Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellzAll's subject for November is the Sears Roebuck and Company Catalog Home
Today, when most people purchase a home, they either buy a preexisting structure or hire an architect and a construction company to build the house. During the first part of the twentieth century, the Sears Roebuck and Company actually allowed people to order homes from a catalog.
During the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, the mail order business reached a crescendo. People in isolated communities could order merchandise not commonly available at their location and receive the items in the mail. Beginning in 1908, the Sears Roebuck and Company, one of the leaders in the mail order business, allowed consumers to purchase homes of various styles through catalogs. Railroads would deliver the homes to the purchaser's community, and then, trucks would deliver the pieces to the construction site. The consumer could either construct the house himself or hire a construction crew to complete the work. Sears Roebuck and Company sent everything necessary to build the home. From pre-cut boards, to drywall, to asphalt shingles, to the very nails necessary for construction, the company packaged these items on the trains for delivery to the consumer. People could even buy homes equipped with indoor plumbing and electricity.
The Sears homes became very popular. Between 1908 and 1940, the company sold more than seventy thousand homes. Consumers eventually could choose from 447 different styles of homes. Several of these homes cost under one thousand dollars, while the most expensive one in 1929 cost just $4,400.00.
Sears homes still exist across the United States of America. It is possible that your very own home was ordered from a catalog!
