These Were the Popular Christmas Gifts 70 Years Ago

This collection of Macy’s best-selling holiday gifts of 1948, compiled by LIFE magazine shows use just how much things have changed since then.

For starters, the gifts then skewed more toward the practical. A pair of nylons or a ballpoint pen were Macy's third- and fourth-highest-selling items that season. Second, there is a conspicuous absence of gadgets or anything technological.

Then again, the rise of personal technology was still decades away, as these were the days when fewer than 10% of households even had a TV set. Rather than gadgets, gift-givers wrapped up objects that were wearable or edible, and immediately usable: a pair of pajamas, a bottle of scotch or a pair of sturdy slippers. Basic but sure to be put to frequent use.