Sears, Then and Now

handygal2 · ‎01-19-2015

It's been well-publicized that Sears has been struggling to survive in recent years. But it wasn't always that way...

Here's the link to an interesting, informative article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/the-big-missteps-that-brought-an-american-re...

~~Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the 'm' is silent.~~

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

Every outhouse had a Sears catalog...

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Sweet_Serenity · ‎01-22-2016

Small businesses in my home town, Family owned attention to detail & customer service. Sadly no longer exists. But! Wow those were the days! Fisherman's & Woolworth's, Lunch counter fun! Choose a balloon win ice cream. Fact is, Sears sold out long ago.

Othereeeen · ‎03-13-2010

Check out e-bay....they have HUNDREDS of listings for old Sears ( and other) catalogs...

Kinda makes me wish I hadn't tossed them over the years!!!!

bet they'd be a hoot to look at!!!

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

When we were first married we looked forward to picking up the Sears catalog at our local store. Always enjoyed paging through 500 or more pages of stuff. After Sears goes, I expect JCP and Macy's to follow. An end of an era.

StylishLady · ‎03-11-2010

Loved looking through the fall fashion catalogs. A lot more fun than sifting through web pages. Sometimes change is not better.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

I suspect catalogs are a part of nostalgia that don't work nearly as well in our fickle retail economy. Although I had stacks of them in my 30 years of adulthood before Internet shopping came along, I almost never pick one up any longer.

I know I buy little nowadays so that doesn't mean much to the retailers, but so many people who do buy lots of "stuff" want new and newer. Catalogs to me represent a slower time in the world. That's not bad, but it's just not what works for lots of consumers. Just notice all the posts we get here asking for new items, for new vendors, for new hosts.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

When my grandparents came to America from Italy in 1912, they bought a Craftsman style HOME from Sears...including most of their furniture.

They raised 15 children in that home, which just had 4 bedrooms, one bathroom and a shower in the basement. Luckily for them - their children were spaced out over 30 years, so they never had all children home at the same time.

I remember that they had a Hoosier cabinet in the kitchen, which also featured pull out bins for flour and other staples.

They bought two more lots behind their house, so my grandfather could have a huge garden, including a vineyard...LOVED that house, which is still standing!

Halidon · ‎12-18-2014

@terrier3 wrote:
When my grandparents came to America from Italy in 1912, they bought a Craftsman style HOME from Sears...including most of their furniture.

They raised 15 children in that home, which just had 4 bedrooms, one bathroom and a shower in the basement. Luckily for them - their children were spaced out over 30 years, so they never had all children home at the same time.

I remember that they had a Hoosier cabinet in the kitchen, which also featured pull out bins for flour and other staples.

They bought two more lots behind their house, so my grandfather could have a huge garden, including a vineyard...LOVED that house, which is still standing!

That's a wonderful story. 15 kids, wow, that's really something. I vaguely remember my grandparents Hoosier kitchen. I would love to have that now!

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

@Halidon wrote:
@terrier3 wrote:
When my grandparents came to America from Italy in 1912, they bought a Craftsman style HOME from Sears...including most of their furniture.

They raised 15 children in that home, which just had 4 bedrooms, one bathroom and a shower in the basement. Luckily for them - their children were spaced out over 30 years, so they never had all children home at the same time.

I remember that they had a Hoosier cabinet in the kitchen, which also featured pull out bins for flour and other staples.

They bought two more lots behind their house, so my grandfather could have a huge garden, including a vineyard...LOVED that house, which is still standing!

That's a wonderful story. 15 kids, wow, that's really something. I vaguely remember my grandparents Hoosier kitchen. I would love to have that now!

Recently my cousin, the oldest daughter of my oldest aunt, died. She was 86. I went to the estate sale and found a framed print of wire fox terrier puppies from the 1930s. It used to hang in my grandparent's bedroom (my granny LOVED WFTs!).

Now it's in my bedroom, over her Sears catalogue dresser that I refinished. I have the bed in my spare room too. They are from the house they built - 105 years old - now real antiques!