Remember when store displays brought us to shop?

     Its Black Friday.  So why are you reading this blog?  I am skipping the shopping trips too.  I will do most of my shopping online at Amazon.  Better prices and no hassle to have the gifts come to your door.  Next year we might even have same day delivery with the Amazon distribution center being built in Baltimore.
     Waiting in line for a doorbuster just doesn't seem as much fun as we used to have going Christmas shopping.  I remember what it was like to go to the downtown area of any large city and looking at the elaborate window displays that each store used to draw in customers.  For me it was going to the department stores in Philadelphia.

With department stores like Strawbridge and Clothiers these window displays were new every year.  I can only image their cost.  I remember these window displays like it was yesterday.

 Vendors would sell roasted peanuts and big fresh pretzels outside these department stores. 

 Nothing compared to the display at the Wanamaker Department Store shown above.  The front of the store had a huge pipe organ that played Christmas carols.

    Sadly just like in Baltimore these stores were purchased by other stores and many left the downtown areas for the suburban malls.