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Monkey Ward What a nostalgia blast.

Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:05 pm
by Burning Petard
I just received in today's snail mail, a small 68 page catalog of general merchandise from something calling itself "Montgomery Ward Improving American Homes Since 1872." Every body I knew, called it Monkey Wards. Its main competitor was called Sears and Sawbuck, Officially known as Sears Roebuck.

Together, a hundred years ago they were the primary suppliers of reading material and personal hygiene wipes for outhouses every where--and free. I fondly remember encountering them in outhouses all over Nebraska and Iowa. (I never made use of the more traditional corn cob) Before I went to school, they were the main source for information about the latest toys. For those older, the women's lingerie pages provided soft core porn long before Hugh Hefner had any thoughts about rabbits. As I looked through this booklet, there were no pages of toys or underwear (for any gender) included. No sporting goods or musical instruments either. I believe Doc Watson's first store-bought guitar came from Monkey Ward. After a quick review in Wikipedia, I was surprised there was no Wisconsin cheese or sausage.

Careful examination of my memories confirmed it was the same slick paper I remember for the hygiene utility.

Ah, the good old days when there was no panic because of a shortage of Charmin.

snailgate.

Re: Monkey Ward What a nostalgia blast.

Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:50 pm
by Long Run
And during a particularly crafty era, the catalogs were used as wall paper, and keeping with the theme, often in the bathroom.

Re: Monkey Ward What a nostalgia blast.

Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 10:05 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
Reminds me of an old joke that I think went like this:

This morning I see my friend Steve walking down the street. He's wearing the worst suit I ever saw - pink and lavender plaid jacket and trousers with a lime green waistcoat.
"Why the heck are you wearing that outfit?" I asked
"My wife got it for me," Steve replied.
"You mean, on purpose?" says I.
"Not exactly," said Steve. "I saw an ad in the paper for Cox's Men's Store. They were having a great sale on seersucker suits. So I told her, go to Cox's and buy me one of those seersucker suits. But she got confused and went to Sears instead"