Why I’m Longing for an 80s Christmas and the Magic of the Sears Wish Book
If I could have one Christmas wish granted this holiday season, it would be to experience a true late 80s – early 90s Christmas again, complete with those thick, glossy, treasure-filled books that were the ultimate source of my holiday dreams: the Sears Wish Book and JCPenney Christmas catalog. Do you remember them? Those magical, massive Wish Book that arrived in the mail each year and set our imaginations on fire?
The arrival of the Sears or JCPenney Christmas catalog wasn’t just another day on the calendar; it was a momentous occasion, a highlight of the holiday season. Dare I say, in our home, that book was treated with more reverence than the family Bible. My sister and I would literally fight over it, wide-eyed and brimming with hope that the hair pulling and slapping would lead us to Christmas catalog victory!
The Arrival of Christmas Magic
The anticipation was palpable. Every year, we waited for that glorious day when the mailman would deliver the Sears Wish Book Christmas. It was the 1980s version of an Amazon delivery—except this package didn’t just arrive; it brought with it a wave of joy, excitement, and dreams.
Once that catalog was in hand, nothing else mattered. The first flip of the glossy cover was like stepping into a world of holiday magic. I can still remember the weight of it, how it felt heavy with the promise of endless possibilities. I’d sit down with the catalog, pen in hand, ready to circle my greatest holiday wishes.
Each page felt like a new adventure. It was a slow, deliberate journey through a wonderland of toys, games, and gadgets. There was no rushing through it. No way. Every item deserved to be admired, considered, and dreamed about. The simple act of flipping through that catalog was a joy in itself, an event that I can only describe as pure magic.
The Art of Wishful Circling
I have vivid memories of how serious the job of catalog browsing was. This wasn’t just casual window shopping; this was strategic. I would grab the most important tool of the holiday season: a trusty red pen. There was something so thrilling about circling the toys and gifts I longed for, as if drawing that hopeful circle around each item made it more likely to appear under the Christmas tree.
My lists were always ambitious, filled with wishes that reached the stars. A Care Bear here, a Barbie Dreamhouse there, and, of course, a Nintendo Entertainment System that seemed too good to be true. I circled with abandon, marking my top choices, then adding my name next to the most important ones—just in case my parents needed a reminder of who the hopeful recipient was.
A Treasure Trove of Toys
The toy section, of course, was the main event. From the moment I turned to those pages, I felt like Charlie stepping into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. There were Rainbow Brite dolls with their vivid colors and My Little Pony figures that promised adventures. Every toy felt like a masterpiece, every game a ticket to hours of laughter and fun.
I remember the excitement of seeing the Barbie section, with every accessory imaginable to build the ultimate Barbie empire. There was always a new playset, a dream car, or a sparkly ball gown that Barbie simply needed to have. And let’s not forget the games: Girl Talk, Dream Phone, and Mall Madness, each one bringing a wave of nostalgia even now. The possibilities were endless, and we wanted them all.
Christmas Dreams Beyond Toys
The Sears and JCPenney holiday catalogs weren’t just about toys, though. They were a full holiday experience. As I moved through the pages, I dreamed about family game nights, new outfits for Christmas morning, and even the furniture section, which promised that Santa could bring an entire room makeover if he really wanted to.
There were clothes that seemed too fancy to be real, warm holiday pajamas perfect for unwrapping presents, and themed bedding that made our rooms feel festive. Even the kitchen section, with shiny new gadgets and colorful mixing bowls, caught my eye as I imagined helping my mom bake cookies. It was like a world of possibilities wrapped up in a book.
The Joy of Hopeful Anticipation
What those catalogs really captured, more than anything else, was the joy of anticipation. The thrill of possibility. The magic of dreaming big. The holiday season in the 1980s wasn’t about instant gratification; it was about waiting, hoping, and believing in something bigger. The Sears Wish Book and JCPenney Christmas catalog made that feeling tangible, putting our dreams on paper and giving us weeks of excitement as we imagined the wonder of Christmas morning.
It wasn’t just about the stuff. It was about the joy of being a kid, the magic of believing in Santa Claus, and the feeling that anything could happen. Those pages held dreams, and even if we didn’t get everything on our wish lists, it didn’t matter. The joy was in the dreaming, in the shared moments with our family, and in the simple act of believing in the magic of Christmas.
Wishing for That Christmas Magic Again
I can’t help but wish that my kids could experience a Christmas catalog the way I did. Sure, we have online wish lists and endless options at our fingertips, but it’s not the same. There’s something so special about the tactile experience of flipping through page after page of dreams, of circling your heart’s desires, and of feeling the excitement build as Christmas draws near.
So, here’s to the magic of the Sear Wish Book and JCPenney Christmas catalog, to the joy they brought into our homes, and to the memories that still make us smile. If I could have one Christmas wish this year, it would be to sit down with a 1980s Wish Book, a red pen in hand, and let my imagination run wild—just one more time.
