Yesterday and Today

[ScottA]

I was recently looking through a website dedicated to old department stores and malls when I ran across this picture. It's a picture of the actual Sears store located here in town on South Court Street where I know my parents got 70% of my Megos and other toys when I was a kid. It says it was taken in October of 1963 several months after it opened. It's unique in that the name Sears appears above each entrance.



I know the building is still there so I decided to drive over and take a look at it. I'm guessing Sears left the building around 1980 or 81 when the new store opened in the new mall across town. You can see where the Sears name went above the doors. I know the building has been split up inside and sold over and over. But it is still there - standing, longing. I almost wanted to walk up and give it a hug and say "Thanks for the memories". I can so see me and my Mom going in there and me heading straight to the toy department.







The shot below is of the front you see in the 1963 original photo.






It's not located in the best part of town now but everytime I pass the building I give it a little smile. I just felt like sharing with those who understand. Thanks for looking.

[toys2cool]

That's cool that it's still standing but must be sad seeing it like that

[sauce]

Hey that's fun to see. Must've brought a lot back to be there recently

[BlackKnight]

Cool Stuff Scott.
Where I live,.. has been extremely over Populated since the time I moved here,.. about 20 yrs ago. Most stores are not as they were, have relocated, or are new. The Mall used to be this little strip with like maybe 20 stores,.. now it's Huge, but still 1 level.

[ScottA]

I wish I had the money to buy the building and do something special with it. Make it another store or a museum or something and bring it back to life. I couldn't believe it when I saw the picture. I so remember playing on those columns, along with all the other kids back in the day.

[Werewolf]

Cool story and pics. Thanks for sharing.

[ODBJBG]

Very cool.

[Meule]

Those threes have grown quite a bit as well

[Mikey]

I'm jealous a lot of you guys had Sears stores near you while growing up.

The closest one to me was about 40 miles away in a huge mall --- and even that Sears came around 1979 when I was already too old to enjoy it.

[Wee67]

Somehow, I actually had a huge wave of nostalgic warmth/sadness wash over me when you showed that. I really let my imagination run over those present-day photos, imagining paneled station wagons out front or the kids running too far ahead of their mothers. Of course, I never played or shopped there as a kid. Maybe it just reminded me of the long gone Two Guys or S. Klein that my mother took me to back in the day. Cool stuff.

[ScottA]

imagining paneled station wagons out front or the kids running too far ahead of their mothers.

My parents owned a 1969 Chevy Kingswood Estate Station Wagon with the side wood panels so I know for a fact that did actually happen with us. I can see it parked in that lot many times over the years. Sweet memories indeed.

[HardyGirl]

What a cool memory. Thanks for sharing it w/ us.

[toysforlife]

that is really cool. there needs to be a book published with " then and now" images like that where you can go visit them. Would be interesting to dig around in a place like that to see what came up..in the attic or storage

[MegoMark71]

Thanks Scott, i love then and now pics.

[jessica]

Thanks for sharing some time on memory lane. It's sad to see how the building is now, but at least you have great memories of it from when you were younger.