Vintage Christmas Wish Books and Catalogs Through the Years

There are certain traditions we really look forward to during the holiday season. Lighting up the tree. Leaving cookies out for Santa. And perusing the annual Christmas wish books and catalogs from Sears, JCPenney and others.

You can probably envision your younger self now, pen in hand and circling all the fun stuff that you dream will be waiting for you under the tree on Christmas morning.

Jolly Saint Nick works in mysterious ways and the catalogs from large retailers such as Montgomery Ward and Neiman Marcus have been the perfect Santa’s Little Helpers since the late 1930s. While many of those toys have since become coveted collectibles, the same can be said for the Christmas books themselves.

We’re taking a journey back in time with a look at the festive evolution of holiday books from Sears’ first Christmas Book in 1941 to modern day catalogs such as from the Rainbow Resource Center. See them all on hobbyDB here.

What are some of your favorite memories from scouring Christmas books in your youth (or still today!)? Tell us about it in the comments below.

What do you think about a hobbyDB Christmas Catalog to get you in the holiday mood and to share some of the best deals and values around? We’d love to hear your thoughts!