I miss the good old five and dime stores. We had a great Ben Franklin Store in Placerville when we were growing up. I loved shopping in there. I was delighted when we visited family in Wisconsin in 2001, and got to go a BF in Hayward, WI. Twain Harte Pharmacy, up the hill from us is also a BF, but I don't get up there very often, and while it's a nice store, it isn't quite the same. I found this local newspaper ad from 1954 for a dime store that used to be in this area. Sorry the scan didn't come out real well. I love how you can see all of the assorted merchandise, stacked high!
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I imagine you could find almost anything - I see some frames on those shelves. Maybe there was one that had this inside. I love simple vintage graphics like this little housewife, here:
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And you could probably find these corners, too. How cute is that little guy? "I protect what you collect"! Thanks, buddy!
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This is a great book. It's full of pictures of all kinds of neat vintage stuff. Written by Lester Glassner and Brownie Harris, published in 1981 by Penguin Books.
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And this one is terrific, too. A Schiffer Book for Collectors, published in 2000. Tons of pictures inside of great vintage stuff.
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(You can find either of these books on Amazon.) I've already got 'em!
1 comment:
There was also the Cornet 5 and 10 store in Placerville. It had several tables in the center with old Placerville souvenir collectible items like little pitchers, tiny gold panners, etc. I was always fascinated by them, but didn't buy any because I wasn't a tourist! Now I wish I had one of everything. I still do miss Ben Franklin. What a great store. I got my Brownie Uniform and my 4H Uniform in there. The picture you have of the store in Sonora really reminds me of BF. Great post. Love T
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