Many Americans obtained pet animals for free or purchased them from neighbors. By the mid-1800s, however, an organized international trade imported thousands of German canaries. As time passed, pet dealers bred some of their own stock and bought some animals from local suppliers. By the early 1900s, they participated in both the national and international trade of birds and animals.

Seasonal Inventory - The trade in live animals was influenced by both biology and social custom. Canaries were a popular Christmas gift because the young birds were shipped fresh from Europe each fall. Businesses like Edwards' Bird Store in Detroit, Michigan, promoted birds and goldfish as an easy gift for busy shoppers.

Hendryx Christmas Canary Advertisement, 1920s