Waldenbooks Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet
gray / 2" x 2" / Square
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
Skip to product information
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Keep a favorite bookstore memory in view with this Waldenbooks square porcelain fridge magnet. Its subject honors the company’s journey from a Depression-era rental library in Bridgeport to a nationwide bookstore presence and a familiar fixture of American malls. A compact collectible for readers, former customers, booksellers, and retail-history fans, it brings together the pleasures of browsing shelves, discovering paperbacks, and remembering stores that shaped everyday life.
Walden Book Company began on March 4, 1933, when Lawrence Hoyt, a former Simon & Schuster sales manager, and Melvin T. Kafka opened a rental library inside a department store in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Named after Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, the business rented books for three cents per day during the Great Depression. By 1948, it had 250 rental locations. Lawrence Hoyt opened the first Walden bookstore in Pittsburgh in 1962, as affordable paperbacks helped shift the company from rentals to retail selling. Broadway Hale Stores acquired the company in 1969 and later became Carter Hawley Hale. During the 1970s, Walden Books gradually became Waldenbooks. Kmart acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. The company expanded into software, educational toys, larger book formats, and related brands, acquired U.S. Coles Book Stores locations in 1987, and operated Basset Book Shop stores before they became Borders locations. In 1994, Kmart combined Waldenbooks, Brentano’s, and Borders into the Borders-Walden Group. Many stores became Borders Express locations beginning in 2004. Borders Group entered liquidation in 2011, closing the remaining Waldenbooks stores.
Waldenbooks Square Porcelain Fridge Magnet
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
| 2" x 2" | |
|---|---|
| Width, in | 2.00 |
| Height, in | 2.00 |
| Depth, in | 0.25 |
Keep a favorite bookstore memory in view with this Waldenbooks square porcelain fridge magnet. Its subject honors the company’s journey from a Depression-era rental library in Bridgeport to a nationwide bookstore presence and a familiar fixture of American malls. A compact collectible for readers, former customers, booksellers, and retail-history fans, it brings together the pleasures of browsing shelves, discovering paperbacks, and remembering stores that shaped everyday life.
Walden Book Company began on March 4, 1933, when Lawrence Hoyt, a former Simon & Schuster sales manager, and Melvin T. Kafka opened a rental library inside a department store in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Named after Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, the business rented books for three cents per day during the Great Depression. By 1948, it had 250 rental locations. Lawrence Hoyt opened the first Walden bookstore in Pittsburgh in 1962, as affordable paperbacks helped shift the company from rentals to retail selling. Broadway Hale Stores acquired the company in 1969 and later became Carter Hawley Hale. During the 1970s, Walden Books gradually became Waldenbooks. Kmart acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. The company expanded into software, educational toys, larger book formats, and related brands, acquired U.S. Coles Book Stores locations in 1987, and operated Basset Book Shop stores before they became Borders locations. In 1994, Kmart combined Waldenbooks, Brentano’s, and Borders into the Borders-Walden Group. Many stores became Borders Express locations beginning in 2004. Borders Group entered liquidation in 2011, closing the remaining Waldenbooks stores.
| 2" x 2" | |
| Width, in | 2.00 |
| Height, in | 2.00 |
| Depth, in | 0.25 |
Product features
- 2" square porcelain tile with glossy finish
- Superior coating for bright, true-to-design color reproduction
- Vibrant, crisp printing using modern techniques
- Strong magnet mounted on the backside for secure hold
- Durable glossy surface that highlights fine details and contrasts
Care instructions
- Gently wipe the dirt or dust off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Care instructions: Gently wipe the dirt or dust off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth