Large Screen Color Televisions
1969 Sears Christmas Wish Book

I bought a 1969 edition of the Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s Christmas Wish Book on eBay. It was the year I turned 11 years old, and was also the year of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Remembering how I eagerly awaited those pages filled with advertisements for model airplanes, boats, guns, Erector sets, and countless other things, I figured it might be nice to look through one again. Here is the 1967 Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalog, the 1969 Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalog and the 1969 Sears Christmas Wish Book. Enjoy!

Here on page 383 of the Sears 1969 Christmas Wish Book is a wide selection of large-screen color televisions. The ad says, "You can't buy a bigger color TV picture anywhere (23 inch diagonal measure)." It's hard to imagine at this point in time where even third-generation welfare homes have 42" widescreen plasma and LED sets for about the same price. Back then TV owners had to actually pay for their own or settle for something less, but today it's an entitlement.

Use the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator to see what items cost in today's dollars. That $629.95 23" console color TV would cost $3,780.09 in 2011 money!

Posted February 20, 2011