Today, getting something delivered usually means an online order, takeout, or a package sitting on the porch. A few decades ago, home delivery looked very different. Milk, newspapers, bread, ice, and even coal could show up at your house on a regular schedule, and seeing a delivery truck outside was just part of everyday life.
Many families relied on these services for household needs. There was no need to drive to the grocery store for every little purchase because plenty of businesses brought their goods straight to the neighborhood. For children growing up at the time, these deliveries were simply part of the routine.
Some of these services have mostly disappeared, while others have changed so much that younger generations may have a hard time recognizing them. Here are some of the things people once had delivered right to their homes.
Milk
The neighborhood milkman was a familiar sight in many communities during the mid-20th century. He would arrive early in the morning with glass bottles of fresh milk and leave them on the doorstep. Families would put their empty bottles outside so they could be collected, cleaned, and used again.
The system made it easy to have fresh milk at home without making a trip to the store. Those glass bottles, often topped with small foil caps, became a familiar sight on porches across many neighborhoods.
Newspapers
Daily newspapers were once delivered right to homes by neighborhood paperboys and papergirls. Many kids rode bicycles through the neighborhood with canvas bags filled with rolled-up papers, tossing them onto driveways or front porches before heading off to school.
For plenty of teenagers, a paper route was one of their first jobs. Families, meanwhile, looked forward to the morning paper for the latest headlines, weather reports, sports scores, advertisements, and comic strips.
Eggs
Before big grocery stores became the main place to buy food, some families purchased eggs directly from nearby farmers and local vendors. Eggs could be delivered in cartons, baskets, or wooden crates as part of a regular neighborhood route.
Buying eggs this way gave families another option for keeping their kitchens stocked with basic food. For people living near farms, getting eggs delivered from a local producer could be a regular part of their weekly routine.
Ice Cream Trucks
Ice cream trucks weren’t quite the same as having something delivered to your doorstep, but they brought treats directly into the neighborhood. The music coming from the truck could be heard from down the street, giving kids plenty of time to run inside and grab some money.
Once the truck stopped nearby, children would line up for popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, Drumsticks, and other frozen treats. For a kid, hearing that familiar music on a hot afternoon could feel like the highlight of the day.
Bakery Deliveries
Local bakeries sometimes delivered fresh bread and pastries directly to homes. Families could order loaves, rolls, cakes, and other baked goods and have them brought over soon after they were made.
For households that went through a lot of bread, regular bakery deliveries were a convenient way to keep the kitchen supplied. Fresh bread arriving at the door also made for a much more memorable delivery than the typical package left on a porch today.
Coal
For households that heated their homes with coal stoves or furnaces, coal delivery was a regular necessity during the colder months. The coalman would arrive with heavy bags or loads of coal and carry them to a storage area, basement, or chute.
It was dirty, physical work, but the coal was needed to keep the house warm. Children sometimes watched as the delivery was unloaded, fascinated by the large amounts of dark coal being moved into the home.
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Soda Pop
Some neighborhoods had home delivery services from local soda bottlers. Crates filled with glass soda bottles would be dropped off at the house, and empty bottles could be collected and returned with the next delivery.
The clinking sound of glass bottles was familiar in neighborhoods that had these services. It also meant families could keep their favorite soft drinks on hand without having to make a trip to the store every time they ran out.
Laundry Services
Before washing machines and dryers became common household appliances, laundry services handled much of the work for families. Workers would pick up bags of dirty clothes, take them away for washing and pressing, and return them later.
For busy households, this meant hours of washing, drying, ironing, and folding could be handled by someone else. Having a bundle of clean, neatly pressed clothes brought back to the house was a regular part of life for families that used these services.
Fruit and Vegetables
Local greengrocers, farmers, and produce sellers sometimes delivered fresh produce right to customers’ homes. Fruits and vegetables were often packed into baskets or crates and brought around the neighborhood on a regular route.
Families could order seasonal produce without going to a store or market. For households buying from a nearby farmer or small grocer, this was also a convenient way to keep fresh food coming into the kitchen throughout the week.
Ice
Before electric refrigerators became common, many homes used iceboxes to keep food cold. Large blocks of ice had to be delivered regularly, and the iceman would use heavy tongs to carry the blocks into the house.
The ice was placed in the icebox, where it slowly melted, keeping the food cool. Children sometimes gathered around during deliveries, hoping to get a small piece of ice to chew on during a hot summer day.
As refrigerators became more affordable and common, the need for regular ice delivery faded away.
Books
Books could arrive at homes through book clubs, mail-order programs, and school book programs. Children, in particular, often looked forward to choosing new titles and to waiting for a box of books to arrive in the mail.
Receiving a box of books could be a pretty exciting event for a young reader. Instead of browsing a huge bookstore or ordering from a website, families often picked their next books from catalogs, flyers, or school programs.
Meat and Fish
Local butchers and fishmongers sometimes delivered fresh food directly to households. Customers could place an order for specific cuts of meat or specific amounts of seafood, and the order would arrive wrapped in paper and ready to be refrigerated.
This gave families a way to buy fresh food from a local shop without making a separate trip. In many communities, knowing the butcher or fishmonger was part of the experience, and regular customers could request the cuts their families preferred.
Sewing Patterns and Clothing
Families who made clothing at home could order sewing patterns through catalogs and have them delivered by mail. A person could choose a style, order the pattern, and then use fabric already on hand or purchase fabric separately.
Sewing at home helped families make dresses, shirts, children’s clothing, and other pieces without buying everything ready-made. For some households, a new pattern arriving in the mail meant another weekend project was about to begin.
Catalog Orders
Before online shopping, thick mail-order catalogs were a major way to shop from home. Companies such as Sears gave families pages and pages of clothing, toys, furniture, appliances, tools, and household goods to browse.
Customers could place orders by mail or by phone and wait for their purchases to arrive at their homes. For kids, getting a package from a catalog order could be just as exciting as opening an online order is today.
Record Clubs
Music lovers once joined record clubs that sent vinyl albums straight to their homes. Members could browse catalogs, select records, and receive new music by mail.
For many households, getting a new record was something to look forward to. These clubs gave people a way to build their music collections without having to visit a record store every time they wanted something new.
Related: 8 Ways to Stop Spending So Much on Food Delivery When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
Avon Cosmetics
Avon representatives became a familiar part of neighborhood life by selling and delivering cosmetics directly to customers. The famous phrase “Avon calling!” became closely associated with these home visits.
Representatives carried catalogs and samples and took orders for makeup, perfume, skincare products, and other items. Once an order was ready, the products could be brought back to the customer’s home, turning a simple purchase into a friendly visit between neighbors.
