If you're in your 40's you likely couldn't wait for the Sears Wishbook to arrive. Our Wishbook was usually a dog-eared mess by the time Christmas came. I came across an online database of the catalogues. There's only one Canadian version however the others are great to look at. Here's the link:
For some reason in our house we did nothing with Sears. It was all from Eaton's.
And yes, we couldn't wait for that Christmas book to arrive. That is where I first laid eyes on the 12volt Strombecker race set for $19.95 or $19.98, whatever it was. I saved my money, working in our family's tree nursery until I had enough to buy that set. My mom questioned whether it was a good investment. She thought I wouldn't play with it enough. HA!!!
I still have that kit but that stuff is plain worn out. The cars have had a HARD life!
Seeing those pictures above here sure brings back memories. The bikes, the steam engines, the race sets, even the walkie talkies. I bought a set of those too when I was in Grade 8. We had tons of fun with those here on the farm.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
That's cool. I remember the Eaton's Christmas Catalog, but I'm sure there was a Sears one (or out west it was Simpson-Sears) as well. I'm of the Hot Wheels generation, but I don't think I've ever seen some of those sets. Many Many Many hours of fun with our Hot Wheel & Sizzlers, not to mention my purple Simpson-Sears 3 speed Banana Bike I got in the spring of 1971.
Does bring back the memories, always had the Sears Christmas and summer catalog in our house. Still have a few of the toys. Had the Dial Desk phone set, my room was in the attic and my sisters below. Talked on those phones for many an hour after bedtime. Thanks for posting Todd and taking me back in time. What ever happened to the Banana seat????
I would have sold my little brother for one of those steam engines. He and I would spend hours imagining a shopping spree in our minds.
Thanks Todd Brought back some nice memories.
PS - not of selling a sibling Mom wouldn't allow it.
My sister and I also had those phones. If you pressed the dial the other phone would ring. Being a pesky little brother I would put a bunch of heavy books on my dial to make my sister's phone ring non stop
For some reason in our house we did nothing with Sears. It was all from Eaton's.
That is where I first laid eyes on the 12volt Strombecker race set for $19.95 or $19.98, whatever it was. I saved my money, working in our family's tree nursery until I had enough to buy that set. I still have that kit but that stuff is plain worn out. The cars have had a HARD life!
Ditto ... but that was because my mom worked at a Eaton's catalogue office. She got a nice discount on everything Eaton's had to offer. I used to dog-ear and circle tons of items in the Wish Book to broaden my chances of getting 50% of them!
I still have my Eldon race track and it's in pretty good shape ... I fired it up about 11 years ago, for the first time in decades.
Eldon racetrack with Ferraris (this was one of mine as a kid)
-- Edited by Pontiacanada on Wednesday 25th of March 2015 07:44:04 AM
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
If I have ambition and remember after my after-supper nap I'll post up some pics of my dad's old toy steam engine, IF I can remember which box it's in. It's from somewhere around 1916 I believe.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
When the Sears Wish Book showed up, or the Eaton's Catalogue, mom would ask us to let her know what sort of things we wanted for Christmas. We would happily pour over the catalogue and try to figure out how to whittle down our wish list to a reasonable size. I remember many if not most of those items shown. That Christmas my brother and I received a Hot Wheels Sizzler set. I had a gold 70 Boss 302 & a 69 Trans Am. I also received a Hot Wheels Silver Special, complete with a Mattel magazine, club patch & certificate of authenticity. I also remember getting one of those "Snap Tight" Sopwith Camels with Snoopy at the helm. I think that year for Christmas my brother also got The Guess Who - American Woman, plus Rare Earth - Ecology. They also sold musical instruments and I was always facinated by the electric guitars with the whammy bars and the sunburst finish over the black body.
I can remember my older brother and a friend sitting on the front steps, looking through the catalogue and gigling at the underwear section. They were simpler times when we were easily amused. We were free-range children that came home when mom blew the dinner whistle. If dad had to bring out the dory horn we knew that we were in trouble if we didn't get there in the next 2 minutes. We could hear that horn across the entire neighborhood. It was a safe neighborhood and I could play in the pond to the north, the dam that led to Tiffany Falls to the south, or we could go deep into the woods. Or across the neighborhood we could watch the trucks labor up the Highway 2 hill before the 403 existed. Yes, I can still recall the cars that most of the neighbors had.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton