Buying Fever

An animated short that explains wartime rationing.

In this animated short the Pluggers cash in a Victory Bond to purchase a new rug. However, the rug refuses to behave, so they return it to the store and buy a new Victory Bond with the money.

An animated film showing how Victory bonds are a good way to save money for the post-war period.

An animated short emphasizing the importance of not cashing in Victory Bonds before the end of World War II.

This film explains what makes up the national income and how it is spent. It also suggests that savings be invested in war bonds and certificates.

An animated short about the work of Canada's Mutual Aid Board and the necessity for this cooperation between the Allied countries.

An animated short film explaining the nutritive values of staple foods. It lists the body's basic nutritional requirements and specifies the foods which meet these needs. Emphasized are the types of diets needed for active and inactive work.

Due to the lack of price controls during World War I commodities became very expensive. This animated film contrasts that situation with the price controls of World War II. (Also known under the title A Case of Price Shock.)

This film shows how a vicious spiral of inflation would threaten the country if wartime controls were relaxed. In peacetime, prices are stable--raw materials plus transportation plus manufacture plus packaging plus distribution make up the price of commodities. But in wartime bidding starts for goods which are hard to get. Raises to employees to meet higher prices result in higher costs of production. Prices rise again. Without wartime controls, the spiral would mount up, up and up--and ruinous inflation would be the horrible climax.

The film emphasizes the wartime need for remodelling old clothes, to avoid the purchase of new garments.

In Canada, a democracy at war, civilian needs must be reduced. There's less to buy, more to spend. Prices go up. To prevent inflation, a price ceiling is fixed and rationing introduced. Money is needed to win the war. The motto: lend your savings to Canada.

Electricity must be saved in wartime to keep power plants in full production for more urgent needs.

During World War II, the production of non-essential goods was kept at a minimum so that war industries could reach a maximum output. Spending power increased, but since employable men were needed by the armed forces, more workers had to be found for war industry.

This animated short produced during WWII shows how Plugger helped the war effort by renting out his spare room so that a new worker could be brought in to work an idle machine at the munitions plant.

An animated documentary about the need for price controls and rationing in Canada during the immediate post-World War II period.

This animated short focuses on Mrs. Plugger, who is eager to start her own Victory Garden. Reminding her that tools are hard to get and that neither of them know much about gardening, Plugger organizes his neighbours to cultivate vegetables in a vacant lot.