Sears to close it's last store in Illinois. End of an era...

[dogtag]

I don't like this new Era where online buying has caused the shutdown
of brick and mortar stores and the death of the once famous Shopping Malls.
My American young days were spent in Sears Roebuck buying radial Arm Saws,
and the guaranteed for life wrenches, also known as Spanners. I exchanged
one with bad ratchet - no problem, they just gave me a replacement.
Now everything you might need or want is available on line, meaning you no
longer need to leave your front door. Car dealerships are also closing as the
latest trend is buying online.
I know, I'm a Dinosaur, but I liked Woolworths, Monty Wards and Sears.
I still have my Sears 22 single shot. Gave them my money and left with it.
No one screamed back then like the sissies would now.
Well, at least we still have the Home Depot and Lowes- for now.

[lyman]

my Grand Dad spent a few years driving or running /driving a street car when they had them here,

one of the guys he did that with stayed with the Authority and was a toll taker ,
another later worked the tool section at Sears,

Grand Dad was a carpenter, and used Craftsman tools,
when one needed a replacement, it was never a simple in and out if he old workmate was there,

if they (Sears) was not busy,, it would be at least an hour to swap out something as simple as a screw driver

[dogtag]

It took me about five minutes to exchange mine.
It was ar Orchard Supply, not Sears as local Sears had closed.
Never understood why mechanics would pay outrageous prices
for Snap On when Craftsman were available for far less.
I liked Proto.

[one shot]

lowes still sells Craftsman , bought a cordless light from them and it broke 1 phone call and a new one was in the mail no reciept no exchange I was quite surprised .

[Allen]

My wife worked at MW for many years in book keeping. I told her when they discontinued the catalog dept it was the beginning of the end. What closed them down even sooner was they were bought out by Mobil Oil and no or little $ was reinvested back. MW was bought as a write off.

MW created Rudoph the red nose reindeer in case you didn't know.

Sears caused a lot of problems for themselves. The quality of Craftsman tools went to crap, they cut most of the departments in their stores like their restaurants, tobacco depts, boating depts, paint and firearms. They became like any other store in the mall: bras and purses, bras and purses, bras and purses.

They are still in business (barely) with 34 stores left (down from almost 700). It is just the last store in Illinois, their home state.

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Grand Dad was a carpenter, and used Craftsman tools,
when one needed a replacement, it was never a simple in and out if he old workmate was there,

if they (Sears) was not busy,, it would be at least an hour to swap out something as simple as a screw driver

Same here. On 2 occasions I took a stripped out 3/8" rachet to them for replacement. On both occasions I was given a replacement gear to replace the worn rachet gear, no tool exchange. Not a big deal but that's not what they advertised.

- - - Updated - - -

lowes still sells Craftsman , bought a cordless light from them and it broke 1 phone call and a new one was in the mail no reciept no exchange I was quite surprised .

Stanley tool co (I believe) bought the Craftsman brand about the time Sears merged/bought/was bought by Kmart. So Craftsman can be sold most anywhere now.

[togor]

Sears with their catalog business was sort of the Amazon of n earlier day. I saved the last full sized Christmas Catalog they mailed out.

[lyman]

It took me about five minutes to exchange mine.
It was ar Orchard Supply, not Sears as local Sears had closed.
Never understood why mechanics would pay outrageous prices
for Snap On when Craftsman were available for far less.
I liked Proto.

I was told that Mechanics tend to be geardo's just like shooters etc etc
as in name recognition is a thing

so, the MAC or Snap On guy pulls up with pricey nice tools and a big pretty truck, and a high interest payment plan, and makes a killing,


funny thing in this area, there is a large flea market in town every sunday,
you can buy used Craftsman, MAC, Snap On etc from one guy there that sells them all , granted use, and 1/2 or less than retail

and pawn shops full of the stuff

[one shot]

Mechanics are a dying breed , no need for them cars run and then are recycled buy new .

[dryheat]

Mechanics are a dying breed , no need for them cars run and then are recycled buy new .

That is the case. Kids used to work on cars. Now the only thing they can do to them is put annoying Brapp pipes on the exhaust. I knew a guy whose career was based on selling sparkplugs. Had to take an early retirement and it effected his lively hood. Things change.

[Mike in NC]

When my father was growing up in rural New Mexico in the 1930s, the old Sears & Roebuck catalogs were what was used in the outhouses instead of toilet paper. He saved the women's lingerie section for last because that was his source of sex education with no National Geographic magazines with pictures of half naked women. Long before the Victoria Secret catalogs.

I was a mechanic in the 1970s. I never had any problem trading in a broken screwdriver or other Craftsman tool for an instant replacement. In those days the Craftsman tools were American made and not the current Chinese junk.

[BudT]

Lots of memories of Sears And Roebuck as a kid, sad days. Some of the best tools made were Craftsman, guns ammo and every other hunting need as well as everything else from Sears. Sad