A true record of an era, this unabridged facsimile of the retail giant's 1895 catalogue showcases some 25,000 items, from the necessities of life to products whose time has passed. Illustrated.

"A dazzling trove for students of Americana." Time...

Proudly advertising its enormous inventory shipped from "Cheapest Supply House on Earth," in 1894, the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog offered substantial savings for rural dwellers on almost everything. And everything means everything. From pianos and firearms to clothing, watches, and jewelry, this well-known American superstore had it all. Need a sewing machine guaranteed to last ten years? Just $17.55 from Sears, Roebuck and Co. And why not buy solid gold? Solid gold watches, that is, for just thirty to fifty dollars. In the musical goods department, guitars came with free instruction books, mandolins were becoming so popular that sales had more than doubled in a year, and violins were imported and plentiful. The guns and sporting goods department boasted a wide range of weaponry, including the Colt's Army Double Action Revolver (which, if ordered with an accompaniment of cash payment in full, came with a "FREE nice present" . . . the likes of which are left to the gun enthusiast's imagination). Hundreds of illustrations accompany the fascinating product descriptions and hard-to-fathom prices of over a century ago in this rerelease of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. Consumer’s Guide for 1894. Nostalgic for some, fun for all--this book is perfect for anyone interested in collectibles.

Vols. for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.

The Colbeck collection was formed over half a century ago by the Bournemouth bookseller Norman Colbeck. Focusing primarily on British essayists and poets of the nineteenth century from the Romantic Movement through the Edwardian era, the collection features nearly 500 authors and lists over 13,000 works. Entries are alphabetically arranged by author with copious notes on the condition and binding of each copy. Nine appendices provide listings of selected periodicals, series publications, anthologies, yearbooks, and topical works.