Picked this up at a thrift store a while back. 1949 Firestone catalog from a former service station here in Ellensburg Wash. The Camoxxy Williams Garage, in business at this location from 1929.
260 bucks for a TV back then! thats crazy! The shot gun for 19 bucks is a much better deal. I'd also like to sign up on the tire plan at 75 cents a week
Maybe, there were refrigerators, bicycles, tools etc.; everything you’d want for Christmas. I framed it this afternoon, so unfortunately too late to check . [/QUOTE]
I remember the Firestone store in the small town that I grew up in during the late 50's. My family always bought a Christmas music LP record from there every year. Always enjoyed looking around in the store!
I worked part time and summers at a Goodyear Store in Dallas in the 60's while in high school and early college. They sold TV's, refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers, small appliances, bicycles, toys, tools, auto accessories, batteries, wheel alignment, auto repairs up to replacing engines, and of course, tires. My first time working there, I was 14 and assembled over 200 bicycles for Christmas sales. Made a whopping $1.25 an hour. Learned a lot at that job.
I have an under dash radio that is "branded" Firestone made in 1949 in my '46 International pick up. I would have been nice to find out what it sold for back then, but I see it is already framed. Cool
Hello, Nice find of that classic catalog. In 1949, our dad had bought a new 1949 Buick Roadmaster sedan. He drove to Los Angeles daily for his job. His mileage was piling up fast. So, by the time he was racking up the miles, he was a cautious driver. He took our family on weekend vacations not just for us, but to give him something other than daily work. We were lucky and went with him on his weekend jaunts. He liked to drive to Baja Mexico, although our mom did not. She always got told to get out of the car and go into the immigration building because her pronunciation of where she was born, Santa Monica and grew up San Pedro/Long Beach was not as clear as day. So, the officers thought she was a person trying to sneak into the USA via the border crossing. Ha! Jnaki Our dad knew all of the places to shop in Long Beach and he knew we always wanted to go to a toy store specifically in downtown Long Beach called: “Toy Town.” But to appease us and allow our mom to shop while he got some stuff for his hobbies, we drove to a Firestone Store near our old high school. No department stores sold the stuff the Firestone Stores had, other than Sears. Some reason or other, our dad did not like going to Sears. So, the large Firestone Store was good for a change of tires for his Buick sedans and while waiting for the service, including balancing/alignment. It was difficult to keep the two young boys in line. So, since the large store had just about everything anyone would want to buy at several different stores all in one place, the family was kept busy until the tires were ready. Toys, bicycles, and little pump pedal cars kept the two brothers busy. Our mom always wandered over to the kitchen area and looked at the radio/record player/tv models. Later on, when we finally moved to a larger, but still a small home, (our last Long Beach house) she was responsible in getting a console with a radio/record player and turntable, all in one, to listen to her music varieties. So, those early days filled our brains with different toys, bikes and what else was for kids. Our mom was planning out her house furniture and music venues. That Firestone Store was the early version of an all in one store that was not a department store. Although, they were in direct competition with places like Sears. YRMV Note: Later on, our hot rod sedans, if new, came with Firestone Tires as stock items and usually, when it was time for a new set, we all headed back to the original downtown store. The only time we did not was when a custom tire/wheel balance/alignment shop near all of the hot rod parts and services row in Bixby Knolls, offered the same tires, but threw in the extras for free.
My first job was at a Western Auto; we sold everything under the sun and had a two bay service center!
Very cool stuff! I honestly had no idea Firestone was into that much variety. Too bad now. Every time I see the Firestone brand, I can't help but remember how the new Japanese owners managed to f@#k up a 100-year-old contract with Ford. It also reminds me that Ford supported its customers regardless of the cost to them. I've never set foot in a Firestone store since. That was '97 or 98, I believe. Sorry for the rant and diversion from the original intent of the post.
I have one of those ice scrapers from the back cover, hanging up in my garage, part of a collection. I wouldn't have guessed 1949. I think TV sets were pretty rare at that point.
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