Sears Roebuck and Co. “Budget Group” Quality Wallpaper Catalog.

Item Number: 125233

Rare 1940 Sears Roebuck and Co. wallpaper sample catalog; the “Budget Group”, featuring better quality washable, fadeproof, and semi-trimmed papers in a variety of patterns. Octavo, includes 14 wallpaper samples. In near fine condition.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. was a pioneer in creating department stores that catered to men as well as women, especially with lines of hardware and building materials. It deemphasized the latest fashions in favor of practicality and durability and allowed customers to select goods without the aid of a clerk. In 1933 Sears issued the first of its Christmas catalogs known as the "Sears Wishbook", a catalog featuring toys and gifts, separate from the annual Christmas Catalog. From 1908 to 1940, it included ready-to-assemble Sears Catalog Home kit houses. The Sears catalog became known in the industry as "the Consumers' Bible", serving a vital retail service for a variety of target audiences.