Christmas on May 28

Working at a newspaper part-time, I get an advance look at the Sunday color section. (Still called, in New York City, the “roto section,” because of how it was printed, by the rotogravure process.) We buy the American Profile, because the other paper has dibs on “Parade,” the only good supplement that’s left.

On the second-to-last inside page is a Christmas ad. Yes, a Christmas ad. A Coca-Cola train and act now because it’s a limited time offer (one train set per customer).

This train is the most blatant ad I’ve seen. Looking at one side of the train only, there’s a Coke symbol on the front, a large script logo on the boiler, Santa hoisting one below the cab. The tender is one huge advertising sign. The combine car shows a bottle of Coke, another “Drink Coca-Cola in Bottles” and some Coke phrase across the top.”

And these are just the three starter pieces.

I always look for the first Christmas ads around the first of September, maybe the end. But this one showing up now really amazes me. Is the company (Hawthorne Village) trying to raise a little money during the Spring/Summer season to keep going? Times are tough and there might well be a temptation to rush the season.

I wonder how much track comes with this? Just enough to hold the cars? Also, there is a certificate of authenticity, for what that’s worth.