It's 1902 and you're rich. What do you give your friends, siblings, spouse and or employees?

[Harmonious Discord]

It's kind of hard to think what would be appropriate back a hundred years.

Sister gets a fabulous mink coat.
Brother gets a new Cadillac.
The friends get an assortment of smoked meats cheeses, a bottle of cognac and a box of cigars.
The workers get a party with beer, food and a band.

Your turn for whomever you wish. Just stick to the period.

[Harmonious Discord]

What do you give for Christmas?

[alphaboi867]

I shall give all of my servants a pineapple along with their Christmas bonuses. Probally add a bottle of booze for butler and cook, and maybe a sherry for housekeeper.

[Boyo Jim]

Am I rich in money, or love (aka poor)?

If money, am I rich or filthy rich?

[Reno Nevada]

It's kind of hard to think what would be appropriate back a hundred years.

Sister gets a fabulous mink coat.
Brother gets a new Cadillac.
.

Usually, I would think, if I were rich my sister and brother would also be. Thus, they would appreciate a gift that was more thoughtful and personal than expensive.

Also, in 1907 a car was a hobby, not transportation. Only a very few people would actually want one. Not unlike a Model 1907 Cadillac would be today.

I am giving my sister a book that I really enjoyed and that I would like to share with her. I think she will like that better than a fur coat.

I started this post thinking about what Lord Peter Wimsey would give to Gerald and Mary at Christmas. I doubt if it would (necessarily) be expensive. I can't imagine it would be fur coats and automobiles--he does give a fur coat to an informant once.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Stock in Standard Oil, across the board.

[Harmonious Discord]

Also, in 1907 a car was a hobby, not transportation. Only a very few people would actually want one. Not unlike a Model 1907 Cadillac would be today.


I can see you'd be terrible at buying gifts for my family. My brother would be into cars because that's what he's like. I have to admit I'd have no idea what to get the servants, but you weren't telling me to get them something different.

[Harmonious Discord]

Am I rich in money, or love (aka poor)?

If money, am I rich or filthy rich?

Money. You can't afford to buy a country. You're not that rich. I didn't say your relatives had any money beyond normal, and never intended them to be rich. You get to be generous.

[Elendil's Heir]

I would have my curvy, starchy-yet-sexy English secretary ask them what they want, and then give them that. Then look into autogyro flights to Siam.

[wolfman]

1907? If I had some connections I would pull some strings to get them all some nifty plastic doodad, maybe a plastic candle-holder or something.

[Harmonious Discord]

Reno Nevada brought up 1907. This is Christmas 1902. It's nice to plan ahead, but five years ahead is a bit much.

[LouisB]

Like most rich people I've known have given to me, I'd give them advice on how to get rich, followed by "That's how I did it and if I can do it, anyone can."

[Jophiel]

Everyone gets to leave their jobs in my steel foundry and button factory a full thirty minutes early on Christmas Day. They will make it up with an additional hour labor on the 26th. This is not optional.

[picker]

An onion for their belt. That was the style back then.

[masonite]

An onion for their belt. That was the style back then.

No, that was much later, about Nineteen-Dickety-Two.

[panache45]

A crate of oranges. My mother was born in 1913, and she and her siblings used to get oranges in their Christmas stockings. She said they were a rare treat back then. An entire crate would be an expensive luxury.

Or how about a ride in a biplane.

[Paul in Qatar]

Oranges, pineapples and baked goods make a nice buffet for a Christmas party. But you know this year I want to do something really special.

This year I am going to borrow (or rent?) a couple of nice railcars and take everyone to Palm Springs.

Eccentric and expensive, but I am just sick of all the snow and cold.

[BMax]

A crate of oranges. My mother was born in 1913, and she and her siblings used to get oranges in their Christmas stockings. She said they were a rare treat back then. An entire crate would be an expensive luxury.

Or how about a ride in a biplane.The Wright Brothers didn't fly at Kitty Hawk until 1906, so a biplane ride in 1902 would be out of the question.

Considering similar tastes in my family members then as today, I would get my father a set of golf clubs. My mother would get a painting of a religious nature. My brothers and sisters would receive wristwatches, My servants would each get a $10.00 gold piece. My employees would receive Christmas day off with pay.

[alphaboi867]

The Wright Brothers didn't fly at Kitty Hawk until 1906, so a biplane ride in 1902 would be out of the question...

So they'd have to take a hot air balloon ride instead.


No, that was much later, about Nineteen-Dickety-Two.

Alot of people don't realize that people had to say "dickety" bach then as the Kaiser had stolen the word twenty.

[koeeoaddi]

First class accommodations for everyone on the maiden voyage of the RMS Carpathia.

Good thing for my near and dear that it's 1902. By 1912, they will have all tired of ostentatious transatlantic travel and they'll be at me for automobiles, prairie houses and stock in AT&T.

[CT_Damsel]

All the children in the family will get "Barnnum Animal Crackers" in their stockings. They are the newest thing and the box can be hung on the tree as an ornament.

Who took my type writer and replaced it with this strange flat contraption?:confused:

[CT_Damsel]

For the adults Santos Dumont will be giving rides in his dirigible balloon.

[Lumpy]

Wife: some really expensive high quality clothing, probably silk.

Sister: book is good if she's into those. Otherwise maybe a silver tableware set or some fine bone china?

Brother: If he should happen to be into hunting, a first-rate handcrafted firearm. Similarly a prime hunting dog or a horse would be a fine gift for a sportsman.

Friends: depends on the friend. Possibilities include liquor, cigars, appropriate jewelry (cufflinks, signet ring, etc.), silver cigarette case, gold pocket watch, steel pen set.

Employees/Servants: (if you're rich in 1902, you have servants-period). Cash bonuses, food, wine or beer (not liquor). For their children candy (which was a real treat back in the day), and small cheap toys like pennywhistles.

[Derleth]

For my dear wife: Her family owns salt mines in the old country, so now she can own a copper mine in Butte.

For my younger brother: A round-trip first-class passage to Europe with enough money besides to finance a Grand Tour. May he marry as well as I did, on the advice that Russian petty royalty make fine brides once they can be persuaded to leave their peaceful and welcoming native land.

For my nephew: A newspaper in the city of his choosing, so he can regale the rest of the Republic as he regales us over dinner. I'll supply the ink and paper; he can more than supply the column-inches.

For my fine employees, down at the pulp mill: Sausage and beer! A big brass band, and fine bonuses in their paychecks.

[Sternvogel]

Here is a list (http://www.librarything.com/topic/24927) of some of the best-selling books of 1902. Many of the titles have faded into obscurity but I recognized #1 (The Virginian), #2 (Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch), and #7 (The Hound of the Baskervilles), plus the authors of #8 (Booth Tarkington) and #9 (Henry van Dyke).

The Wright Brothers didn't fly at Kitty Hawk until 1906, so a biplane ride in 1902 would be out of the question.

Orville and Wilbur made their first successful powered flights on December 17, 1903. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers)

[jayjay]

Employees/Servants: (if you're rich in 1902, you have servants-period).

Even if you were just upper middle-class you'd probably have at least a cook/housekeeper.

[zut]

Brother gets a new Cadillac.Although that wouldn't have been completely impossible, the first Cadillac ever made was finished in October 1902, and a total of only three were constructed that year. Cadillac really took off the following year, specifically after William Metzger demonstrated two of the three extant Cadillacs at the January 1903 New York auto show.

So your acquisition of one of these three cars at this critical time would have required not only some influence at Cadillac, but also the prescience to know that Cadillac would become a high-quality marque.

[Harmonious Discord]

Although that wouldn't have been completely impossible, the first Cadillac ever made was finished in October 1902, and a total of only three were constructed that year. Cadillac really took off the following year, specifically after William Metzger demonstrated two of the three extant Cadillacs at the January 1903 New York auto show.

So your acquisition of one of these three cars at this critical time would have required not only some influence at Cadillac, but also the prescience to know that Cadillac would become a high-quality marque.

I researched that there were Cadillacs at that time. I thought it was a nice looking car from the picture I saw. That's why I decided to get brother the car in 1902. I guess if I have to invest to get the car I will.