The Old Five & Dimes

[tiltjlp]

Looking back over a half century, my growing up years during the 50's truly seem magical, especially when compared to the hectic pace of cyber-lifestyles.* One reason for the relaxed feel of the 50's might have been a number of merchandise chains collectively known as five & dimes.* Two better known chains were Woolworth's and Franklin's, but there were many regional, and even neighbor-hood stores that fit that mold.

Begun late in the late 1800's, at one time Woolworth's sold items for only a nickel or a dime.* By the early 50's, when I began to go along with mom on her shopping trips, bargains that cheap were few and far between.* Still, just a small handful of dollar bills was enough to fill your shopping bag.* And unlike the costly and often wasteful multipacks of today, you could buy just one pencil or a single pocket comb, or a single pair of socks.* This allowed you to buy what you needed without breaking your budget.
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Nearly every neighborhood had at least one five & dime, although most mom and pop locations were simply called variety stores.* As you entered each store, a sweet, musty aroma drew you warmly into a wonderland of discovery.* You might end up with a oddly curious mixture of items; three candles, a nickel each, a laced-trimmed handkerchief for mom's birthday, fifteen cents, a pair of number two soft-lead pencils, three cents each, and a small bag of loose candy, seven cents.

The attraction of these five & dime variety stores was that you could buy only what you needed, and could afford, rather than purchasing a dozen of an item, when all you needed was one.* And, of course, there was an exciting sense of mystery every time you visited one of these stores.* You just never knew what you might find on the tables and shelves, since they seemed to stock whatever merchandise could be bought by the gross at bargain basement prices.* And the bargains were passed along to you.

And since inflation wasn't yet a way of life, the markup on these bargains was minimal, allowing the shopper to buy more with less. A dollar bill you might receive for your birthday could take you a week to spend, if you took your time and imagination in buying your heart's desire.* While comic books cost a dime back then, if you settled for out of date issues, minus the front covers, a bag of four could be had for a quarter.* A sack of broken molasses cookies were yours for only one thin dime.

These wonderful five & dimes sold notions and potions, and nearly anything else, except for grocery or bakery bread.* You could get a rawhide bone for your dog, cheap smelly aftershave for your dad or uncle, and pot holder's for your mother.* Probably every child in Fairmount bought their family Christmas presents at Wolfram's, gifts that often ended forgotten, shoved to the back of a closet shelf.* In those days, it truly was the thought that counted, and not the bargain basement gift.

While I marvel at the values and choices available at Walmarts or Kmart's and the like, it's not exactly the same.* Now, shrinkwrap and blister packaging prevent you from enjoying the hands-on joy shoppers in the 50's experienced, selecting individual items from a tabletop, unwrapped and open for closer inspection.* The faster pace of life today might make superstores more practical than the smaller, less well-stocked shops of the past.* But also missing is the friendliness of the cashier, or the neighborly waitress at the lunch counter, who really cared when she asked how your kids were doing in school.

 

[Coil_Smoke]

Everybody Into The "Way-Back Machine"

In 1958 the local "Five & Ten Cent Store" opened In Towson Maryland {Rhymes With HOW SON}. This and the "Food Fair" were the first two buildings in what is now a huge and un-appealing mall. The 5&10 had two floors and the first escalators us kids had ever seen. The store was surrounded by loose gravel parking lot that was graded so you could park at the front upper floor or at the back lower floor. The store, like the escalators, was so much fun ... The place was full of neighborhood folks talking loud and smoking cigarettes. This store seemed to always have something new. It took years before I knew where everything was. There was a long old fashioned lunch counter.They served my first Root Beer Float. Down stairs you could buy baby rabbits,baby turtles and baby chicks. I bought my first Beatles album, named"The Beatles Second", on that floor to. About 1970 the store became "Kresge's" and was later torn down to make way for "Towson Plaza". My last visit was very nostalgic. I was struck by that sweet musty smell mentioned above. Years of Coke Syrup, Pop Corn And Dust. I also enjoyed walking on the worn out hardwood floor. The floor was springy with age and the grain was about 3/16's inch deep from years of sweeping. Now the floor in WalMart hurts my ankles...C_S