very long time, and could almost pass for as new. There is no evidence or damage that would indicate previous use. To have the plastic bag and original insert is also a victory because they could sometimes be the first things thrown away.

The vinyl smells just like the eighties down to the atom. Somethings just have an odor that is somehow connected with a place and time. Well, in my opinion, these old vinyl costumes really do that in a big way. Sometimes the vinyl can be worn, torn, damaged, or otherwise screwed up, but this costume is still in great shape. I guess you could call it “usable” in the present day, but it would be a shame to risk damage to such a neat piece.

These costumes are pretty basic and there isn’t much else to really report on. I think the mask is kind of creepy in a Stranger Things x Horror Movie blending kind of way. This is the kind of mask the crazed killer in one of those “I’m all alone in a rainstorm” type of movies would wear. I suppose from a collectability standpoint, it is hard to find but not totally impossible to track down either, at least at the moment. Ebay currently features one “Apricot” costume in the box, and the price is what I would consider ok…clocking in at $45.00. The box is a little rough with two tears in the front of the package, but with limited options to choose from, beggars can’t be choosers. If you are a fan of Apricot or the cartoon specials, then having one available on Ebay at all is a win. For me, costumes that generally stay around the $12 to $50 dollar price are fair, depending on what is offered. Some command hundreds of dollars, and I guess it comes down to the collector’s wish to own something that they really want.

Well, that about does it for this one. There isn’t much to go on in terms of research. I guess that’s part of the game when your collecting lesser-known characters in whatever medium you chose. Like I said before, I didn’t watch this show as a kid, but I can respect the historical interest…so it joins the rest of them. Tune in for another “Ben Cooper in the box” episode coming soon. New articles will be dropping between now and Halloween Night. Until next time…

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV

“Russian Snow”