Thursday, July 14, 2011

"Real Kiddie-Kars Are Made Only By White"


This large color illustration is part of a full-page advertisement1 in the November 1919 issue of The Ladies' Home Journal.

The advertisement states, in part:
"The only genuine KIDDIE-KAR is made by the H.C. White Company2 of North Bennington, Vt. The name KIDDIE-KAR is a registered trade mark; it is always on the seat. The KIDDIE-KAR is protected by four patents."
The prices weren't bad. The Kiddie-Kar came in five sizes, with costs ranging from $1.25 to $3.50. (That's the equivalent of a relatively reasonable $15.61 to $43.72 in 2010 prices, according to The Inflation Calculator.)

Prices were, however, "higher west of the Mississippi," according to the advertisement.

What would a vintage Kiddie-Kar cost you today? There are a couple for sale on eBay right now. One can be had for $29, assuming no one else bids. The other has a "Buy It Now" price of a mere $299.95.


Footnotes
1. A full page of the magazine in 1919 measured 10½ inches wide by 16 inches deep. It was too big for my scanner, but the full advertisement can be seen here.
2. H.C. White Company was first known for producing some of the world's finest stereoviews. Then it changed gears abruptly around 1915 and began to produce the famous Kiddie-Kar. Okinawa Soba has posted a detailed history of the company on his Flickr page, which includes an engraving of H.C. White's factory facilities in North Bennington.

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