Poem: "The Book of Bargains"
Nov. 23rd, 2019 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the November 19, 2019 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from siliconshaman and erulisse. It also fills the "wrapping a gift" square in my 9-5-18 "Kind and Soft" card for the 1000 Words or Less Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America.
"The Book of Bargains"
In 1888, Richard Sears
started mailing out a flyer
to advertise watches and jewelry.
What began as a small flyer
soon grew into a larger catalog.
In 1894, he illustrated the cover with
a slogan saying, Book of Bargains:
A Money Saver for Everyone.
It expanded to include saddles,
bicycles, buggies, sewing machines,
musical instruments, clothing, and more.
Especially popular were the sections
that offered craft supplies and tools
not always available locally.
Mr. Sears wrote the descriptions
to appeal to crafters everywhere,
using everyday language that
appealed to his customers.
After everything had been
ordered and received,
the catalog took on
a new purpose.
People tore out pages
and used them to wrap
the gifts in colorful paper.
Over time, the catalog
and the company evolved.
They went from offering
individual tools and supplies
to kits, which soon proved
enormously popular.
People even pooled
their resources to buy
the famous house kits.
Sears Modern Homes let
shoppers buy a standard kit,
customize it for their needs,
or even design from scratch.
They took advantage of
new building materials like
asphalt shingles and drywall.
These made it possible for
more customers to achieve
the American dream of building
their own home by simplifying
the process and reducing
the need to hire experts.
It was a perfect balance
between handmade crafts
and mass-production.
Always attentive to
his customers, Mr. Sears
noticed that not everyone had
room for a home workshop.
Apartment dwellers might
not even have space for
a simple sewing corner.
So the company launched
the Sears Community Workshops.
Any town could set aside a space
where citizens could come and work
using shared tools and supplies
for a monthly membership fee.
The catalog added kits of tools
to stock workshops of varying sizes,
along with big bundles of supplies
available by regular subscription
without the need to reorder often.
These sales brought in more revenue,
becoming a mainstay of the line.
In 1908, Richard Sears retired,
having guided his company
for almost twenty years, so
he could relax and enjoy life.
The company and the catalog
went on without him, by now
well established in American life.
They continued their innovations,
quickly picking up new tools and
technologies as those emerged.
In 1952, the Sears catalog added
the MADDIDA differential analyzer
for scientists and engineers, which
sold mainly to universities and labs.
Ever watchful of the average consumer,
however, they followed up in 1953
with Little Simon, a relay computer
that could be built for $300, half
the cost of the Simon 1 design
published in Radio Electronics.
As more people became interested
in building computers, however,
a problem emerged: they weren't
compatible with other crafts.
Sawdust from woodworking,
oil machinery, even loose threads
from fibercrafts could all kill a computer.
Clearly they needed their own workshops.
So Sears introduced the new Computer Cave,
a workshop especially for people who wished
to build computers. At first they only appeared
in the largest cities, but as computer construction
became more popular, the caves spread farther.
Like the Sears Modern Homes, customers
could buy a standard kit, customize it, or
design a computer from loose parts.
To satisfy everyone's desire for
beauty as well as practicality while
keeping the delicate components safe,
the catalog included a wide variety of
manufactured fittings and frames.
Customers could order blanks
to carve or paint as they wished,
or send patterns to be tooled in
the well-equipped Sears factories.
Universities jumped on the opportunity
to build machines to their specifications.
Before long, many of them had added
a Computer Cave on campus and
a major in Computer Engineering.
Sears also became the first company
to combine computers with construction
in the form of their Sears Smart Homes.
These new designs included innovations
such as automated lighting and heating,
ensconced in elegant wooden panels,
which saved customers a lot of money.
There was even a discount program
for upgrading previous house kits.
As the technology progressed,
high schools began to include
Computer Construction alongside
traditional Shop and Art classes.
America might have embraced
the Computer Age, but it never
forgot its roots in Arts and Crafts.
* * *
Notes:
The Sears catalog dates back to 1888, when Richard Sears first sent out a flyer advertising watches and jewelry. It soon expanded to many other products. It even sold houses.
MADDIDA was an early computer helpful for calculating equations used by scientists, engineers, and other experts.
janetmiles also notes that the Sears catalog allowed black people to buy anything they wanted, at a time when shopkeepers and crafters often refused to serve them. I'll add that the same is true of Chinese people, women -- especially single women -- and anyone else society chose to snub. Money and mail order made great equalizers, and that had a huge impact on America's evolution.
siliconshaman and erulisse. It also fills the "wrapping a gift" square in my 9-5-18 "Kind and Soft" card for the 1000 Words or Less Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America."The Book of Bargains"
In 1888, Richard Sears
started mailing out a flyer
to advertise watches and jewelry.
What began as a small flyer
soon grew into a larger catalog.
In 1894, he illustrated the cover with
a slogan saying, Book of Bargains:
A Money Saver for Everyone.
It expanded to include saddles,
bicycles, buggies, sewing machines,
musical instruments, clothing, and more.
Especially popular were the sections
that offered craft supplies and tools
not always available locally.
Mr. Sears wrote the descriptions
to appeal to crafters everywhere,
using everyday language that
appealed to his customers.
After everything had been
ordered and received,
the catalog took on
a new purpose.
People tore out pages
and used them to wrap
the gifts in colorful paper.
Over time, the catalog
and the company evolved.
They went from offering
individual tools and supplies
to kits, which soon proved
enormously popular.
People even pooled
their resources to buy
the famous house kits.
Sears Modern Homes let
shoppers buy a standard kit,
customize it for their needs,
or even design from scratch.
They took advantage of
new building materials like
asphalt shingles and drywall.
These made it possible for
more customers to achieve
the American dream of building
their own home by simplifying
the process and reducing
the need to hire experts.
It was a perfect balance
between handmade crafts
and mass-production.
Always attentive to
his customers, Mr. Sears
noticed that not everyone had
room for a home workshop.
Apartment dwellers might
not even have space for
a simple sewing corner.
So the company launched
the Sears Community Workshops.
Any town could set aside a space
where citizens could come and work
using shared tools and supplies
for a monthly membership fee.
The catalog added kits of tools
to stock workshops of varying sizes,
along with big bundles of supplies
available by regular subscription
without the need to reorder often.
These sales brought in more revenue,
becoming a mainstay of the line.
In 1908, Richard Sears retired,
having guided his company
for almost twenty years, so
he could relax and enjoy life.
The company and the catalog
went on without him, by now
well established in American life.
They continued their innovations,
quickly picking up new tools and
technologies as those emerged.
In 1952, the Sears catalog added
the MADDIDA differential analyzer
for scientists and engineers, which
sold mainly to universities and labs.
Ever watchful of the average consumer,
however, they followed up in 1953
with Little Simon, a relay computer
that could be built for $300, half
the cost of the Simon 1 design
published in Radio Electronics.
As more people became interested
in building computers, however,
a problem emerged: they weren't
compatible with other crafts.
Sawdust from woodworking,
oil machinery, even loose threads
from fibercrafts could all kill a computer.
Clearly they needed their own workshops.
So Sears introduced the new Computer Cave,
a workshop especially for people who wished
to build computers. At first they only appeared
in the largest cities, but as computer construction
became more popular, the caves spread farther.
Like the Sears Modern Homes, customers
could buy a standard kit, customize it, or
design a computer from loose parts.
To satisfy everyone's desire for
beauty as well as practicality while
keeping the delicate components safe,
the catalog included a wide variety of
manufactured fittings and frames.
Customers could order blanks
to carve or paint as they wished,
or send patterns to be tooled in
the well-equipped Sears factories.
Universities jumped on the opportunity
to build machines to their specifications.
Before long, many of them had added
a Computer Cave on campus and
a major in Computer Engineering.
Sears also became the first company
to combine computers with construction
in the form of their Sears Smart Homes.
These new designs included innovations
such as automated lighting and heating,
ensconced in elegant wooden panels,
which saved customers a lot of money.
There was even a discount program
for upgrading previous house kits.
As the technology progressed,
high schools began to include
Computer Construction alongside
traditional Shop and Art classes.
America might have embraced
the Computer Age, but it never
forgot its roots in Arts and Crafts.
* * *
Notes:
The Sears catalog dates back to 1888, when Richard Sears first sent out a flyer advertising watches and jewelry. It soon expanded to many other products. It even sold houses.
MADDIDA was an early computer helpful for calculating equations used by scientists, engineers, and other experts.
janetmiles also notes that the Sears catalog allowed black people to buy anything they wanted, at a time when shopkeepers and crafters often refused to serve them. I'll add that the same is true of Chinese people, women -- especially single women -- and anyone else society chose to snub. Money and mail order made great equalizers, and that had a huge impact on America's evolution.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 05:45 am (UTC)BTW, you'd be *amazed* at the amount of crud a computer can collect and still work. At least once you get past using relays.
We had a couple of old IBM PCs in the saw room and the company I used to work for. Not sawing wood, but silicon ingots. The dust got *everywhere*.
Often when there was a problem we'd just vacuum out the computer (or use an airhose... :-)
Oh yeah, there was a computer in the supervisor's office off the floor. Not as dusty, but he had his ashtray right in front of the air intake for the computer. It was all brown and sticky inside. Ick.
The one actual *permanent* failure from crud I've seen was in a computer brought into a friends shop. I opened it up and the inside was one big dust bunny.
Seems they lived on a farm and it was on the dining room table next to a usually open window. Oops.
Oh yeah, the were these shocking pink bits in there. turns out they were loose feathers shed by a feather boa one of the tween girls had. :-)
The failure turned out to be the hard drive. it was *very* obvious. If you've ever seen one, you know that there's that big square chip that has most of the electronics.
Well, on this one, there was a raised ridge from near the center to one of the pins. Looked like a miniature bug Bunny tunnel. But straight lines with a couple of right angle turns.
Best guess is that it overheated and that ridge was from one of the wires inside the chip burning out. Since the family was there when I opened it up I showed it to them. Some blushing from the girl with the boa, and and surprise about the huge dust bunny and the ridge on the HD.
Put in a new HD and reinstalled windows. and showed them how to open the case and clean it out before things got that bad again.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 12:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 02:12 pm (UTC)I was one of those kids that used to haunt radio shack way back when.. [and yes, I built my first computer, it was the only way I could afford it.]
Something like the A&C America version of Sears would have been catnip to me.
And I am still impressed you managed to roll ALL of my prompts, and some more into one big ball..
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 05:36 pm (UTC)I'm impressed that you built your first computer -- I dreamed about that, back when it would have involved stringing ferrite cores for memory! Putting parts into a case just isn't the same.
ETA: I did have a Geniac, though.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 07:47 pm (UTC)I didn't build my first PC until quite a bit later.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-24 10:20 pm (UTC)Love it!
Date: 2019-11-24 05:50 pm (UTC)Re: Love it!
Date: 2019-11-25 05:56 am (UTC)Sears v. Amazon
Date: 2019-11-25 07:56 pm (UTC)Especially or someone with a special diet, mail order may be the only way to get the items they want and can eat. I may be allergic to milk, but I am neither gluten-free or vegan, and don't want to use those products just because they're the only local options.
Re: Sears v. Amazon
Date: 2019-11-25 09:14 pm (UTC)Amazon would be great if they were ethical, but they aren't. They have many predatory policies, and they parasitize the post office by creating massively more work without any more support.
>> Especially or someone with a special diet, mail order may be the only way to get the items they want and can eat. I may be allergic to milk, but I am neither gluten-free or vegan, and don't want to use those products just because they're the only local options.<<
This is true. It bothers me how much stores have become a way to make money instead of a way for people to find what they need. As more and more things become unavailable locally, mail order becomes the only option to get them -- but it's more expensive because of shipping, and you can't explore things before you buy, which makes it useless for many purposes.
Re: Sears v. Amazon
Date: 2019-11-25 09:20 pm (UTC)I'd never buy an unfamiliar yarn on Amazon. No way.
But, again, businesses like Amazon and Walmart have altered the way other stores do business. Every inch of store space HAS to be cost-effective, and that goes double for shelf space.