Sears in the 70s

[peteski]

Thanks for the confidence! It happens to be the most requested font in my entire quasi-typography career. Seriously.

Ya' gotta be careful with those auto-font sites, tho'. They exist to sell independent fonts, and won't necessarily find matches, for instance, to something out of the longstanding (and professional) Linotype, Monotype or ITC libraries.

Thanks Mike. I understand, but since my artwork is for hobby purposes (and usually N scale), the extreme accuracy is not vital.  I usually try finding free equivalents of fonts I need. As for this font, I'm pretty sure that I have it on the PC where my Corel Draw is installed.  I have oodles of fonts on it.  And I usually try to match photos of the original logos.  If the letters are a bit off, I just convert them to curves and edit the outline to match the actual logo.

[sirenwerks]

The dual headlights on a mid-duty truck hasn't happened in N scale since the Bachmann tow truck cab.  Not to get hung up on that particular tractor, Rasputen's Ford H series cabs and Madaboutcars early 60s Chevy C50 both would look great, but both of those are a lot stockier than that Ford 1100.  The WOT Chevy day cab is the only decent mid-duty cab out right now.  I haven't even laid eyes on one of the Bachmann cabs in years, much less be able to find one of those at the peak of COVID season...

[wazzou]

Rasputen does offer a cab for a Ford F850 Super Duty.
I've built a couple and can post a pic later.

***
Here is a pic of one.  I've got to locate the other one, but you get the idea.
The kit from Rasputen is the cab and the wheels. only.
For the chassis, I have happily sacrificed one of the many CMW truck chassis that I have on hand.
I built the grain box, fuel tanks, mud flaps and used mirrors from some etchings I had made.

[pmpexpress]

Thanks Neville!

You're welcome.

Given that Hank's Truck Forum was shuttered earlier this year, finding photos of older semi's and trucks has become a real challange.

Excellent reference material Neville - thanks!

While the logo and rest of the artwork is fairly simple, I wonder if Mike ( @C855B ) can figure out what typeface (font) was used for the log and rest of the slogans?  That would make things even easier.

As far as the color goes, looks close to a lighter version of Floquil NYC or PC jade.  Almost makes me want to do the decals. 

You're welcome.

Re: "Almost makes me want to do the decals."

Please do...

Although I have been wanting some Sears truck decals for some time, my unused Alps printer was traded off to Bob Knight many years ago.

Bryan and Bryan,

The 1958 heavy duty Fords had an "egg crate" grille, while the 1959 and 1960 heavy duty and extra heavy duty Fords had grilles with five horizontal parallel bars and three vertical bars behind the horizontal bars.  The Ford crest above the grille had a "crown" added to for 1960 models (which made the crest a little wider), and the F-850 through F-1100 models had "Super" and "Duty" flanking the crest.  While it is hard to tell for sure, the crest on the Sears Ford appears to have the crown, but not the "Super Duty" script.  If that is the case, it would be a 1960 F-700 or F-750 or F-800.  If the crest does not have the crown, it could be a 1959 F-750 through F-1100.

I have a really good book on Fords (Ford Trucks Since 1905) that was published in 1978, and it has a lot more detailed information than any of the newer books I have.  There is no way I would have known that without looking it up!   

In the additional eBay listing photos that I have posted below, you will find some close up shots of black (i.e., 1960s era livery) Sears semi tractor cabs, which have some better views of the emblems, grills, and hoods.



Sears black (1960s era livery) semi tractor cab parked next to a loading dock circa 1960s.



Sears (1960s era livery) semi tractor trailer and another Sears trailer parked at a loading dock Circa 1960s.



Sears (1960s era livery) semi tractor trailer parked inside a gated loading dock facility circa 1960s.



Sears (1960s era livery) semi tractor trailer parked at a loading dock circa 1960s.



Sears (1960s era livery) semi trailer parked at a loading dock circa 1960s



Sears (1960s era livery) semi trailer parked at a loading dock in 1970.



Sears delivery truck, semi trailer, and service vans (one bearing the 1960s era Sears logo) parked behind a Florida Sears store circa 1970s.



Sears (1960s era livery) delivery trucks parked in a Florida Sears store customer parking lot circa 1960s.

[C855B]

As to font ID, @peteski ... the early '60s "round" logo has me stumped, or, rather, I can't find it in my references. The 'A' is unique, where the left ascender doesn't meet the right ascender at the apex. Also, the 'R' is somewhat specific, with a curved right descender terminated in a flattened serif rather than the hooked foot that usually goes along with a curved descender. I've seen this face before - the 'A' really sticks out for me - but can't recall the name. My mind keeps whispering "Garamond-something?" but of the dozen-plus Garamond variants I can't put my finger on it.

More than likely it's a foundry face, that is, only available (then) in hand-set sorts, so primarily something for small amounts of text as used in headlines or ad copy. Our master font reference was lost in a move umpteen years ago, so I'm momentarily stymied (and no, it's not Stymie, which is a slab-serif typeface  ).

[brokemoto]

Any idea where I can find decent images of Sears delivery trucks and semis from the early 70s, or decals to make such beasts?  So far, online pickins' is slim, mostly tinplate Sears trucks from the same era and 300 DPI logos

I worked on a loading dock of one of the largest A stores in the Washington Metropolitan Area in 1973 and again in 1977 and 1978.  I saw more Sears and Sawbucks trucks than anyone on this board.

The trucks in the link provided by provided by StarCruiser are accurate.  The color, of course, would be when new.  Exposure to the elements did take its toll.  The font and rectangular logo are accurate for most of the 1970s.

The photographs that pmpexpress provided with the white lettering and rectangle logo are accurate, as well for most of the 1970s.  The green color of the service vans and white lettering with rectangle logo is accurate.  Most of the service vans were Fords, although by the late 1970s, more and more Chevrolets appeared.  Dodge vans, while in use, were rare.

The black and green with the white field and the red round logo was from the 1960s and may have been around even in the late 1950s.  There were still a few left in 1973, but they were unusual.  By 1977, they had all but disappeared.  I saw perhaps one or two in 1977 and 1978.  There was one old service truck, a Ford Econoline on Falcon chassis in the green and black with the white field with red logo that was still working in 1978.  It was just one of those old things that would not quit, and Sears and Roebuck was determined to milk every last mile out of it that it could.  The "Shop at Sears and save" slogan was on most of the trucks of the 1960s, but not all.

In late 1977 or early 1978, some, but not many,  of those green trucks did have the slogan "Where America shops" added.  It was the same white font.  Sears and Roebuck rolled out that slogan around that time.  I forget exactly when it happened, any more, but I do remember being in the Men's Clothing Department where the Store Management presented it to us before the store opened for the day.  We all were advised to show up an hour early that day (we got paid OT for it, too.  If you worked pas eight hours on a given day, Sears and Sawbucks paid you OT, even if you worked less than forty hours for that week).  I seem to recall that the "Where America shops" was in white type and above the black stripe, as "Sears, Roebuck & Co." was below it.  On some, the "Where America shops" might have been below it and replaced the "Sears, Roebuck & Co.", but you would have to check photographs from that era to be sure.

The pups were also green with the black stripe, rectangular logo and white lettering.  I do not recall seeing any pups in the old scheme in the Washington area, although I do remember them from the 1960s.  We did not often get the pups at the store where I worked, perhaps one or two came over the course of a week..  The local and transfer was handled by a trailer.  The daily shipments from Philadelphia were also in a trailer.  There was a local delivery, but that was contracted out to a private truck.  The only time that the store where I worked saw many pups was when there was a truck strike in 1973.  Merchandise was coming from Philadelphia into Eckington Yards, which meant that the trucks had to go into the city and fetch the stuff from boxcars unloaded on team tracks.  The Sears and Roebuck warehouse in Philadelphia was on the B&O and Eckington Yards, of course, was also on the B&O.

When I worked at that store in 1973, it was the largest A store in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Sears and Sawbucks did open one far larger in the outer suburbs, almost the exurbs in 1976, 1977, or so.  Funny, the store where I worked is one of the more alive, vibrant and well stocked stores and is still open.  The one that opened in 1976, 1977, or so, is now closed.  In its last years, it was like the stores about which  you read on MSN, ya-HOO! News:  few and mostly unknowledgeable employees, large empty spaces, bedsheets hung everywhere to disguise low inventory and shelves spaced out to disguise lower inventory.


I left Sears and Sawbucks right after the Board voted a stock split, which was a mistake.  The Board also messed with the benefit package of the rank and file to pay for huge pensions and golden parachutes for the bigwigs.  When I left and cashed in my profit sharing, it had just hit the apex and was slightly on the down incline.  Thus, I did get more out of it than I had put into it, but, not as much as I could have, had I cashed out, a little earlier.

...........good topic; brought back memories.............................

[sirenwerks]

Rasputen does offer a cab for a Ford F850 Super Duty.
I've built a couple and can post a pic later.

Please do post that pic.  And you jarred my memory a bit, wasn't that a cab only casting?  If so, what did you use for a frame?

[peteski]

As to font ID, @peteski ... the early '60s "round" logo has me stumped, or, rather, I can't find it in my references. The 'A' is unique, where the left ascender doesn't meet the right ascender at the apex. Also, the 'R' is somewhat specific, with a curved right descender terminated in a flattened serif rather than the hooked foot that usually goes along with a curved descender. I've seen this face before - the 'A' really sticks out for me - but can't recall the name. My mind keeps whispering "Garamond-something?" but of the dozen-plus Garamond variants I can't put my finger on it.

More than likely it's a foundry face, that is, only available (then) in hand-set sorts, so primarily something for small amounts of text as used in headlines or ad copy. Our master font reference was lost in a move umpteen years ago, so I'm momentarily stymied (and no, it's not Stymie, which is a slab-serif typeface  ).

LOL Mike, thanks for your detective work.

If and wen I do make decals, I'm only planning on the '70s style rectangular logo with associated lettering, and the black bar.  I'll do the logos for the tractors, trailers, box trucks, and maybe even vans (since there was a clear examples shown earlier). But some of the smaller lettering on the vans might be at the limit of Alps printing capability.  We'll see.

[sirenwerks]

I worked on a loading dock of one of the largest A stores in the Washington Metropolitan Area in 1973 and again in 1977 and 1978.  I saw more Sears and Sawbucks trucks than anyone on this board.

The trucks in the link provided by provided by StarCruiser are accurate.  The color, of course, would be when new.  Exposure to the elements did take its toll.  The font and rectangular logo are accurate for most of the 1970s.

When you say "Washington Metropolitan Area", do you mean DC or Washington state?  I grew up around DC in the late 60s and early 70s - in Dale City and then moved to Columbia MD after Agnes hit - and definitely remember Sears, but remember Woodie's (Woodward & Lothrop) and Hecht's (The Hecht Co.) more.


As far as the trucks, it seems that, during that time period, Sears fleet was partial to Fords, and IH 1600 or 1800 straight trucks. I noticed an early 60s H cab in one of the pics, but can't tell if it was a tractor or a straight truck, as it was tucked between rigs.

[w neal]

My friend has been working on some in HO. I think he had decals made.

[wazzou]

I noticed an early 60s H cab in one of the pics, but can't tell if it was a tractor or a straight truck, as it was tucked between rigs.

That is a Ford N Series truck.

I did modify my previous post with a pic and description for you.

[brokemoto]

When you say "Washington Metropolitan Area", do you mean DC or Washington state?

.............District of Columbia....................................

I grew up around DC in the late 60s and early 70s - in Dale City and then moved to Columbia MD after Agnes hit - and definitely remember Sears, but remember Woodie's (Woodward & Lothrop) and Hecht's (The Hecht Co.) more.

The original Hecht Company warehouse on New York Avenue still exists, although it has been re-purposed. Originally, Hecht Company was on Seventh St.; Garfinckels was on Fourteenth; Woodward and Lothrop was on Eleventh Street.  In the 1980s, the Hecht Company moved to the current Macy's on Twelfth Street. 

The large Sears and Roebuck stores were on Wisconsin Avenue at Albemarle, just north of Tenally and Alabama Avenue.  In the suburbs, the largest stores were at Landmark (opened in 1965), Arlington (Wilson at Garfield; the Automotive Department was on Fairfax at Edgewood, across from the Grand Union) and in White Oak (Silver Spring) on New Hampshire Avenue at U.S. 29 (Colesville Road).  I worked at the White Oak Store.  There was also a small A store in Seven Corners that had a rotunda.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is not a Sears and Sawbucks any more.  The Landmark recently closed.  The Arlington store is long gone.  The Tenally store has been re-purposed.  Only the White Oak remains.

As far as the trucks, it seems that, during that time period, Sears fleet was partial to Fords, and IH 1600 or 1800 straight trucks. I noticed an early 60s H cab in one of the pics, but can't tell if it was a tractor or a straight truck, as it was tucked between rigs.

We did not see too many pups at White Oak.  We saw the vans, as there were some service employees assigned to White Oak.  We saw tractor trailers.  The only pup that we saw regullarly was the local delivery man.  He was a contractor, so his truck did not have a Sears and Roebuck paint job.  He did have placards in the windows.  Even the interstore transfers from there were loaded onto a trailer that was dropped off every day.  The store got at least one trailer every day, sometimes two.

The pups that I did see were  mostly International Harvesters.

The makes of the tractors seemed to vary.

[pmpexpress]

My friend has been working on some in HO. I think he had decals made.

Wow...

Those are some very nicely done models.

[wazzou]

My friend has been working on some in HO. I think he had decals made.

Beautiful models.  That's the shade of green I recall on those.
It looks like he's a tractor short, 4:3.

[MK]

What a great semi-history of Sears...on a MRR forum!  The wealth of knowledge of everyone here, it's amazing!

I've always had a soft spot for Sears.  The great American merchandiser, the rise, the peak, the fall.  What a story though with a sad ending.