Growing up, nothing compared to the thrill of stepping into a joke shop, a treasure trove of harmless pranks and silly gags. I fondly remember visiting a little shop in Fleming Square, Blackburn, where shelves overflowed with whoopee cushions, stink bombs, and itching powder.
Among these delights, Ellisdon & Son of High Holborn, London, was the undisputed king of practical jokes, leading the market from the 1930s until the mid-70s. Back then, without strict advertising regulations, their bold claims promised to make any mischievous kid feel like they had a secret weapon against the world.
Ellisdon’s catalogs were legendary, packed with bizarre and whimsical items that seemed to leap off the pages of comic book ads. One such item, the “Handy Back Scratcher,” was among the quirky products that defined Ellisdon’s charm. The allure wasn’t just in the product itself but in the wild, often ridiculous descriptions that promised endless fun.
One of my favorite pranks, not from Ellisdon but still a classic, was the infamous “Dried Scorpion.” The gag involved spinning a tale about exotic goods smuggled from China—complete with venomous scorpions that could still sting. You’d hand someone a blue packet covered in mysterious foreign script and watch them open it, only for the packet to rattle and vibrate as if the scorpion had sprung to life. Inside, there was no scorpion—just a cleverly wound-up elastic band attached to a cardboard paddle. The fear was real, but the sting was just clever mechanics.
Another old-school favorite was a little stone box with a hidden surprise. After weaving a tale about dangerous African snakes, you’d pass the box to your unsuspecting victim. The moment they slid the lid open, a tiny snake’s head would spring up, giving them a quick and harmless fright. It was the perfect combination of suspense and laughter.
And then there were pranks that could be played from afar, like one from Penn and Teller’s “The Unpleasant Book of Penn and Teller.” They designed a fake page from a cookbook, which you could copy, age, and slip into a baking book at the library. The recipe seemed innocent until step four, where acidic lemon juice and baking soda created an eruptive, frothy mess. It was the perfect trick for those who loved a slow burn prank that left the victim bewildered.
These pranks were harmless fun that brought endless laughter and a sense of rebellion. Today, they remain a nostalgic reminder of simpler times when a little imagination and some clever props could make the world feel magical. From joke shops to elaborate setups, the thrill of classic pranks still brings joy to those who remember—or who dare to give them a try.
