THE PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE IS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ANTIQUE STORE LEDGERS...THE HISTORY CONTAINED IN THEIR PAGES  IS AS INTERESTING AS READING AN OLD HISTORY BOOK ! WE CAN SEE THE TYPE OF ITEMS THAT FOLKS USED IN YEARS GONE BY....I PERSONALLY LOVE THE ONES FROM THE TURN OF THE CENTURY ....THERE WE CAN SEE THE PRICES  PEOPLE PAID FOR ITEMS LIKE FLOUR, CORN, CANDY, FRUIT,  SHOES, TOBACCO AND CLOTHING AND YOU CAN ALSO GLEAN FROM READING THESE OLD JOURNALS THAT THE STORES BACK THEN WERE OF THE GENERAL KIND ! CAN YOU PICTURE A PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER TAKING ORDERS AS CUSTOMERS CAME IN ! THE HISTORY AND MEMORIES THESE OLD LEDGERS HOLD IS PRICELESS ! IT SHOWS THE STORES SOLD A BIT OF EVERYTHING ! OVERALLS ! HORSE BRIDLES ! WAGON PARTS ! TOBACCO ! CANNED ITEMS ! FRESH FOODS ! CHICKEN, PIGS, COWS, OLIVE OIL ! LEMON ! ORANGES ! APPLES ! FARM ANIMAL FEED !  MOST OF THE LEDGERS WERE DATED DAILY SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE FOLKS PURCHASED AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR...SPRING WAS A TIME FOR BUYING SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS AND AS SUMMER APPROACHED YOU SAW THE PURCHASES FOR VEGTABLES PICK UP...WINTER WAS SPECIAL IN THAT PEOPLE PURCHASED COAL, SHOES, AND FABRIC FOR MAKING DRESSES AND CLOTHING..I LOVE SEEING WHAT WAS PURCHASED FOR CHRISTMAS ! GEESE, DUCKS, CHICKENS, AND FRUIT SEEMED FAVORITES, ALONG WITH SOCKS AND VERY PRACTICAL ITEMS...PEOPLE CHARGED MANY ITEMS THEY PURCHASED BACK THEN, AND THE CHARGE ACCOUNTS RAN ALONG FOR MONTHS, SOMETIMES YEARS,  WITH PAYMENTS COMING IN SLOWLY....MANY TIMES  PEOPLES NAMES WERE WRITTEN BESIDE THEIR PURCHASES OR AT THE TOP OF A PAGE LISTING THEIR CHARGES OVER TIME !  THESE OLD LEDGERS ARE USEFUL FOR GENEOLOGY RESEARCH ALSO ! EVEN THE DISORGANIZED LEDGERS HAVE SCATTERED NAMES OF FOLKS AND PLACES THAT CAN "TAKE YOU BACK" INTO ANOTHER ERA ! ANON! YES, VINTAGE LEDGERS HAVE A HISTORY ALL THEIR OWN ! BUT BEWARE ! THERE ARE FOLKS WHO TEAR OUT THE PAGES AND DECORATE WITH THEM, AND THAT BREAKS MY HEART...I HOPE ANYONE READING THIS REALIZES WHAT AN IMPORTANT PART OF HISTORY THESE OLD BOOKS ARE AND WILL BEGIN TO RESPECT THEM FOR THE VALUABLE PLACE THEY DESERVE IN PRESERVING OUR PAST .....IN A DAY OF COMPUTORS AND EMAIL, HOW REFRESHING IT IS TO SEE HANDWRITTEN JOURNELS ! TAKE CARE OF OUR PAST FOR OUR CHILDREN !