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Comment by MarkusWandel | Hacker News Reader

Sears was the Amazon of the day. Order by mail, receive by rail shipment, completely bypass local retail infrastructure. In some case this meant unmarked crates to avoid trouble.

Here's a link to a catalogue page for DIY telephone equipment from those days. At least the link works for me right now.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101066805050&vi...

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That whole catalog is incredible, like a time machine.

I remember looking in awe at the Sears catalog every time one came by mail, then all the smaller specialty ones.

I get similar feelings looking back at heathkit catalogs from 1950s, 1960s, then there are the Radio Shack catalogs when the TRS-80 first came out, the world seemed like it was going to be amazing...

( https://heathkitcatalogs.com )

Things that we have lost, part 3: The Small Parts catalog.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160323004150/http://www.smallp...

How about McMaster-Carr? Their catalogue, print and online, seems to have a very similar philosophy. Also: all but the most specialized items get same- or next-day shipping.

https://www.mcmaster.com/

I have to say that I don't really miss the McMaster-Carr catalog. Back when calling them on the phone was the only way to order, getting a catalog out of them was like pulling teeth. Things are far better now with online ordering: they'll sell to anyone.

I may actually still have a Small Parts catalog around here somewhere from before they were swallowed up by Amazon. The last time I ordered from them the box said Amazon Supply and I knew the end was near.

Those climbers, I've seen them in action as a kid!

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