After that stint, he continued at odd jobs: selling wine, operating a restaurant and night club, and selling appliances, electronics, and furniture. He was selling for Philco-Ford Corporation, where he advanced to national sales training director. During this time, McFarland continued to make personal appearances and cameo roles in films and television, including an appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show" with Darla Hood and William "Buckwheat" Thomas. As general manager, McFarland helped launch the classic movie channel The Nostalgia Channel in 1985. During the 1990s, after his self-described "semi-retirement", Spanky lent his name and celebrity to help raise money for charities, primarily by participating in golf tournaments. Spanky also had his own namesake charity golf classic for 16 years, held in Marion, Indiana. He also traveled the country doing speaking engagements and lectures about his movie roles and his days on "The Little Rascals". His final television performance was in 1993, playing himself in the cold open of the "Cheers" episode "Woody Gets An Election".