King of the Cowboys

Like Dustin Hoffman in "Little Big Man" and more recently, Forrest Gump, I've been through a few phases in my life. What boy growing up in the '50s didn't go through a Cowboy Phase? Here's what remains of my collection (unfortunately, the cap pistols were usually the first thing to be broken, even though I got a new one/pair every so often.

(Anyone remember Dustin's "Gunslinger Phase?" It almost got him killed. Percussion caps weren't very dangerous, but weren't very reliable either. We shot off a lot more with a hammer on a brick than in our cap pistols.)

Of course, my parents wouldn't let me take a cap pistol to school, but they didn't mind me carrying my books in this cool book satchel. With it, I could pretend I was a Pony Express rider, braving the dangers of the trail to bring the mails safely through.

(By the way, my friend Toby Stokes wore a neat little derringer (that's a small, easily concealed gun, novices) made by Mattel, that popped out from your belt buckle and fired when you sort of heaved your tummy just right. The teacher didn't take it away from him, either! Times have changed.)

Spin and Marty were a couple of teenagers who had adventure segments on the Mickey Mouse Club. I always loved these gloves, but they weren't very practical for playing cowboys.

Both my brother and I had Roy Rogers gloves. I don't recall either of us ever wearing them. But Roy Rogers was "King of the Cowboys" (did you think it was Gene Autry?) and just possessing these things conferred great status upon the owner.

This shot features the front side of my Roy Rogers lunchbox. Almost every other year I bought school lunch, but if you don't think having a celebrity lunchbox is an idea marketers still milk for all it's worth, think again!

Dale Evans, Bullet, and Roy Rogers.

This photo shows the view of the reverse side.

That's Roy on Trigger and Dale on Buttermilk. (Pat Brady and his jeep, Nellie Belle, didn't make it onto the lunchbox, but he was a sidekick that added a lot of humor to the TV program.)

How do you like the little holsters on these shades? I don't recall ever wearing them. Hmmm. . . . Do you detect a pattern?

I don't know why I needed a Roy Rogers wallet, since my entire wealth consisted of the pennies in a pickle jar in a drawer and the one or two dollar bills not spent from my birthday money. But the wallet must be rare--do you know anyone else who has one? I think not!

Who was the "King of the Cowboys?" It may have been Roy Rogers, but equipped with all my "stuff," I could pretend it was me, at least every afternoon until the bell for supper rang.

A small number of you may guess what Roy is probably calling out as he waves goodbye from a rearing Trigger.

(Music, please) "Happy trails to you, till we meet again!"