1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango? What's that? Will? You will not believe 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: what I found when I was looking through this old 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: box of things from my childhood. So what's that? All right? 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: I'm gonna show it to you? Ready for this? What 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: is that? A calculator? Why that? It is one of 6 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: the most coveted items in elementary school back in the eighties. 7 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: Were these a big deal in Delaware? Of course they were. 8 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: They definitely were in Alabama. And you know where I 9 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: got it? Where's that? The Sears catalog? Did you used 10 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: to look through the old Sears catalog? Yeah? I used 11 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: to thump through it. Oh man. It was so huge 12 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: for us. And for some reason, I never saw it 13 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: in my own house. I think my parents must have 14 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,959 Speaker 1: just been good at making it disappears something. But at 15 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: mama's house, you know, a grandmother has to have this 16 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 1: on the coffee table. She always had it sitting out 17 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: and I would thumb through seriously every page of it, 18 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: circling things like remote control cars, ThunderCats figures. That's where 19 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: I got the light, right, so many awesome toys in there. Yeah, 20 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: there's really something so magical about it, all right? And 21 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: did you did you see my calculator. Watch I get 22 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: that on my face. Anyway, as the holidays are approaching, 23 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: we were talking about the old Sears catalog recently and 24 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: wondering how did it become such a big deal and 25 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: what are some of the weirdest things ever offered in it? 26 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: And speaking of weird, we talked about doing this topic 27 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: months ago and it's just so strange that, seriously, it 28 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: is just by accident that this ends up publishing on 29 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: Black Friday. So anyway, that's what we'll be talking about today. 30 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: Let's get started hei their podcast listeners, Welcome the part 31 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 1: time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and it's always I'm joined 32 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: by my good friend man guest and sitting on the 33 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: other side of the soundproof class man. I don't know 34 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: if you've noticed this, but Kristen has this fancy new 35 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: office chair out there. I think it's an executive chair. 36 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: It's like high back and everything. Wow. That's our friend 37 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: and producer Tristan McNeil. And on today's show, we're ushering 38 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: in the holiday shopping season with a fun look back 39 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: at the golden age of Sears. Now, you know, it's 40 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: no secret that the iconic American retailer has seen its 41 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: better days, and in fact, there's a good chance you 42 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: haven't stepped foot in a Sear store and quite some time, 43 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: or maybe even never at all. But you know, with 44 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 1: a hundred and thirty one years under the company's belt, 45 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: we thought, why focus on the negative exactly, So instead 46 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna explore the solid hundred years or so when 47 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: Sears was at the top of its game, and we'll 48 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: cover some of the company's breakthrough ideas and not get 49 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: a sense of how a humble mail order service became 50 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: this massive retail giant. You know. So I want to 51 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: mention upfront that today's episode works is kind of a 52 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: companion to the show we did on Amazon just a 53 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago. And it's not to say that 54 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: you have to have listened to that one, but you 55 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: have to listen, you do. Okay, stop, now, go back 56 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: and listen to that one. But you know, they're all 57 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: kinds of interesting parallels between the two companies. So I 58 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: guess you are better off if you're up to date 59 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: on Amazon. Yeah, and and that's really one of the 60 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: great things about a company has long lived as Sears 61 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: like it takes on all this added historical value that 62 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: makes it way more interesting than like your typical retail 63 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: chan and so for younger companies, Series is kind of 64 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: this primer of what a business should and shouldn't do 65 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: in order to weather the ups and downs of the 66 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: American economy. But series is longevity also makes it useful 67 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: in other ways to like take the company's famous catalogs, 68 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: those at up being these great visual records of how 69 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,839 Speaker 1: our society, styles and habits have changed over the last 70 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: century and a half. It was interesting reading up on 71 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: this something I had not thought about before. But often 72 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: producers will use Sears catalogs as references when they're working 73 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: on period films or Broadway shows. You know, they're also 74 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: a good way to find costumes or props that are 75 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: true to the era being depicted. And it's not just 76 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: Hollywood either, you know, historians rely on the catalogs to 77 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: look back and kind of get an accurate timeline of 78 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: when certain products or styles first appeared. Yeah, that's pretty awesome, 79 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: and those catalogs are such a big part of the 80 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: series legacy. We should definitely talk more about them. But 81 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: first I want to go back to the pre catalog 82 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: days and get a sense of how series really got 83 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: to start, all right, So I'll set the scene here. 84 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: It's it's eighteen eighty six, and you've got a twenty 85 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: two year old man named Richard Sears, and he's working 86 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: as a telegraph off operator and a station agent at 87 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: a railroad in Minnesota. It's kind of a boring job, 88 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: but the downtime allows Sears to start a side gig, 89 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: and he's selling lumber and coal just to kind of 90 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: supplement his income. Well, one day, a shipment of pocket 91 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: watches comes in, but the local jeweler refuses to sign 92 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: for it. It was pretty common in those days that 93 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: the companies would send these unsolicited merchandise to small town retailers. 94 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: They'd they'd act like it was this accidental shipment and 95 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: then say, you know, but you can have it at 96 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: this deeply discounted price. But he sends this opportunity for 97 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: this new side business. So Sears buys the unwanted watches 98 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: well below cost for himself. He then proceeds to sell 99 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 1: to other railroad workers up and down the line. Of 100 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: the next few months, he turned this fifty dollar investment 101 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: into a five thousand dollar profit. Yeah, it's an amazing story. 102 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: So let me pick it up here. He's emboldened by 103 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: that kind of result, right, So Sears decides to take 104 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: a stab at the American dream. He quits his job, 105 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: orders more watches, and then starts to R. W. Sears 106 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: Watch Company with in six months, then a year later 107 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: his business is booming. So he moved the company to 108 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: Chicago and he starts producing this mail order catalog. Now, 109 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 1: admittedly the series catalog starts small. It's less than a 110 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: hundred pages, and it advertises nothing but watches. A hundred 111 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: pages of watches. Yeah, but but but then it also 112 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: guarantees something revolutionary. And that's the first ever unconditional money 113 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: back guarantee. So as many times you see that, like 114 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: on TV or whatever, this all started with Sears. That's 115 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: pretty interesting. I mean, it's a great idea from a 116 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: marketing perspective, no question. And you know, it added a 117 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: nice sense of security to the prospect of these people 118 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: really kind of seeing it as sending strangers money through 119 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: the mail. And but but in practice, this revolutionary policy 120 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: turned into a huge headache for Sears. Happened pretty quickly. 121 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: I mean he was making thousands of dollars from watch 122 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: sales each month, but the cost of these refunds and 123 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: the replacements, it really started to eat into these profits. 124 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: But he was pretty smart about it. So what he 125 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: did next was he hired someone to repair the defective watches, 126 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: which would make it much cheaper than you know, for 127 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 1: for him to be able to honor this guarantee. Right, 128 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: So that's when alvat Roebuck enters the picture. He's this 129 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: watchmaker and repairman who he quickly becomes Sears full blown partner, 130 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: and together they expanded the business to include all sorts 131 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: of other products. So you've got jewelry than supporting goods, 132 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: quickly moves into clothing, bicycles, uh, you know, lots of 133 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: household products. You don't want to name every single one 134 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: of them. I could. So Actually at this point, was 135 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: it was Sears still all male order, or if they 136 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: already entered the physical store space as well. Yeah, so 137 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: Sears actually didn't open a brick and mortar store until 138 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: for its first thirty years, it was strictly a catalog company, 139 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: and that was a great business model for them because 140 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: nearly two thirds of the country's population lived in these 141 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: rural regions. This was back in the eighteen nineties, but 142 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: they decided to capitalize on this newly completed railroad system, 143 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: and through that, Sears and Roebuck were able to build 144 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: this loyal customer base in parts of the country that 145 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: had the most untapped market potential. Yeah. I mean, the 146 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: biggest competition for oil order in those days came from 147 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: these general stores scattered through American small towns, and because 148 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: most of those were either under stocked or overpriced, it 149 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: really weren't that much of a threat. Well yeah, I mean, 150 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: if anything, the general stores were the ones in danger. 151 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: In fact, I read that the store owners in some 152 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: towns started offering prizes to local kids who would bring 153 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: in copies of the Sears catalogs. And it wasn't that 154 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: the shopkeepers were interested in like studying the competition or 155 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: matching their prices. They just wanted to get all these 156 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: things and then have these huge public bonfires where they 157 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: would burn all the catalogs. That's pretty extreme, but I 158 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: mean serious. Stated goal was to save consumers money by 159 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: cutting out the middleman, and those general stores were the middleman. 160 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: But that wasn't series is only competition. They had already 161 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: come under attack from other mail order retailers like you 162 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: know Montgomery Ward. They had actually been selling city goods 163 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: to rural clients for about twenty plus years before Sears 164 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: got into the business. That's right, Montgomery Ward. I mean, 165 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: it has less of a presence today than Sears, so 166 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: it's kind of easy to forget that they were actually 167 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: the first on this mail order scene. Yeah, and as 168 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: you'd expect, the companies were arrivals from the start, though, 169 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: Sears grew so rapidly that it started to outpace Montgomery 170 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Award in the eighteen nineties. By nine hundred, Sears of 171 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: sales had reached ten million dollars versus Wards about nine 172 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: million dollars. I mean, the rivalry had grown unfriendly by 173 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: that point too. So you know, Sears supposedly made his 174 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: catalogs shorter and narrower so that they'd stick out from 175 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: the Ward catalogs. Like when customers would stack the catalogs 176 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: at home, the smaller series catalog would always end up 177 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: on top. Oh, it's pretty clever. I was trying to 178 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 1: figure out how that worked, but that that makes sense, alright. 179 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: So so obviously, the railroad was a big part of 180 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: Sears success, as was the case for many American companies 181 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: of that era, but we should give a shout out 182 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: to the postal system, which you know, it gave mail 183 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: order companies a huge boost in eighteen ninety six, and 184 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: that's when the Postal Service started guaranteeing mail to all 185 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: rural areas, so no matter where someone lived, they were 186 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: allowed to get their mail there, and so it made 187 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: it much easier for Sears and its competitors to get 188 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: their catalogs into these homes of even most out of 189 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: the way customers. Of course, the Postal Service didn't start 190 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: shipping packages until you know, a few years later in 191 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: nineteen thirteen, so customers still had to go to their 192 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: nearest railroad station in order to pick up their orders. 193 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: But you know, getting the catalogs at home at least 194 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: save them the trouble of having to go to these 195 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: distant post offices or higher private carriers just to bring 196 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: them their mail. Definitely, and I can't imagine having to 197 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: walk miles to a post office just to pick up 198 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: like what we think of his junk mail today. Yeah, 199 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: you know it is. It's interesting to think of it 200 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: that way now, But those catalogs we're we're not considered 201 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: junk mail at all in the nineteenth century. I mean 202 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: they actually served a purpose not too dissimilar from how 203 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: we use the internet today. You know, you've had anywhere 204 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: at any time people could flip through the pages of 205 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: a catalog and learn about a new piece of technology 206 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: or some breakthrough product, and then they could buy it 207 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: for themselves if they wanted to. And in fact, that's 208 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: another way the postal system helped the mail order industry. 209 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: So they allowed Sears catalog to be shipped for just 210 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: one cent per pound because they were considered public aids 211 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: and the spread of knowledge. I know, I mean that 212 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: sounds silly at first, like what could be crasser than 213 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: a company trying to pass off advertisements of some sort 214 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: of educational service, But I guess if you put yourself 215 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: in the shoes of someone living in the middle of 216 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: Wyoming way back in the eighteen nineties, like a serious 217 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: catalog really would be this window to a world you 218 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't otherwise see. And the catalogs were definitely meant to 219 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 1: advertise products and make money, but consumer education was in 220 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: the mix as well. Yeah, And you know, you sometimes 221 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: hear that Sears taught Americans how to shop, and there's 222 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: clearly some truth to that for millions of shoppers, this 223 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: year's catalog was kind of their first introduction to mail 224 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: order services, and for better or worse, the catalog also 225 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: played a role in the development of America's consumer culture. Yeah, 226 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: that sounds right to me, especially when you look at 227 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: how the catalog ballooned year after years more products were added. 228 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: I mean, in the early nineteen hundreds, the Sears catalog 229 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: was over five hundred pages, and at its peak in 230 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: nineteen fifteen, the General Merchandise Catalog, it's swelled over twelve 231 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: hundred pages. Whoa nine year old will would have been 232 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: so jealous of that. Somebody paid so many circles. So 233 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: it included a hundred thousand items, weighed four pounds, and 234 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: brought the company over a hundred million dollars in annual sales. 235 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 1: Good lord, but so wait, you said that the catalog's 236 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: peak was in nineteen fifteen, so it started shrinking after 237 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: that was more than a hundred years ago. Yeah, so 238 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: the nation had urbanized quite a bit by then, and 239 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: cars were becoming the rage, and suddenly rural consumers were 240 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: moving to cities where easy access to stores lessen their 241 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: need for mail order services, and Sears kept track with 242 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: the shifting market until nineteen twenty five, when it responded 243 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: by opening their first physical department stores. Yeah, and it's 244 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: it's worth mentioning that by by this point, Richard Sears 245 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: and Alva Roebuck we were out of the picture. I mean, 246 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: Roebuck had sold his interest in the company decades earlier, 247 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: and Sears had retired back in nineteen o eight passed 248 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: away in nineteen fourteen. So rather than Sears himself, the 249 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: company's hugely successful for a into brick and mortar was 250 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,599 Speaker 1: really overseen by General Robert E. Wood. Now, he was 251 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: a military man. That might seem like a little bit 252 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 1: of a random pick, but he'd actually been a procurement 253 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: officer back in the Panama can Now projects, so he 254 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: did have a lot of logistics background, another background that 255 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: really helped him think about how the company would grow. 256 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: There's actually a Storian here in Atlanta named Jerry Hancock, 257 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: and he was on an episode of Stuff You Missed 258 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: in History Class, which you guys should check out. It 259 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: was a really really interesting episode. But he talks about 260 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: woods contribution in this way. He says, basically, what Wood 261 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: did was he set up a territory system and divided 262 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: the nation into five territories. He supplied those five territories 263 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: by these ten distribution plants combined with retail stores. And 264 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: if you go you can still see the remnants of 265 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,359 Speaker 1: these plants and how they fill orders with these huge conveyors, 266 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: these big spiraling shoots. Each floor would get a ticket 267 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: for whatever items, and they would have the merchandise divided 268 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: by floor and they would fill each order. And in 269 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: the bottom would be this massive mail room where all 270 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: the items would be collected and bundled together, and then 271 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: literally on the back of the building was a railroad. 272 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: They would put the items into the train and ship 273 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,599 Speaker 1: them out. I mean, it's an amazing process and it 274 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,719 Speaker 1: sounds so ahead of its time, but full disclosure. Will 275 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: and I actually work in one of Wood's old distribution 276 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: plans here in Atlanta, and nowadays it's this mixed use facility, 277 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: but you can still find traces of the building's industrial 278 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: past here and it's a great place to work, with 279 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: a great Raman restaurant downstairs. And so general, would we 280 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: salute you? Okay, So I know we're getting into sears 281 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: breaking bortar phase now, but if I'm honest, I'm not 282 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: really ready to leave the catalog behind just yet. So 283 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: what do you say we take a break and then 284 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: we can check out some of the craziest stuff to 285 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: ever grace the Sears catalog. Sounds like a plan to me. 286 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: You're listening to part time genius and we're talking about 287 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: how Sears managed to build a retail empire on the 288 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: foundation of mail order catalogs. All right, Mango, So what's 289 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: one of the weirdest products you came across while rummaging 290 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: through your huge collection of old Sears catalogs? So this 291 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: might be cheating, but I actually found a bunch of 292 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: these really outrageous medicines, you know, the quackery that was 293 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: all the rage in the nineteenth century America. All right, Well, 294 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: first of all, if you preface something by saying this 295 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: might be cheating, it most definitely is cheating. But I'm 296 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: always game for some medical quackery. So so what did 297 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: you find out? So one of the absolute worst remedies 298 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: has to be this one offered in the Spring catalog. 299 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: It's called Brown's Vegetable Cure for female weakness. Which can 300 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: you imagine trying to market something like that today? I 301 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: can't imagine that would go over very well. No. Yeah, 302 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: so I have no clue what was even in the stuff, 303 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: But Sears sold it in big bottles for sixty cents 304 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: of pop, and according to the writ up, they could 305 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: cure everything from mental cramps to back pain to really 306 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: terrifying stuff. So here's some of the quotes it cures. 307 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: Quote A dread from some impending evil, a craving for 308 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: unnatural food, and sparks before the eyes. So if you 309 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: have a craving for un natural food, you could just 310 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: you know, have some of this. Brown's vegetable cure for 311 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: female weakness takes care of that. This is so weird. 312 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: I not remember hearing about any epidemics of sparks before 313 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: the eyes. Such a strange thing. Yeah, so you might 314 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: be right. And the Atlas like fifty symptoms that supposedly 315 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: treats another terrible product. This is uh also aimed at 316 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: female customers. It was Dr Roses French arsenic complexion wafers. 317 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: All right, Now, that just sounds made up. I know, 318 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: I had to read it cause I couldn't remember, but 319 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: I wish it was. It is not made up. These 320 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: were toxic wafers that promised to rejuvenate quote even the 321 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: coarsest and most repulsive skin. And you knew they were 322 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: toxic too, because the very first words in the ad 323 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: coffee are quote perfectly harmless and big bold, not suspicious 324 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: at all. I like how they draw attention to the 325 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: fact that these aren't your typical round of the mill 326 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: arsenic waivers, you know, like you might just find around 327 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: the corner. I mean these these are French arsenic wafers. Yeah, 328 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: you can poison yourself in style here. Yeah. So the 329 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: ad tries to distract from the poison with all these 330 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: references to the magical effects of the wafers and how 331 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: users will experience quote the wizard's touch. Sears must have 332 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: been pretty confident because they recommended women start ordering them 333 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: a dozen boxes at a time, which would have been 334 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: twelve arsenic wave Wow. That is a lot of arsenic. 335 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: But I mean, you do have to remember it was 336 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: French arsenic, so I'm sure it was fine. So all right. Well, 337 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: while women seem to have the line share of these 338 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: dubious remedies inflicted on them, men were also on the 339 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: receiving end of a few of these, at least, so 340 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: I found one example the fall of nineteen o two, 341 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: Sears catalog advertised this belt and it sent electrical currents 342 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: through a guy's growing in order to provide quote, the best, 343 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: most reliable, most harmless yet powerful cheapest cure possible. So 344 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: that's obviously a ton of qualifiers. But what was this 345 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: supposed to cure? Exactly? I mean, like whatever ailes you're growing, 346 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: I guess. I mean, as usual with these medical ads, 347 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: the right up is short on details and super long 348 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: on this bizarre wording and these impossible claims, Like there 349 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: was this promise to cure a week or deranged nervous system. 350 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: So I found another It's called curtis Is Consumption Cure 351 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: or the Triple C, and it just straight up promises 352 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: to cure tuberculosis. Wow. You know, Sears is pretty lucky 353 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: that the FDC wasn't around back then, because I can't 354 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: imagine any of this stuff would have flown now. So 355 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: you know what the strangest part is. So, according to 356 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: the company, Richard Sears wrote just about every line of 357 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: coffee and the catalogs. But you're kidding, right, No, it's true. Alright, Well, 358 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: there was this funny nineteen o two add for something 359 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: called a toilet mask, so I'm impressed by his copywriters skill. 360 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: So the acid cured rubber is said to be coated 361 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: with just healing agents. Wait, so is the assets supposed 362 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 1: to improve your complexion like the arsenic wafers. Well, the 363 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,239 Speaker 1: acid is supposed to burn off things like freckles and 364 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: liver spots. Sort of. I guess I don't know that 365 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: i'd call acid burns and improvement over freckles though. Okay, 366 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: so most of these are pretty disturbing products, so I'll 367 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: go ahead and mention another that kind of fits the bill. Apparently. 368 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: In the series, catalog offered a set of illustrated lecture 369 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: slides that depicted quote realistic views of the assassination of 370 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: President McKinley. Oh god. Yeah. Customers could relive the national 371 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: tragedy from the comfort of their living rooms using the 372 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: handy stereo opticon slide projector, which was also available through series. 373 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: That is horrible, I mean, I do feel I need 374 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: to point out the series also sold some pretty wholesome 375 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: things through the catalogs too, So, for example, the nineteen 376 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: thirties Sears advertised live baby chicks for sale. Each chick 377 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: costs ten cents and the company actually guarantee they'd be 378 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: delivered safe and alive or your money back. Well. I 379 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: like this positive direction you're heading in, but I want 380 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: to drag us back into the mud because I have 381 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: to mention one of my favorite all time uses for 382 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: the series catalog, which is that they provided the nation's 383 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: toilet paper of choice in the late nineteenth century, so 384 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: that Sears was selling toilet paper by mail. No, the 385 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: catalogs themselves used to be the go to choice when 386 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: rural Americans had to you know, w yeah, I believe 387 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: it or not. The paper pages of the catalog were 388 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: actually a big step up for most people. For those 389 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: who didn't have a lot of expendable paper on hand 390 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: in the late eighteen hundreds, corn cops were the next 391 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: best option, or maybe a muscle shell if you happen 392 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: to live near the coastline. I was trying to figure 393 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 1: out which of those sounds worse, But I don't really 394 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:27,679 Speaker 1: even want to go down that path, so let's just 395 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: not talk about that exactly, Which is why people were 396 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: so happy when Sears started selling them giant free catalogs 397 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: twice a year. And supposedly we looked at this a 398 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: single catalog could meet the outhouse needs of a farm 399 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: family for an entire season, So you can imagine just 400 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,400 Speaker 1: how upset folks were where the company switched from cushy, 401 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: absorbent newsprint to this unforgiving coded paper stalk. Apparently, Sears 402 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: got quite a few angry letters from customers who would 403 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: have gladly swapped the catalog's fancy color pictures for you know, 404 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: returned to the soft stuff. I love that people wrote 405 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: in letters about that. Well, we mentioned earlier that Sears 406 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: catalogs were something of a teaching tool in the early 407 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: days of the company. It kind of you know, served 408 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: as some of the public's first introduction to new technologies 409 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: like the electric sewing machine, the disc graphophone, and the 410 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: baby gate. Even and cars were actually another thing I 411 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: was surprised to learn the catalog introduced to the public. 412 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 1: So the company offered a tiny car. It was called 413 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 1: um Sears Motor Buggy, and this was in the Fall 414 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: nine catalog. The Boddy. You could actually reach speeds of 415 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: up to twenty five miles per hour and it costs 416 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: just under four hundred dollars, which is about ten thousand 417 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: dollars today. Wow, that's pretty pricey for Sears. I don't 418 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: think I ever circled that one in the catalog. Well, 419 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: speaking of expensive, I know this is kind of jumping 420 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: ahead of it, but I saw this ad from Sears 421 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty one. It was for the very first 422 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: VCR model, and it cost one thousand, one hundred and 423 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: twenty five dollars. I mean, it's close to three thousand 424 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: dollars today. I know it's expensive, but how else were 425 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: you gonna watch Ernest Goes to Jail? That's actually I 426 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: can remember. The first time I watched a movie on 427 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: a VCR was we actually rented the VCR. I think 428 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: it was from Blockbuster Videos so we could watch a 429 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: movie at home. Well, there's at least one item from 430 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: the early series catalogs that has only gone up in 431 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: value over the years, and I do want to make 432 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: sure that we talk about it. But but first let's 433 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: take a quick break. Okay, Mango, We've got one of 434 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: our listeners on the line to play a quiz with 435 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: us today. Stephen is joining us from the state of Washington. 436 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to part time genius. Stephen. How's it going now? 437 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: You're the second person that we've spoken to this week. 438 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: That's that works an overnight shift. Earlier in the week, 439 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: we spoke to a truck driver who picks up milk 440 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: from fifteen different Amish communities in the state of Maryland. 441 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: And you've been working the graveyard shift. So tell us 442 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: a little bit about what you do. Well. I I 443 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: operate some five excess seeing c machines, some of the 444 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 1: largest in the world. Actually, um, and it's it's pretty 445 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: awesome that you do a little of that, Mango, don't 446 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: you the five axes? Yeah, but mostly on the weekends. Yeah, 447 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: well that's great. Well, we're gonna be We're gonna be 448 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 1: playing a quiz with you today. What quiz were you playing? Mango. 449 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: We're gonna play a game called real Sears Catalog item 450 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: or something we made up? All right, So Steve and 451 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: we are going to give you six quiz questions and 452 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: you just have to tell us whether it's a real 453 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: item we found that a Sears catalog or something we 454 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: made up. You're ready to play, all right? So the 455 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: first one is a mix at home after shave. It's 456 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: for people who love old spice but would prefer to 457 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,400 Speaker 1: add some of their own spices. Was this a real 458 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,439 Speaker 1: Sears catalog item or something we made up? You know. 459 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: I I believe that that was a real thing, and 460 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: that'd be pretty interesting. Actually, it wouldn't be pretty interesting. 461 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: But this one actually isn't true. They should have had it. 462 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: There were some far weirder things in there. That's okay, yea, yeah, 463 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: that's right. That's right, all right. Question number two, I 464 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: Love You Red twelve Bird Birdhouse. Was this something real 465 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: and a serious catalog or something we made up? M hmmm, 466 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: it's definitely. It has a hint of mango in there. 467 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: But I think I might have actually seen that at 468 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: my grandma's neighbor's house, So I'm gonna go maybe real. 469 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 1: It's absolutely right, He's right, it's uh, it's absolutely true. 470 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,719 Speaker 1: The ventilated cubicles were supposed to encourage a family of 471 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: Martin's to join your own. All right, Okay, he's coming back. 472 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: Or one out of two. Still got plenty of time 473 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: for the big prize. Question number three, do it yourself 474 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: home delivery kit for mothers who don't want to bother 475 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: with a doctor until they need to. It's called a 476 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: do it yourself home delivery kit. Was this true or 477 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: something we made up? Uh? You know, uh, it seems 478 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 1: a little strange, but you know what, I think, you know, 479 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,239 Speaker 1: i'd buy that. I think that's realistic enough like that 480 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 1: you'd buy it. Yeah, it's true. I see that it's 481 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:04,719 Speaker 1: true here mango. But what was what was in it? 482 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: I know it actually came with rubber sheets, breastbinders, antiseptic soap, 483 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: and olive oil. And I think it came with gloves 484 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: as well, all stuff I keep in my backpack anyway, 485 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: So this is great. Alright, So Steven's two for three, alright, 486 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 1: Question number four, castrating knives. Castrating knives as this true 487 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: or something we made up? You know, I kind of 488 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: don't want that to be true, but it kind of 489 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: might be, but we'll see. You know, I think as 490 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: long as it's not for humans, I think that's I 491 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: believe that. Yeah, it's true. So at the time, the 492 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 1: Sears catalog also sold farming equipment as well as things 493 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: like baby chickens and donkeys, and the knives actually came 494 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: with one, two or three blades. Just to be as 495 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: surprised as the listeners. Sometimes I like to come in 496 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 1: without having seen the quizzes before, and this is one 497 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: of those. When I saw castrating knives. I was like, 498 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: all right, Mango, what kind of move? Alright, that's right, 499 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: Stephen is three out of four. Let's see. The next 500 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: one is a bald Eagle to pay kit fun for 501 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: all ages, yarn assembly kit to make the most patriotic 502 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 1: of birds better looking? Was this actually in a Sears 503 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: catalog or something we made up? You know? That's that? 504 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: That sounds a little mango and he's got you figured out, man. Alright, alright, 505 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: last one for the big prize. Here walk and Whear 506 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: hair dryers. It's like drying your hair at a beauty salon, 507 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: except on the go. A walk and Whear hair dryers. 508 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: It's true or something we made up. You know, I'm 509 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: not sure exactly how that would work, except well, I guess. 510 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: I mean you could probably have a portable powered one. 511 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: I you know, I believe that. Yeah, let go, Yes, 512 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: this is really true. It's true. Here. How does this work? Well, 513 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: it was only so mobile, so it had this beehive 514 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: it wearable hair dryer that came with an eight foot 515 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: extension courts you could walk eight feet if you're on 516 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: the go. That's great. Yeah, it actually reminds me one 517 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,440 Speaker 1: of our our neighbors used to have one of those 518 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: electric or plug in weed whackers. Except the problem was 519 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: it's like the edge of his yard was five ft 520 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,959 Speaker 1: beyond where it's stretched. So we would watch him like 521 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: get a running start with this thing and just like 522 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: run all the way to the end and get that 523 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: last five feet, then have to come back and plug 524 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: it in and then go do it again. It was 525 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: pretty great, all right. So yeah, uh yeah, so mango, 526 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: how did Stephen do today? Uh? Stephen did great. He 527 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: went five for six and as always, our guest wins 528 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: an official part time Genius Certificate of Genius along with 529 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: a part Time Genius T shirts. So congratulations Stephen. Alright, Stephen, 530 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: that was great. We're all wrapped up. Thanks again for 531 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: your patients and for joining us. Yeah anytime. That was 532 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,880 Speaker 1: a great quiz man go you really got me good. 533 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: It was fun. Thanks. Enjoy your rest, take care all right, 534 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: bye bye you guys. Okay, well, so you're going to 535 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: tell us about this old timey Sears product that's proven 536 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: to be such a big investment. Well maybe unsurprisingly it's 537 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: actually real estate, or more specifically, their mail order houses, 538 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 1: so Sears would actually send you a whole house. Uh, 539 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 1: that's got to be this expensive shipping proposition, right, Well, 540 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: I mean, not a whole house, but like all the 541 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: pieces you need to build a house. Yeah, I mean 542 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: it was nineteen o eight and the catalog included an 543 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: ad that said, a hundred dollar set of building plans 544 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: for free, let us be your architect without cost to you. 545 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: And so customers then right into request a free copy 546 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: of a book called the Book of Modern Homes. And 547 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: it was this separate catalog that listed the building materials 548 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: and the plans for I think it was for forty 549 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: four different house designs that ranged in ice from around 550 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: seven hundred dollars to about four thousand dollars. Okay, so 551 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: then what happens like a pile of lumber and stuff 552 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: just shows up at your doorstep. Where wait, so if 553 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: customers were building houses, where were they sending these houses 554 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: to in the first place. Well, a few weeks after 555 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: an order was placed, you'd have two box cars full 556 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: of about thirty thousand house pieces that would show up 557 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: at the buyer's local train depot. Then the proud new 558 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,880 Speaker 1: homeowner would have to haul these pieces to the build side, 559 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: you know, using a horse and wagon or maybe a 560 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: flatbed truck. And so for that reason, most of these 561 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: surviving Sears homes that you'll find them located within just 562 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 1: a couple of miles of these old railroad lines. Oh 563 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: that makes sense, But building a house seems like so 564 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: much work. And forget about trying to haul like thirty 565 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: thousand pieces of something up in mountain. Why do you 566 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: think all these houses are up abound? All right, So, 567 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: once all the pieces of the house were laid out, 568 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: it was time for the homeowner to crack open their 569 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: leather bound instruction book and figure out how the heck 570 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: to put the thing together. And so there was a 571 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: lot to figure out, with each kit containing twenty two 572 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: islands of paint and varnish and and seven hundred and 573 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: fifty pounds of nails. Not only that, there was about 574 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: twenty thousand shingles there to use for the roof in siding, 575 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: all of this and these giant kids. So there's gonna 576 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: be one thick instruction book, right. Actually, I was trying 577 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: to look into this because I would have thought the 578 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: same thing, And they were only seventy five pages. That's 579 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: not a lot of toilet paper, that's not that's insane. 580 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: So I can barely build my own idea. But wait, 581 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: so you mentioned these surviving houses. How many of these 582 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: were built? Well? According to Sears, the company sold between 583 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: seventy and seventy five thousand mail order homes during the 584 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: thirty two years that it offered them. And getting into 585 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: the housing business in the early twentieth century proved to 586 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: be a really smart move for Sears, and the timing 587 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: couldn't have been any better. He had more and more 588 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,479 Speaker 1: Americans that were, you know, trying to ditch the family 589 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: farm in favor of this easier life in the suburbs, 590 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: and the Sears catalog homes were an affordable way to 591 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: make that switch. So you know, today they're buying us 592 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: Sears homes isn't nearly that affordable because there's this whole 593 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: community of Sears home enthusiasts. They try to hunt these 594 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: down and catalog these housing relics, and all that interest 595 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: can actually drive the prices way up. But we saw 596 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: someone we were looking into this that we're close to 597 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 1: a million dollars for some of these larger models. You know, 598 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: it's not just a history that they're paying for, because 599 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,720 Speaker 1: these houses are really well built and and super durable. 600 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: Because the timber they were using was this old growth 601 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: would from back then, which you don't see used a 602 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: whole lot now. In fact, you know, in fact, some 603 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: enthusiasts estimate that as many as seventy Sears catalog houses 604 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: are still standing today. That's crazy and I'm still blown 605 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: away that there's this like a house Hunters Sears edition. 606 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: But these people just drive around and look for Sears models. 607 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I think they're a little more methodical about 608 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: it than that, but but but more or less, yeah, 609 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it's something the company actually encourages to The 610 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: Seer's archive website even includes a running list of confirmed 611 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: Sears house owners are willing to get in touch with 612 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: fellow enthusiasts, and that way they can share notes or 613 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: maybe meet up for a tour, and of course give 614 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: each other heads up if somebody ever decides to sell 615 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: there's which I guess isn't that likely. It is cool 616 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: that these d i y houses are still out there. 617 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: I mean, judging by the frequent Sears store closings and 618 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: the sale of its iconic house brands like Craftsman Tools, 619 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 1: it does feel like the company isn't long for the 620 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: world at this point. And it feels like these homes 621 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: that the company help people build are now kind of 622 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: this monument to its cultural impact. Yeah, I mean it 623 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: does make me wonder what else the company will leave behind, 624 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: you know, besides this treasure trove of hilarious ads that 625 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: we talked about. Well, I know one thing that will 626 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: definitely be part of Sears legacy, and that's the NORAD 627 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: Santa Tracker. You know how every year the news stations 628 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: report on Santa's progress as he makes his way from 629 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: the North Pole to houses all over the world. Yeah, 630 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: but I mean, what does that have to do with Sears. Well, 631 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: back in one of Sears department stores placed an ad 632 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: in a Colorado newspaper, and it encouraged kids to call 633 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: Santa on his private line so that they could tell 634 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: them what they'd like for Christmas. But something apparently went 635 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: wrong along the way. I don't know whether the phone 636 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: number in the ad was misprinted or people simply mistyaled, 637 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: but at least one child wound up calling Santa and 638 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: getting the Continental Air Defense Command instead. And so the 639 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: officer on duty who answered his name was Colonel Harry Shoop. 640 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: He asked his staff to provide the collar and any 641 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: future ones with the latest updates on Santa's progress. And 642 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: a couple of years later, Nora took over the duty 643 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: and they've been reporting on Santa's yearly flight ever since. 644 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible that they got this serious agency to 645 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: start a whole program devoted to tracking Santa Claus. I know, 646 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: and it's one area where Sears has Amazon, that's true. Well, 647 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: speaking of Amazon, I do want to quickly go back 648 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: to the idea that Sears and Amazon are, you know, 649 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: kind of like mirror images of one another. So both 650 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: companies rose the power by combining home delivery and an 651 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: emerging technology. For Sears it was railroads and for Amazon 652 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: it was the Internet. But you know, both companies started 653 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: with a single evergreen product of watches and books, and 654 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: then of course they expanded into these product ranges to 655 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: include everything under the sun. Well, there's also the fact 656 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: that Sears made the transition to brick and more or 657 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: retail after decades of success. Is this, you know, delivery 658 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 1: based company, And now we see Amazon starting to do 659 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: the same thing. It's interesting to see the future of 660 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: retail starts almost resemble its past. Yeah, and you know, 661 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: if you think about Amazon, would probably be smart to 662 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: keep an eye on those similarities, because while the two 663 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: companies find themselves in drastically different situations today, it is 664 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: worth noting that Amazon is only in its twenties at 665 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: this point. Who knows where it will be a century 666 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: from now? Yeah, and who knows where series will be 667 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: for that matter? All right, Well, even if the company 668 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: is truly on its way out now, the market made 669 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: on American culture will be with us for a long 670 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: time to come, definitely. But for now, what do you say? 671 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: We've partake in another beloved cultural institution. And that's the 672 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: fact off? All right, let's do it, okay, So I'll 673 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: kick us off. In the the CIA was trying to 674 00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: find a good way to compensate Vietnamese spies that were 675 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: assisting them, and paper money really didn't do them any good, 676 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: and so they had to find another way. They then 677 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: discovered that they could pay them with items available from 678 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: the Sears catalog. I like that, So I feel like 679 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 1: we need at least one fact about the Sears Tower 680 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,399 Speaker 1: in Chicago. And I know it's called the Willis Tower now, 681 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: but I'm going to join the fifty people who signed 682 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: a petition to try to have the name changed back 683 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: Now it may not be the tallest building in the 684 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,399 Speaker 1: world anymore, but here's something you could still hang its 685 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: hat on the sky deck. Bathrooms at one three are 686 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: actually the longest trip up from ground level of any 687 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: other bathrooms in the Western Hemisphere. And that doesn't mean 688 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: they're the highest in elevation, just the farthest from wherever 689 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: the ground level is. That is pretty high up to 690 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 1: get to a bathroom. Hopefully there are bathrooms on other 691 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: floors before you get Now, that's it, alright. One of 692 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: the things we didn't really talk about Sears selling on 693 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: its catalog was insurance. And I don't know if you 694 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,399 Speaker 1: remember this, but Sears actually founded All State back Yeah, 695 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,360 Speaker 1: I didn't remember that, and they'd offer auto insurance deals 696 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: in the catalog. All the State is of course no 697 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 1: longer art of Sears. They've been completely independent from them 698 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: for I think it's a little over twenty years or 699 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,440 Speaker 1: so now. So one of those something else that used 700 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:08,399 Speaker 1: to be in the catalog that I don't think you'll 701 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: find serious selling anymore opium. Really, Yeah, you're right, I 702 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 1: don't think they're selling that. Maybe that's gonna be their 703 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: turnaround plan. We'll see. Well, just because the Sears catalog 704 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: isn't what it used to be, there's obviously no shortage 705 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,839 Speaker 1: of catalog mailing going on these days, as we all 706 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: experience at this time of year. So I was looking 707 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: it up to see how many catalogs are mailed, and 708 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: they'll be about eleven billion catalogs mailed out in the 709 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 1: US alone this year. That's crazy. So just last months 710 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: Heres announced to be bringing back the Wish Book this 711 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: holiday season. It hasn't been printed since two thousand eleven, 712 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: and it's just a hundred twenty pager. It's only going 713 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: to a select number of loyal customers. But it's apparently 714 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,879 Speaker 1: also available on the Sears app. Wait, what are you doing. 715 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: I'm on the app store. I'm trying to download the 716 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: Sears Sars had an app. I'm distracted. So I'm gonna 717 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: give you the fact. I've congratulations, thank you, and and 718 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 1: while Will staring at his phone, I want to thank 719 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: all of you for listening today. Don't forget we love 720 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,840 Speaker 1: to hear fun facts from you guys. You can always 721 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: email us at part Time Genius at how stuff Works 722 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: dot com, or you can call us on our seven 723 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: Fact hotline. That's one eight four four pt Genius. You 724 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: can also find us on Facebook or Twitter, and Hey, 725 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: if you like what you heard today, feel free to 726 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 1: give us a review on Apple Podcast. Thank you so 727 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: much for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius 728 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: is a production of how stuff works and wouldn't be 729 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,919 Speaker 1: possible without several brilliant people who do the important things 730 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,800 Speaker 1: we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the 731 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song and does 732 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,360 Speaker 1: the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact 733 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support 734 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 1: from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and 735 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: Lucas Adams and Eves. Jeff Cook gets the show to 736 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 1: your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, 737 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: we hope you'll subscribe, and if you really really like 738 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 1: what you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review 739 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: for us. Did we did we forget Jason? Jason who