Remember the Sears Christmas Wish Book? When Dreaming Was Half the Fun

October 26, 2026

Remember the Sears Christmas Wish Book? When Dreaming Was Half the Fun

Before Amazon, online shopping, and digital wish lists, there was one Christmas catalog that could keep a kid entertained for hours: the Sears Wish Book.

Remember the excitement when that big catalog arrived in the mail?

For many American families growing up in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog was practically an unofficial holiday.

You didn’t need batteries, a television, or even a toy to enjoy it. All you needed was a comfortable chair, a pencil, and an imagination.

The Catalog That Started Christmas Early

Sears published its first Christmas catalog in 1933, during the Great Depression.

Over the years, it grew into a beloved holiday tradition. By 1968, the catalog had officially become known as the Wish Book.

And what a book it was!

Page after page featured dolls, electric trains, bicycles, games, sporting goods, and all those wonderful toys we were absolutely certain we couldn’t live without.

The Fine Art of Circling Toys

Every family seemed to have its own Wish Book traditions.

Some children carefully circled their favorite toys. Others folded down the corners of important pages.

And a few ambitious youngsters circled practically everything!

Of course, parents had a different perspective. They were often studying the prices while we were studying the pictures.

That bicycle might have looked like the most important thing in the world to us, but Mom and Dad knew the Christmas budget had its limits.

When Waiting Was Part of the Magic

Perhaps the biggest difference between then and now was the waiting.

There was no clicking a button and expecting a package tomorrow.

You made your Christmas list, hoped for the best, and waited for Christmas morning.

Sometimes you got exactly what you wanted.

Sometimes Santa had other ideas.

But the excitement of wondering what might be under the tree was part of what made Christmas special.

A Memory Worth Keeping

Today, shopping takes only a few taps on a smartphone.

It’s certainly convenient, but there’s something about those old Christmas catalogs that technology just can’t duplicate.

Maybe it wasn’t really about the toys.

Maybe it was about sitting on the living room floor, turning those colorful pages, and believing anything was possible.

Does this ring a bell?

Did your family get the Sears Wish Book? What toy did you circle year after year, hoping Santa would finally bring it?

Share your memories in the comments!

America’s Memory Lane — Yesterday’s memories. Today’s smiles.