The Nostalgia Merchant

Logo descriptions by Matt Williams, Nicholas Aczel, & Cameron McCaffrey Logo captures by Eric S. and V of Doom

Background: The Nostalgia Merchant is a home entertainment company founded in 1976 by record producer Snuff Garrett. From early-to-mid 1980s, it was a division of Media Home Entertainment. It specializes in selling videos of vintage films and television programs, which can be purchased on their website. The company is still in business to this day as an independent company.

1st Logo (1978-1982)

Logo: We see four red-bordered screens of clips from old movies playing (one of the movies being the original 1933 version of King Kong and another one is from the 1937 Laurel and Hardy film, Way Out West). In the center, a red-bordered purple square, consisting of a silhouette of a boy sitting on top of a hill and holding a flag (his dog is sitting behind him) against a cloudy sky on a light blue background with the Nostalgia Merchant logo at the top (with a pale purple rectangle) and "presents" below, begins to zoom in, filling the entire screen.

Variants: From 1978-81, a still logo is seen from a 16mm blow-up source to match the film print of whatever movie they issued. A B&W variant exists, as well. On 1986-88 releases, a still variant is seen on a black background, with a byline, below "DISTRIBUTED BY FOX HILLS VIDEO A Division of Heron Communications, Inc." We would then fade in to the regular logo, which looks more sped-up compared to the original version.

FX/SFX: The zoom-in.

Music/Sounds Variants: The filmed variants are silent. On 1978-1982 releases, it had a warbling synth tune that increases in pitch with very high "pinging" sounds. 1986-88 releases had a comedic "silent movie" piano tune with a few quick drumbeats at the end.

Availability: Rare. It appears on releases of the era. Surprisingly turned up on a TCM airing of Topper, as the channel used a old video master for its source.

2nd Logo (1982-1986)

Logo: On a space background with white, red, and orange stars, we see an object zooming towards the center of the screen from the top. It rotates into the middle to reveal that it is the "Nostalgia Merchant" logo, a yellow circle with a large light blue square overlapping it, all of this being covered by a white border. Inside the yellow circle is the black word "ThE", and "NOSTALGIA MERCHANT" in red with a black outline.

Variant: In 1984, the byline "A Division of Media Home Entertainment Inc. A Heron International Company" would fade in underneath the logo.

FX/SFX: The logo zooming towards the center and the words fading in.

Music/Sounds: A very majestic orchestral fanfare.

Availability: Rather hard to find, as Nostalgia Merchant tapes have been out of print for a while now and was used in tandem with the 1st logo, it also replaces the 1st logo on some mid-'80s reprints of their catalog including Pardon Us, Citizen Kane, and the 1933 version of King Kong.

3rd Logo (1986-1988)

Logo: On a black background, we see a still shot of a smaller Nostalgia Merchant logo with the byline "DISTRIBUTED BY FOX HILLS VIDEO, a division of Heron Communications Inc." We fade out as a sped-up version of the 1981 logo plays.

FX/SFX: None for the first part as it is still, but the second part is the same as the 1st logo.

Music/Sounds: A silent-movie "comedic" synth piano tune with a few quick drumbeats at the end.

Availability: Rare. Can be found on many mid-late '80s releases by the company, usually on Laurel and Hardy videos.