Are old Sears and Roebuck catalogs worth anything?

Are old Sears and Roebuck catalogs worth anything?

Some recent prices paid for Sears Christmas Book Catalogs in very good to excellent condition, published from the 1950s through the 1990s are: 1957 $120, 1960s $30 to $80, 1970s $70 to $90 1980s $25 to $70 and 1990s $25 to $33.

Are Sears Homes valuable?

“It was really solidly built.” From 1908 to the 1940s, Sears, Roebuck sold an estimated 70,000 kit homes in about 370 different styles, from Colonials to bungalows. In the 1920s, prices ranged from about $600 to $6,000, which is roughly $8,400 to $84,000 in today’s dollars.

How do you tell if a home is a Sears home?

Look for stamped lumber in the basement, attic or crawlspace. Sears Modern Homes were kit homes and the framing pieces were stamped with a letter and a number. When the lumber arrived on site, that number told you how all the pieces went together.

How many Sears catalog homes still exist?

How Many Sears Houses Are Still Out There? Sears is estimated to have sold about 70,000 of their home building kits from 1908-1940 and it’s currently estimated that about 70% of the original Sears homes built from kits are still standing today.

When was the last Sears and Roebuck catalog printed?

1993
The Last Sears Catalog (1993): Sears, Roebuck amd Company: Amazon.com: Books. Got a mobile device?

Are there any Sears Roebuck houses still standing?

Sears sold more than 70,000 mail-order homes between 1908 and 1940. Some enthusiasts estimate that about 70 percent of Sears houses are still standing today. Now that its parent company has filed for bankruptcy, owners of some of those homes are lamenting the end of the Sears era.

When did Sears and Roebuck stop selling houses?

Sears stopped selling homes for a short time in 1934 before restarting sales. Sales slowly recovered as the United States emerged from the Great Depression.

When did Sears and Roebuck start building houses?

1908
Sears, Roebuck and Company’s Modern Homes program began in 1908 and ended in 1940. During those years, about 75,000 well-designed, well-constructed and economical houses were sold to American families.

How do I know if I have a Sears Roebuck house?

Is My House a Sears House?

  1. Look for stamped lumber in the basement or attic.
  2. Look for shipping labels.
  3. Check house design using a book with good quality photos and original catalog images.
  4. Look in the attic and basement for any paperwork (original blueprints, letters, etc).
  5. Courthouse records.

Where did Sears and Roebuck start?

Chicago, IL
Sears/Place founded

What is the history of Sears and Roebuck?

Sears founded the R.W. Sears Watch Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to sell watches by mail order. He relocated his business to Chicago in 1887, hired Alvah C. Roebuck to repair watches, and established a mail-order business for watches and jewelry.

How many kit houses did Sears Roebuck make?

From 1908 until 1940, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold over 70,000 kit houses through their Modern Homes and Honor Bilt catalogs. Designs for 370 different plans ranged from the elaborate to the simple; the ‘Goldenrod’, for example, was a three-room vacation cottage (no bath, out-house separate). A version of the same house from the 1927 Sears catalog.

What was the name of the Sears catalog?

Sears Catalog Homes (sold under the Sears Modern Homes name) were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer.

When did Sears Roebuck and co start mailing catalogs?

The original 1888 mailer carrying watches and jewelry expanded into a catalog in 1894 that kept growing offering an ever-widening range of products: sewing machines, sporting goods, musical instruments, saddles, firearms, buggies, bicycles, baby carriages, and clothing.

When did Sears first start selling kit homes?

Sears Catalog Homes (sold under the Sears Modern Homes name) were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer. Sears reported that more than 70,000 of these homes were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940.