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65 years ago: An epic run on nylons in Minneapolis

The ad, published in the Minneapolis Star-Journal, succinctly captured the pent-up demand among ration-weary consumers in the months following the end of World War II.

"This May Please You, But We're Scared," intoned the Dayton Co. on Feb. 5, 1946.

Rightly so. The city's leading department store was heralding its miraculous inventory of 60,000 pairs of nylon stockings, quietly amassed over a three-month period and going on sale the following morning.

Nylons, a relatively new, mass-produced version of the silk stocking, had been absent for most of the war's duration, and they were sorely missed. To avoid a mob scene, the store planned to stretch the sale over a three-day period, selling only 20,000 pairs each day. Cost: $1.15 to $1.65 ($13 to $19 in 2011 dollars)...
Read entire article at Star Tribune