kirbytradition7
Well-known member
Who remembers the old leather or plastic Samsonite suitcases of the 70s and before?
Growing up, I remember some hard-sided suitcases (one green with white trim, another brown that looked similar to the green one); these were probably 1950s or 1960s vintage. When I was young (around 8-10 years old) in the mid-1980s, I wanted to hop on a Pan Am 747 and go to Australia for some reason (maybe it was because an older lady in church was a missionary to Australia). I fantasized about packing those two Samsonites (as well as a footlocker trunk) and flying on a 747 from Fort Wayne, IN to Sydney, Australia (this was before I realized Fort Wayne's airport never was set up to handle widebody jetliners, just narrowbodies and commuter planes).
Fast forward to my young adult years: I had a couple brown Samsonite suitcases (probably early 1970s vintage) and used those for years.
In 2001, I got a bright blue plastic Samsonite with two wheels and a fold-out handle on one end (and a matching yellow Samsonite for my mother at the same time) for a cruise Mom and I were going to take. I got these so we could easily spot them on airport baggage carousels, and we were taking a Florida vacation (just Mom and I together) with a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. We still have these (I have the blue one, Mom has the yellow), and Mom still uses hers whenever she comes to visit me (she came to Canada last year to visit me, for example).
When I was living in San Francisco, I found a lovely green plastic 1970s Samsonite suitcase (called a Saturn), and more recently, someone at church here in Calgary (where I live now) gave me some blue plastic ones of similar vintage (also Saturn style). At an Airdrie, AB, antique mall, I found a small plastic grey Samsonite makeup case (also of the Saturn line), which will be useful for carrying my toiletries, shaver, and other bathroom items on my next move (in December, to the USA, UK, or Australia).
Also, here in Calgary, I found a soft red leather carryon-size suitcase, which I used to travel to St. Louis this past June for a craniofacial retreat. It was all I needed for this trip (along with my violin case), so I was able to travel without checking any luggage (or paying the ridiculous fee to do so). I also have a leather Samsonite shoulder bag which I use weekly for carrying my Bible and piano music to church along with my violin (I play piano and violin for church weekly).
The photos below are just examples of the various generations of Samsonite suitcases I have grown up with and used in my family and in my own life.
So I still use vintage Samsonite to this day. Do you?
Growing up, I remember some hard-sided suitcases (one green with white trim, another brown that looked similar to the green one); these were probably 1950s or 1960s vintage. When I was young (around 8-10 years old) in the mid-1980s, I wanted to hop on a Pan Am 747 and go to Australia for some reason (maybe it was because an older lady in church was a missionary to Australia). I fantasized about packing those two Samsonites (as well as a footlocker trunk) and flying on a 747 from Fort Wayne, IN to Sydney, Australia (this was before I realized Fort Wayne's airport never was set up to handle widebody jetliners, just narrowbodies and commuter planes).
Fast forward to my young adult years: I had a couple brown Samsonite suitcases (probably early 1970s vintage) and used those for years.
In 2001, I got a bright blue plastic Samsonite with two wheels and a fold-out handle on one end (and a matching yellow Samsonite for my mother at the same time) for a cruise Mom and I were going to take. I got these so we could easily spot them on airport baggage carousels, and we were taking a Florida vacation (just Mom and I together) with a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. We still have these (I have the blue one, Mom has the yellow), and Mom still uses hers whenever she comes to visit me (she came to Canada last year to visit me, for example).
When I was living in San Francisco, I found a lovely green plastic 1970s Samsonite suitcase (called a Saturn), and more recently, someone at church here in Calgary (where I live now) gave me some blue plastic ones of similar vintage (also Saturn style). At an Airdrie, AB, antique mall, I found a small plastic grey Samsonite makeup case (also of the Saturn line), which will be useful for carrying my toiletries, shaver, and other bathroom items on my next move (in December, to the USA, UK, or Australia).
Also, here in Calgary, I found a soft red leather carryon-size suitcase, which I used to travel to St. Louis this past June for a craniofacial retreat. It was all I needed for this trip (along with my violin case), so I was able to travel without checking any luggage (or paying the ridiculous fee to do so). I also have a leather Samsonite shoulder bag which I use weekly for carrying my Bible and piano music to church along with my violin (I play piano and violin for church weekly).
The photos below are just examples of the various generations of Samsonite suitcases I have grown up with and used in my family and in my own life.
So I still use vintage Samsonite to this day. Do you?
