# Craftsman Tools **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847 "2017-02-13T23:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/41 "2017-02-16T00:06:20Z")
Adding storefronts to mail order is a lot easier than going the other direction. There are encumbrances with real estate owned and leased, as well as the fixtures. Those didn’t exist didn’t the mai order days. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/42 "2017-02-16T00:21:17Z")
Very true, jt, but my impression is that Sears didn’t even try to go internet as the industry evolved until too late. They relied too heavily on their “brick & mortar” stores, probably not recognizing that buying habits were changing so dramatically. They ended up trying to play “catchup” and never quite succeeded. They aren’t alone in taking too long to take advantage of the new technology. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/43 "2017-02-16T13:13:33Z")
Sears was Run by very old school executives who didn’t understand the technology let alone how to leverage it. Some companies adopted to the technology. Others didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/44 "2017-02-16T13:50:07Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Some companies adopted to the technology. Others didn’t. Yup! Whether we are talking about the animal kingdom or about corporations, the same overriding factor applies: **_Adapt or die!_** ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/45 "2017-02-16T14:20:36Z")
Craftsman tool discussions…the gift that keeps on giving… ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/46 "2017-02-16T16:28:13Z")
All this talk of missing out on the technology? I sometimes wonder what really the big difference is, except the tools used? In the old days you would look in the Sears catalog (now an internet search), find what you wanted, call Sears on the telephone to order it (now internet connection or cell phone), and go pick it up at the Sears store after 4:30 (now delivered to your door). Pretty simple really. The only difference today is that there are thousands of unknown vendors providing the on-line catalog instead of the paper one, we’re using an electronic device instead of the old rotary telephone, and its being delivered to our door instead of picking it up a couple miles away. But what technology really did they miss out on??? I really don’t see that as the “Sears” problem and I do miss the catalog. To me eliminating the catalog was the beginning of the end. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/47 "2017-02-16T20:12:55Z")
Personally, I spend more money when I visit a store in person versus internet shopping. While I’m looking, I find things I didn’t realize I needed… 😄 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/48 "2017-02-16T20:35:57Z")
> [@bing](#): > > The only difference today is that there are thousands of unknown vendors providing the on-line catalog I think it’s more than that. The retailer’s website has to be user-friendly and “optimized” If I punch “ratchet” into my search engine and Sears comes up as the 12,579th “hit” I’ll never visit there. Sears didn’t even begin really using the internet effectively until after their internet competition had already made them obsolete. Smart senior management with vision would have brought a group of what we now call “geeks” into their organization to develop online systems years before Sears even realized they needed it. I have no inside information, of course. My theory is really only an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/49 "2017-02-16T22:07:16Z")
just think what COULD have been . .IF . . and think of this in equivalence to Amazon . . IF ’‘The Sears Catalog’’ was a digital entity ten years ago . in everybody’s mind first , on everybody’s ( coffee table ) home screen, used for every shopping idea search even if you don’t buy from it. ( often flipping pages just to see ) Too late now. But just think what could’ve been. ---
**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/50 "2017-02-16T22:36:38Z")
Years ago, I used to read either Sears or MW catalogs for pure fantasy. They sold things like pheasant chicks and fish to stock. And, in the early 20th Century, they sold houses, in kits. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/51 "2017-02-16T22:50:40Z")
> [@irlandes](#): > > in the early 20th Century, they sold houses, in kits. A couple of miles from my house, there is a grouping of three Craftsman-style houses that were built from Sears home-building kits. Many younger folks would probably shun these houses because they are rather small by modern standards, but the quality of the materials and the execution of the decoration is…magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/52 "2017-02-16T23:15:40Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Many younger folks would probably shun these houses because they are rather small by modern standards Odd how houses keep getting bigger, then there are the small condos and efficiencies/studios, then there are the ‘tiny houses’… ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/53 "2017-02-17T00:54:08Z")
> [@the\_same\_mountainbik](#): > > Overall I’ve been very happy with everything I’ve bought at HF. I don’t think there’s a better buy out there for the money. Yeah, if you want to pay much more you can get much better stuff, but not everybody needs the high-priced stuff. some stuff from there is good, some is real garbage picked up S-shaped wrenches for hard-to-reach areas =\> these were GREAT bought set of ratches: they were oversized and slipped over edges like crazy =\> back they went ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/54 "2017-02-17T01:32:49Z")
> [@bing](#): > > In the old days you would look in the Sears catalog (now an internet search The big difference is that online is up to date. The Sears catalog came out once or twice a year so you have no idea of availability of products or sales. The technology drastically increased the efficiency of the ordering process. Companies like LL Bean which adopted the technology early saw huge Increases in sales without sacrificing customer satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/55 "2017-02-17T22:00:30Z")
Yeah, when we bought our house 19 years ago, 10 or 11 foot ceilings were the rage, as were vaulted ceilings. We opted for standard 8 foot ceilings. The only 2-story room is the foyer. We got a lot more usable space under roof and have been saving money on heating and cooling with the lower, standard ceiling height. I don’t regret the decisions for a moment. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/56 "2017-02-18T01:23:40Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Many younger folks would probably shun these houses because they are rather small by modern standards But many Sears houses were quite large: [https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=sears+house+kit&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted\_003&hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted\_003&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fretailfix52.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F10%2F20131031-042138.jpg](https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=sears+house+kit&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_003&hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_003&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fretailfix52.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F10%2F20131031-042138.jpg) My grandparents lived in one that was two stories and, like you say, very well made. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/57 "2017-02-18T15:27:10Z")
There was a PBS special some years back on Sears houses. They toured a number of them, many in the same neighborhoods. I was surprised at the high level of quality. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/58 "2017-02-18T23:43:54Z")
As I was strolling in an west New York community, I spotted a metal house. The owner was in the yard so I asked him if it was a Sears house but he said no it was a Lustron. I believe they were made in Columbus, OH after the war. Wasn’t a very friendly guy though. There’s one I know of in South Minneapolis too. Interesting but not my style. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847/59 "2017-02-19T13:50:57Z")
Sears should have been the leader in internet sales - given their background in catalog sales - BUT - There was a 40 year gap between those 2 events. In that space, people wanted to go to malls to do their shopping. Plus, the need to have good quality products (something Sears took seriously before they started their downward spiral) is something the buying public has left behind (in the age of throwaway products,) I think Sears started their decline in the 1980’s. Their forte was tools and appliances - and they tried to compete in the clothing segment - a huge mistake. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/craftsman-tools/99847.md?page=2)