Christmas Catalogs!

[veg-o-matic]

Okay, it's officially November so we can start talking about Christmas! Specifically, Christmas catalogs.

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to wait impatiently for the day when the Sears Wish Book and the Wards catalog would come out. Then we'd go to town, poring over all the cool new stuff, marking what we were going to ask Santa to bring.

What sections were your favorites? In order, I'd look at:
1. Toys in general
2. Girls toys (only when by myself!)
3. Televisions and record players
4. Small appliances
5. Large appliances, if any.
6. Vacuums
7. Cameras
8. Typewriters and adding machines
9. Candy
10. Hair dryers

I always skipped over the clothes and shoes (ugh), sporting goods (double ugh), toy guns (who needs 'em?) and the baby toys.

I have quite a collection of vintage Christmas catalogs now, but these days I look at almost every page--some of the clothes are hilarious, particularly the page after page of matching "his 'n hers" outfits. What were they thinking?

veg

 

[turquoisedude]

I loved going through the old Eatons Christmas Catalog when I was a brat. I always went through the Christmas decorations first, then the small appliances, the major appliances, the electronics and TV's, then the men's underwear...

I just picked up the 1975 version of this catalog on eBay - what memories!

 

[sdlee]

why I love this site/ or I thought I was the only one

Im not even sure of how I got here.My first time I was in love. I was so moved that I even went to one of the conventions in Omaha.My first outting across the country all by myself. I came across the Aberdeen farm, ha I am from South Dakota

I came across Robert in the video when asked when he was 12 did he think anyone else liked washers and he said I thought I was the only one!....I was sold. That spoke my language, I was done sold

Well here we are in 'I thought I was the only one' land again.

I had no idea other people liked old catalouges.Vegomatice I bet your preference list is right on with most of us here and in that particular order. I NEVER thought of colleting them.Im gonna figure out a way to start.

tourquiose dude....mens underwear (smiles) Ok secretly Ilooked there a lot.

Why Do I love this site, ....it continually opens up doors for me that I dont even think of.

Thank you Robert!!!!!Youre the best!!!!

 

[jaxsunst]

My father would never let a Sears cateloge in the house. My grandmother worked for them, and they screwed her (before my time), so he would never set foot in a Sears store, nor would he let us shop there. All my life, we only had Maytag appliances, except for a Montgomery Ward range. It was a big thing with a microwave on top.

We got the JC Penney Christmas book, and the Service Merchandise book for the next year would come out about this time. The Service Merchandise was my favorite. It had more housewares and electronics in it.

 

[tolivac]

Yes-As a kid-the Sears and sometimes MW christmas catalogs were a staple in our house-I looked at the toys first--then the other "toys" the sporting goods(esp real guns) and tools.Next was appliances.

 

[dalangdon]

We were always given the Sears "Wish book", and told we could circle whatever we wanted and MAYBE Santa would bring A FEW of them.

We'd of course go crazy and circle the most expensive, ridiculous things. We never got anything like that, but it was worth a try.

 

[petek]

Did Sears in the US discontinue the Wishbook? There's still one in Canada. My order is pretty much the same as Veg above except that I wasn't interested in the girl toys and would probably put the typewriters and stuff in that place higher up.. LOL

 

[whirlcool]

I personally boycotted Sears from my High School years until I was in my 40's. Even now the only thing I buy there on occasion is Craftsman Tools. Why? When I was in High School a lot of my friends got jobs as Sears Oakbrook, IL. I applied and never got the job. A year later I applied again, and never got the job... One of the very few jobs I ever applied for and never got.

But I did get hired my Marshall Fields in the same shopping center in the Men's dept. Kept that job for a year and a half until a buddy and myself had a slow night and were keying in all kinds of prices in the cash register and then clearing them. Well, we punched in $999.99 and the damn register froze. We both got sacked for that.

Does anyone remember the "SMELL" that the Sears Christmas catalog had? It was a very distinct odor.
I used to look at the toy trains, the slot car sets,the "Silvertone" tape recorders, televisions and radios. And of course we can never forget the ladies "foundations!"
This must have been around 1961-62 or so.

 

[petek]

Ladies foundations...I almost snorted my nose in laughing, I haven't heard that term used in forever LOL

 

[maytagbear]

I like the

ladies in my life to have the same foundation...

DNA!

No, but seriously....

We did not get the Sears Christmas catalogue, but we did get the Wards and Penney's ones.

I read them from cover to cover.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[sdlee]

sear catalouge

Im not sure if SEars did but I know pennys was discussing it.SAid they had no need for it anymore thanks to the internet.Seems there was an outcry from sr citizens and so they still have one. Ill be in our local mall tommarow I must check it out

 

[tolivac]

You can get catalogs from Penny's store in Greenville-but you have to BUY it for $10.00.Remember when they were free.