Re: Sears, Then and Now

Lion · ‎03-09-2010

@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!

Hi Terrier - My grandparents had large families, too. 10 kids for both maternal and paternal grandparents, so lots of cousins!

My parents often tell stories about the Italian immigrant neighborhoods in their town when they were growing up, and how they all had big vegetable gardens and grew lots of delicious veggies. They also remember homemade pasta being put outside to dry in the sun.

Lots of good memories from them, and it makes me wish we still had communities and neighborhoods like that.

**********
"The truth is like a lion. You don't have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself."
- Augustine

Be Vigilent

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

There are several catalogue homes near where I live. They are so lovely and charming! To buy a complete house for $3000 and less! Imagine that! The homes near me look Like this:

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@castlenv wrote:
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.

So sad.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@Lion 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!

Hi Terrier -   My grandparents had large families, too.   10 kids for both maternal and paternal grandparents, so lots of cousins!

My parents often tell stories about the Italian immigrant neighborhoods in their town when they were growing up, and how they all had big vegetable gardens and grew lots of delicious veggies.    They also remember homemade pasta being put outside to dry in the sun.

Lots of good memories from them, and it makes me wish we still had communities and neighborhoods like that.

My mother would dry her pasta by putting a clean sheet over the bed and lay them on that to dry out.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

I don't know anyone that shops at Sears or JC Penny. It seems most people go to Kohls today.

Yardlie · ‎03-10-2010

I miss the old Sears', Penney's, Ward's, Alden's and Spiegel's catalogs. It was so much fun when I was growing up to be able to pick out 3-4 new outfits for school each year. We lived in a small town and didn't have a lot of good shopping.They even had pages and pages of fabric that was available for sale. I learned to sew young and would make some of my own clothing. That was back when patterns and fabric were inexpensive.

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~~ Steve Maraboli

Yardlie · ‎03-10-2010

@SeaMaiden wrote:
There are several catalogue homes near where I live. They are so lovely and charming! To buy a complete house for $3000 and less! Imagine that! The homes near me look Like this:

I remember the catalog homes. Those look very nice!

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~~ Steve Maraboli

corita · ‎08-20-2012

Living out of the US, my family would come the "states" - as we called it - once a year. During that trip, my parents would buy many items that we could not get in our home county! I have such fond memories of going to Sears. It was always one of the first shopping stops.

Everything had to last for a year, until the next trip!! My mother would buy many stocking sets to last - women did not go bare legged in those days! Piles of school clothing for us kids. White underwear, socks and t shirts for my brothers and undies, socks and dresses for me. I remember my father buying several khaki colored pants for his weekend wear!!

Once I lived in the "states", I used to enjoy looking thru the Sears catalogues with my kids. Many of our Christmas presents were ordered from the big holiday issue! I can't remember the last time I was in a Sears store....