I bought my first firearm from Sears , I think it was 1958. It's a 22 rifle that I still have and intend to shoot pretty steadily this summer. I can't shoot high power any longer due to arthritis in my right shoulder.
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I bought my first firearm from Sears , I think it was 1958. It's a 22 rifle that I still have and intend to shoot pretty steadily this summer. I can't shoot high power any longer due to arthritis in my right shoulder.
eveready
Our Sears was two floors.
Top all men, women, children, records, small appliances, shoes.
Down was tools, sporting, toys, large appliances, automotive, garden, shacks.
I got my first bicycle there.
After we built it up to a stingray with parts from there.
Got my first tool set from them.
Almost all our clothes.
I remember the huge toy, tool, auto, sporting departments.
Remember pool tables, lathes, mills, table saws, drill presses, boats, lawnmowers.
Got my Scouting uniform there.
So many good memories. Good times.
Feel sorry for this generation, that will never experience a place like that.
Probably why their mad at everything and everyone.
So sad.
I LOVED Sears. They had EVERYING. And that Christmas catalog...Man, that was the basis of all my holiday wish lists growing up.
Sucks, but times change. RIP, Sears!
I still have two J.C. Higgins Rifles: my first rifle a single shot .22 and a 30-06 FN Mauser...both stamped J.C. Higgins and I still shoot both!
Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !
Back In my Time; Sears was the go to store! Buy a "craftsman tool" and you never had to worry if it broke! Just bring it back to the store and they replaced It ....no sales receipts needed & No questions asked! Then one day that happened and you took it back and it was replaced with an inferior tool! Then go ahead some years and You got the third degree on "when did you buy it and where was the sales receipt" Then the tools were changed to Sears brand tools ( pieces of crap) Sort of like the recent history of our country ...don't you think?
" Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington
Years ago, I bent a 1/2" drive breaker bar before I found out Chrysler used left hand threaded lug nuts on the driver's side.Originally Posted by JWFilips
I went to buy more Sear's stuff, and was going to test the system on trading it in.
This really nice lady that ran the tool dept, took it and started back to their warehouse.
I asked her if she needed to know how it got bent.
She said, "People that bend 1/2" breaker bars,,,,,, we don't bother them with a lot of questions".
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I read that Sears was purposely run into the ground for corporate reasons...ie....to make money ......The CEO was being sued by some of the stockholders for conflict of interest.......incidentally the name of the CEO most of you will be familiar with.
I quit buying there when they shafted me on a credit card charge 20+years ago. Guess they should have treated their customers a little better.
I was raised with my parents shopping at Sears, so much so that in adulthood I did my tool shopping at Sears. We have a Kenmore fridge that is about 15 years old and going strong. I have a total of about $2500 worth of Craftsman tools in my basement. I like their tools and stand by them. Our local Sears closed about 5 years ago, so I know how you feel.
Almost all of my mechanic type tools and most of my woodworking tools are old Craftsman. I started buying at Sears in 1972 so I have that fondness and history as well. Fortunately the hand tool manufacturing has been brought back to the US in several new facilities. Let’s just hope that the quality returns as well.
I’ve read that some independent Craftsman retailers are only honoring the lifetime warranty if the tool was purchased from them. That doesn’t help the value of the brand.
Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris
Just hope this country doesn't go the way of Sears.
Craftsman tools is owned by Stanley now. I have a recent set of Craftsman, made in USA, combination wrenches. Good fit and finish.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
Agreed, very few retailers will survive more than a few generations. Markets change and giant organizations change slowly. It's a double edged sword; Too big and change becomes difficult and cumbersome, too small and you will not survive economic downturns.
I believe that Sears could have survived longer if they had better corporate management. They were bleeding money for decades.
They were smart to dump their catalog when they did (they were losing huge amounts of money) but they were too slow to pivot to the internet.
Sears became highly dependent on their brick & mortar stores and those stores were expensive to operate. Many Sears stores were barely making a profit and those stores were subsidizing the stores that were losing money. It was a snowball effect that became exponentially larger as the debt took them over. Corporate management had their head up another part of their anatomy. They didn't want to look like they were failing but they were failing big. They were losing money and everyone knew it. They couldn't attract investors to cover their ever increasing debt and they refused to stop the bleeding.
Sears had a ginormous infrastructure. Distribution centers, distribution network, corporate structure, relationships with suppliers, assets they could sell or utilize. If they had stopped the bleeding by closing the non-profitable stores and embraced the internet earlier - Sears could have been the Amazon of today.
They refused to adapt.
It must be old new stock because Craftsman wrenches are not currently made in the US.
Last edited by Ickisrulz; 02-06-2021 at 01:23 PM.
Sears closed store here years ago , then they opened a sears hometown store , tiny thing with go in look at small selection of appliances and such and order , Ace closed a couple years ago , Ace had screws bolts fasteners and things in all sizes , less and less selection on where to shop .
The trans continental rail road and all its spurs made Sears and Montgomery wards rise possible. Western farmers ranchers and people would order from the catalog and it was delivered by rail.One of their main sources of supplies. Originally they were mail order only. Their main catalogs covered almost everything needed. I can remember the catalog store in Napoleon Ohio, and Mom waiting for the notification that the order was in to be picked up. Mom ordered a lot of things from clothes to canning supplies. Dad ordered a lot for the farm and shop. There are a few Sears houses in Toledo still. Yep Sears sold Houses ready to be assembled Even had a baked on finish on the siding.
They had the best prices on most things if you could wait the 3-4 weeks for delivery. Mail in order processing then receiving it at the catalog store mail notification and pick up. I believe the store fronts are what did them in.
Cabellas and Bass Pro also started out as mail order only businesses way back when. Another was JC Whitney ( how many remember their car parts catalogs). They stayed mail order house and are still going.
I dumped Sears after I wore out my last pair of Roebuck overalls and tried to buy a few more pairs . The folks at sears said they dropped Roebucks because the name was considered to be " Not Politically Correct " . How the hell is naming a clothing line after a man who may or may not have been black considered racist ? Maybe the Chicks and Lady A can shop there but not Eddie .
Grumpy Old Man With A Gun....... Do Not Touch !!
Love the older Made in USA Craftsman stuff, started buying tools from 'em 60 years ago so have a couple ! Sad when they stuck "Craftsman" on China made tools. First rifle was a JC Higgins .22 (actually a Marlin 80) with a 4x Ted Williams scope ! Still a great squirrel gun. Still have a box of .22 shorts in a Sears box !
I had heard that the Craftsman name was bought and a plant being built in TX to make tools here ?
Still pick 'em up at yard sales/flea markets so have plenty of USA made spares although at my age I doubt I can break any !
30 year old Kenmore dryer in the basement still in use.
Just one of the many things that point out this ain't the country I grew up in.
The original pickup trucks were made from kits sold by Sears to convert a Model T to a farm vehicle. How the mighty are fallen!
That is precisely the reason I no longer buy Craftsman unless it is old stock.
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