Thursday, March 27, 2008

Whatever happened to Christmas catalogs?

This guy found a few hundred hours of free time and scanned Christmas catalogs from the 40s through the 80s.

I remember, as a kid, flipping through the various Christmas catalogs, constructing my list for Santa. Browsing this 1982 Sears catalog brought me back to a different time, a simpler time. A time when $15.99 got you a really neat digital watch. A time when a 25" console TV was the cornerstone of any good home theater. And and a time when Sears carried every conceivable product known to man.

For only $2,200 you could buy a video camera and make movies like a pro. For convenient playback you also got a VCR strapped to your back.


And if portability is your thing, for only 80 bucks you could buy a Mini Stereo and listen to your favorite AM and FM broadcasts, and your Asia and Foreigner tapes on the go.




Nothing says I'm a dork, please kick my ass like listening to your AM radio watch.




Apparently Sears used to carry a full line of sleepwear for Amish women.




Now I can barely remember 1982, but I definitely don't remember any men wearing these:




You younger kids are probably not aware of this, but 25 years ago TVs were made of wood. Not only could you watch your favorite programs on these sets, you could also serve a buffet dinner on them.

3 COMMENTS:

Effortlessly Average said...

And we so DID serve buffet dinner on our TV. Every Thanksgiving it was pressed into service. That and our crushed velvet covered mini bar.

Bunny said...

I still had a Curtis Mathis wood console TV until 10 years ago. When I sold my house I left it behind for the poor sucker who bought the house from me (aka, my sister). Bwahahahahah!

Anonymous said...

My dad worked for Sears from the late 60s through 1978. He was in advertising for Kenmore appliances, and got a discount on a lot of stuff. We had a 13 channel cabinet TV where you touched an area the size of a pez to change the channel - it sensed your finger! No dials! It was a miracle of the time and everyone else on the block had dial TVs.

Every Christmas was spent with all 3 kids pouring over the Sears catalog - we never wanted something until we saw it there, then we HAD to have it. Yesterday my life was complete - today it lacked a rock polisher and I couldn't rest until I had one!