One of the pleasures of modern life I have found very enjoyable is seeing something on a TV show, or a documentary, then easily find how to order it, purchase it, and before long, holding it in my hand...or even eating or drinking it. Mole from Oaxaca, Mexico, or Leathertree honey from Tasmania.
As a kid in the 1960s my mom signed me up for a monthly program of World Explorers where, you got a floppy record/ recording that you would play to hear the "explorer" and sounds from that country (all recorded in a studio somewhere I was sure, even back then), and could hold in your hand an inexpensive item from that month's visited country.
Modern version: https://www.fortheloveofhomeschooling.com/world-explorers...
My ex-wife had set up a program for the school where she volunteered, when the kids were in elementary school in Covington, that taught the kids world geography, which was a pretty big success.
It was amazing even though I knew it was fake but for the length of the recording, you could be anywhere in the world, in some exotic place.
Except at times, while I enjoyed most of the received items, I wished it could have been another from that country. And now it can be. I still have those recordings and the ability to digitize them all, which I do plan to do.
Looking it up, I found this:
The mail-order club was commonly known as the World Explorers Club Program, often associated with a figure named Commander C. S. Whitehall (or "Explorer’s Club" under Commander Whitehall). Research and recollections consistently refer to it by these names
Each month, members received a box or kit by mail. Inside were:
A flexi‑disc (a floppy, flexible vinyl record) with the narration by Commander Whitehall and ambient sounds from the featured country.
A brochure or booklet with photos and information about that country’s culture, geography, or history.
A map or visual guide of the country, sometimes including stamps.
A small souvenir item, like a toy or handcrafted trinket tied to that country.
Personal Memories Match the Facts
One blogger shared a remarkably similar memory, including paying about $5 a month and receiving these same types of items in a package from Commander Whitehall’s Explorer’s Club.
Another account describes the floppy record narration and featured trinkets in vivid detail—pan pipes from Peru, a carved “pipette,” a little drum—and even the excitement of ripping open the mailbox delivery.
Those instruments were my two favorite items that I had held onto for decades.
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