How long has it been since you were in a real five and ten cent store? Remember the excitement of going in as a kid, that quarter in your little pocket was just burnin' a hole!
Well, since it's such a nice day, and I need some spools of thread and a couple things from town, come on, let's hop in the car and go!
Open the door, and a bell hanging on the top rings cheerily as it bangs up against the glass...
Step back in time just for a little while, as the smell of the popcorn that's always ready in a little bag for a quarter is hot in the popper that's all lit up on the counter...and behind the overwhelming smell of that buttery popcorn is the chocolate covered peanuts in the glass candy case....
It won't take a few minutes and you'll be bopping down the aisles to some big band music from the forties...playin' on the radio speakers.
This store has a little of everything you need, stacked from the floor almost to the ceiling, and there's even plenty hanging from the ceiling! I'll take it over a mega-center any ol' day.
Smell that?
Your choices will be put in those tiny white paper bags and weighed on the scale that sits on top of the counter...yum...!
Let's stroll around! There's where granny gets her rugs!
Walk the time-worn checkerboard floors with me...notice the hand-painted window signs...once in place in windows of quaint mom 'n pop stores all over the country! Love those!
Spring would always mean a new ball for the excitement of fresh air and green grass, and those ball cages were tricky, usually you had to have help reaching the one you wanted, so it could be taken out just right so there would be no avalanche...
Spring would always mean a new ball for the excitement of fresh air and green grass, and those ball cages were tricky, usually you had to have help reaching the one you wanted, so it could be taken out just right so there would be no avalanche...
Perhaps you were planning on a game of cowboys and Indians later? Well, here's all the supplies for that. Cap guns! Yahoo!
Perhaps you were considering joining the neighborhood orchestra...
Play on!
Or maybe we could get a marble tournament together out on the driveway?
You in?
We could spend hours here, looking through the toy soldiers, cowboys and Indians, the farm or zoo animals...!
Hula hoops, jump ropes, jacks 'n balls....anything you need, they've got it!
Hankies, anyone?
I picked out a chick, what cookie cutter would you like?
I can picture those door decorations being carefully unpacked each year and taped to the front windows with Scotch tape by the buxom clerk with her glasses dangling on her neck from a chain...can you?
A cowboy hat for Levi...will be back to pick up cap guns in the next couple years, I'm sure!
Oh, man, look here! Army trucks and airplanes!
How long since you've seen a Brach's candy display where you fill your own bag?
I had to pick up a few Little Golden Books for Levi!
Mr. Neighborhood Retailer is a smart guy, he has the cash register line right in front of this candy case...now just how am I supposed to resist those fresh Turtles?
15 comments:
Awesome! I was on the blog when you put this up! I'm the first! Thanks for showing the old-timey things. I can just see little boys and girls spending hours in here. I liked the farm animals, myself, and that was a nice selection of cookie cutters!
We have one of those in our town! I love wandering up and down the aisles, just browsing and maybe picking something up that I might discover I need even though I didn't know I needed it till that very minute ☺)!
I love it...I wish we had one in our town. Did you buy The Little Red Hen? My grand-kids just love that book.
Oh Wow! I miss our 5 & dime. It's been turned into a Chinese restaurant. You could find EVERYTHING in that store!!
What memories! Old days when the streets were filled with people visiting; when I go to town now I hardly ever see anyone I know. Looks like a good toy selection too.
What a great store! And where are the shoppers? It was sad to see no crowded aisles!
Sweet Jesus! How I remember those long walks to downtown Grand Rapids where the local 5&10 was! I remember buying my 1st mascara there. Maybelline. In a little red sliding case. You had to wet the brush with water and moisten the cake of mascara. Thanks, Joni!
Yes, I did buy the LITTLE RED HEN, I had to!! And, to answer your question, Donna, I tried to NOT take a photo down any aisle that had people...there were plenty of people shopping that day, I had to wait in line! That makes me happy!
I am a little bit uncomfortable with taking pictures of unsuspecting people in a situation of aiming a camera straight at them! I was only able to take these pictures with my iPhone because it was sort of inconspicuous!
xoxo
Joni
I remember the way the dime stores smelled, too! And what mom doesn't like to buy old-fashioned toys that require no batteries? THere's also flower bouquets and floral crosses and U.S. Flags for sale for Decoration Day. Whenever I see a Five and Dime I want to go in and support that little Mom and Pop, and reinforce the capitalisn ideal in my children! Thanks for the reminder...
I love small town stores like this. And I love The Little Red Hen. It was my favorite story as a little girl so I bought a copy for my little Jack. The photo in that book of the Red Hen wheeling her one stalk of grain to the mill to be ground (and the full wheel barrow home) is priceless. Enjoy reading it to Levi! Tammy
What a unique store! I don't think I've seen one like that since Woolworth's closed down. We had one similar in Olney Texas in the 60's called Ben Franklin's. I don't think it was really his though :D I could spend some time in there!
I would love a butterfly cookie cutter. What a wonderful glimpse back in time. I wish we had a store like this.
Ah, thanks for clearing up the mystery! I was worried that they didn't have any shoppers! I try to not take pics of strangers too, out of respect for their privacy.
and where is this 5 and 10? Looks like they have about everything! We still have a ben frank. in the town I grew up in, I worked a few summers there myself, always loved scooping up some maple nut goodies, my favorite! I like to take strange people pictures but I'm always afraid they'll catch on and try to see what I took! Glad to see they are busy still, so sad how the little stores struggle, we always spend a day shopping at the little stores when we're home for a visit in Iowa.
What a treasure of a store. I would be in every day at the candy counter - love, love, love.
Post a Comment