Did you know that the Sears Wishbook is still alive? I did not know! I eyed it - free for the taking - and saw an opportunity to reminisce childhood days - when a catalogue in the mail, still wrapped in plastic, was a wonderful coming home from school surprise! The cover page alone, was always a new delight to capture!
We lived in Vancouver - actually not far from the old Sears on Kingsway - but the catalogue was the way to dream and shop. Everything we could wish for . . . wishes that often only came alive once we saw what was there . . . Mattel baby dolls, endless doll accessories, sleeping bags that always look like so much fun on pictures, games, record players, pretty bedspreads and the ultimate wish . . . the Easy Bake oven with packages of real cake mixes and pans to bake! Is there a girl out there who did not wish for one of those?
For old times sake I found the specific pages I would have poured over in my pre/early teen years . . . It used to be Girls 7-14. When I got a bit older, I would always look for a certain model and see what she was wearing.
My parents did a fair bit of their shopping via the catalogue throughout the year. They would fill out a form and either mail it in or call it in. Sometime later, on a Saturday morning we would make the trip to the Sears warehouse and pick up our parcels.
In my reminiscing I saw myself sitting, feet tucked under, window shopping in a certain chair in my parent's living room . . . and I realized . . . the chair (one of two) is now in my bedroom.
I don't think I'd ever connected that memory to it before.
I don't think I'd ever connected that memory to it before.
5 comments:
That is a fun connection, Anneliese!
I remember my Dad coming home with the parcels from Eatons or Sears and him and my mom going behind closed doors to see what their Christmas shopping looked like in real.
Both those catalogues were hugely valued at our house.
I wanted an easy bake oven too.... never got one. Did you?
Such great memories Anneliese! I always loved looking through the Christmas Wish catalogue - and still do!! Never had an Easy Bake Oven but my favourite Doll came from the Eaton's catalogue! Love the memories you have of that chair - it looks lovely in your bedroom.
We loved the catalogue when we were children but my memories centre around our oldest son, at 2 years old, sitting in the rocking chair for an hour at a time with that precious catalogue in in hands.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I too, loved spending hours pouring over that catalogue, circling things I liked, sitting by mom saying "do you like this, or THIS best." Cyber shopping is fun, as is reading a nook, but for real satisfaction, give me a book!
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