Among the many things I never really have been good at, nor had much inclination to become good, is shopping.

That’s right. Shopping. If the economy depended upon such as I, we would be in a constant recession, or worse.

Yet we are a consumerist society, probably buying as much we don’t need — probably more — as that which we do need.

That’s just the way of it, and my “take” on the matter is certainly not original.

Now, having said all that, let me provide for you a glimpse of what was for sale 70 years ago, right here in our little corner of the world. These shopping opportunities were gleaned from 1947 October issues of the Washington Daily News.

See what might have enticed you, lo, those many years ago.

Little Mule Co. — Mules-Horses-C.P. Little, Mgr.

Men – you don’t have to pay $8.00 or $10.00 for your fall HAT if you don’t want to. We have Men’s FUR FELTS made by “Hopkins” at … $4.95 — This is a Saturday’s Special — J.K. Hoyt

Turnage Theatre — “Life With Father” — Matinee — children 50 cents Adults 90 cents — Night — Children 5 cents Adults $1.25

Classifieds: Don’t Fiddle Around — Get your musical strings at Smitty’s Bicycle Shop

Hey, Kids — Get a foxhole shovel at Blackwood’s — Only 29 cents.

Dinner Menu at Saleeby’s Restaurant for Saturday — Spanish meat loaf-60 cents, roast fresh ham, brown gravy-75 cents, Club Saleeby’s special steak dinner-$1.00

For Sale — Hogs, 3 Sows and pigs — J. E. Hodges, phone 3113 Chocowinity

I have gotten rat poison for several people. If you want any, see me at once. Caleb Bell, Sanitarian

Then some more display ads:

Save While You Earn … The Bank of Washington

America’s Greatest Postwar Motor Car Values! The Kaiser and the Frazer — Cox Motor Co.

Vann’s Studio — Formerly Baker’s Studio — “A picture today is a treasure tomorrow.”

Studebaker’s glamorous postwar Commander . . . Beaufort Auto Company

“You’ll be fresh when you arrive … thanks to Hydra-Matic Drive!” Campell Motor Company

At Charles Your Dollars Save More … NOW

And at the Reita you could see Johnny Mack Brown in “Code of the Saddle” On Sunday you could Eat and Enjoy your Turkey Dinner at Shore View (Web’s) — Also chicken-in-the-basket, steak, shrimp, crab meat, oysters, and more.

How about a Martin Outboard Motor? Kugler-Nicholson, Inc. can provide one for you with “easy payments”

Tobacco Friends! The Rush is Over and Tobacco is Still Selling High — At — Sermons

For the First Time Since Before the War — Bottle Gas Ranges, Water Heaters, and Refrigerators … Alligood-Owens

And all of this, friends, is barely a smidgen of offerings being touted in just a very few pages of the Daily News way back in October of 1947.

Just 70 years ago.

And the people said, “Where has the time gone?”