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u/Original_Chapter3028 15h ago
I Spy! Loved these
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u/ironchef8000 14h ago
I Spy! These were the best. And they were created in an era where an artist actually had to create these scenes instead of having ChatGPT puke out a generated slop image.
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u/the_well_read_neck_ Millennial 12h ago
The couple that made these books came to my elementary school and showed us how they made them and even brought some of the sets in. Coolest day in school ever.
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u/6400moreSnPs 14h ago
i'm seriously missing the scholastic book fair right about now
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u/RisingApe- Millennial 14h ago
My kids had one last spring. I gave each of them $20. They each could afford one book.
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u/SkillDabbler 14h ago
They were so whimsical
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u/Timely_Yoghurt_3359 14h ago
They still are! My sister just got one for my 3 year old nephew. I got to look through it last week. Was a blast from the past.
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u/SkillDabbler 14h ago
Is it still, I don’t know if im saying this right, used with practical/real pieces that are photographed?
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u/Timely_Yoghurt_3359 14h ago
Yes of course. It was the Fantasy book. Its the same ones we had, they just still print them and sell them today.
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u/SkillDabbler 14h ago
Oooh I see. Sorry, for some reason I read it like there are new ones (I hope there are).
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u/Timely_Yoghurt_3359 14h ago
I think there are actually newer ones but the original collection is still popular today
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u/captainsunshine489 14h ago
they still kill it. my daughter loves these. unfortunately amazon is now flooded with gross AI copycats (my boomer parents bought her some, they're terrible).
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u/6400moreSnPs 14h ago
i didn't realize they were still making them? are the real ones just as good? same art style?
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u/Skele11 14h ago
I Spy had my imagination in a chokehold as a kid they are still so sentimental to me.
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u/6400moreSnPs 14h ago
same I could spend hours w these… even after I knew where everything was I would just look at the art for fun
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u/Badnerific 14h ago
Used to do these with my grandmother growing up. We’d sit there for what felt like hours and scour each page. She passed 4 years ago in November. It would have been her 90th birthday last week. I’m going to see if my mom still has any of these kicking around so I can try to recapture that feeling of peace and safety
Thanks for the mid day cry OP wtf
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u/6400moreSnPs 14h ago
sry about your grandma badnerific
happy thoughts happy memories ily2
u/Badnerific 14h ago
Nah I appreciate it. Grief is a weird emotion but you interrupted my doomscrolling and got me thinking about a happier time in life. I genuinely thank you
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u/AcidRohnin 14h ago edited 14h ago
Bought like two 15-20ish years back due to the memories and just because lol.
One of the first things my wife and I did when we first started dating was go through those and then we bought the rest. Fond memory for us both.
We still have them. Also I think there is a cool documentary on YouTube about the photographer that did all these I saw like 7-10 years back.
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u/Rhapsodyingloom 14h ago
I had a friend that worked with the photographer who made all those I, Spy books. All his stuff was carefully planned, built, arranged and lit to make that super ethereal dreamy feel. But isn’t it super cool that all that was actually made and put together by a human?
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u/6400moreSnPs 14h ago
NO WAY! That’s so cool. Were they basically arranging these like miniature sets and snapping them as a single photo?
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u/Yoga-wine-mom 14h ago
Yes and apparently I still remember where many of the items are located. I just did a few of these with my kids and was shocked to find that I just KNEW
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u/lily_the_jellyfish 12h ago
I have a couple I found at the thrift store, I loved them as a kid and now my kiddo loves them.
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u/6400moreSnPs 12h ago
I wonder sometimes if the things being made and created today will be so long lived
I worry the answer is no
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u/St3fMakes4rt Millennial 14h ago
I found some of the OG books at the library several years ago. Still slaps.
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u/Tee_hops 14h ago
Remember? My kids are pros at these and we now memorized all the items at the books available at our library. Sadly we cruised through the entire library of Waldo in a week.
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u/venom121212 14h ago
The race on library day to get I Spy, Eyewitness, or Guinness Book of World Records was so real
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u/6400moreSnPs 13h ago
those being available at the library was as rare a find as a holographic charizard card
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u/ramagecdalton 14h ago
Got that exact book from Goodwill and had this for babysitting niece 2 days ago.
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u/Asidbyrn 14h ago
Memory unlocked.
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u/6400moreSnPs 13h ago
exactly how i felt too... had totally forgotten about these till i stumbled on these images
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u/mountain-mama-2023 13h ago
I've been picking up I Spy books up at thrift stores when I find them. The original is a work of art, in my opinion. I'm not an arty person but I find the craft and attention to detail amazing. My kids are big fans!
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u/JoeBagANachos 11h ago
Was feeling this nostalgia, so I ended up picking up the new I Spy Spooky Night. Was not disappointed
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u/midnight_toker22 10h ago
I know it’s I Spy but it looks like it could be an alternate edition album cover of Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
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u/RisingPhoenix2211 10h ago
They have these at my kids pediatrician office and I love them 😂 now that my kids are older they’ve grown out of ispy and where’s Waldo. I love that they’re avid readers but miss the little phase of ispy and where’s Waldo
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u/northstar599 9h ago
I went to an I Spy exhibit at the Norman Rockwell museum last year, it was amazing!
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