Pep Boys vs. Hollanders - copycat advertising

[Dave Henderson]

While dusting off a collection of '30's era bulb boxes I discovered that there had been a copycat afoot!   Both companies used the same visual approach, with three individuals shown in characterization on their boxes.  "Manny" of Pep boys has his cigar, crewcut haircut, small mustache, and round-lensed glasses, all obviously intentionally similar to "Ted" of Hollanders, or was it the other way around?  So, who copied who?  Could there have been an infringement suit?  I googled around and couldn't come up with any answers.  Incidentally, Manny gave up smoking in later years.

[Harold]

I worked at Pep Boys for a couple of years in the late 1990's and had to go through a fairly rigorous training program.  Pep Boys started in 1921 in Philadelphia and opened stores on the west coast several years later.  When was Hollander's started and in what area of the country were they located?

[Dave Henderson]

 

16 minutes ago, Harold said:

I worked at Pep Boys for a couple of years in the late 1990's and had to go through a fairly rigorous training program.  Pep Boys started in 1921 in Philadelphia and opened stores on the west coast several years later.  When was Hollander's started and in what area of the country were they located?

What I have been able to learn is that if the bulb-box Hollanders company is the same as the interchange book Hollanders, then the date of their origin is 1934.  Could it be they started as a parts seller and morphed into being specialists in identifying interchanges of them?
 

[30DodgePanel]

Both tins do appear to be 1920s ...

 

Not sure if this is the same Hollander but according to National mazda stimulator v. 9 (Sept. 1920-Aug. 1921)

it shows a GE Hollander as a lamp merchandiser who was acknowledged by his peers in this Mazda Light publication from the early 1920s. 

 

#1 - National mazda stimulator. v. 9 (Sept. 1920-Aug. 1921). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

 

I'm confident if you dig around some more on HahtiTrust website you'll find other clues and probably find your answer. I found this information after about a ten minute search. 

 

Good luck

Dave

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)

[5219]

I remember seeing the obituary, back in the seventies, for Manny, the Pep Boy on the left. His photograph really did look like the caricature in the ads.

[Harold]

Moe Strauss left the company at some point to start 'Strauss Stores' auto parts in the northeast.  The rumor was that the Pep Boys had a gentleman's agreement not to open Pep Boys stores in Strauss territory until after the last of them passed away.  

[Dave Henderson]

23 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said:

Both tins do appear to be 1920s ...

 

Not sure if this is the same Hollander but according to National mazda stimulator v. 9 (Sept. 1920-Aug. 1921)

it shows a GE Hollander as a lamp merchandiser who was acknowledged by his peers in this Mazda Light publication from the early 1920s. 

 

#1 - National mazda stimulator. v. 9 (Sept. 1920-Aug. 1921). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

 

I'm confident if you dig around some more on HahtiTrust website you'll find other clues and probably find your answer. I found this information after about a ten minute search. 

 

Good luck

Dave

 

 

 

'30 Dodge Panel,  Thanks.  Thus far no information concerning any rift between Hollanders and Pep Boys, or inclusion of lamp merchandizer Mr. G. E. Hollander in the mix has been found.  Boxes marked "National Mazda" are believed to have preceded those called "General Electric Mazda"., although all were G. E.'s.

[TerryB]

 My PepBoys tin

[Grimy]

Just a reminder that Mazda was the Zoroastrian god of light....

[TerryB]

1 hour ago, Grimy said:

Just a reminder that Mazda was the Zoroastrian god of light....

And Lucas was his wayward son…

[Dave Henderson]

I have always had a fascination for Pep Boys.  I started buying bicycle parts from them in the early '40's and continued later that decade buying auto parts when I became old enough to own a jalopy.  In the day their  quality wasn't high but the parts were cheap.   Some their rebuilts were done on cores that imo should have been rejected.  Back then their competition included Western Auto, which I thought had aftermarket parts of higher quality, and they also sold some apparently NOS OEM Ford and Chevy parts.  About 20 years ago I found a 1932 Pep Boys catalog at the old Cowtown N. J. swap, it's a hoot to thumb through it.  I remember they used to give you a free can of lighter fluid.  

 

[TerryB]

Sears was the go to place for almost everything when I was a kid.  Between the store and the catalog there was nothing you couldn’t buy.  Lots of my friends bought their tires and oil there.

Edited November 28, 2022 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

I remember my Dad buying Allstate oil in the 2.5 gallon cans among other auto supplies.

[rocketraider]

Wondering if Pep Boys had a line of hand tools like Western Auto did? Never seen any identified as such.

 

Several years ago I was scrounging thru a tool seller's space at Carlisle and found a bunch of loose Wizard ratchets and sockets in VG condition. At a buck apiece... and that started my obsession with Wizard. Made for WA by Duro and Indestro and feel very good in my hands.

 

Even though the five towns in a 20 mile radius of home all had Western Autos, I don't remember anyone around here owning Wizard hand tools. Most had Craftsman or whatever brand the local farm supply store had.

 

I think the largest of those towns had a Pep Boys. The rest didn't.