40s sounds about right if you could ship a hat via mail for 15 cents. Even in the 50s - it only cost a penny for a post card and the average letter cost three cents. Airmail was a nickel. The phrase “a penny for your thoughts” referred to being able to send a postcard for one cent. Sending postcards to congressmen was a popular pass-time for a lot of people!
And sometimes - the cost of shipping far outweighs the convenience of being able to place an order from an online catalog. I have often found that stuff which I MIGHT have purchased from a catalog web page is a whole lot cheaper at the local grocery store.
My folks are farmers - and my Dad always likes to point out that what a lot of people considered to be “groceries” was stuff like socks, shirts, etc. In fact, if you evaluated the usual cart load of goodies which people wheel up to the check out stand, you would discover that only about half of their ‘grocery bill’ comes from actual food. Some of the non-food items which I have discovered at the local grocery store which were cheaper than anything I could have purchased on-line have included hair bows, socks, slippers, hangers, garment bags, shirts - and - yes - even hats! (Usually stuff like Rockies baseball caps, etc.) Of course, where I grew up, we had a “general store.” You could go to the “general store” and get everything from fresh pineapple in season to hammers and nails! The General Store also had a section which was the local post office! When you wanted to pick up your mail, the general store owner would actually take off his apron, go over to the post office section, put on his post office clerk’s hat, stand behind the little cage - and wait on you as a postal customer! Then - after you had taken care of your “mail” business - he would take off the postal cap, put his apron back on, and return to the grocery counter. People think it is strange when the local grocery store sells stamps and such - but it never seemed strange to me!
DebJ4 about 15 years ago
40s sounds about right if you could ship a hat via mail for 15 cents. Even in the 50s - it only cost a penny for a post card and the average letter cost three cents. Airmail was a nickel. The phrase “a penny for your thoughts” referred to being able to send a postcard for one cent. Sending postcards to congressmen was a popular pass-time for a lot of people!
Simon_Jester about 15 years ago
Dated or not, this cartoon does speak to the present in it’s own way;
If you buy online, you also have to pay shipping and wait for your purchase to show up,
DebJ4 about 15 years ago
And sometimes - the cost of shipping far outweighs the convenience of being able to place an order from an online catalog. I have often found that stuff which I MIGHT have purchased from a catalog web page is a whole lot cheaper at the local grocery store.
Sherlock Watson about 15 years ago
Deborah Reyes: You’ve bought groceries from a web page? Doesn’t the hamburger smell kinda funny by the time it arrives?
Ah, how I love the old-time comedy of Mutt and Jeff; it has a sneaky cleverness that you just don’t get from the Seinfelds and Sandlers of the world.
DebJ4 about 15 years ago
My folks are farmers - and my Dad always likes to point out that what a lot of people considered to be “groceries” was stuff like socks, shirts, etc. In fact, if you evaluated the usual cart load of goodies which people wheel up to the check out stand, you would discover that only about half of their ‘grocery bill’ comes from actual food. Some of the non-food items which I have discovered at the local grocery store which were cheaper than anything I could have purchased on-line have included hair bows, socks, slippers, hangers, garment bags, shirts - and - yes - even hats! (Usually stuff like Rockies baseball caps, etc.) Of course, where I grew up, we had a “general store.” You could go to the “general store” and get everything from fresh pineapple in season to hammers and nails! The General Store also had a section which was the local post office! When you wanted to pick up your mail, the general store owner would actually take off his apron, go over to the post office section, put on his post office clerk’s hat, stand behind the little cage - and wait on you as a postal customer! Then - after you had taken care of your “mail” business - he would take off the postal cap, put his apron back on, and return to the grocery counter. People think it is strange when the local grocery store sells stamps and such - but it never seemed strange to me!