Sears Wish Book

When the Sears Wish Book would arrive in the mail when I was a youngster, it always sparked awe when I would stop to consider the variety of their offerings. It was impossible to look at the entire catalog in one viewing so it tended to linger on the table where we left the mail and in the living room for days after its arrival.

Today it is no big deal, and with the advent of "Drop Shipping" any company can potentially sign enough deals with manufacturers of various sizes and cobble together an online version of Sear's Wish Book. What they can't duplicate is the feeling of anticipation surrounding the catalog's arrival in the mail. This common feeling and the sight of the catalog in neighbor's homes is beyond replication in our modern day where the niche is the goal, not trying to serve everyone, everywhere in these United States, anything their hearts might desire. I especially liked examining the pre-fabricated homes which could be purchased. It gave me a sense of what people in the late 19th century might have been thinking as they turned away for a moment in their minds from shopping at their rural general stores and contemplated what they might have delivered from Sears. Same thing going on today with Amazon, only faster and without all the emotion.