Larkin Christmas Box
1889
Digger Odell Publications © 2008
In the late 1880s, with the success of the mail order business well established and incorporation looming on the horizon, the company began packaging household items along with their soap to increase sales. The created a large box of 100 pieces of soap mixed with numerous other trinkets and "gifts" mostly inexpensive spoons pictures, handkerchiefs, kitchen utensils and a bottle of Modjeska perfume all for the low price of six dollars. The bargain box as it was first called around September of 1889, became the 'Christmas Box' in December of that year.
Our object in getting, up this Mammoth Christmas Box is to introduce to the American people our "Sweet Home" Family Soap and Fine Toilet Articles. They are the purest, best, and most satisfactory, whether made in this country or England ; everyone who uses them at once becomes a permanent customer. We propose a new departure in the soap trade and will sell direct from our factory to the consumer, spending the money usually allowed for expenses of traveling men, wholesale and retail dealers' profits, in handsome And valuable presents to those who order At once. Our goods are made f6r the select family trade and will not be sold to dealers, and to induce people to give' them a trial we accompany each case with all of the useful and valuable presents named.
'The following are
articles of our own manufacture
which we take great
pride in presenting to the readers of this paper. Send us your name on a postal card and we will deliver you freight prepaid, on terms given below, a Mammoth Christmas Box containing at l of the articles named below
ONE HUNDRED CAKES
"Sweet Home" Family Soap enough to last
a family one full year. This Soap is made for all household
purposes and has no superior.
SIX
BOXES BORAXINE.
ONE-FOURTH
DOZEN MODJESKA COMPLEXION SOAP. ONE
BOTTLE MODJESKA PERFUME. ONE BOTTLE MODJESKA TOOTH POWDER. ONE STICK NAPOLEON
SHAVING SOAP. ONE-FOURTH DOZEN OCEAN
ONE
ENGLISH JAR MODJESKA COLD CREAM.
Soothing,
Healing, Iteantifies the. Skin, Improves the Complexion, Cures Chapped hands
and Lips.
Our Mammoth Christmas Box contains a great variety of Toys, Playthings, etc., for the Babies and sundry useful and amusing things
for the older
folks.
It also contains
One fine Silver-plated Sugar Spoon,
One
tine Silver-plated Child's Spoon, One fine Silver-plated Buttes Knife,
One fine Silver-plated Individual Butter Plate, One fine
Silver-plated Button Hook, One Lady's
Celluloid Pen Holder, (very best) One Arabesque Mat, One Turkish Towel,
One
One Package Pins, One
Spool Black Silk Thread, One Japanese Silk
Handkerchief; One Gentleman's
Handkerchief, large, One Lady's
Handkerchief,
One Child's Lettered Handkerchief,
One Biscuit Cutter, One
Cake Cutter,
One Doughnut Cutter, One Handsome Scrap Book or Portfolio, One Package Assorted Scrap Pictures, Two
Celluloid Collar Buttons, (patented,) Twenty-three
Photo-engraved Pictures of the Presidents of the U. S.
TWENTY-FOUR PICTURES-\Many
of which are Copperplate Engravings suitable
for framing and are handsome decorations for the parlor, entitled
Desdemona, Owl'd Lang Sync,
Our Bovs, Our Pets,
Doe's head. The
Darling. Morning in the
A Faithful Friend. The Maid of
Marguerite. After the Storm.
Sunshine and Shadow. Love's
Young Dream.
Jockey Joe. Futurity.
Skye Terribr. The Interview.
Phunny Fellows, On the Sands.
The Monkeys, Yachting.
Our price for the MAMMOTH CHRISTMAS BOX complete is $6.00, freight prepaid.