The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Found this stereo viewer card showing the record storage department at the Sears Department Store and n Chicago, Illinois. Thought I would share it with everyone. Love me to see others that you may have similar to this.

Rich Gordon

That was part of a 50 card set that was printed for Sears in 1908. It was either a premium or sold very cheap. It was a marketing tool, so catalog shoppers know the complex Sears operation. This is the only stereo-view in the set.
Harvey Kravitz

Thanks for that info Harvey. Have you ever seen a complete set?

Rich Gordon

I have the complete set with matching box. I put it away somewhere, but I can't find it When I find it, I'll have pictures posted.
Harvey Kravitz

It is interesting to see that records were stored with no sleeves. Were they sold with generic sleeves?

What kind of records would Sears have sold at the time? Perhaps if they were all from one company, they were sleeved at the end so the sleeve would have the latest new releases on it and hopefully increase sales.

bfinan11 wrote:What kind of records would Sears have sold at the time? Perhaps if they were all from one company, they were sleeved at the end so the sleeve would have the latest new releases on it and hopefully increase sales.

Sears issued their own brand - Silvertone - but it is unlikely that they would sell only those records. Like today, when they sell their own Whirlpool brand of appliances and Craftsman tools, but also carry competing brands. Actually, I am not sure that in 1908 the companies already printed custom sleeves, at least I never saw one. I've custom sleeves for very early records like Italian Gramophone&Typewriters, which even include the photo of the artist, but never saw the equivalent in US production before 1910. Maybe an enlightened fellow forum member can clarify ...

bfinan11 wrote:What kind of records would Sears have sold at the time? Perhaps if they were all from one company, they were sleeved at the end so the sleeve would have the latest new releases on it and hopefully increase sales.

Sears started out selling Columbia machines and records (notice the "Graphophone" mention in the description). Apparently this was still the case in 1908: I don't know when they went over to the "Silvertone" brand.

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote: Sears started out selling Columbia machines and records (notice the "Graphophone" mention in the description). Apparently this was still the case in 1908: I don't know when they went over to the "Silvertone" brand.
Bill

Hi Bill:

In 1915-1916, according to "The Sears, Roebuck & Company Record Labels(1905-1950" By Allan Sutton
SEE -- http://www.mainspringpress.com/sears-labels.html:

"In October 1915, Sears changed the name of its phonograph line from Oxford to Silvertone, a brand already in use on its other musical merchandise. Sears claimed use of the Silvertone trademark on phonographs and records since October 1915, and the first Silvertone machines did indeed appear in Sears’ Fall 1915 catalog. However, Silvertone discs did not appear until the Fall 1916 catalog, as a replacement for the Oxford label."

OrthoFan

There's also a card with the image of the secretarial pool, typing dictated letters, played from Columbia(?) business machines.