To Swag or not to Swag by Jean Rabe
To Swag or not to Swag Bookmarks, coffee mugs, and key chains oh my! I adore swag. I am drawn to swag tables at conventions and book events like a dog is pulled toward an unattended sandwich. Swag! I’m not talking about attitude or style, or the folks who walk confidently with a swagger. And I’m not referencing pilfered goods—in the late 1800s swag meant things burglars absconded with, silverware being choice. If you look back to the 17 th century, you find swag-shops in the thieves’ underworld. I’m not talking about “stolen anything.” That definition is way out of date. I consider swag free book-related stuff. STUFF. LOTS OF STUFF. The “freebie” definition of swag started to appear in the 1960s, and referenced promotional items…records sent to radio stations, dinosaur-shaped bars of soap Sinclair gas stations used to pass out, perfume samples offered by Avon representatives, and the like. At Oscar time you catch mention of the movie stars’ swag bags…tho...