Author Topic: Sears Wishbook  (Read 815 times)

Offline FiLtH

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6448
Sears Wishbook
« on: December 14, 2006, 12:22:03 AM »
Thirty years ago, right about this time of December, my little brother and I would spend hours gazing at the Sears Wishbook. Not sure if they still have that but it was a catalog of toys and electronics, some clothes I guess...yuck..that came out in the Fall back when I was young.
 
   The pages would be all dog-earred and markers would circle the pics of the toys we wanted Santa to bring. I'd literally get sick to my stomach over the excitement by Christmas Eve.

  Thinking back, some of the toys would have been...

 Verti-Bird

 Six Million Dollar Man Doll and Venus Probe Vehicle

 Guns of Navarone army playset

 This little airfield that looked like a Pacific island base with little blue foam corsairs (Baa Baa Blacksheep was big then)

  Stretch Armstrong

  Big Jim (Another doll that had vehicles and when you flexed his arm his muscle showed....sounds gay now :P)

  GI Joe (12" figures)  The sub and squid, the Yeti and ski adventure stuff

  Slot car sets

  Trains ( Lionel)

  Models

  Toy guns (Before the orange muzzle)

  BB guns

  Lots of stuff. Fun thinking back to what made me so excited back then.

~AoM~

Offline rpm

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15661
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2006, 12:27:20 AM »
I remember scouring both Sears and Monkey Wards catalogs. Montgomery Wards had much cooler stuff like mini-bikes.
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Stay thirsty my friends.

Offline Sandman

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 17620
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2006, 12:27:59 AM »
sand

Offline FiLtH

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6448
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2006, 12:31:22 AM »
RPM..thats why we looked at Sears..we were too PO to get mini bikes. Those were for the kids who could afford Levis, Nikes, and soap.

 Sandman..thats pretty much it..my first was very basic though. We eventually got the fire rescue and the police one too.

~AoM~

Offline Sandman

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 17620
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2006, 12:34:19 AM »
I remember having something similar to the verti bird. Can't remember what it was called though. It had an airplane on the end and you cranked it by hand to turn the prop.
sand

Offline rpm

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15661
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2006, 12:42:34 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by FiLtH
RPM..thats why we looked at Sears..we were too PO to get mini bikes. Those were for the kids who could afford Levis, Nikes, and soap.
LOL, who said we could get them? That was a wishbook!!
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Stay thirsty my friends.

Offline JB88

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10980
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2006, 12:50:51 AM »
loved those catalouges...do they still make them?

ooooooooh...there went a nice one....and another....
this thread is doomed.
www.augustbach.com  

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. -Ulysses.

word.

Offline DiabloTX

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9592
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2006, 04:52:41 AM »
Probably the only book my mom could get me to read at that age.  And even then it had tons of pictures, minimal reading needed.

Those were the days.
"There ain't no revolution, only evolution, but every time I'm in Denmark I eat a danish for peace." - Diablo

Offline DREDIOCK

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 17775
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2006, 07:21:05 AM »
I remember that book. Spent many an hour drooling over those pages
Thats when Sears was still "THE" store
When I was a kid you could even do your food shopping a Sears
With each purchace you would get a bunch of S&H GreenStamps
Collect enough of them and you could trade em in for stuff.
I remember my parents getting me my first fishing pole that way...From Sears

If you look into the history of Sears. Its pretty sad what its become.
At one time no matter what you wanted. You could get it from Sears
From Clothing to a new house. You could get it from Sears

Now....
Now now its a classic case example of. If you want to run a buisness into the ground. put the bean counters in charge
Death is no easy answer
For those who wish to know
Ask those who have been before you
What fate the future holds
It ain't pretty

Offline Rolex

  • AH Training Corps
  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2006, 07:33:25 AM »
I averted my eyes at the womens' underwear section.

Offline Ripsnort

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 27260
Re: Sears Wishbook
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2006, 07:34:46 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by FiLtH
Thirty years ago, right about this time of December, my little brother and I would spend hours gazing at the Sears Wishbook.


Are you sure is was the  Sears Wishbook??? :D

Seriously, found memories myself of my sisters and I dog-earing that catalog come November.
Things I remember from Christmas day:
GI Joes, Erector sets, electric trains, "Invisible Ink", Whirlybirds game, Thingmaker that made "Creepy Crawlers".
http://pic4.picturetrail.com:80/VOL767/2726312/14205248/212601772.jpg
« Last Edit: December 14, 2006, 08:04:24 AM by Ripsnort »

Offline skernsk

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 5089
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2006, 07:34:50 AM »
Filth I remember doing that with the Sears wishbook.  And now, I am sitting there with my children circling what they want for Christmas.

I even circled a few things for the wife to buy me:aok

Our shopping was done early this year because we get the wishbook in the fall, shop online, and have it delivered.

Offline Goth

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 621
Re: Sears Wishbook
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2006, 07:53:20 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by FiLtH
 Thinking back, some of the toys would have been...

 Blah

 Blah

 Blah

 Blah

 BB guns

  Lots of stuff. Fun thinking back to what made me so excited back then.


You're gonna put your eye out kid.


Offline john9001

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9453
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2006, 08:53:34 AM »
sears was bought by kmart.

Offline Airscrew

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4808
Sears Wishbook
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2006, 09:37:16 AM »
toys toys and more toys.... I remember that book.  I also remember some of my favorites and my most wanted.
the Major Mason space toys, MMM Space Station, crawler, Astro Trac
My GI Joes (the big ones)  I always wanted the jet and the tank, but never got them.
Johnny West cowboy and horse
Capt Maddox
My Daisy Red Ryder bb gun
The Big Jim action sets,  I had the Rescue Rig and my brother got the RV
the Hot Wheels and tracks