Monday, December 30, 2013

Time-Travelling in Retail

One of the fascinating advantages of an earlier life in the thrift store business was the chance to see outmoded ads and merchandising.

Somewhere along the line I glommed onto this credit application from Dillard's department store to use as a book mark.  It's served me, well lo! these many years.

 
Well, what distaff member of America's Populuxe crowd wouldn't want to be considered "Mrs, Modern Shopper," I ask you?

 
But look at the things you were supposed to supply to Dillard's credit-card approvers.  Previous addresses?  Current and past employers?  YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBERS?!?!  Type of loan amounts? Your Social Security number?

 
 
And of course the cards were run on a machine like the one below.  You got the card-stock-thickness copy, and the store kept the original, wax-paper-thin copy.
 
 
Were these more innocent days, or what?  Happy New Year, Big Brother!

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

All original content
copyright
© by Mark Alfred