[SCCC] Sears Amateur Radio Catalog

[Jim Price]

Steve - wow, ya!  Amazing that Sears would have had THAT much stuff.
Although this catalog pre-dates my entry into ham radio by 20+ years, the
names are pretty much all familiar.  I had a Heathkit crystal-controlled
transmitter, and an RME-6900 receiver when I was a novice - and that was
unusual.  Got a good deal on a used one.  But otherwise I would have had
Heathkit, or (if $$ were available Hammarlund).  And then, of course, I was
always lusting after Hallicrafters equipment.  A ham friend of mine had the
HT-32 Xmtr and SX-101 Rcvr:  now THAT was a station!!  Another friend had a
Johnson Viking II plus an SX-101, AND a TA-33 beam.  When I saw all of that
and witnessed how well it worked, I was HOOKED for life!

I know this is making me sound terribly old (I'm 73 - "the best number
ever," according to Sheldon on 'The Big Bang Theory').  But hey, I started
into this when I was 15 years old, and I still enjoy it every day!

Tnx for that wonderful piece of history! 
73 - Jim K6ZH
	

-----Original Message-----
From: SCCC <sccc-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Steve
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2021 12:12 AM
To: SCCC at CONTESTING.COM
Subject: [SCCC] Sears Amateur Radio Catalog

See
<https://www.waynekirkwood.com/images/pdf/Sears_Roebuck_1940_Radio_Amateur_T
est_Equipment_Sound_Systems_Catalog.pdf>www.waynekirkwood.com/images/pdf/Sea
rs_Roebuck_1940_Radio_Amateur_Test_Equipment_Sound_Systems_Catalog.pdf

Reading the descriptions of all of this equipment, the parts and components,
the antennas, and other items, much of which Sears must have had in stock
back in 1940, certainly takes my breath away and makes my heart beat faster.
In comparison, this one Sears catalog makes all of today's ham store
catalogs look like mere flyers or brochures. I very vaguely remember seeing
a specialized Sears catalog something like this back in the late '50s
although I certainly don't remember what it featured. (I do clearly remember
sitting on the couch in my pajamas in the den watching Johnny on TV in 1964
while thumbing through the massive thousand-plus-page Sears general catalog,
picking out what I'd like for Christmas...)

I was told that a rough price comparison to 2021 prices would be to multiply
by about 20. But to me, the prices aren't what's astonishing... it's
envisioning a Sears warehouse jam-packed with just one example of all this
equipment!

SteveH, K0XP 

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