At Spiegel of course! Mail order chicks!
No, I’m not talking about Russian mail order brides, remember this is the 40s. I’m talking about actual real-live chickens. Now with free shipping!
I was flipping through an old catalog and saw this amazing ad. I didn’t know this even existed, and I wish it still did. Imagine opening the latest JCPenney catalog and yelling upstairs to wifey:
“Hey hon, I think I’m gonna buy me some chicks.”
“Sounds great dear!”
It really was that simple. They came in three different varieties: good, better and best. The better the quality, the more eggs the chick would eventually lay.
Check out the ad below! My how times have changed.
Where to buy chicks in the 1940s (Full Spiegel Ad)
Raise chicks! Have plenty of fresh meat and fresh eggs! Buy at these reduced prices! We pay shipping charges! – as low as 9 3/4 of cents each in lots of 100 hatched.
“America’s Finest.” We truly believe you can’t buy a better chick than these Gold Crown chicks. Their superior quality shows in greater egg production, in more vigorous health and in greater weight.
All of these GOld Crown chicks are raised from eggs of strong, healthy tested flocks. Hatched in our US approved State supervised Illinois hatchery. Your guarantee of quality.
Supervised by experts. Handled only by men who are trained in scientific hatchery methods.
Uniformity of Breed! Every carton of chicks are guaranteed to be true to type and breed described.
This special offer is good until January 15, 1943, for chicks to be shipped January and February.
Raise chicks and cut your food bills! Have plenty of fresh meat and fresh eggs for your table at all times. Make extra money selling chickens and eggs to your friends and neighbors. Now’s the time to get started. Meats are scarce and getting scarcer. Egg prices are up. So don’t wait!
Good – Excellent layers – some of the hens from the Good quality flocks will produce over 150 eggs a year.
Better – Excellent layers – some of the hens form the Better flocks will lay well over 200 eggs a year
Best – Outstanding egg producers – some of the hens form the Best flocks will lay well over 250 eggs a year
Buy today!
