Community Chat

[bewise]

Its so sad when the big box stores go.I am sure our Sears will not be here for long.I can

remember buying so much there,yes there wasn't all the stores we have today,but all the appliances we purchased and alot of other items.Very sad.

[CelticCrafter]

---

@Sweet_Serenity wrote:

Small businesses in my home town, Family owned attention to detail & customer service. Sadly no longer exists. But! Wow those were the days! Then we also enjoyed Fisherman's & Woolworth. Fondly remember shopping. Yes! Quality products and lunch counter fun times. Sears sold out long ago. 

---

My mother-in-law was the executive secretary to the hosiery buyer for Woolworth.  From the time I met my husband until she retired, about 17 years, I never had to buy a pair of socks or pantyhose!  I was the tester for all the samples and new lines.

[maestra]

---

@stevieb wrote:

---

@sabatini wrote:

My main memory of the old Sears catalogue was that after it was used, some people would fold every single page down about half way, then fan the catalogue backwards, and use it as a doorstop.

It kinda looked like a yurt.

My neighbors did that.

They also had plastic furniture covers & carpet runners, and the mom made jello creations as entrees. 

The one I vividly recall was a molded green jello with ground beef in the center.

---

Ewwwww... @sabatini... That just sounds gross... 

---

@stevieb@sabatini  Ewwww...my sentiments exactly.

[Mominohio]

---

@redbird wrote:

type in wishbookweb with the usual before and after....sears and other companies wish books from days gone buy to look at online...

---

This is fabulous! I can see getting lost on this site. On goes

the Christmas music and nobody bother me!

Thanks @redbird for posting this!

[songbird]

When we first came here in the U.S., we went to Sears to buy appliances.  Refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc.  That where you went.   I remember going along with my father, going past the clothes & other things.  I was mildly surprised that they sold things other then washers. My family never bought anything else. 

[Leeny]

---

@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:

 

---

@SeaMaiden I don't know if you will believe this, but there is the exact home in my hometown. I know the exact street that it sits. I use to think I'd love to live in this neat home and I still would. Thanks for the photos. 

[Leeny]

@Yardlie Oh my, I haven't thought of Alden's or Spiegel's in ages. My mother would buy a lot from Alden's. My school clothes came from there alot. They had a small store downtown and it seemed that she and I were always picking up something from them. 

---

@Yardlie wrote:

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.

---

[Leeny]

---

@handygal2 wrote:

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...

---

@handygal2 Thank You for this wonderful memory. I think the biggest problem Sears and Penney's did was moving into malls. If they could have some how survived in their downtown areas they may have did a lot better than they are now. Also when K-mart purchased Sears that was a total shock. Is it any wonder that Sears is struggling. I still shop at Penny's sometimes. I don't purchase a lot, but our Sephora is in their store and I do shop there. I get their $10 coupons and I do find some nice deals. Our Sears looks so sad. 

We've always purchased our washers and dryers from Sears since  we got married 44 years ago. My DH always bought their Craftsman tools. I know our children always got their first shoes at Sears when they actually had someone wait on you and measure their feet. Service was top notch. Today it looks like bargain basement. Inventory is very low and not great. I don't shop there unless it's a last resort for something. 

[handygal2]

---

@Leeny wrote:

---

@handygal2 wrote:

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...

---

@handygal2 Thank You for this wonderful memory. I think the biggest problem Sears and Penney's did was moving into malls. If they could have some how survived in their downtown areas they may have did a lot better than they are now. Also when K-mart purchased Sears that was a total shock. Is it any wonder that Sears is struggling. I still shop at Penny's sometimes. I don't purchase a lot, but our Sephora is in their store and I do shop there. I get their $10 coupons and I do find some nice deals. Our Sears looks so sad. 

We've always purchased our washers and dryers from Sears since  we got married 44 years ago. My DH always bought their Craftsman tools. I know our children always got their first shoes at Sears when they actually had someone wait on you and measure their feet. Service was top notch. Today it looks like bargain basement. Inventory is very low and not great. I don't shop there unless it's a last resort for something. 

---

@Leeny: My washer/dryer are Kenmore brand, as are all of my kitchen appliances, except my dishwasher (Kitchenaid). All were purchased at Sears over 20 years ago, and are still going strong. They were known for quality products.

My local Sears is also a mess now. It's really a shame...