Vintage 1978 Sweet Lips \"Letter Licker\" Pop Art Novelty NOS in Original Packing For Sale

$Vintage 1978 Sweet Lips \$
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Vintage 1978 Sweet Lips \"Letter Licker\" Pop Art Novelty NOS in Original Packing:
$100.00

This is a vintage 1978 \"Letter Licker\"pop-art envelope and stamp moistener, produced as a novelty gag gift in the style of the Andy Warhol era. It is a Sweet Lips™ Original!

Function: You fill the internal metal can with water and turn the side knob to extend and retract the corrugated red plastic tongue, which moistens envelopes and stamps.
Design: Features a cylindrical metal tin styled with bold red pop-art lips and the distinctive \"letter licker\" logo on the front.
Rarity: Originally manufactured in the USA, it has become a collectible retro desk accessory.

The vintage 1978 \"Letter Licker\" is a classic piece of functional pop-art Americana. Released under the product line name \"A Sweet Lips Original,\" it was designed as a humorous solution to the unpleasant chore of licking bad-tasting envelope adhesive.Technical Specifications & Dimensions

Manufacturer: Produced and manufactured entirely in the United States.
Dimensions: It stands at a standard desk-accessory size of 5.6 inches in height and 3 inches in diameter.
Materials: Built using a heavy-gauge cylindrical tin canister, an injected plastic mechanical turn-knob, and a thick, highly-absorbent red fabric/cellulose tongue.

Mechanical Design (How It Works)The engineering behind it was unique enough to be backed by a official United States mechanical patent.

The Reservoir: The inside of the metal canister acts as a watertight container holding about 1/3 cup of water.
The Wick System: The red fabric tongue is connected to an internal plunger mechanism. When retracted, the tongue sits submerged inside the reservoir, acting as an advanced cellulose wick that continuously draws up moisture.
The Extension: Turning the external plastic dial moves the internal plunger forward. This opens the hidden spring-loaded flap inside the painted red lips, pushing out a perfectly damp, fully extended tongue.
Application: Users simply wiped their stamps or the gummed edges of their envelopes across the extended tongue before cranking the handle backward to submerge it for the next use.