Alice’s feet drag to the mailbox. She had waited until the mailman travelled a few houses beyond theirs. She can’t face chatting with the kind man, but overdue notices would be arriving soon, and her mood reflects it. The rusted gate latch on the white picket gate resists her effort to open it. Though its stubbornness keeps her children from wandering out of the grassy yard, today it simply raises her level of irritation. She lifts the lid of the metal box and pulls out the lone item.
A catalog. But not an everyday promotional.
The Sears Christmas catalog quivers in her hand.
Mailboxes across the nation began receiving the Sears Christmas catalog in 1933. Enticing children’s gifts such as dolls and trains, or grown-up gifts like Mickey mouse watches or chocolates appealed to consumers.
Convenient options made it easy to order: (1) By phone; (2) Through the post office; (3) At a Sears authorized merchant; or (4) Inside the local Sears retail store…if one had been built in the area.
The catalog’s launch date, in the middle of a nationwide depression, might be considered risky timing to some. Expand business during an extreme economic crisis? Yet despite the pall of poorness hovering over most homes, the Sears Christmas catalog was a hit. And for the next 78 years, it was delivered in late August/early September to enthusiastic households.
As with many businesses, the Sears Christmas catalog encountered both opportunities and challenges. In the 1950s, the country enjoyed a period of affluence. Thus, the Christmas catalog offered more expensive items such as Kenmore sewing machines and Roy Rogers costumes. On the other hand, in the 1960s, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target entered the marketplace. To combat the competition, Sears offered incentives to purchase—payment plans and the Discover credit card.
Celebratory highlights may also be of interest in the life of the Sears Christmas catalog:
The Christmas Wish Book was unveiled in 1968—a new name to express its dreamy character. Amidst several hundred pages of gifts for all ages, eight dream gifts were introduced. Imagine a color TV, player piano or carousel horse hiding behind one’s first artificial Christmas tree. A beautifully wrapped mink coat or diamond pendant might be tucked under those fake branches. The log-cabin-like playhouse might wait in the backyard unless the one-horse open sleigh was the pick for that year. Hmmm, how to wrap the suit of armor…
In 1982 the Christmas Wish Book celebrated its 50th year of bringing wishes and hopes to American families.
Advanced technology opened the door to on-line ordering in 1998. As the use of on-line ordering increased, the size of the paper catalog shrank, and eventually led to the last Sears Christmas catalog in 2011.
Writers might ask, “What does this matter to me?”
The Sears Christmas catalog offers a creative opportunity for writers to develop plots, reveal characters’ traits, or add some merry little details to a story.
Consider the scene depicted above. Alice, whether a major, minor, or notable character, is weary and glum. She’s been affected by the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog. Does her hand quiver because she sinks lower into a pit of depression? Or does it shake with excitement as she envisions an escape to dreamland.
The Sears Christmas catalog could also reveal family dynamics. Picture Alice, hubby and kiddos hovered over the table, eager eyes—or maybe greedy eyes—perusing the colorful array of gifts.
What if Alice interacts with the mail carrier? Walking the route, he could express joy delivering the Wish Books or complain about the extra weight.
Perhaps Alice lives in a different era. No problem. It’s an easy change from that 1933 house dress to a pair of sweats for a contemporary story. The white fence might be replaced with black wrought iron or the grass with a cement patio. The mailbox might be a slot in the door or a rack at the entrance to a subdivision.
Friends, merchants, town folks… the possible uses of this seasonal catalog are as many as the characters in the story.
As for you, Alice—Happy dreaming! We hope the Sears Christmas catalog brightens your spirits and brings a cheerful ending to your day.
Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry.
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