General Discussion

PJMcK

(25,194 posts)

53. The Sears & Roebuck catalogs

Sat Jun 2, 2018, 02:40 PM

Jun 2018

The catalogs published by Sear & Roebuck were an awesome collection of their products. For people living in rural areas, they were necessary.

In the pre-internet days of the 1970s, I was friendly with a sailor who had circumnavigated the Earth on his 45-foot yawl. I crewed for him on several offshore voyages and he had a copy of the Sears catalog on his boat. He said that whenever he needed something in a foreign port and he didn't speak the language, he could use the pictures in the catalog to show the locals what he needed!

My siblings and I loved the Christmas catalog Sears published. We would spend hours leafing through its pages while compiling our wish lists.

It's disappointing to see so many of the stalwarts of yesteryear's retailers going bankrupt: Sears, Radio Shack, Toys 'R' Us, etc. I guess their inability to adapt put them in jeopardy.

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Here's what's killing Sears [View all] RKP5637 Jun 2018 OP

sears is destroyed by corporate predators as well as bad business decisions nt msongs Jun 2018 #1

yes, but maybe a little karmic payback for dumping Roebuck off the "marquee" hlthe2b Jun 2018 #2

Exactly!!! "corporate predators" n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #3

38 years of wage stagnation, guillaumeb Jun 2018 #4

And the idiot stooge factor of the US continues to vote them into power. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #6

There is that incredible fact. eom guillaumeb Jun 2018 #7

I turned 38 a few months ago crazycatlady Jun 2018 #63

The US is slowly regressing. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #66

Used to wait w baited breathe Crutchez_CuiBono Jun 2018 #5

As a little kid I used to love looking through the Sears and Roebuck catalog. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #8

my grandma had hoarded a 70's sears wishbook. TIME TRAVEL. got $20+ on ebay. pansypoo53219 Jun 2018 #18

They were sure interesting catalogs! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #19

Thats NUTS!!! Crutchez_CuiBono Jun 2018 #57

yes d_r Jun 2018 #9

A whole Crutchez_CuiBono Jun 2018 #11

every Easter mom would let us girls look thru the Sears Catalog and we would samnsara Jun 2018 #56

Growing up in San Juan, the Sears catalogue was our "Amazon". nt Guy Whitey Corngood Jun 2018 #10

They once even sold houses ArtD Jun 2018 #12

Sears catalog home OxQQme Jun 2018 #41

In the 90s we had a 1925 Sears 'Gladstone' model, foursquare. Loved it. appalachiablue Jun 2018 #68

The PBS "History Detectives" show had an episode area51 Jun 2018 #69

And a line of cars! Wednesdays Jun 2018 #42

Those houses are worth a lot nowdays. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2018 #43

I lived in a Sears home from the 1920s, in Sierra Madre CA... GReedDiamond Jun 2018 #46

hedge fund managers KT2000 Jun 2018 #13

They are predators. smirkymonkey Jun 2018 #21

I have often thought this to myself: trotsky Jun 2018 #14

A similar thing happened to record stores TlalocW Jun 2018 #16

+1 uponit7771 Jun 2018 #44

I dunno...I think record stores were doomed LeftInTX Jun 2018 #60

Right, but this was before that TlalocW Jun 2018 #61

People who work for large corps tend to think more about office politics and advancing their careers Yavin4 Jun 2018 #28

People who work for large anything think that way. former9thward Jun 2018 #48

Lampert is a Ayn Randian TlalocW Jun 2018 #15

It's a very sad story about a once great company. I recall well as a very tiny kid going to the RKP5637 Jun 2018 #17

Sears destroyed Sears....... Bengus81 Jun 2018 #20

Yep!!! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #22

Yep. The only items we bought at Sears were craftsman tools (sold in 2017), Levis seaglass Jun 2018 #25

Hindsight is always 20/20. Dave Starsky Jun 2018 #23

Video killed the radio star oberliner Jun 2018 #24

Yes, I was humming that same tune! procon Jun 2018 #36

Well, they had a pretty good run... HopeAgain Jun 2018 #26

Yep, it truly is savage. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #27

Walmart defeated Sears by pressuring their suppliers. Amazon finished them off by leveraging tech Yavin4 Jun 2018 #29

Yep, excellent observation. To me, I don't see anyway for Sears to come back. They've been RKP5637 Jun 2018 #31

This is what happens to large, old corporations Yavin4 Jun 2018 #34

+1, "People in Mgt get too focused on saving their careers " uponit7771 Jun 2018 #45

catalog shopping back then was the internet shopping of today SoCalDem Jun 2018 #30

Yep, well said!!! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #32

For rural people, those first steps never hapenned. X_Digger Jun 2018 #67

There's a documentary you can rent for cheap....as I recall about $2....... WillowTree Jun 2018 #33

Thanks! RKP5637 Jun 2018 #38

I've worked in some companies like that. The CEOs in their minds could do no wrong as they RKP5637 Jun 2018 #39

And no matter what kind of job they do, they end up with million$! nt USALiberal Jun 2018 #50

Yep, all with golden parachutes worth millions. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #55

Thanks.. Raine Jun 2018 #40

Hedge Fund Operator CEO benld74 Jun 2018 #35

ExZactly! Duppers Jun 2018 #47

Well they have a very welled managed pension and retiree healthcare underpants Jun 2018 #37

My Chicago Aunt benld74 Jun 2018 #49

The person I know retired in the early 90's underpants Jun 2018 #52

I admit, I love shopping at amazon. So easy and quick arrival. nt USALiberal Jun 2018 #51

The Sears & Roebuck catalogs PJMcK Jun 2018 #53

we only have a small Sears that sells appliances and lawn stuff...its pretty busy all the time.... samnsara Jun 2018 #54

I think Walmart has pretty much wiped out the small business guys just about every place they go. RKP5637 Jun 2018 #58

I think Sears biggest retail competitors are Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy LeftInTX Jun 2018 #59

We have two Walmarts here, and our downtown is roaring back. Adrahil Jun 2018 #64

I hardly ever go into Department stores. What's the point? Adrahil Jun 2018 #62

Yep, like many of them. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2018 #65