Monday, April 14

Discussed in class on Monday, April 14 was a continuation of the Great Depression.  This time I want to focus on the material aspect of the Great Depression, because all throughout the 1920's Americans, who could afford it were buying products, thus fueling the consumer durables revolution.  In other words before the decade of the 1920's Americans paid for products in full with cash, generally, rarely, though it did exist, did Americans put things on credit.  Credit was kind of a shameful thing, it meant that you weren't making enough money and therefore could not afford basic products like food.  However during the 1920's people couldn't afford luxuries like washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioning and believe me if air conditioning was invented at this time I would get a credit card and put this on credit and not suffer another sweltering Illinois summer.

During the 1920's all the fancy items that were bought and coveted were worthless by the start of the Great Depression.  China and crystal were some of these items, for example depression glass, "clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States  around the time of the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_glass

Seen as cheap novelties at the time in today's market these rare pieces of colored glass can sell for up to hundred of dollars.