Sears and Roebuck pt. 2

 The audio version of this Pinch of the Past was first shared in Episode 36: Guest Parker J. Cole & a Review of Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham

 House Hold Items

“Sears, Roebuck and Company is a retail giant with 19th-century roots as a mail-order business operating in rural America.” 

You’ve seen the old hurricane lamps. Well, they weren’t run on nothing. Kerosene oils were in high demand back then. Sears and Roebuck sold this as well. According to one ad: “We do not sell less than a barrel of kerosene oil… no charge for parrels. Barrels contain about 52 gallons.”

They also sold family oil tanks with a capacity of 60 gallons. These had pumps included with them and were made of galvanized metal; they held things like gasoline and kerosene.

Oils like lard, cylinder, engine, machine, linseed, java and Baltic oils, turpentine, etc. were sold in containers ranging from 1-52 gallons.

As for paints, there were liquid floor paints which were, “improved for the 1897 new colors. Made from the best pigment, but latest and most improved machinery.” They also offered roof, fence, and barn paints which came in colors like,  dark drab, Yellow, terra cotta, leather, lead, maroon, and oxide red.

They also had a section for lead paints(!)

They offered toilet paper in rolls, claiming, “We sell only in original cases and will not break cases under and circumstances. A year’s supple of toilet paper costs you but little in our economics factory. We would suggest that you club you order with neighbors and make up for fright shipment for sever hundred pounds.”

Brands like Little Jewel, which was a special medium size perforated role, fair grade paper. 100 rolls per case.

Era, climax, envoy, and winner the biggest roll of the best teas with a 1,000 sheets perforated special grade at half price.

Other papers included clover leaf, crescent, Diana, and the puritan which they claimed was guaranteed free from injurious chemicals and came in very lark packages.