Sears Photographic Catalog

[Michael L. Dunlap]

I was wondering if anyone knew where I might find a Sears Photographic Catalog from the late 70's or early 80's. I'm not a collector, I would just like to have one of these for sentimental reasons. The time period I mentioned was when I was first getting into photography in junior high and high school and I used to get these catalogs and read them cover to cover. I bought my first camera, a Pentax K-1000, from this catalog as well as my enlarger. I've searched the web and I can find them from the 20's through the 50's but nothing from the 70's or 80's. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[srs5694]

Try setting up a favorite search on eBay. They can notify you of new listings that match the search criteria. I just tried searching for "Sears Photographic Catalog" and got two hits from the 1950s, so I don't think you'll get swamped with e-mails if you do this, and something's bound to turn up sooner or later.

You might also try e-mailing Sears. It's conceivable they've got back catalogs and more likely they'd know where you could find them.

 

[Cave_of_Tigers]

Try this url:

http://www.mauney.com/booksforsale/camera/

about 1/2 way down the page will be what you are looking for, i hope!

 

[Michael L. Dunlap]

Try this url:

http://www.mauney.com/booksforsale/camera/

about 1/2 way down the page will be what you are looking for, i hope!

Thanks, but I tried this already. This gentleman died last summer before I found his homepage that was still on the web and I wrote him about it. His widow wrote back saying she looked through his stuff for the catalog and couldn't find it.

 

[stark raving]

I was wondering if anyone knew where I might find a Sears Photographic Catalog from the late 70's or early 80's.

Michael,

Craigcamera's website lists several Sears photo catalogs from 1976 through 1984 for sale. Go to this page: http://www.craigcamera.com/lit_s.htm and scroll down about 1/4 of the way.

Hope this helps.

Jonathan

 

[DKT]

well, if you can deal with a general catalog, you might try your library or a history type library...I only say this because I'm researching some cameras for a history exhibit now, and tried out the library where I work, and checked out a sears catalog today from 1897. There were bound volumes from the 80s back to previous decades as well, probably about a dozen in all.....

fwiw, I have a Montgomery Ward photo catalog from the 50s in my personal collection, and it's been a wealth of information when I needed it. The general Sears catalog isn't anywhere as detailed, for sure....