In what appeared to be an unabashed promotion of Christmas commercialism in 1936, the Lykens Standard claimed to have interviewed Santa Claus to identify merchandise hawked by Lykens merchants. The times told it all in the promotion of automatic tommy guns for boys, dolls for girls, and Monopoly games for adults.
From the Lykens Standard, Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 20 November 1936:
Lykens Standard Reporter Interviews Santa Claus on Trends in Xmas Toys
This is Santa Claus weather and with the Christmas spirit unusually early in the town this year, the Lykens Standard delegated a reporter to get the latest toy trends from Santa Claus. Local merchants are already receiving their toys for the holiday season and is an indication that choices locally will be obtainable at the same time as those in the cities nearby.
Santa says: “There is a direct trend to the stream-lined toys this year. It is even more pronounced than last year. The toy-of-the-year is the ‘Pluto-Donald Duck’ handcar special. It has been sold this year to dealers by millions and is the fast selling number in the Mickey Mouse Repertoire. Donald Duck has supplanted Mickey and Minnie in many of the specialties this season.
Sleds have gone streamlined with a vengeance this year, train sets are cheaper than last season. Toy furniture has gone ‘maple’ like those for adults this past year. maple ware in kitchen, dining room and study-desk sets are to be seen everywhere, according to Old St. Nick.
Boys will thrill this year to an automatic tommy gun, that winds with a key and looks and acts like a real sub-machine gun in action.
Girls will find Dionne Quintuplets in all doll fashions. In many instances the Dionne sets have eclipsed the Shirley Temple dolls this year. Doll sets of Dionnes may be had from twenty-five cents to the life sized dolls at a hundred dollars. Furs at handsome prices for little girls’ dollies are also prominent this year.
Skill games of every description no doubt accelerated by the many penny and five cent skill games to be found everywhere are especially popular. Monopoly still remains the game for grown-up again this year, Sana says.
Wise parents will do their shopping in Lykens this year. There is little to be gained either in price or quality of merchandise by city shopping. Much money will be saved by doing toy shopping here. Windows have already been arranged to display some of the merchandise, and Thanksgiving will mark the signal for all vendors of Santa Claus accessories to get into action.
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From Newspapers.com.
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