Original Eaton's Store Souvenir Building

Events and anniversaries are one reason souvenir buildings are created and meant to be commemoratives of the occasion. I recently found a miniature metal replica of the first Easton Store. It was clearly made for the 125th anniversary of the department store (1869-1994). The small brass depiction of the original Eaton's store is encased in lucite and has the words, T. Eaton Co. above the entrance. Established by Timothy Eaton in 1869 on the corner of Yonge and Queen Streets in Toronto, Canada, the small shop became the T. Eaton Co. Limited. It grew to become a retail and social institution with stores across the country, offices around the world and a catalogue in most Canadian homes. Eaton's first advertisement read "We propose to sell our goods for CASH ONLY – In selling goods, to have only one price." In an era where haggling for goods was commonplace, this was a revolutionary business practice. Eaton's was well known for its customer service, as expressed in its long-standing slogan "Goods Satisfactory or Money Refunded." A rapidly changing economic and retail environment in the late 20th century proved difficult for Eaton’s as the chain went bankrupt in 1999. In case you missed it, I've written before about buildings in lucite.