Just received in the mail A Montgomery Ward Catalog Fall 2016. Improving American Homes Since 1872. Going to order some items, some appliances branded Montgomery Ward. Like a turn back in time.
Montgomery Ward Catalog
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vacerator
Well-known member
I've seen
it on air planes only. They just use the Wards name. Similar to Sky mall.
it on air planes only. They just use the Wards name. Similar to Sky mall.
Never quite understood the affection some here have for MW. Growing up I always felt it was a cheap knock off of Sears and Sears was a knock off of our regional department store Hudson's. It was pretty rare for our family to shop at Wards, stuff always felt a little cheaper and "off" compared to stuff from Sears or Hudson's. Kind of like the Walmart of it's day.
I wonder why some company would try to reinvent MW in this day and age. Younger people have no idea of Wards, it's been gone a long time.
I wonder why some company would try to reinvent MW in this day and age. Younger people have no idea of Wards, it's been gone a long time.
I've gotten that catalog through the mail. I'm not certain it's actually associated with the Montgomery Wards of old.
vacerator
Well-known member
Ther is no Montgomery
Ward of old. If there were any heirs, they sold the name.
Ward of old. If there were any heirs, they sold the name.
Our resident Montgomery Ward groupie out of Tucson advised in another thread a while back (I think the subject was a small, new MW washer) that there is no relation to the Monkey Wards that went bankrupt lo, those many years ago. It's just an on-line brand and not an actual retailer these days.
Matt, you have nailed it in your description of Monkey Wards. Growing up, ours was a Go-Ward household (the west coast flagship store in Oakland had the store name spelled out in huge neon atop their several story tall store and distribution center -- at night it would alternately light up with "MONTGOMERY WARD" and "GO WARD"). There was no love lost with me when they finally shut down.
Here's a picture of the Oakland store's shot-up empty shell, awaiting its planned adaptive re-use as housing, but it never happened. It's been gone for many years.
[this post was last edited: 8/30/2016-23:26]
Matt, you have nailed it in your description of Monkey Wards. Growing up, ours was a Go-Ward household (the west coast flagship store in Oakland had the store name spelled out in huge neon atop their several story tall store and distribution center -- at night it would alternately light up with "MONTGOMERY WARD" and "GO WARD"). There was no love lost with me when they finally shut down.
Here's a picture of the Oakland store's shot-up empty shell, awaiting its planned adaptive re-use as housing, but it never happened. It's been gone for many years.
[this post was last edited: 8/30/2016-23:26]
Didn't Margaret Cho have a bit about going to Montgomery Ward's when she was growing up?
I can't ever remember going in one as a kid - there wasn't one in the loop or mall we would go to, so everything was Sear's or Marshall Field's (with Carson's and JCP thrown in for good measure), but I too had that feeling of their being a bit "cut rate" whether they were or not.
I can't ever remember going in one as a kid - there wasn't one in the loop or mall we would go to, so everything was Sear's or Marshall Field's (with Carson's and JCP thrown in for good measure), but I too had that feeling of their being a bit "cut rate" whether they were or not.
" . . . there wasn't one in the loop . . ."
No surprise there. I always felt Wards belonged in the low rent district. They'd have just tainted the grand State Street image if they were in there along with finer stores like Field's and CPS.
No surprise there. I always felt Wards belonged in the low rent district. They'd have just tainted the grand State Street image if they were in there along with finer stores like Field's and CPS.
Order arrived today
I just received my order that I placed with Montgomery Ward. Fast shipping. When i talked to the gal at customer service she said that they are still the original Montgomery Ward. When they went out of business they kept the rights to the catalog and sold off everything else. Good people to deal with.
I just received my order that I placed with Montgomery Ward. Fast shipping. When i talked to the gal at customer service she said that they are still the original Montgomery Ward. When they went out of business they kept the rights to the catalog and sold off everything else. Good people to deal with.
Oh I don't know about that.....
You need a cheat sheet to keep up with the various names and entities that owned Montgomery Wards
en.wikipedia.org
You need a cheat sheet to keep up with the various names and entities that owned Montgomery Wards
Montgomery Ward - Wikipedia
Their HQ was backed up to the river somewhere across from N. Canal St. in the area behind the Merchandise Mart, I think. Maybe they had a store there that was part of the HQ complex.
Our resident Montgomery Ward groupie out of Tucson
No, I think there was a store on State Street - a newish building from the mid-60's in fact. Long gone at this point.
Their warehouse and HQ (a 60's high-rise) are all condominiums today. The river facing buildings are not bad - high ceilings and balconies overlooking the river.
Their warehouse and HQ (a 60's high-rise) are all condominiums today. The river facing buildings are not bad - high ceilings and balconies overlooking the river.
Yay! Not a Signature appliance to be found in those condos, I'm betting!
I don't remember ever seeing a Wards anchor store in a mall where I grew up, but in the 70s/80s the smaller catalog stores with a very small floor space were fairly common. Usually had an auto service bay and sold tires as well. In the spring/summer there would be mowers out in the floor space. I think Wards heyday for big anchor stores was the 60s/early 70s.
vacerator
Well-known member
Wards
was not low rent by any means. Very middle class. Tappan made their stoves, Norge their washers and dryers, Eureka most of their vacuums. A few were Hoover. Admiral made their refrigerators. They also had their own service dept. They sold some high quality "Style House" furniture also.
So while Sears may have had better laundry appliances, and better Whirlpool refrigerators, their stoves by Roper were comparable, and their Ryobi, then Panasonic sourced vac's were mostly plastic well before any Eureka.
Apparel collections were comparable.
They had a few stores as Mall anchors in smaller malls. A Wards store built after 1950 was always near a newer middle class subdivision.
was not low rent by any means. Very middle class. Tappan made their stoves, Norge their washers and dryers, Eureka most of their vacuums. A few were Hoover. Admiral made their refrigerators. They also had their own service dept. They sold some high quality "Style House" furniture also.
So while Sears may have had better laundry appliances, and better Whirlpool refrigerators, their stoves by Roper were comparable, and their Ryobi, then Panasonic sourced vac's were mostly plastic well before any Eureka.
Apparel collections were comparable.
They had a few stores as Mall anchors in smaller malls. A Wards store built after 1950 was always near a newer middle class subdivision.
Sorry, don't agree. Wards was always the cheap alternative to other department stores. Their products always seemed a little "off", a little cheaply made. Their appliance graphics always bordered on tacky. At least that was my perception growing up, it was the Woolworth or Kmart of department stores.
Wards was not popular in this area; in fact, I don't remember them having any stores in the Cincinnati or Dayton area. They may have at some point in time, but I never saw any. I know they had a small store in Bowling Green, OH as my sister's mother-in-law mentioned working in one there. I'm thinking the building is now a restaurant. Think they also had them in Columbus, as one of my dad's cousins worked in one.
Some of their appliances were Westinghouse, including laundry and ranges, and Eureka vacs as mentioned.
Some of their appliances were Westinghouse, including laundry and ranges, and Eureka vacs as mentioned.
