We’ve all been there. Standing in the checkout line behind a fellow shopper who has picked up an item without a price. So, you wait patiently as the cashier calls a manager who, when she finally shows up, says “I have to go check, I’ll be right back,” then she vanishes! You check your phone, surf the Web, rearrange your purse and still no manager in sight. At this point one of the best marketing strategies ever conceived comes in to play — those rows of merchandise cleverly placed at the checkout. Enticing fatigued shoppers into impulse buys is nothing new. In fact, it can be traced back to the mid-1800s. But, there is an equalizer to this ploy, for without it, we might not have one of today’s most popular collectibles . . . store containers!
The general store was an integral part of the rural America from 1850-1930. Much of their merchandise was offered in a self-serve setting with select displays placed near the cash register for easy purchase. Even the items throughout the store were offered in such a way that shoppers were enticed into impulse purchases.
It was quite common in this era for snack foods to be sold loose for easy sampling and to be scooped into a brown paper bag and sold by the pound. The counter-top “penny candy” jar used for candy and gum originated in the late 1800’s shortly after the creation of the first penny candy, the Tootsie Roll. By 1910 there were dozens of candies, bubble gum and jawbreakers offered from glass jars. Most of these thick glass jars were bulbous but there were other shapes, like the jar from Planters Peanuts. These jars were embossed clear glass with a knob on the top of the lid that was shaped like a peanut. A long time favorite with collectors, the “Mr Peanut” jar is difficult to find in good condition, but well worth the search.
To insure that products arrived safely, fruits and vegetable were packed in sturdy wooden crates labeled with the contents, the area of origin and the packer’s name. Realizing that the groceries in the mid-west were displaying produce in the crates they arrived in, the original ink-stamp marking on the crates soon changed to detailed labels with multicolored lithography. These crates were an instant collectible and remain popular today.
General stores and their mid-50s counterpart, the five-and-dime, had an apothecary/pharmaceutical section filled with health aids. Tonics in cobalt, brown and amber colored bottles were prominently displayed and sold by the thousands with promises to cure everything from gout to hair loss. With no FDA regulations in place, makers were able to make some outrageous claims, but the public bought them anyway. If you check the content on these you will find that most patented “remedies” were largely alcohol. This may account for why these products had so many satisfied customers! These bottles are fun to collect and abound at local vintage shops and flea markets.
Crocks filled with pickles sat in wooden holders, which were placed close to the register to encourage sales. This would be considered a hotbed for disease today, but for many years it is how visitors to the general store bought pickles! These advertising crocks, especially those with cobalt designs, are in high demand in the current market with collectors paying from a few hundred to several thousand dollars to add one to their collections.
By the early 1960s the general store had all but vanished from the America countryside, but its memory lives on through those who love mercantile collectibles. When shopping, remember that store containers have undergone many years of hard wear. Chips and cracks on the rims of glass jars, missing labels on bottles and crates and acidity stains on crocks are common. If you are looking at a container that looks like it was made yesterday, it probably was. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com