Thursday
Dec092004
Thursday, December 9, 2004 at 12:31AM
The Sears Wish Book
Once upon a time before the Internet and cable television, children learned of toys through the Sears Wish Book. This special Christmas catalog came out in late October every year. It signaled the imminent arrival of Christmas. The Wish Book was a window into Santa's workshop and by the time the Jolly Elf made his annual trip, the pages were well worn. Dog-eared pages were markers to guide Santa's helpers to each child's wish for Christmas.
I spent many afternoons studying the Wish Book. I drooled over the toy train sets and slot car tracks. I knew Santa could not afford some things in the catalog. My tastes had to be somewhere around 15 to 20 1966 dollars.
It was always fun actually traveling to Sears. Before the mall was built near our house, a trip to Sears meant loading up in the Chevy station wagon and going to downtown Kansas City. Having studied the catalog, I knew just what to look for in the toy department. It was always so much fun getting to see the toys and then sit on Santa's lap to tell him what to bring me.
Before we left Sears, we always bought something at the candy counter. I can still smell the fresh peanut clusters and see the heat lamps that kept the roasted nuts warm. The candy was weighed and put in a paper bag. No bag ever lasted the trip back to the suburbs. All of this only raised my excitement level.
In Kansas City, the Country Club Plaza was always beautifully lit and decorated. The frigid air, toys, Santa and candy guaranteed to put one in the Christmas mood.
Tomorrow, I will tell a story about a toy - The Motorific Torture Track.
Until the next time
John Strain