Giving gimcracks at Christmas, not useful gifts in 1920


Yes, I know it's early, but I'm thinking of Christmas. I'm someone who has the fondest memories of his life around Christmas, when I was a kid and would get presents.

I've never been someone who really understands the etiquette of gift-giving, which can be terribly complex. The idea is to try to guess what someone wants, and also not tell them what you want. And if you exchange gifts with people who aren't very close to you, it's important to observe what is called "parity" - making sure that the gifts are of about the same value. Logistically, this kinda blows my mind, the same way that my grandma had a little book at told her exactly what type of flower was appropriate on what occasions. I know that roses are for romance, and lilies are for funerals, but that's about it. So please don't ask me about gift giving.

But there is one thing that I do know, and since I just learned this word a few minutes ago when I saw this ad on the Duke site "Ad Access" (which has old ads), I'm gonna use it: Give gimcracks. The definition of a gimcrack is: "a showy object of little use or value", or what I would call a gewgaw. Yes, give them. No eBay value, just love. And skip the gift-wrapped tube of toothpaste.

Yeah, practical stuff just isn't right for gift-giving, in spite of what the Colgate company is saying here in this 1920 ad. Yes, I'm sure that they make great toothpaste, or shaving cream, but I'm gonna recommend that you don't give that kind of stuff as gifts. Sorry, Colgate.

Now that I'm looking at this ad more carefully, there may be some things that would make good gifts, like a fancy soap or something. But the rest, nah. That's a shopping list for the drugstore, not a wish list for Santa.


I hope this helps if Christmas shopping stresses you out. Keep it light and merry, and think "gimcracks"!


Images from the Duke University Library Digital Collections.
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