$295.00 — Sold Out
1902-1903 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog
In the Early 20th Century, Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog was the amazon.com of its time. It sought to provide its prospective customers with access to anything and everything under the sun at the lowest competitive prices possible.
Sears, Roebuck & Co. began as a mail-order business intended to serve even the most remote corners of the countryside, where access to retail outlets was limited. Founded in 1889, it steadily grew in success and popularity, fueled by the expansion of the railroad network, westward migration and the advent of advantageous postal policies and services that allowed for economical parcel post and shipments to rural areas.
It wasn’t until 1925, that retail outlets were added to the business model. Until then, and even for decades afterward, the Big Book Sears Catalog was an essential fixture of the times and central component of their business model and success. It is such a great reference book that many reproductions were made of this original catalog.
Catalogue #112:
Excellent 1st Edition Hardcover Book Early Sears Roebuck and Co Catalog. (Not a Reprint). The covers are faded, stained, rubbed, spine and the original cloth covers are heavily worn with frayed edges, good condition for its age.
The 1943 Sears News Graphic wrote that the Sears catalog, "serves as a mirror of our times, recording for future historians today’s desires, habits, customs, and mode of living.” In many ways, this was true.
Richard Sears wrote nearly every line appearing in the catalogs from 1895 to 1908, when he retired. The catalogs written in these years are the quintessence of the unique appeal and cultural significance of the Sears Roebuck & Co. catalog. They stand out in quality and character, due to Sears’s unique ability to connect with and cater to every person, via his colorful use of catch-phrases, slogans, and expressions; his innovative business practices and keen business acumen; his ability to keep it current and relevant to the times, by incorporating current trends, newly invented items and news headlines; and his commitment to constantly grow and update his offerings, by adding new sections and items with every catalog.