It’s hard to imagine today when mass shootings are a regular occurrence and cries for gun control are going unheard, it was once so simple and easy to order a gun in the mail.
Christmas catalogs have long been a cherished staple in the American home.
Just like today, the mid-century housewife flipped through the pages of her favorite catalog and enjoyed the ease of shopping the telephone way with a whole department store at her fingertips.
Smart, practical gifts. A Brownie for Junior, a Beretta for Dad.
Ordering that 12 gauge shot-gun was as easy and painless as ordering a pair of roller skates or a cuddly plush stuffed animal for your youngster. Ten percent down, free shipping, no waiting, no fuss, no muss.
Guns as gay as Xmas itself, and as low as $4.00 a month.
Holiday time and guns just seem to go together.
No where is the uptick in gun purchasing revealed than during holiday season. Its become the post Thanksgiving tradition.
Christmas Catalog Shopping
Vintage Christmas Catalogs Sears Christmas Book 1958 and 1952
Vintage Christmas catalogs – Spiegel The Golden Christmas Book 1959 and Montgomery Wards 1959
Vintage Christmas Catalogs- Sears 1962 and Spiegel 1955
Lets take a peek inside the mail order madness of mid century Xmas catalogs filled with gifts and guns galore. For a Christmas to remember, they were bound to have every member of your family in their cross hairs:
Brighter Giving For Brighter Living
For the man around the house, who wouldn’t be happy to find any of these beauties under their Christmas tree/ Vintage pages from Spiegel Christmas Catalog 1956
Big Game Stoppers …Rudolph Beware
Rudolph the red nose reindeer makes an easy target for hunters
Just In Time For Christmas
A favorite American tradition – fruitcake or firearms…your choice
A Gift That’s Right on Target
Just a Flick of Your Trigger Finger will bring hours of fun. All rifles shipped free for your convenience
Fully Automatic
Guns and butter department . Whether rifles or toasters, Americans like their gadgets automatic
How to Take A Great Shot
Complete Outfits that Anyone Can Use
Winter Fun For The Whole Family…Skating on Thin Ice
Dependable and fast handling
For Gracious Living
Vintage Christmas catalog pages Sears 1958 .
Recommended for Youngsters
An excellent shotgun to put in young hands
Be a Big Shot- Styled Just Like Dads
Give a gift of warmth for lads and dads
Baby’s First Christmas – Festive and Fun
Year Round Recreational Fun
Step up and test your skill. Score with lively family fun. Vintage pages from Christmas catalogs
Cries Real tears
Personal and Portable Presents
Fun to give fun to receive, a personal portable pistol or record player
Gun Control
Buying that handgun was a snap. Making it clear that they do not sell handguns to minors, the only security check was that the handgun coupon must accompany each order. Emphasizing that the buyer must be “of sound mind”, the same can’t be said of the lax sellers.
This certificate required with each Pistol order. Important Notice, they explained. This certificate must accompany every handgun order. No pistols revolvers, or automatics sold to minors. Aldens Catalog
For Your Christmas Angel
“The recoil on this beauty is so light it’s like a friendly pat on your shoulder,” the copy explains about these selection of rifles. Some might just plain recoil.
Smart Santa Knows Guns As Gay as Christmas Itself
Big Game Hunting
To Brighten Your Home….The True Meaning of Christmas
Longer Time to Pay … and Pray
Vintage catalog pages Montgomery Ward 1959
And Not a Creature Was Stirring….
Vintage Christmas Catalog Sears 1958
It’s still way too easy to purchase guns.
Christmas still remains a “gunfest” for many Americans.
Last Christmas, even after all the tragic mass shootings, gun owners happily posted photos of themselves with their new “toys” under the Xmas tree.
Mass shootings have become as much an American tradition as shopping for presents at Christmas time.
It’s still way too easy to purchase guns.
America has an extraordinary number of child involved shootings These occur when a child happens upon a gun or is left alone with one and ends up shooting themselves or another person.
The inevitable consequences of widespread gun ownership is a never-ending series of tragedies involving children.
Vintage Christmas catalog page Montgomery Ward 1959
Children accidentally shot by other children are collateral casualties of the accessibility of guns in our country.
Its time to wake up and stop the meaningless madness of shootings and take meaningful action about gun culture in America.
© Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Envisioning The American Dream 
Sally,
The other week I listened to a retired law-enforcement agent of 30+ years explain something very simple to this national cultural problem. He stated (and I think I must agree with him) that it is harder to obtain a Driver’s License in America than it is to purchase a firearm. He was utterly perplexed and angry at this stupidity. Why? Because a moving vehicle is ALSO a lethal weapon if not operated and driven safely, properly, and with basic driver and traffic-laws education. HAH! Imagine that!?
Yet, as has been the case for centuries, when a “problem” can be easily rectified, there is often an economic benefactor at risk strongly opposing such change and legislation. HAH! Imagine that as well. 😦
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Which part of the constitution says you have the RIGHT to drive?
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Hah! Fantastic question scott S! Thank you!
The 18th-century Second Amendment doesn’t speak about 21st-century weaponry or armaments does it—just as it doesn’t speak about driving vehicles or flying jet-fighters/bombers does it? Ludicrous, flawed, anachronistic logic. Hence, our Core Founding Fathers and the 1787 Constitutional Convention delegates could have NEVER, in their wildest imaginations, talked about, debated, drafted, or ratified any such laws or Amendments that would protect U.S. citizens in the 21st-century! Nor could they have possibly done the same with pilot licenses, driving licenses, etc. 😉
Great question scott S! Thanks again for bringing that excellent point up.
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Why is it hard to believe that guns were so easy to obtain? They still are – maybe easier…that’s the problem.
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That’s exactly the problem. Even in the shadow of the Planned Parenthood shooting, Black Friday shopping set records in gun sales.
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After the latest shooting in San Bernardino my son and I spent the evening searching the internet for “Free gun with purchase” ads. Crazy as it seems, there are plenty of them, from cars to diamond rings. American’s obsession with guns should have died out with the wild west.
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Yet, mass shootings were not a problem, back when you could mail order firearms. Homicides increased through the 1960s, peaking in the 90s, and now, with more people than ever owning guns, homicides are half of what they were 25 years ago. With all the licensing and requirements to get a driver license, we still have more auto deaths than gun deaths. Far more kids will drown accidentally than will be killed in firearms accidents. Really a shame how people, mostly urbanites, are scared of an inanimate object. If only urban and suburban drivers were as safe as gun owners.
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