The giving season, part 2

In a recent entry, I suggested we try to avoid buying a bunch of commercial stuff during the holiday season. Your comments added ideas like making things to give, re-gifting, or donating to charitable organizations on behalf of your gift recipient.

Well, it’s a rare individual who manages to get through the season without buying some gifts. I’m married to someone who values quality over quantity and proven track record over latest fad. So, I thought of my husband when an article in 24/7wallst.com came across my desk: America’s Oldest Brands.

Check out the whole article for history on each of these companies, but here’s the basic list with my personal associations with some of them…would really like to know if you have positive/negative memories or associations, too:

New York Times — Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, I just bought my first holiday gift of the season from the NY Times: a digital subscription for my 20-something son.

Tiffany & Co. — Started around the same time as the NYT. My association very likely the same as yours: Breakfast at Tiffany’s…I’ve never bought anything from them.

Brooks Brothers — Early 1800s, and I’ve never purchased anything from them.

Merriam Webster — Same time period for start up. Who doesn’t have a Webster dictionary in their home or an online bookmark to their digital dictionary?

Scientific American — Mid-1800s. I’ve had subscriptions off and on my whole life…off right now.

Poland Spring — Mid-1800s. This one surprised me. Had no idea water has been bottled for more than 150 years. My favorite brand when I (very occasionally) am forced to buy a bottle of water.

Schaefer Beer — Mid-1800s. Never drink beer.

Remington — Early 1800s. I’m pretty sure we’ve had a Remington rifle in our household.

Crane & Co. — The paper/stationary company was founded right around 1800. I’m sure I’ve bought the brand but no special association.

And, finally, the one that has been a part of my life most of all through the years:

Baker’s Chocolate — Founded 1780. How many cakes and cookies have I made through the years with Baker’s? It’s the only brand I buy. Kind of cool to know it’s been part of the American kitchen for well over 200 years.

Okay, share with us any connection you have to these companies and their products. And do check out the full article at 24/7wallst.com — it’s really chock full of interesting tidbits of historical information.

 

 

Tags: 24/7wallst.com, bakers chocolate, crane paper, gift giving, merriam webster, nytimes, poland water, remington, schaefer beer, scientific american, tiffany