5 and 10

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While I was going through my photos looking for a new header image this morning, I found the old 5 and 10 cent store poster that I'd saved. This took my brain on a little nostalgia trip, to a place I've never been for real. "5 and dime stores"...so American, so before my lifetime. I do know most of them evolved into the standard variety stores of today, but a couple of things have fixed them in my mind as a symbol of retro goodness.

Firstly - the scene in the movie version of Breakfast at Tiffanys (where they sneak out wearing masks):

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Secondly - many of my vintage embroidery transfers still have the price tags on them from the shops where they were purchased. Labels like "Kressages 10c" and "Sprouse-Reitz 15c" suggest to my mind a shop full of treasures, available to take home for mere pennies.
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Of course that's just me being misty-eyed about a past that was probably nowhere near as sweet and easy as my retro embroidery shopping brain pictures it. Sigh. But at least I can look at pics:

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This one is my favourite :

Oh you know I so want this shop to be filled with thirties things again so I can shop there! And the red tiles and deco lettering...swoon!
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In a similar vein, I also love the idea of the "drug store"...but that's a whole other post.

PS. The Tiffany's image is borrowed from this FANTASTIC blog post. GO READ IT.