Fascinating ‘Chicago Stories’ docs spotlight Sears and other parts of city’s past

Crowds gather for the grand opening of a Sears store on State Street in 1932. The retailer’s competition with Montgomery Ward is the subject of “The Rise and Fall of the Mail Order Giants,” a documentary in the “Chicago Stories” series. (Sears Roebuck and Co.)

It’s an incredible thing when you pause to consider it. From the comfort of your home, you can browse through hundreds upon hundreds of items, make your selections — and presto, those items would be delivered to your door in rapid fashion.

We’re not talking about Amazon in 2023; we’re talking about the Sears catalog of a century ago, aka “The Cheapest Supply House on Earth,” aka “The Book of Bargains,” offering everything from watches to toys to wedding rings to appliances to clothes to cars to ready-to-build house kits, which would arrive in literally thousands of pre-cut and numbered parts, ready for assembly.