Hits or Cracks?

[DWalt]

A similar question came up in another forum and it brought back a memory of long ago. Back when I was in grade school in the 50s, boys would play a stupid game called “Hits or Cracks”. At the time, Camel cigarette packs had either the letter H or C under the tax stamp. If someone peeled back the tax stamp you could see the letter, which supposedly identified the factory. It only worked for Camel packs. If a group of boys found an empty Camel pack in the street or playground, they would play Hits or Cracks. The kids would guess the letter, and one of them would peel back the tax stamp to reveal the letter. Those who guessed right would then proceed to hit the upper arms of the kids who guessed wrong as hard as they could. Does anyone else remember playing that stupid game? I googled it, but could find no mention of such a game.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

A similar question came up in another forum and it brought back a memory of long ago. Back when I was in grade school in the 50s, boys would play a stupid game called “Hits or Cracks”. At the time, Camel cigarette packs had either the letter H or C under the tax stamp. If someone peeled back the tax stamp you could see the letter, which supposedly identified the factory. It only worked for Camel packs. If a group of boys found an empty Camel pack in the street or playground, they would play Hits or Cracks. The kids would guess the letter, and one of them would peel back the tax stamp to reveal the letter. Those who guessed right would then proceed to hit the upper arms of the kids who guessed wrong as hard as they could. Does anyone else remember playing that stupid game? I googled it, but could find no mention of such a game.

People who work on Google aren't old enough to have experienced it. I certainly remember it from my childhood in Winston-Salem. As we played it, it was one on one, and whoever was right got to administer free hits or cracks ("rabbit punches") in the number indicated under the stamp. In our crowd, it was not particularly vicious.

I also remember when Cokes went from five cents to six cents, and cheap gas was 14.9 cents a gallon. Brand-name regular was 17.9 cents a gallon.

Do you remember what LSMFT stood for? Not referring to Lucky Strike means fine tobacco, either.

 

[DWalt]

People who work on Google aren't old enough to have experienced it. I certainly remember it from my childhood in Winston-Salem. As we played it, it was one on one, and whoever was right got to administer free hits or cracks ("rabbit punches") in the number indicated under the stamp. In our crowd, it was not particularly vicious.

I also remember when Cokes went from five cents to six cents, and cheap gas was 14.9 cents a gallon. Brand-name regular was 17.9 cents a gallon.

Do you remember what LSMFT stood for? Not referring to Lucky Strike means fine tobacco, either.

Yes, something about saving me from Truman. At my school, any number could play H or C. But no rabbit punches. And I also remember when a pack of cigs was 15 cents and a box of .22 Shorts was a quarter.
Finding empty Camel packs was easy. Everyone smoked back then.

 

[Rustyt1953]

As a lad across the pond I played "conkers". Chestnuts on a string. The object was to break your opponents chestnut.

Many is the time that I came home with knots on my knuckles and the occasional knot on my forehead due to flared tempers relating to the aforementioned knotted knuckles.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My first trip to the States.

 

[Bekeart]

LSMFT - clean one

Yes, something about saving me from Truman.

the one I remember would get me a ding.

Bekeart

 

[Protocall_Design]

the one I remember would get me a ding.Bekeart

Yep - me too.

 

[Kinman]

People who work on Google aren't old enough to have experienced it. I certainly remember it from my childhood in Winston-Salem. As we played it, it was one on one, and whoever was right got to administer free hits or cracks ("rabbit punches") in the number indicated under the stamp. In our crowd, it was not particularly vicious.

I also remember when Cokes went from five cents to six cents, and cheap gas was 14.9 cents a gallon. Brand-name regular was 17.9 cents a gallon.

Do you remember what LSMFT stood for? Not referring to Lucky Strike means fine tobacco, either.

One of the local street rodders drove a '57 Corvette that was one of the fastest cars in the county. Bright yellow with the following in the same script as L.S.M.F.T painted on the tail. S.L.M.F. you figure it out, it was usually the last thing the loser saw as the Corvette flew away.

 

[Tom S.]

Never played the game or even heard of it. We just shot each other with sling shots and BB guns.

 

[Catwrangler]

My first trip to the States.

You wre mistreated- in late 50's in SC- salted peanuts were added to RC Cola.

 

[Chuck24]

You wre mistreated- in late 50's in SC- salted peanuts were added to RC Cola.

And you should have had a Moon Pie

 

[Chuck24]

We played let’s see who can hit the softest, you go first. Hard to find anyone dumb enough to do it though.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Protip: never play Mumblety-peg with Converse All Stars.

 

[DWalt]

You wre mistreated- in late 50's in SC- salted peanuts were added to RC Cola.

Nothing more Southern than RC with peanuts and eating a Moon Pie.

 

[Rustyt1953]

There's nothing more southern than Antarctica.

 

[bgrafsr]

My first trip to the States.

Got the taste for "Soda" and peanuts when I was in the Air Force. It was an addiction too.

 

[bgrafsr]

Protip: never play Mumblety-peg with Converse All Stars.

Have a scar on my left hand from a game of Mumbley Peg.

 

[NYlakesider]

People who work on Google aren't old enough to have experienced it. I certainly remember it from my childhood in Winston-Salem. As we played it, it was one on one, and whoever was right got to administer free hits or cracks ("rabbit punches") in the number indicated under the stamp. In our crowd, it was not particularly vicious.

I also remember when Cokes went from five cents to six cents, and cheap gas was 14.9 cents a gallon. Brand-name regular was 17.9 cents a gallon.

Do you remember what LSMFT stood for? Not referring to Lucky Strike means fine tobacco, either.

LSMFT I know! Gas prices I know. The game Hits or Cracks I never heard of and I'm now 77 YO.

SLMF would probably get a lot more than 1 ding here and yes I know it. On one of my fast cars in the 60s I had AMF on the trunk. (just about the same as SL.)

 

[Otto Broxton]

4 Oct 23) Good morning. Just joined the forum when I noticed your post about the game, "Hits & Cracks: using a Camel Cigarette pack/tax stamp. I was a teen during the 1950s (being 16 in 1959). Yes I have heard-of & played the game, Hits & Cracks, many times as a youngest. In fact, I'm a published novelist and in process of writing a bio of my early years (approx 50% completed) & I have couple paragraphs with supporting pictures of the Hit & Crack game. I will keep you in mind once I publish the book on Amazon. Write back & chat. My name is Otto Broxton, from Niceville, Florida,. Also if interested in mystery/thriller novels, check out my book on Amazon, "An Eye For Evil."

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Another new one to me. One of the great traumas of my youth was in 1962 or so when DC Comics went from 10 cents to 12. A 20% increase.