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. 

 Nowhere is the uptick in gun purchasing revealed than during the 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

Let’s 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 crosshairs:

 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, 2019. 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.