Stationery store Granny Mays was the real deal in the 80s and is baffling millenials -Kidspot
“It was the Smiggle of our time which also had a cheeky adults-only section – and that was what a real childhood looked like!”
Imagine if Smiggle sold sex toys…
Children of the eighties are laughing out loud right now because when we were growing up, there WAS a store like this!
It was called Granny Mays and it was the real deal for those of us who spent their childhood obsessing over furry stickers, strawberry-scented erasers, anything scratch and sniff, and hypercolour t-shirts.
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Granny Mays was a store 80s kids loved. Images: Supplied
Children of the eighties were obsessed with Granny Mays
Granny Mays was named a ‘paper shop’ but for children of the eighties and nineties, it was much more than that. It was our fun escape. Our treat. A shop that sold everything we wanted.
You could find fun novelty gifts (especially the Looney Tunes and Anne Geddes kind) and gift cards, but it was the rolls and rolls of stickers and sweet-smelling stationery that truly had us buzzing as kids.
“We used to visit Granny Mays after swimming on a Saturday morning. That was our treat – we were allowed to browse while my bestie’s mum grabbed a few things from the supermarket,” Claire tells Kidspot, remembering the good pre-COVID times.
And people on Reddit have been vocal about their love for the store that is sadly no longer around too.
“This was my favourite shop. I used to love the clear red heart lollipops.”
Oh yeah, it sold lollies too. WHAT A SHOP!
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The never-ending rolls of stickers
When remembering Granny Mays, many fans instantly recall their obsession with the rolls and rolls of stickers, which you purchased per square and usually came with five or six stickers per sheet.
“I remember begging my mum to buy me squares when I was younger. I kept them hidden from my brothers and they were never used,” one mum tells Kidspot.
“I was more into the puffy stickers growing up,” another shared.
No matter your preference – pearly, puffy, scented or fluffy (my personal fave!)- Granny Mays had all of them.
The scented fruit erasers
Before Smiggle was even an idea, you could also find novelty and scented erasers at Granny Mays. Many of them came in little containers of five and we can still smell how sweet they were by just looking at the flashback pictures of them!
“I was OBSESSED with those erasers – I had a collection in shoe boxes and no one was allowed to touch them,” Leesa remembers.
“It’s the orange one for me. Definitely,” Jenna says.
And Claire remembers how they were so popular but not exactly the greatest for school.
“All of those erasers remind me of my childhood – they were so coveted yet didn’t really rub anything out very well,” she laughs.
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The cheeky X-rated section
Of course, no visit to Granny Mays was complete without the kids sneaking off to the adults-only section when mum and dad weren’t looking.
Yes, in amongst the fun stationery, there was a section in the back of the store just for the adults. It included novelty items like penis straws, cheeky aprons with boobs and bums, crude signs – and for some states, even sex toys!
Despite being tucked away, little eyes would always find the section and giggle at the items with the word S.E.X written on it. Hehehehe.
“Who used to sneak a peek in the adult section then run away snickering?” Claire asks.
And many Reddit users could relate.
“The adults-only section in the back corner… Fascinating as a kid!” a person laughed online.
But the idea of having sex toys IN a shop for kids has completely baffled those born after the nineties.
“Wait. Was Granny Mays a stationery shop that also sold sex toys?” asks Madeline. “Damn the 80s was A TIME!”
“I have many questions – were the sex toys also scented and shaped like animals/fruits?” another laughs.
Indeed it was a time. And for those born in the era… THIS was what a real childhood looked like. And it was the greatest.
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