The Retroist

The Retroist

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
The Magical World of View-Master Lite-Up Light Toys
User's avatar
Discover more from The Retroist
A Retro Podcast, Blog, and Newsletter.
Over 3,000 subscribers
Already have an account? Sign in

The Magical World of View-Master Lite-Up Light Toys

Retroist's avatar
Retroist
May 24, 2016
1

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
The Magical World of View-Master Lite-Up Light Toys
Share

Do you remember your first glow stick? I got mine one fine Halloween in the 1980s and to say I was fascinated with it would be an understatement. My mother had bought it for me for “safety reasons”. Something I could wear around my neck while out Trick or Treating at night and not get run over by a car. I fell in love with it as soon as I cracked it open, and I remember staring at it as I fell asleep that night. In the morning it had died, but a passion for a new light source had been sparked, and over the years I would purchase many a glow stick and other off-brand chemical to light up things for myself.

While I was fine with just the sticks, View-Master took glow sticks up a notch when they released their Lite-Up Light Toys. The premise was simple but effective. Take everyday toys and attach a glow stick to them. So toys that you could normally only enjoy in the light of day took on a magical ghostly green hue when you combined them with the power of the glow stick and could be used at night. They had three solid offerings: a parachute, a ball, and the best of the lot, the Frisbee. That is the one I remember getting the most joy out of, even though it was difficult to throw and just plain boring without the glow stick.

Every Halloween I still find myself picking up a glow stick when I see them at a pharmacy or supermarket, but summer is fast approaching and for some reason, I am feeling nostalgic for the View-Master Lite-Up Light Toys. Maybe it is time to try to dig up a Frisbee and wow all the people at the park at night with that beautiful Lite-Up flying disc.


Subscribe to The Retroist

Launched 5 years ago
A Retro Podcast, Blog, and Newsletter.
1

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
The Magical World of View-Master Lite-Up Light Toys
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
The Mystery Of The Red Quarters…Solved!
Did you ever find a quarter painted red and wonder if that red served a purpose? It does.
Feb 11, 2017 • 
Retroist
46

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
The Mystery Of The Red Quarters…Solved!
6
Remember when Mickey Mouse decided to commit suicide?
Unless you lived in the 1930s or are a fan of vintage comic strips you might not be aware of the attempted Mickey Mouse suicide.
Aug 30, 2017 • 
Retroist
9

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
Remember when Mickey Mouse decided to commit suicide?
Monkey’s Blood (Mercurochrome) for those boo-boos
Remember when you were a kid, and you would were out roughhousing with your friends.
Oct 23, 2019 • 
Retroist
4

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
Monkey’s Blood (Mercurochrome) for those boo-boos
2

Ready for more?

© 2025 Retroist
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.