Dutch Uncle to the World Sears Service-with a smile

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Part of The Marsman Magazine

Title: Dutch Uncle to the World Sears Service-with a smile
Language: English
Year: 1940
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Fulltext: DUTCH UNCLE TO THE WORLD SEARS SERVICE-WITH A SMILE Spring. Budding leaves. Lambs. The Internal Revenue Collector. And a new Sears Roebuck catalog. A very beautiful Sears Roebuck catalog, with 152 pages in full color, innumerable pages in two colors, and a new arrangement by departments so that you may shop the catalog as you would a department store in the flesh. Each of the new Sears Roebuck catalogs contains a series of tabs to be attached to the first page of each department-each tab a store door. And there are 8 of these "Store Doors"-8 big stores, full of fine, attractive merchandise and such a vast and all-embracing series of services that it's no surprise to find that the public has adopted the position that Sears is its own Dutch uncle. Not an impersonal, disembodied Dutch uncle, nor an institutional Dutch uncle, but an affectionate, serviceable, extremely wise sort of elderly relative. One to whom to write about one's problems. One to diagnose one's ills and prescribe the cure, to analyse soil and water and identify bugs; one to give matrimonial and financial advice and to supply all one's needs, from diapers to tombstones. Quite apart from some of the more unusual services that Sears' customers request (of which more anon), there are some that might be unexpected from any other organization in the world. For instance, you have a house in mind. A dream house. A little place of your own, where you can be independent of the landlord, where your youngsters can grow up in the right surroundings, Marsman Trading Corporation Philippine Representatives for the ATLAS POWDER COMPANY -eEverything for Blasting San Francisco, California Cable Address-Giant-San Francisco, California ATLAS EXPLOSIVES AND BLASTING SUPPLIES THE MARSMAN MAGAZINE for April, .1940 9 where you can establish yourself and say "this is home." But how on earth you're ever going to achieve it on your income and the youngsters to clothe and educate and doctor bills to pay, you don't know-until you hit on the idea of consulting Sears. Perfectly possible, says Sears. A Sears expert figures up the expensesshows you how much home you can get for your money, how much money you'Jl need for a down payment and how you can pay for it out of income, like rent. Next-what kind of hbuse do you want? Sears presents you with a beautiful and fascinating book-"The Book of Modern Homes", in which are presented forty charming 4 to 7-room houses, complete with floor plans, descriptions and a price list, with variations for your choice of specifications. You choose your contractors-Sears supplies all the materials-lumber, millwork, hardware, plumbing, roofing, wiring, lighting fixtures and heating plant,-according to specifications, at the saving which only Sears' vast system of distribution makes possible. If you are a handy man about the house and like to do odd jobs yourself, Sears will help you paint and paper, install sewage, electrioal and plumbing systems, supplying you with instructions, plans, blue prints, and actually lending you the tools ! Before you know it, you have your dream house-and you pay for it in small monthly payments, no greater than those you would otherwise be making all your life long for rent! Suppose, however, you already have your house, and it's a question of refurnishing it, or improving it as property. We refer you to Sears again. As in the case of a new home, Sears will advise and instruct in matters of sew10 age, wiring, plumbing, again supplying blue prints and lending tools. If you want to modernise your kitchen, you can get expert technical and decorating advice simply by writing to Sears own Home Economist, Jean Shaw. Well, perhaps the public is right in thinking that if Sears can render such assistance as this, it can do anything. At any rate, among the millions of letters that pour in yearly to the corresponding bureau-probably the world's greatest letter-writer-are dozens requesting husbands or wives, marriage licenses, diagnoses of human, animal and vegetable diseases. Some time ago, for example, a customer wrote in that her pet canary had become ill, refusing to sing and sitting dejectedly at the bottom of his cage. With local advice as to cure either not available or unsuccessful, it was most natural for her to turn to Sears for the solution. She got it too. The correspondent in the inquiry division who received the letter called a prominent Chicago bird dealer, explained the symptoms as they were outlined in the letter, and passed on the expert's suggested remedy. A letter a short time later reported that the canary once more was tlie picture of health and was singing merrily to its grateful mistress. Answering customers' letters is a real and important part of Sears' business, a part of the business that unquestionably has paid high dividends over a period of years. Sometimes customers have sent in suggestions and advice as to merchandise and improvements that have proved so valuable as to warrant payment to the customer. No particular station in life, nor any one section of the country hold any monopoly on this feeling of high regard THE l\IARSMAN MAGAZINE for April, .1940 for Sears and its omnipotence. Famous names from the literary world, such as George Ade and Courtney Riley Cooper, for example, are found in the correspondence files, mingling with letters from farm and city folk from coast to coast, and from every outpost of the world. orders for $1,000 worth of such assorted goods as 2100-foot coils of 3/4-inch rope, a 32-volt electric shaver, Lady Fair sheets, folding tubs, a barber set, a Boston Cook Book, ice boxes, cyclometers, can openers, chain hoists, block and tackle, motors of various sizes, pressure cooker, portable oven, toilet, Perhaps the most famous recent ad- twine, sewing machines, shirts and ditions to this cross section of the world shorts, medicine cabinets, were assemare the names of Admiral Byrd, Dr. bled and delivered against such odds as Siple, Commander Nieme and Dr. a legal holiday, a snowstorn, scattered Wade of the Antartic Expedition, who, merchandise sources and the unavailin the last mad rush before weighing ability of delivery trucks. Even a poanchor for Little America, experienced lar expedition calls on Sears Super SerSears service at its best. 11th hour vice! For 28 years JUSTRITE Miners' Lamps have given dependable service to Miners the World over No. 50 D Hand Lamp Eight hours of bright, white, steady light; made of steel, tinned, with bali and hook Write for the new catalog of Justrite Lamps-see the complete line at all Marsman T r a d i n g stores Philippine Agents MARSMAN TRADING CORPORATION PARA CALE MANILA BAGUIO rTHE f\IARSMAN MAGAZINE fo-r April, :1940 No. 807 Cap Lamp the new streamlined type; 2-1/2 hours of efficient light on one 2-ounce charge 11