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The old joke about a Sears Roebuck Catalog being in every outhouse was no joking matter to the folks at Sears Roebuck & Co. who promoted themselves wholeheartedly to lighthouse keepers and Coast Guard personel.
Their ads to our maritime personnel in 1939 stated, “It’s pretty hard to go shopping in deep water-we know that! Just the same, aboard ship or ashore, you want what you want . . . and it’s SOMEBODY’S business to get it to you.”
“All right . . . . Sears Roebuck and Co. are at your service. We have sent a spic and span new SEARS CATALOG to every U.S. Coast Guard station and floating unit . . . “
Their advertisement went on to say that they had “51-thousand answers to your wishes . . .and at prices that spell fair weather to your pocketbook.” It went on to say that no matter where duty calls you would never be out of touch with the Sears Catalog.”
The 1939 issue of the Sears Roebuck Catalog that was promoted so heavily to the lighthouse keepers and Coast Guard personnel would make a great addition to the Museum of Lighthouse History in Wells. Hopefully, someone will find and donate one to the museum.
This story appeared in the June 2003 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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