Sears has been on a tumultuous journey lately. They recently announced plans to shut down several more stores as global sales continue to decline. It’s disheartening to witness the slow decline of once-iconic American companies like General Electric, Ford, GMC, and Sears, struggling to compete against the economic giants of the 21st century – Amazon, Google, and Apple. This struggle is particularly evident as these giants delve into groundbreaking technologies like self-driving cars.
However, even if Sears fades away, its legacy will endure. Throughout the 1900s, Sears played a pivotal role in shaping the America we know today. Their innovative spirit was evident in various aspects, notably their pioneering mail-order business. From appliances to home goods and even entire houses, Sears provided quality products that stood the test of time.
A Reddit user, RealHotSauceBoss, recently shared a fascinating story of renovating his grandfather’s home, purchased from a Sears catalog back in 1916. These homes, available for just over a thousand bucks at the time, were shipped in pieces along with blueprints, allowing buyers to construct their dream homes. This innovative concept resonates even today, especially with the resurgence of interest in simpler living and DIY home projects.
According to Atlas Obscura’s Sears Archives, Sears sold approximately 75,000 mail-order homes between 1908 and 1940. The house in question, Model No. 137, cost around $1200 in 1916, equivalent to roughly $27,000 in 2016 adjusted for inflation.
Despite being a mail-order structure, this Sears home has endured a century of wear and tear remarkably well. The Reddit user described the preservation efforts undertaken, highlighting the remarkable resilience of the structure.
Looking ahead to the year 2118, it’s intriguing to ponder what future generations will marvel at from our era. Will it be our advanced smartphones and computers, or perhaps something more fundamental to our everyday lives that we take for granted?