tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952925068925494892.post8453462076030624677..comments2023-10-29T05:06:20.610-07:00Comments on Citizen O'Kane: The Softer Side of SearsJim O'Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806624628546492210noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952925068925494892.post-50111149842188825852012-01-08T06:43:29.165-08:002012-01-08T06:43:29.165-08:00Ah, Spiegel - - they must have devoted 90% of thei...Ah, Spiegel - - they must have devoted 90% of their marketing budget to the final two minutes of the games shows "Sale of the Century," "Let's Make a Deal," "P.D.Q." and "You Don't Say." The Spiegel name is the only thing remaining from the original company, having been sold to a string of holding companies over the years. I guess that's the nature of retail.<br /><br />When I was growing up, mail order always struck me as a Western U.S. thing. Maybe my belief was due to the Wells Fargo Wagon song from "The Music Man," or maybe it was because my mom's best friend lived in San Francisco and would send us mail order gifts at Christmas. The only place I ordered anything by mail was the Edmund Scientific Corporation- - but that was only because no other store near me sold authentic weather balloons. <br /><br />Maybe, as you say, it's part of the frontier culture. I grew up just across the Hudson from Manhattan, and there were dozens of specialty businesses tucked away in skyscrapers downtown - - most of whom had walk-in business hours. It wasn't until I moved out west in the late 70's that I found out this wasn't a universal experience. Since then, I've joined the folks who look for boxes on the front porch every evening.Jim O'Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01806624628546492210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952925068925494892.post-58711913734097793122012-01-07T13:31:53.941-08:002012-01-07T13:31:53.941-08:00Neat. I doubt that people younger than us will rea...Neat. I doubt that people younger than us will realize the cultural influence stores like Sears, and earlier and maybe moreso Montgomery Ward, had on the United States. They weren't just buildings that sold stuff. The catalogs were national wish-lists and glimpses of other lives--the scorecard for keeping up with the Joneses. And in the REAL old days, a catalog from back east could be a rare connection to civilization on the frontier. <br /><br />And who could ever forget the address for Spiegel? Chicago 60609!Brian Fieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16347700145666751363noreply@blogger.com