From the readers: Ginza Tokyu Hotel, Koester's and belsnickeling

Here's the final 2014 edition of "From the Readers." Thanks, as always, for all of your comments, support and kind words throughout the years.

1938 holiday postcard from Leinhardt Bros. of York: I went fishing for some memories of Leinhardt Bros. on Facebook and got a few:

• Sally Bailey Pomraning — "Bought my first wringer washer and a baby stroller there in 1958-59 on the payment plan LOL and then a nice desk in 1968. It was a nice store on West Market Street."
• Ann Young O'Connell — "We bought our first sofa there in 1973 when my husband came back from SE Asia."
• Catherine Bean Malstrom — "I bought my first furniture from Leinhardt Bros."

Saturday's postcard: Ginza Tokyu Hotel: Anonymous writes: "Hello, my still happily married parents met there in 1962 when visiting Tokyo. I tried to find the location today, but found a new building on the site. Do you know whether the lower floors are still original with only the top floors having been stacked on top, or was the hotel building completely torn down?"

I'm not 100 percent sure about the answer to that question. These additional Papergreat posts, however, discussed the Ginza Tokyu Hotel:

• 1961 Ginza Tokyu Hotel guest booklet
• Fabulous vintage postcard for Japan's Ginza Tokyu Hotel
• #20: Ginza Tokyu Hotel guest room (Postcard Blogathon 2013)

1960s Russian С Новым годом postcard ("Happy New Year!"): Izake Hitori writes: "It's not a rabbit, it's a forest hare — just a character of Russian folklore. Usually described like kind but faint-hearted, willing to help everyone."

In support and defense of tiny Christmas cards: Anonymous writes: "But you can't send these through the mail unless you put them in a larger envelope ... conservation fail."

Vintage photographs of kids playing in the snow: Nan Keltie writes: "I enjoyed seeing your post about winter and snow fun for kids! Thanks for sharing. I used one of the photos on my Facebook page and gave you credit by linking back to this page."

Coupons from the E.H. Koester Bakery Co.: Vincent Ward writes: "My grandfather, Edgar Weal, worked for Koester's as a credit manager from 1933 until he retired in 1965. When I was born he purchased a $25 U.S. Savings Bond for me through Koester's (I guess you could do that back then!) I kept the bond until cashing it some time in my early 20's. Needless to say my family ate a LOT of Koester's bread. Great memories!"

And Fairfaxcat writes:
"Give us the top and the bottom and we'll leave the middle to you,
Build something great with Koester's bread and see what you can do,
The better the bread the better the sandwich so start out way ahead,
Make the top and the bottom something great with Koester's Bread!

(Tune aired frequently on WBAL radio in 1972 during or near the time of Orioles' broadcasts. Heard the sound in and around my grandfather's Trappe farmhouse when I came over to visit from VA's western shore during school's summer break.)"

Thanks for passing that jingle along! I love that so many comments and memories were generated by this 2011 post.

"Dear Friend Mable come down on beldsnickle night": Jim Fahringer writes: "My two grandmothers — one born in 1889 and the other born in 1883 — often told me of their belsnickeling. It seems that they dressed in costumes similar to Halloween costumes and would travel from house to house on Christmas Eve asking for treats. I actually still have one or two belsnickeling costumes. For many years my mother wore the one costume as a Halloween costume during the early 1930's and my sisters wore the costume during the 1950's. Unfortunately the costume is in rather bad shape today — torn, dry rot, stained."