The Sears we’ve known for years is evolving. After seeing a sustained decline in sales, they have today issued another announcement that they will be closing dozens more outlets. It’s terrible to watch these businesses, which once provided so much, slowly fading away. Retail behemoths like Amazon and Google are posing a challenge to chains like Sears, G.E., Ford, and others.
Although Sears may not be what it once was, its legacy will endure. Through the 1900s, their mail-order company offered a variety of commodities for sale, including everything from appliances to household items to entire homes.
RealHotSauceBoss, a Reddit user, recently revealed that he is remodeling his grandfather’s house, which he purchased in 1916 using a Sears catalog. It was purchased for little more than what it sold for at the time. Pretty bad given how much a house these days costs.
There were numerous models that could be bought. All that was required was a piece of land to construct it on. The customer received the house in pieces along with a set of blueprints. The purchasers were then required to assemble it piece by piece.
Between 1908 and 1940, around 75,000 mail-order homes were sold, according to Sears archives. Model No. 137 was the name of the home RealHotSauceBoss’ grandfather purchased. If you account for inflation, it would have cost around $27,000 now.
Considering that it is nearly a century old, it has kept up amazingly well. The house was physically sound, but RealHotSauceBoss claims that the outside was in poor condition at the time because the wood wasn’t treated. They covered the exterior with siding, renovated the roof, and added storm windows over the new windows.
Can you believe how it appears right now? In the year 2118, what do you think people will say about the houses we are currently constructing? Ask your friends what they think after telling them this story.