The best Christmas shopping was the year I thought I found $300 cash and gave it to my mom. I guess I was about 6 or 7 that year. We were poor back then and I got ice cream out of it.
Decades later I was telling the story again and my mom corrected me that it was not $300 cash. I was correct that we were poor and that ice cream was purchased.
How much cash was it you ask? Well it was the late '70s so $30 would have bought ice cream and still helped a little with Christmas shopping. That mall we were shopping in doesn’t even exist anymore. Of course most malls of my youth are gone now. Tampa Bay Center (2 favourite stores were Mack the Knife {knife store} and Boardwalk - Park Place {game store of mostly board games and role playing games} both were killed when the food court came along.), East Lake mall, Floriland mall, the one where the money was found but I cannot remember the name of and a couple others.
I miss old malls, and old department stores like K-Mart and Zayre and even the small ones like TG&Y (which became Ben Franklin) and Eckerd Drugs (which was split and sold to CVS or Rite Aid). Of course back then flea markets were fun too. The last couple flea markets I went to almost all the booths were people selling old junk or just kits of new junk. The flea market in Ft. Lauderdale was massive but had like 20 booths that were all selling the same perfume, another 20 that were selling the same sunglasses and a couple other duplicates.
Oh yeah, you asked about how much money was found. When my mom corrected me she said it was just over $3000. She said we waited around for almost an hour to see if anyone came back looking for it but no one did.
I liked being able to see all the merch in person in all the stores, but the crowds could be overwhelming. I remember having my first panic attack in my teens at a mall; I didn’t know what was going on but my heart started racing and I was sweating - just from the crowds.
I used to do the mall, looking for particular things. I would start at one end and go to the other, and usually have NO success. Frustrating and tiring. Most of what little shopping I do now, is on the web.
My day at the mall was December 24th, after work. Bargains galore, stores just wanted to clean their shelves. Those days are gone, So are most of the malls.
It was good, for its time. Back when we had long hair and bell bottoms.
@therealjrn I now have (old) long hair and sweat pants. But avoid malls.
@pmarin lol, I wear sweat pants everywhere nowadays…hey…It’s got pockets!
NO NO NO NEVER AGAIN NEVER AGAIN
@Wollyhop Well with that attitude I will just take your name off my list.
The best Christmas shopping was the year I thought I found $300 cash and gave it to my mom. I guess I was about 6 or 7 that year. We were poor back then and I got ice cream out of it.
Decades later I was telling the story again and my mom corrected me that it was not $300 cash. I was correct that we were poor and that ice cream was purchased.
How much cash was it you ask? Well it was the late '70s so $30 would have bought ice cream and still helped a little with Christmas shopping. That mall we were shopping in doesn’t even exist anymore. Of course most malls of my youth are gone now. Tampa Bay Center (2 favourite stores were Mack the Knife {knife store} and Boardwalk - Park Place {game store of mostly board games and role playing games} both were killed when the food court came along.), East Lake mall, Floriland mall, the one where the money was found but I cannot remember the name of and a couple others.
I miss old malls, and old department stores like K-Mart and Zayre and even the small ones like TG&Y (which became Ben Franklin) and Eckerd Drugs (which was split and sold to CVS or Rite Aid). Of course back then flea markets were fun too. The last couple flea markets I went to almost all the booths were people selling old junk or just kits of new junk. The flea market in Ft. Lauderdale was massive but had like 20 booths that were all selling the same perfume, another 20 that were selling the same sunglasses and a couple other duplicates.
Oh yeah, you asked about how much money was found. When my mom corrected me she said it was just over $3000. She said we waited around for almost an hour to see if anyone came back looking for it but no one did.
@yakkoTDI
$3,000?! Woohoo!
@yakkoTDI I remember the Swap Shop Flea Market on Sunrise Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale. My mom lived nearby on Sunrise.
@olperfesser I am pretty sure that was the one. It was before my nephew moved away for college. I guess around 2004 or 2005.
I don’t buy Christmas presents
I liked being able to see all the merch in person in all the stores, but the crowds could be overwhelming. I remember having my first panic attack in my teens at a mall; I didn’t know what was going on but my heart started racing and I was sweating - just from the crowds.
I used to do the mall, looking for particular things. I would start at one end and go to the other, and usually have NO success. Frustrating and tiring. Most of what little shopping I do now, is on the web.
My day at the mall was December 24th, after work. Bargains galore, stores just wanted to clean their shelves. Those days are gone, So are most of the malls.