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| Get in the Spirit with a Halloween Window! |
Rust Craft would test and suggest various
window displays for their distributors.
This is their suggestion for a
Halloween theme window 1957.
excerpt as follows: Spooks, hobgoblins and witches will be in their favorite haunting grounds the night of October 31st ! Rust Craft suggests a window display which captures much of the spirit of the 'Witching Hour' by the use of traditional (but inexpensive) Halloween symbols and suggested use of colors.
When putting in your window, by all means use BLACK for your background; it will be a contrast for the colorful oranges and yellows of your Halloween cards, particularly Rust Craft........
In the upper half of your window...tack white masks on colorful party streamers. Place your Rust Craft Window Streamer in the center Cut out several bats from black cardboard...tie them to string or wire..
Halloween wouldn't be complete without a witch...so tack up a cardboard witch, taking her annual broomstick ride, in the upper right hand corner...then add a crescent moon to brighten things up.
The friendly Rust Craft Ghost fits in the bottom left of your window along with grinning Jack O'Lantern!
The finished window won't frighten anyone...
but it will "scare up" lots of customers for
Halloween cards and party goods!"
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| Oct 1957 Rustler |
Interestingly, I didn't notice any Halloween cards or mention of them in the 1940s issues of Rust Craft that I have. Although there certainly were Halloween cards they apparently didn't have the marketing value they soon developed. The Sept. and Oct. issues during WWII emphasized the marketing of Christmas cards and the importance of relaying to customers that they should mail early so that soldiers could receive cards in time for the holiday. I found this one pumpkin graphic in 1943 issue, whereas the 1957 issue of the dealer publication features a jack O'lantern on the cover as well as the above window suggestion.
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| 1943 Rust Craft ad |
Source: Rust Craft Rustler October 1957 and 1943
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling
see more
Rust Craft window suggestion for September 1957
Hello! Love that you have explored the content of the Rust Craft Rustler publications! I have a ton of questions about them.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know more about the general content of these publications - are they full of actual card imagery? When they do discuss a holiday is it (as you say here about Christmas) months in advance, since these are geared at retail sellers? If so which months do you find Halloween content?
Thank you again! I would love to see actual pages or perhaps you have shared whole editions in the past somewhere...?
Hi Bindlegrm thanks so much for your comments!
ReplyDeleteThe Rust Craft Rustler was a trade publication, of course, for Rust Craft Cards; earlier editions were titled the Rustonian. The editor was Ernest Dudley Chase. They don't have much in the way of card imagery. Interesting little tidbits of news about people in the industry (store owners etc) tips and instructions on buying and stocking shops, photos of shops and window display contests, lots of fun info. here's a link you might enjoy http://vintagerecycling.blogspot.com/2013/09/1943-day-in-greeting-card-store.html
and you can use the search feature in the blog to search "Rustler" to see other bit's I've shared so far. Thank You!! Jen