u/One-Particular63

Pulled these two absolute mid-90's relics out today.

The Sanyo VIP-3 is mine, I got it for my 12th birthday in April 1995 and somehow still have it 31 years later.

The VIP-5 belongs to my partner and he thinks he got his around 1996.

Mine had AM/FM radio, auto stop and the all-important BASSXPANDER switch. My partner clearly got the deluxe model with the little EQ sliders. (He also make his an ASSEXPANDER)

Interestingly, they’re different models but the serial numbers are really close, N5643369 and N5623885 so they may have been made around the same time.

I’ve been trying to find old Australian catalogues or ads for them but there’s surprisingly little information online. Not surprising though because very early internet timing.

Does anyone else remember having one of these? Or have any other info?

IIRC, Sanyo was a Kmart brand/ Sony kmockoff/ Offbrand.

I was watching the movie Casino when I noticed this toward the start of the movie.

Noting this film is mid 90s, is there a chance it's created a false memory of it being on the Fruit of the Loom logo?

Trying to track down a weird short story I read as a kid in Australia in the 1990s and it’s driving me insane.

It was in a collection/anthology of short stories, probably aimed at older kids or young teens. Similar vibe to Paul Jennings or Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids.

The story I remember most clearly was about a butterfly collector. I specifically remember the butterflies becoming sentient and the collector somehow ending up being “collected” himself in a dark twist ending.

I ALSO vaguely remember another story, possibly from the same book/series, involving mice being used to test toothpaste, with their super clean teeth glowing in the dark, which may have been One Shot Toothpaste from Unbelievable.

Does the butterfly story ring a bell for anyone? Would love to know the story title or what book/series it was from.