A Classic Christmas Scam

Nat King Cole, Christmas, music, scam, popular music

My sister really wanted a record of 1950s most popular artists for Christmas.

I wrote a letter to the company demanding my money back and letting them know how I felt about them for cheating my sister out of a happy Christmas.

By Citizen Correspondent John Anderson

Date Posted: 12/12/06

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I was ten years old the first time I got scammed. It wouldn't be the last, but at least I found something to laugh about in the experience. One of the oldest scams recorded in American history was a company that offered an engraved miniature portrait of Abraham Lincoln for just a dollar. Suckers who fell for it got a Lincoln penny in return. The post office closed down the fraud, but not before the perpetrator sold more than four thousand of these patriotic miniatures. The one I fell for was not as blatant, and actually wasn't even illegal. But it sure did hurt.

The year was 1950 and I was in the fifth grade. My sister, Mary, was four years younger and had developed an interest in rock and roll music. I never liked it until recently when Public T.V. had a Doo-Wop Concert fundraiser that brought tears to my eyes. At the time I was dreaming of leading the Minneapolis Symphony. I never played an instrument, but I really loved classical music, and still do.

Christmas was just a few weeks away and my mother insisted that I buy gifts this year instead of letting her buy them and say they came from me. I suppose it was one of the great rites of passage in those days. I had picked out a pin and earrings for my mother, and a new briar pipe for my father. I had even earned money.

1950 was the year of big snows, and I worked nearly every day after school shoveling walks. The rate at the time was 50 cents if it was just the sidewalk, and a buck if I had to shovel a driveway. I had already made more than twenty dollars, and I was sure I would have enough for all my gifts before too long. I had no idea what to give my sister.

Mary told me what she wanted. She had been listening to the radio and heard about a great offer of all the current popular songs on three records by the original artists. All it cost was $9.99. Ten dollars in 1950 money would be more than a hundred today. It certainly was more than I had spent on the other gifts, but she seemed to really want it.