For the past few weeks
we've been visiting October 1934 via a copy of The Southern Planter,
thanks to Carolyn Clark.
Thanks to George Murphy of Moultrie, we can take just a little visit a
little further back in time - to the Sears catalog of 1908!
Across the top of the two pages the replica catalog fell open to is,
"Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, ILL. Catalogue No. 117. Your money will
be immediately returned to you for any goods not perfectly satisfactory."
These two pages happen to be pages advertising Solid Comfort Top
Buggies!
There are wonderful detailed pictures of all of the buggies in all of
their elegant glory!
The headline reads "Over 100,000 Solid Comfort Top Buggies in Use."
Since starting to build in our own factory a few years ago, our Solid
Comfort Top Buggies, we have shipped over 100,000 Solid Comfort Top
Buggies to satisfied customers. The first season we introduced our Solid
Comfort line of top buggies we sold 10,000, those 10,000 were a standing
advertisement for us and brought more orders; the next season we sold over
25,000. Each buggy it seems, brought us more orders, with the result that
we now have in daily use over 1000,000 of these Solid Comfort Top
Buggies. There are more Solid Comfort Top Buggies in use today than any
other one line of top buggies manufactured.
These top buggies are upholstered in either 16-ounce all wool dark
green (nearly black) body cloth or high grade upholstering leather,
according to the section of the country to which they are shipped. If you
have any preference, please state when ordering.
You can have, if wanted, without extra charge, three-bow top in place
of the four-bow top, four-bow in place of the three-bow top, drop axles in
place of larched.
The prices range from $52.95 to $61.95 on this page.
If you're looking for a solid comfort Cabriolet, the 1908 model is "The
easiest running, handsomest and most comfortable family carriage ever
built. Sold at actual factory cost with our one small margin of profit.
This 1908 "SUV" comes in at $104.95!
I really did buy my very first saddle from Sears! I bought it from the
catalog! It was black with a red seat with matching bridle and breast
band. I thought I was pretty spiffy!
If I were buying a saddle for me right now from this catalog, I guess
the one that comes closest to what I've learned is right for me would be
the "Washington" high grade up to date specially constructed heavy stock
saddle.
The copy says, "A man that rides many hours a day, wants an easy riding
saddle. It pays to get the best."
This saddle has a 16-inch hide covered steel fork with large bulge
bucking roll style. The cantle is made with the correct slant and the
horn has the correct slant. The tree will stand all kind of roping.
This gorgeous saddle comes with 28 inch skirts that "make it easy on
the horse's back."
It has sturdy tie straps and heavy leather-covered cinch rings with
double-rigged, solid rigging over the back and a hard twisted cotton cord
cinch. The stirrups are ox-bow and are solid leather-covered steel. The
saddle is "made out of extra high grade Dundee oak russet saddle skirting
in a soft velvet finish."
For an extra 25¢, you can add two Tackaberry Cinch Buckles.raising the
price of this really fine saddle to $30.59 plus 25¢.
There's a good selection of side saddles for the young ladies and
saddles for boys and even a "Special Western Cow Girls' Side Saddle for
$17.20."
There are two pages of bridles and reins with the "Improved Stallion
Bridle for $4.69" and the "Extra Heavy Pigeon Wing Bridle - Southern Style
for $1.03." The bargain on the page is the "Short, Flat Rein, Pigeon Wing
Blind Bridle for 59¢."
There are two pages of accessories such as harness hooks (14¢ to 56¢
each) and clippers and grooming products.
Over a few pages is the Wizard Sheep Shearing Machine for $18.75 or the
Martin Standard Sheep Shearing Machine for $12.75.
There are pages of bits for riding and driving.and half a page of
Cotton and Leather Fly Nets.and remember, there were no vaccines for
sleeping sickness.so fly nets were very important for flies and
mosquitoes! You could outfit your horse for as little as 70¢ all the way
up to $1.93 with "three-row tassel tug net." |