In spite of Eleanor Roosevelt feeling the nation's first home wasn't an appropriate place to raise a puppy, FDR kept Fala close to him at all times. He was so fond of his four-legged companion that he took him everywhere. The dog even ate his meals in Roosevelt's study and slept in a chair at the foot of the President's bed.

As you can imagine, Fala got lots of press coverage during the first few years of World War II. Before long, his image started showing up everywhere and on every type of merchandise imaginable.

Scottie dog candy containers, cigarette boxes and figurines could be purchased in dime stores. Glass powder jars with Scotties perched on top of colorful lids, kitchen tumblers with Scottie decals and yards of fabric featuring the familiar canine became quite popular.

You could pin a Scottie on your lapel, put your cigarette out in a Scottie dog ashtray and hold your books up on the mantel with a pair of playful Scottie bookends.

I could go on forever here, but I think you're probably getting the picture by now. Anything and everything under the sun was produced with Fala in mind.

When collectors seek these items now, they can find a wide variety in all sizes and price ranges from which to choose. And, they can make a fun collection as narrow or broad as they like by simply deciding what appeals to them most and focusing on those particular Scottie finds.

With all that's going on in the world today, and so much attention being paid to our current President, will the fact that one of the Bush White House pets is also a Scottie spawn a whole new wave of merchandising? And what about all those "Socks" the cat items sold in Washington, DC gift shops a few short years ago? Will they be hot collectibles some day?

It's hard to predict what the collectibles of the future will be, but rest assured that coming generations will look back on our current time with some of the same nostalgic fondness we appreciate today.

Photo by Pamela Wiggins

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