Comments on: The LAY-A-GUEY Plan

By: Bobo

Bobo — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:46:06 +0000

Yeah, I’ve been reading a lot about the return of layaway. Sure it brings back memories. With the advent of credit cards we all quickly forgot about layaway and waiting to buy things until we could afford them. Also, bartering is coming back into vogue as well. But I’m not going to take all this too seriously. As soon as things get “back to normal” all these activities will be relegated to old people, weirdos and hippie-types. FYI, I’m in the weirdo category.

I forgot all about bank x-mas clubs. I remember curiously looking over my father’s shoulder when he was doing the finances at his desk and seeing the x-mas club passbook and knowing what that would mean come December. Memories!

By: EL CHAVO!

EL CHAVO! — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:05:18 +0000

I saw this today and it made me think of you!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elchavo/3036847269/

By: loveandhatela

loveandhatela — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:55:05 +0000

great piece…i remember as a kid in the 80’s going with my parents to the First street department store, it recently closed down. I also remember going down to Soto and Brooklyn (now Cesar Chavez), they had, havent been in the area in a few years, a mens store that sold nice dress up clothes. We would also go shopping at the Big Buy for groceries and of course good old Bank of America.
I also remember going to the Zody’s in Montebello and who can forget the trips to the Sears on Olympic or Dearden’s in downtown LA as well as Newberrys or Woolworth’s- even the red icees at Kmart

By: Al Desmadre

Al Desmadre — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:04:46 +0000

One way that my Mom used Lay A Way to her advantage was that it enabled her to go out and get things she wanted that my Dad would otherwise not allow her to buy or would simply disapprove of. With a secret Lay A Way going on here & there, my Mom could acquire her merchandise slowly and on the low and my Dad would never know (or notice) how we got those things.

By: chimatli

chimatli — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:04:55 +0000

Al,
NPR recently did a couple of stories on the return of Layaway.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96178975

I think some of the small clothing shops here in LH have been using layaway for awhile too. I often notice a small stack of clothes behind the registers with names and slips of paper.

By: Al Desmadre

Al Desmadre — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:24:10 +0000

Browne,
Yeah we should have held those values all along, but inevitably, things get corrupted.
Not to sound like a “Charlie Brown(e) TV Special”, but I hope the current crisis inspires more people to reawaken the true (non-materialistic) spirit of Christmas. I hope we can reverse this consumer driven gluttonous overload for more & more crap.

By: browne

browne — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:04:53 +0000

I see the humor in this, but as you know I am a downer.

This reviving lay away is horrible. Why can’t we revive the true meaning of the holidays. Family, friends and not being an asshole.

There are going to be lots of sad kids this Christmas, because of the silly values we have and the sophistication of marketing that we now market crap to kids. Toys, clothes, electronics, all kinds of materialistic crap.

And that’s perfectly fine.

Sex education that’s bad.
Billboards for adults that’s bad, but marketing to five year olds, perfectly acceptable.

I think we should have a give nothing but yourself holiday. No presents, no bs, just co-op dinners and community service for those less fortunate.

Screw Christmas or rather screw what it has become.

Browne

By: Al Desmadre

Al Desmadre — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:27:56 +0000

That’s funny Hector. I can see a bumper sticker: Do some Charity tonight-Lay A Guey!

By: Hector

Hector — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:48:53 +0000

My mom usedlayaway plans, at places like Sears and Deardens and Zody’s. And buying crap on “credito” too. She still has that instinct to buy stuff on credit. I have to tell her to forget it, it’s a huge waste of money.

There’s something oddly sleazy about the word “layaway,” actually. It sounds like a slogan for encouraging people to have pity and provide cheap sex to romantically retarded pendejos.

“Lay a guey! Lay a guey! Lay a guey!”

By: waltarrrrr

waltarrrrr — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:45:01 +0000

Ah Layaway... As a kid, I remember making payments on a pair of expensive parachute pants, then forgetting about wanting those pants, then the store went out of business, and lost was that damned LAYAWAY MONEY!