Trip down memory lane

[Bigjay73]

An Ode to Department Store Guns

It’s hard to believe today, and even harder to explain to someone under the age of 50, that there was once a time when firearms were regarded as sporting goods by major retailers. They were basically treated like baseball bats or golf clubs—selling in huge department stores that appealed to the...

www.themeateater.com

Pretty sure I'm not the only one who would flip directly to the sporting goods section whenever catalogs arrived.

 

[waygoner]

I bought my first 30.06 at Montgomery Wards with one of their credit cards!

 

[Bigjay73]

Haha. I can still see their sign at Chris Town mall back home. Cool stuff, do you still have it?

 

[Trial153]

What's a department store?

 

[deer_shooter]

I remember pouring over the Montgomery Ward, Sears and JC Penney catalogues and drooling over the gun section. My first gun, a mossberg 500 20ga came from Sears for $119 and my first rifle was a glenfield 30-30 bought from an auto parts store for ~$230. Both were bought somewhere around 1980

 

[Wildabeest]

My grandparents bought their house from a Sears catalogue back in early 1900’s. Came as a kit and then everyone pitched in to build it.

 

[Bigjay73]

My grandparents bought their house from a Sears catalogue back in early 1900’s. Came as a kit and then everyone pitched in to build it.

That is crazy, I never knew something like that existed. Is it still around, in the family?

 

[Wildabeest]

That is crazy, I never knew something like that existed. Is it still around, in the family?

House is still there, but no longer in the family.

 

[buckbull]

Sears also sold their on branded tractors and implements.

 

[rtraverdavis]

My grandparents bought their house from a Sears catalogue back in early 1900’s. Came as a kit and then everyone pitched in to build it.

There are several blocks here in town that are all those Sears kit houses. Amazing how well they’ve held up, considering.

 

[justdada]

I love this one... my first shotgun cost $60 and my dad complained for years about spending so much when he spent $25 to buy 2 pre 1900 30/40 crags for less!