Sears - RIP

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Noah930

I'm not a finance guy, but I think we are all missing the financial point. The guy who owns the place doesn't care if the chain goes down the tubes. That's why there has been no innovation or attempt to keep up with the times. The value has been in the brands that have been sold off, the properties/real estate, and the names/information from customer lists that have been sold to third parties. The parts are worth more than the whole. Lampert's taken a car (albeit a formerly running one), and parted it out.

That’s been the model for the demise of a lot of our great companies. I recommend the book “Glass Houses” for a stomach turning look at how it’s done.
We have strayed too far from the country we once was, when we made stuff. Now all that is important is making money, no matter what you have to destroy and how many lives you wreck to do it. We would be a better country if a degree in engineering paid off as well as a degree in finance.

[RANDY P]

Looks like the plan is to bring Craftsman back to USA production- it's emblazoned all over the craftsman.com website:

[jyl]

Lampert had/has no vision of or interest in serving customers, innovation, or long-term investing. He was only interested in cutting costs, short-term financial returns, and transferring Sears' best assets to his separate ventures. He is also simply very bad at the business of retail.

[CurtEgerer]

Sears tool catalogs 1949 to 1974. Bought at an estate sale for $10.

[stevej37]

^^^ I still have and use a Sears circular saw and sabre saw that I bought in the early 70's

[WolfeMacleod]

Sears is what happens when you take Ayn Rand seriously.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/column-this-is-what-happens-when-you-take-ayn-rand-seriously?fbclid=IwAR1VfS7Elq2rBbnmXNkHvAyLB7KdQrR-pyu1ZzRgGjtKFe5KmuOdpeOAONY

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

As I recall toys were farther back in the catalog from the pages and pages of pictures of bras and panties. Somehow when you randomly opened the book it always fell open to the lingerie pages.

Dear Penthouse,

As I recall in the Sears catalog, toys were farther back in the catalog from the pages and pages of pictures of bras and panties. Somehow when you randomly opened the book it always fell open to the lingerie pages.

Imagine my surprise when the baby sitting caught me staring lustfully at the nearly naked models, perky and slim in their bra and panties.

"I am perky and slim", she avowed, reading my mind...

I, of course, read the Catalog for the articles.

[jhelgesen]

Sears sold off Craftsman in 2017 to B&D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftsman_(tools)

[CurtEgerer]

I worked at Sears in the mid-70s as a bicycle mechanic. In the winter months, I stocked the toy and sporting goods departments. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, customers would be buying toys faster than we could restock the shelves. It was total chaos on Saturdays. Also worked the year they brought out Pong. We had a display model setup and there would typically be 20-30 people in line waiting to give it a try.

[sammyg2]

One of the very first electric guitars:

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

Sears tool catalogs 1949 to 1974. Bought at an estate sale for $10.

This post MADE MY DAY!!!!!!

That's my granddad's, then my dad's, and now my tablesaw! I have no idea if it dates back to 49, or a later model, but, my grandfather and my dad used it to build my grandfather's house in the 1950's in Fairfax Va. It sat in his workshed until my dad took it in the 1990's. I took it in the 2000's.

Wow! Thanks for posting this! I waited all day to get home to see if it was the same one!

[Evans, Marv]

I have one I use exactly like that, except it has the table extenders on the sides. It's on a base with casters. I roll it out to use pretty frequently.

[URY914]

We were a J.C. Penny's family. Sears was for the commoners.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by URY914

We were a J.C. Penny's family. Sears was for the commoners.

HA! I have clear memories of taking the bus downtown with my Mom in order to go to Sears and make a payment on our appliances. Then we'd go to Woolworths for a hotdog and a coke at the counter. 'twas a big life lesson for me on how to meet lifes responsibilities.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by URY914

We were a J.C. Penny's family. Sears was for the commoners.

That's funny, in my little town, the shopping hierarchy for the classes went Sears, Montgomery Wards and JC Penney bringing up the cellar.

It was probably different in every town in America back in the sixties and seventies!

[CurtEgerer]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

This post MADE MY DAY!!!!!!

That's my granddad's, then my dad's, and now my tablesaw! I have no idea if it dates back to 49, or a later model, but, my grandfather and my dad used it to build my grandfather's house in the 1950's in Fairfax Va. It sat in his workshed until my dad took it in the 1990's. I took it in the 2000's.

Wow! Thanks for posting this! I waited all day to get home to see if it was the same one!

Sure looks like the one in the 1949 catalog. They don't build 'em like they used to

[CurtEgerer]

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

When I was a kid, we used to order a crate of live baby chickens (chicks) in a box.

You had to be near the phone when they arrived. Clerk didn't want to listen to them and couldn't feed 'em...

You did that too? I think we got one or two dozen. Newly hatched chicks don’t have to eat for 24 hours, after that they drop like flies. Ours arrived by rail, and we were at the depot throwing scratch feed to then as soon as they got off the train. Great memories.

[rfuerst911sc]

Anyone here thinking about buying Sears stock ? Might be a good payoff if they can pull themselves out of the gutter .

[KFC911]

^^^^ or take my 1500 shares of Enron instead....I'll pay you $100 and guarantee you won't lose one red cent....win, WIN