Remember the Five and Dime

Back on the farm in the 1940’s life was a little different than it is today. Nobody complained about the high cost of anything. Because it didn’t matter if you didn’t have any money anyway. In my youth we had stores called Dime Stores. They sold just about everything you can think of. A little something like a Dollar Store, only much nicer.

They had a candy counter with all kinds of candy behind a glass case. They had a counter with a soda fountain that served five and ten-cent hamburger’s. The deluxe burger was ten cents. The stores had names such as Newberrys , Ben Franklin’s or Woolworth’s. There was always a rack with comic books, and a kid or two sitting on the floor reading them. They sold jewelry and trinkets of all kinds. You could buy anything for your house or your car with the one store shopping.
I remember buying my mother a Mother’s day gift. It was a dainty white handkerchief with the word "Mother" embroidered in pink in one corner. It cost fifteen cents, but it was for my mother so it was worth it. Everything in the store was neat and clean. Clerks worked constantly trying to keep things in order.
Now we have the Dollar Store with everything from soup to nut’s, but nothing seems to be in order. However, some seem to be better organized than others. I have also observed that people are not as careful to put things back where they found it. I think sometimes if they decide they don't want it, they just drop it on the floor. You soon learn to watch where you're stepping in a dollar store. I guess dime stores have been around for many years. I'm sure many of you will remember them as well.

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