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Monday, December 20, 1999

Texas-themed items make popular holiday presents

Associated Press
 

DALLAS - It didn't matter to shoppers on the last weekend before Christmas that the dancing cowboy Santa doll was made in China. It looked Texan, and that was enough for those seeking unique Lone Star-inspired gifts.
   "I think it's a good idea," said customer George Dowling, watching as a Santa doll at a Dallas Foley's Department Store swung its hips to the beat of a holiday tune.
   The Holly Jolly Santa has been a top seller this season, said Foley's spokeswoman Priscilla Thorne. Business was brisk at Guitars and Cadillacs, where sales are up more than 8 percent over last year, said owner Kent Redding. "The economy is good and I think we are doing good job getting products that people want," Redding said. "It's a cowboy state and people love that."
   The popularity of products bearing the Texas shape is partly due to its residents' well-developed self-esteem, and partly to its distinctive outline, said Richard Francaviglia, a professor of Southwestern studies at the University of Texas at Arlington.
   "Texas is a really colorful place and has a lot of character. Texans have a love for the state and a fascination with its history."
  
  
  

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  © 1999 Caller-Times Publishing Company, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.