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RF Cave visitor and contributor Joseph Birsa (N3TTE), sent me a note about yet another edition of a special purpose catalog published by Sears - the Sears 1940 Amateur Radio, Test Equipment, Sound System Catalog. A little research revealed that it was actually an extended version of the 1940 Sears, Roebuck and Co. Superior Amateur Equipment and Radio Service Supplies - 64 versus 48 pages, respectively. Even the standard edition Sears, Roebuck Fall 1941 Catalog contained a large section dedicated to radios and equipment. Multiple copies of these catalog PDF files exist, so it would be difficult to determine who originally scanned and posted them. I link to other copies rather than placing an unauthorized copy on RF Cafe.

The cover on the shorter catalog makes me think of The Radio Boys series of books, where a cadre of four early 20th century teenagers experienced adventures centered around building and operating wireless equipment.

Hallicrafters, National Company, Meissner, and Hammarlund receivers and transmitters were offered for sale. Bliley and Silvertone (Sears' own brand) crystals, Speed-X (as opposed to Speedo) Morse code keys, Barker and Williamson tuning coils, Triplett panel meters, Cardwell and Hammarlund variable capacitors, Crowe and Gordon dials and knobs, Ohmite power resistors, Stancor transformers, Centralab potentiometers and capacitors, Par-Metal racks and cabinets, Eimac and Raytheon vacuum tubes, and Craftsman tools (of course) were also featured. Test equipment from Triplett (including ReadRite), Supreme Instruments, Radio City Products, RCA (Radio Corporation of America), Precision Apparatus Company, Hickok, and Weston Electrical Instrument Company filled the pages as well. Just about everything a Ham needed was available from Sears. Half a dozen or more of the represented companies are still in business today. Many of the vintage equipment and parts can be found on eBay.

Posted March 21, 2021