We joke that it starts earlier every year, but a new record was set recently by Selfridges, which began selling Christmas decorations at the start of August. Thankfully it’s still a while before the main event begins, and there’s still plenty of time to select gifts, send cards and pick a venue. Of course, now that basically anything is available to buy, one does wonder what sort of brands used to be popular gifts back in the day…

Ah yes, Rowntree’s – the discerning choice in chocolatey Christmas novelties!

Player’s cigarettes: the only way to really cement the bonds of true friendship. Ladies take note: the way to a man’s heart is through his beard. Via Gillette, obviously. And if you happen to know someone with excessive facial hair and a postbox at the bottom of an empty, snow-covered field…

Dental cream, perfume and shaving sticks.

Everything you need for a wonderfully eventful Christmas, but without those gosh darned Gimcracks (whew!). Say, isn’t Santa supposed to be heading in the other direction? This looks more like he’s making a break for it, having pillaged all the Colgate’s from that house.

Coca-Cola began its famous Christmas ad campaign in the 1920s,

and the company has hugely shaped our perception of Father Christmas and his unique dress. Be sure and think of Coke next time you’re having too good a time at that awesome Christmas party. It’s the pause that refreshes, after all.Fancy experiencing a 1920’s Christmas without this, err… interesting selection of gifts? Check out A Vintage Affair at 8 Northumberland Avenue for this year’s celebrations.Five shillings (5/-) equates to around £8 in the 1920’s. Reasonably priced? 10 shillings was close to a week’s wages for a working class family! And what’s with that plain chocolate bar for ‘motoring’. Was the peppermint crisp too distractingly flavourful for road use?

And here’s a delightful box of 100 for around £7. Once one of the most popular brands of cigarettes in central London, Player’s is now rarely found anywhere in the UK. So if your so-called ‘friends’ aren’t feeling it at Christmas, well, you know why…