In our December issue, I told my half-dozen readers about the rise and fall of J.B. Hunter — a national department store chain that opened in Memphis to great fanfare, struggled to find a market here, and finally closed.
When they first opened in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they were decidedly upscale establishments, and even the Lauderdales might be found there, from time to time, wandering up and down the aisles in search of capes, spats, swordcanes, and other necessities.
But over time, I'm sorry to say that the J.B. Hunter stores began to decline, and the quality of their merchandise is a direct reflection of this change.
Case in point: this lovely holiday ornament, from the J.B. Hunter "Trim A Home Shop," purchased (an entire box of them, in fact) at a local antiques mall. Now, how pitiful is this? First of all, it looks for all the world like a dead little bird, which you would attach (with wires stuck into its plastic feet) to your Christmas tree. My, how festive!
And look at the price. Originally offered at the bargain-basement price of 49 cents, even when that cost was slashed in half to a quarter, this entire box still didn't sell.
Look closely at the image below. A pair of tiny fake pearls has been glued to the bird's beak. Is this bird crying? My, that really adds to the merry atmosphere.
But now — as the proud owners of a whole box of these "ornaments" — the Lauderdales are all set for next year.
