Everything You Remember And Miss About ... Sears

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Been only to Sears a handful of times. The one I've been to had many of the washers and dryers plugged in so one could play with the controls. That's something I hadn't seen before in Germany. Unfortunately, the company I work for closed the appliance store and "integrated" it into the main store. The pathetic number of appliances I have left, however, are all plugged in (mostly in demo mode).
 
Sears San Francisco

We had a Montgomery Ward Catalog store in downtown Martinez so that's where we ordered stuff when I was a kid. When I lived in San Francisco from 1970 to 1990 I usually went to the Sears store at Geary and Masonic Streets. It was a big two story store with parking at several levels. There was an auto department at the top where I bought Diehard batteries for my cars. They would do a free battery test for you. I also bought paint there. Guaranteed one coat. So you would go back the next day and get free paint for the second coat!

I got a portable dishwasher for one house that we were remodeling. Had the kitchen torn up so we hooked up the dishwasher to the bathroom sink for a while. Then when we were ready we built in that dishwasher.

Another time I got a stack washer/dryer and we brought it home on top of the 1979 Buick Riviera. I also got a table top stereo system with cassette player. Later I got a dual cassette player and CD player I still have those.

I bought a hoe and the wood handle broke immediately. I brought it back and since it was not Craftsman they refused to replace it. After I yelled at them they did refund the money.

I moved to Sacramento in 1990 and there used to be 5 Sears stores here. None remain. I bought a Kenmore Ultrawash dishwasher which lasted 20 years. Still have the Craftsman lawn vacuum which we use during the fall for the huge amount of leaves that fall. I also bought some clothes from our local Sears store, pants and pocket tee shirts. Miscellaneous tools, Weed Wacker, DieHard batteries for the cars.

Lots of visits to the store over the years. I went there when it was closing to mourn the loss. We still have two Sears that are open in Stockton and Pleasant Hill, both about an hour drive away. I may go just to say goodby. Amazing that they can still be in business with only 18 stores left.
 
Sears Paint

For many years, my neighbors up the street used Sears paint inside and outside their house. They evidently were pleased with the quality. I personally never used any that I can remember.

Sears paint was originally manufactured by DeSoto Inc., the company that also made their wallpaper (United- DeSoto Div.) and detergents. It started as a division of Sears in the early 1900's, but they only held minority ownership by the 1980's. The paint division was sold to Sherwin Williams sometime around 1990, which then took over making their brand.
 
My paternal grandparents were Sears nuts! He ALWAYS bought craftsman tools and she ordered sears detergents, light bulbs, vacuums, i don't know what all. They always got the catalog in the mail.

I remember the sears store in Florence, Alabama down close to Court Street. It was a large store and i loved going there, especially the appliance section where they had the dishwasher with a clear plastic front so we could see the wash action. My mother says she remembers the colored and white water fountains in that store...before my time. The mall opened in 1978 and sears moved there. The former store became an office for Martin Industries, makers of cast iron, stoves, and gas heaters and fireplaces.
 
"Movie theatre" (car dealership, lol) Popcorn popper. 

 

You could have one in your own home.  That smell is alluring, that's for sure.

 

Personally I used to do the Stir Crazy popper but I O.D.'d on popcorn by accident last year and I just don't want anymore. 

 
"Amazing that they can still be in business with only 18 stores left."  

That is what some people are pointing out.  And it's not like they are all in one area where it would be easy to service and supply the stores.  According to the map above it's like they've deliberately spaced them from one far point to the next.  Most are on the coasts or border.   There are only 4 in the middle of the country.  

 

I doubt there is much brand trust at this point.  Anyone would fear they'd go out of business anytime now.  
 
Where to begin

I have lp records with Sears price tags. I can smell the roasting nuts from the candy department. Allstate insurance counter in the lobby, tires, then road handler radials and aftermarket Mark IV Air conditioning. Gung Ho with the Sears bike.
 
I miss going to Sears with my Dad on Saturdays. He always shopped for Craftsman tools and lawn supplies and I would go to the appliance department and check out the Kenmore washers. In those days (1960s) they always had two or three models hooked up to water so the salesmen could fully demonstrate all the features. The Kenmores during that era were the most fun.
 
Great post

I have enjoyed this post very much! I do miss the old Sears. I worked for them for 32 years many as a service tech. They were a great company to work for back then. The catalog was the best. The stores were a blast to go through and if you had a question, you got an answer from someone who knew what they was talking about. You don’t find that today.
 
The newspaper ads mostly, everything was branded under their own brand names, and the print was way different from how I'd seen most ads...

We were not Sears people, however... I'd found myself in Montgomery ward way more often and even bought a lot of my own stuff there, even the family Maytag washer of 1992, in almond and an almond Whirlpool dispenser side by side fridge also in almond in a mini 22 cu. ft. so it would ft in our kitchen next to the designer series almond electric range mom bought, a private label proclaiming made by tappan...

I loved the small gifts and rewards I'd also get with my wards credit card, too--and had a service contract on my pioneer CD player covering its annual cleaning which worked for twenty years, though when wards folded, so,did getting it cleaned so a Cambridge player replaced it ten years ago, running perfectly so far without needing any service...

-- Dave
 

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