What ever happened to wish books? Do you remember them? They came in spring and fall with all the season’s new fashions and gadgets that people needed or wanted to purchase. Big catalogues full of every kind of thing imaginable.
In the spring, the catalogues included things for indoors and outdoors. Sears had the biggest selection of items for gardening. And they always had Craftsman tools. The other catalogues were more for fashions and household items. Some things were in all the catalogues but had different prices. And the shipping was always extra.
Around this time of year, the special ones came in the mail. They came from Sears, J C Penney, Montgomery Ward, Spiegel and all the little shops around the neighborhood. We each had a chance to look through all their glossy pages. We dreamed about what we wanted Santa to bring us.
When my boys were little, they each got to mark in the catalogues what they wanted for Christmas. They had a ball going through all the different toys and games and trying to decide which ones warranted their name. When they got older they would just make a list of the things they wanted. They knew they should make their list or else Mom and Dad would just buy what they thought the boys would like.
As the years went by, more and more stores stopped mailing the catalogue. We had to stop by the store and pick up a copy. Later on, the catalogues got smaller or got chopped up into small magazine types with specialized items. Then those disappeared, too.
Now you can go online and look at all the things that used to be in those catalogues. Of course, you can’t put your name by the things you want, like you did when you were a child. And I’m sure plenty of the items in those wish books are no longer available.
My husband saved the last catalogue that Sears made. The other day, I dragged it out and showed it to my granddaughter, Paige. She liked looking at the pictures but thought it was easier to go online, type in what you were looking for, and it popped up.
But for me, looking forward to that newly delivered wish book is something I will always remember.
Who remembers wish books?
