Five and Dime Store Trivia for Seniors: 20 Questions
Updated 2026-10-10
Here are twenty five-and-dime store trivia questions with their answers, arranged in four rounds of five. The rounds move from the chain names on the shopfront, through the counters and the small goods on them, into prices and shopping habits, and finish with main street. Every answer sits directly under its question.
These are the shops on the corner of most small towns: wooden counters, glass cases and the paper bag at the end. All questions are written for this page. The aim is fun and talk around a table, not a retail history test.
Why a five-and-dime theme works at a shared table
It was the shop almost everyone walked into, so a question about a counter or a paper bag of penny candy brings back the whole afternoon: who held the bag, what a dime could buy, who waited by the door. Mixed teams work best, and the friendly argument between them is the best part of the round.
How the twenty questions are grouped
Read one round at a time; allow about ten minutes for each round of five.
| Round | Theme | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chain store names | 1–5 |
| 2 | Counters and small goods | 6–10 |
| 3 | Prices and shopping habits | 11–15 |
| 4 | Main street memories | 16–20 |
Round 1: chain store names
Which five-and-dime chain grew out of Frank Woolworth's first store and put its name on shopfronts around the world?
Woolworth's. Frank Woolworth opened his first five-cent store in 1879, and the name stayed familiar for a century.
Which chain was founded by Sebastian S. Kresge, and what did its stores later become?
S.S. Kresge, founded in 1899 and later turned into the discount chain Kmart in 1962.
Which variety chain borrowed its name from a famous American inventor and statesman?
Ben Franklin. The stores took the name of Benjamin Franklin.
Which chain, founded by William T. Grant in 1906, was one of the big five-and-ten names before it closed in 1976?
W.T. Grant, usually called Grant's.
Which long-running variety chain began as McCrory's in 1882?
McCrory Stores, a variety chain that traded under several names.
Round 2: counters and small goods
What was the name for the small sweets sold one or two for a cent at the front counter?
Penny candy, sold from a tray at the front counter.
What was the long counter called where a shopper could sit down and order a root beer float?
The soda fountain counter, with its tall stools and a mirror behind it.
What small item was wound on a cardboard tube and bought to mend a hem?
A spool of thread.
What metal cap did a seamstress wear on one finger to push a needle through cloth?
A thimble.
What did the staff behind the lunch counter often wear over their hair?
A hair net.
Two more small things lived near the till: a net bag of marbles and the comic rack by the door.
Round 3: prices and shopping habits
What were the small stamps handed over at the checkout and pasted into a booklet worth?
Green stamps. Shoppers collected them in a booklet and traded the full book for goods.
What was it called when a shop held an item while the customer paid a little each week?
Layaway. The item stayed behind the counter until the last payment was made.
What was the name for the long counter where you could eat a quick meal inside the store?
The lunch counter.
What was the cheap daily meal at a diner called, named after the plate it came on?
The blue-plate special.
What did the clerk fold the purchases into at the end of the counter?
A plain brown paper bag, often with the shop name on the side.
Round 4: main street memories
What was the name for the central shopping street where the five-and-dime usually stood?
Main street, within walking distance of the bank and the bakery.
Where did children go in December to sit on a bearded man's knee?
The department store Santa, at the top of the escalator downtown.
What late-summer trip meant new pencils, a lunch box and a pair of shoes?
Back-to-school shopping.
What was the name for the cheap toys sold for a dime or less on the low counter?
Dime-store toys.
What was the nickname for the long aisle of small household goods, from shoelaces to safety pins?
The five-and-ten aisle.
Hosting notes that keep the table talking
- Open with the chain names, which bring answers early and settle the table in.
- Read each question twice, then wait; silence usually means thinking.
- Let tables of three or four answer together, because the discussion is the enjoyable part.
- Keep the answer line covered with a sheet of card.
- Finish with an open question, such as which counter everyone headed for first.
More nostalgia rounds
If this round goes down well, the diner and soda fountain trivia round keeps the talk on counters and milkshakes, while the food trivia round moves it to the kitchen table. There is also a school days trivia round, and groups that meet every week often pair the questions with the word games for social clubs.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in this five-and-dime round, and how are they arranged?
Twenty questions, split into four rounds of five. The rounds cover chain store names, the counters and small goods, prices and shopping habits, and memories of main street. Every answer sits directly under its question.
Do we need any props or pictures to run this trivia?
No. Every question can be read aloud from the sheet. A paper bag, an old price tag or a spool of thread passed round the table gives everyone something to hold while they think.
What if nobody at the table knows an answer?
Read the question again and add one more detail, such as the decade or the counter it stood on. Five-and-dime questions usually turn into stories about which shop was nearest and what a dime could buy.
Can this round be played one to one or with a small group?
Yes. With two or three people, read each question and let everyone answer before you read the answer aloud. One to one works just as well, because a single question about a counter or a toy can open ten minutes of talk.
Where can I find more nostalgia trivia like this?
The trivia collection on this site holds free printable rounds on diner and soda fountain days, food, school days and much more. All of it is free to print for family gatherings, activity groups and social clubs.
These questions are offered for fun, enjoyment and social activity, with no claims about medical outcomes.