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People are asking, who is Penny?
The evolution of Penny...
When we first started looking into purchasing the Peddler’s Post, we were enthralled with the wholesome feel that came with this small-town paper. It took us back to yester year and to a time when things appeared to be much simpler. A time, I must admit, I have only read about and seen in movies and pictures.
The 1950’s were a time of rapid growth in the field of Mass communication. TV took lead over the radio, newspaper, and magazines. TV was the new source to get almost all your entertainment, advertisements, and news. Fast forward to today. Here we are kicking off year 2022. In today’s age, entertainment, advertisements, and news are now fed to us on a handheld personal computer screen we all refer to as our phone. As the world pushes to move further to a place where all our information is force fed to us…
there stood this little paper.
We saw more than a paper. We saw community, we saw nostalgia, and a conglomerate of small business owners hustling their American Dream in a simple fun way that brought happiness to the readers. It was something we wanted to be a part of! This set the stage for needing a mascot that spoke to this vision and the evolution of Penny began.
It started when I googled Peddlers, many of the pictures that presented were of Gypsy’s with their mobile trailer full of trinkets and treasures for sale. We could not relate to this. As I continued to search, I found a lovely photograph of a picture, by Jean Hildebrant, titled the Flower Peddler. A young woman holding a basket of flowers. Simple but beautiful. This started a thought. I knew 1950’s was definitely the target era for our new mascot. Mainly because the look of that era shouts yester-year much like this publication, but also because it was the era that tried to irradicate print advertisement as the world knew it!
I like to challenge the status quo and I took the opportunity to do just that in the creation of Penny! In the 1950’s the role the American female was that of a homemaker and mother. She was often portrayed as a pin up model but rarely seen in a leadership role. Challenging the norm of this era, we felt it important that the new “VOICE” of the Peddler’s Post be a WOMAN!
When I asked my daughter to draw the new mascot, I showed her the picture of the Flower Peddler. I told her I wanted a woman with a 1950’s rockabilly vibe, holding a basket of newspapers. While having the timeless beauty of the pin-up models I wanted her to present with a wholesome, sassy, take charge approach. My daughter created my vison perfectly.
Now we needed to name this sassy, wholesome, community paper lady! Early on, while Matt was walking into one of our advertisers’ businesses they made the joke, “Here comes the Penny Pincher.” He was using a reference to a local paper he used to get in his hometown in New York that had local advertisements in it like the Peddler’s Post. And that is how our girl got her name, Penny, The Paper Peddler.
Penny was not created in my likelihood; however, she does embody many things Matt and I believe in. We believe that everyone has a voice and has a right to be heard. We believe in promoting small business because we understand it is more than a paycheck, but it is the American Dream in action. We (me more so than Matt) love challenging the status quo! We love things pretty and timeless, like a flower in your hair and a basket in your arms (again me more so than Matt). We like rising above societal standards and opening minds to new perspectives, new thoughts. We like the blessings in paying” ‘IT” forward, whatever “IT” is! We understand the importance of decompressing and taking a step back to enjoy the simpler things. This is what Penny and the
Peddler’s Post is about.
So, when you ask if I am Penny …I would have to say yes and no. Yes, because she embodies so many things I love and care about. But I like to think that Penny is so much more. She is a logo that has a voice all in herself. She makes a statement, she challenges the status quo in her appearance, and she represents the good wholesome entertainment you can only find in the Peddler’s Post. Penny is the embodiment of the American Dream to rise above the stigmas and societal norm and do your own thing, your own way. Penny is beauty and grace with a little bit of sass.
Thank you all for your kind words and support of what we are doing with the Peddler’s Post. We are grateful to be part of this great little publication and look forward to seeing what 2022 brings to the Peddler’s Post.
AS ALWAYS, THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISERS FOR MAKING THIS GREAT LITTLE PUBLICATION POSSIBLE! If you are in need of a service or good, they provide, please think of them!.
ABOUT US
Community Paper serving Citrus County and surrounding areas for over 15 years!
We are a Community Paper filled with jokes, puzzles, classifieds, recipes, community events, and feature articles. 13,000 copies are distributed monthly to over 400 drop locations. This great little publication is made possible by some of the best service and goods providers in our neighborhood...OUR ADVERTISERS! Please remember them when you are in need of the goods and services they provide.