Christmas in July wraps up today! What makes that slightly more bearable was
the cool (relatively speaking) temperature this morning. The two week run of heat and humidity broke
over the weekend and gave way to a lovely sixty-one degree morning. It reminded me of summer break back in
central New York. A morning where I
would step outside with a full day of vacation fun on tap instead of leaving
the house for work. Oh, adulting.
The view from the office.
Several times over the course of the month I was accused of
rushing the holiday season. I prefer to
say I’m being prepared, but I do see their point. However…I’m certainly not the only one who has
thoughts of Christmas during the summer.
Back in the day the annual holiday catalogs – a la the Sears Wishbook
and JC Penney Christmas catalog - would arrive in the stores or your mailbox in
mid to late August.
The 1974 JC Penney Christmas Catalog. Oddly enough, the little blond hair kid looks like me as a child.
I will forever blame JC Penney for my early holiday
obsession. Growing up, the family never
really shopped at Sears, so the Penney Christmas Catalog was my go to. Summer vacation would be winding down – this
was back when I enjoyed summer - I would cross the street on a routine trip to
the mailbox. When opening the door I swear angles were singing as I
reached inside to discover it had arrived.
How I felt finding the catalog in the mailbox.
I’d spend hours – if not days – scouring it from cover to cover in search of the perfect gifts. Items would be circled, page corners bent, pictures cut out and pasted to construction paper in a sort of 'dream board' fashion. Sadly, the tradition came to end for children everywhere as companies eventually ceased the printed publications.
For a bit of nostalgia, a gentlemen by the name of Jason Liebig actually maintains a
website dedicated to Christmas catalogs!
The website where Jason catalogs the...uh...catalogs.
If you want to kill a few hours, check out the catalog from
the year (or near the year) you were born.
For me, that was 1974. I couldn’t
help but laugh at some of the fashions from the time period. Then I stopped as I realized someone could be
looking at the 1996 (when I thought I dressed cool) catalog the same way I look at the ’74. Suddenly, it wasn’t so funny. Where does the time go…?
Maybe you have a particular fondness for a catalog you remember
from your childhood. For me, it was 1987. That was the last year I truly
went page by page marking what I wanted to find under the tree. I purchased a copy from eBay. It makes a unique conversation piece sitting
on the coffee table during the holiday season.
How does any of this relate to writing? For me, old catalogs make convenient one stop
research guides. I can see the latest
fashions for a particular year. Toys,
housewares, electronics – all with their prices.
My novel, The Stockings Were Hung, is set in 1954. Perhaps the main character is buying a
jacket. I can quickly see some styles
and know that he paid about $13 for it.
The latest fashions of 1954!
Does the story call for a pen? Why not the Jet-o-Matic by Vectura. $8.75 for the set or $5 for the pen only.
Not just any pen, the Jet-o-Matic!
Catalogs offer an often entertaining glimpse back in time
and can give your story a boost of realism.
Instead of just a razor, your character reaches for his favorite Ronson
razor. The last gift he received from
his wife before they divorced.
The Ronson razor. A steal at $19.95!
Those subtly placed names or descriptions help you connect
with readers. It may be “Hey! I remember that razor. My grandfather had it!” or perhaps someone
had it themselves. It allows a deeper,
more personal connection to what is occurring on the page.
Did you spend hours perusing the annual catalogs in search
of the perfect gift? Have you considered
using an old catalog as a reference guide?
Let me know in the comments section down below.
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