Eaton's 1959 Christmas Catalogue

This wonderful catalogue is a snapshot of one of the most successful retail endeavours in Canadian history, at their peak.

Eaton's is legendary. The Canadian retail giant was founded by an Irish immigrant named Timothy Eaton. When hi immigrated to Canada in 1854, he and his brother James decided to go into the dry goods and retail business. They were moderately successful, but frequently quarrelled over business practices. As such, Timothy left his brother and moved to Toronto. In 1869, he and his wife paid $6,500 for a dry goods retail business. Here, Timothy could adopt the policies that were so unpopular with his brother James. Firstly, they accepted only cash and their items' prices were fixed. This was a break from tradition, when many retail operations accepted credit and bargaining, and quite unpopular, at that. However, undeterred, Eaton established new and revolutionary retail practices. He placed well-priced goods in front of the store or just inside the doorway. He touted quality products and fair prices and even implemented the first 'Goods Satisfactory or Money Refunded' policy in 1870. He also distinguished himself cutting out wholesalers. The standard practice of the day was for retail establishments to purchase goods directly from wholesalers after they'd purchased the products abroad. In order to combat the practice and inevitable mark-up that comes with another party, he travelled to the UK and to Europe, himself, to purchase directly from suppliers.
Low prices and attractive displays meant that Eaton's store was immensely successful and in only a few years, he purchased a prime property on Yonge St. His new store had 4 floors, electric lights and a prime location that cemented his foothold in Toronto and Canadian retail. Over the next several years, Eaton bought up surrounding properties, as well, and expanded his empire. Before long, Eaton's had a presence in every province in Canada and every major city in the country.
Although eventually going bankrupt and having to sell to their long-time arch-rival, Sears, Eaton's will forever be known as one of the most influential retail organization in Canadian history.

This catalogue is in very good condition. Given that it's nearly 60 years old, this magazine has held up wonderfully. The pages are all complete and, for the most part, undamaged. It has been kept in a plastic sleeve for several years, at least. Yes, there are a few bent corners, but that's to be expected. The inserts are all present and all the pictures and writing are very clear (and oh so fun to look at!). The styles, technology and gift ideas are wonderful. This was at a time when photography was still fairly expensive, so you'll notice that a lot of the models and even electronics are illustrated. Although colour publication was still in it's infancy in the 50s, when they are used, they're simply lovely.

Clean and clear, this would be a wonderful addition to someone's collection of vintage magazines.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, I'm always happy to return messages almost immediately.

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