Any kits out there? Anyone scratchbuild models of Sears mail-order "kit" homes

A craftsman style house. I love the look of them. I see them on House Hunters all the time.

Bachmann did two 'Sears' homes in plastic HO scale kits. As far as any in O scale....none ever advertised as a 'Sears' house. 

My layout will be populated by 'company house' types.

But if I find a need for a nicer home I my scale up the Alpine Division HO scale 'doctors house' which is very Sears like.

Photo from Alpine Div Models

     Lee I grew up in A house from Sears and the house next to and behind us were also from Sears. I had started O gauge house out of balsa wood of our house the roof was the only thing that was not finished. We were moving from Turtle Creek to Monroeville and my nephew stoped by to see if I needed help. I told him no that the load I had was it for the night. He saw the model house I built sitting on the roof of the truck and asked if he could take it out because he was going to visit gram and pap for A while. I told him OK but to be careful with it (famous last words). I was unloading stuff at the new house when he puled up. He told me he had stoped to get some smokes at the 8-12 and A friend of his jumped in the passenger seat to talk with him. Well that is where the model house was sitting (SMASH). The kid jumped back out and ran off so my nephew is handing me A bunch of fire starter wood that used to be the model house. I have not built anything from scratch since then. Choo Choo Kenny 

I live in one in Gettysburg.

Built 1911.

A really nice home and very well built.

I would live a model of it.

Lee, if you're interested in Sears homes, I recommend "Houses by Mail" by K.V. Stevenson and H.W. Jandl.  Illustrations and floor plans on every one of the more than 300 pages. (It's published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation).

Amazon has it new for $25.84 and used (good condition) for $10.35.  I've used it to identify several Sears homes in my small Midwestern town.

   Sears was not the only firm that offered kit built houses...and they were available nationwide from a firm called Jim Walters Homes until they quit in 2009.  Others may still do so.  

In December, 1984 and January, 1985, Railroad Model Craftsman published a 2 part, very detailed article on building a "four square" Sears home, with lots of plans, pictures, etc.  Grandtline even produced (in HO and O) some of the specialized windows needed for an accurate model and they are still available.

   Bachman also offered a plastic ready-built HO model of it.  It may still be available. 

Thanks everyone.  Logan, I ordered that book and the Houses that Sears Built, by Rosemary Thorton, which looked more story/text than plans, etc., and had stellar reviews.  I'm going to pick up and make tha vignette.  Too neat not to.

Great thread! I was able to find a repro 1926 catalog of Sears houses in our library system. I'm looking forward to getting it.

I THINK I have seen an O scale kit for a Sears house from an obscure kitbuilder once

offered on eBay....but remember little about it except that I think it was a small

bungalow with a porch.

Lee,

Great topic. I love the Sears Houses and we have in my neighborhood.

I am trying to figure out how to build some. I, like you, tried to find

an O scale houses and had no luck.

I use the Sears archive to view the houses and floor plans. 

http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm

Tom

Good timing

I have been looking around Merced, Ca. to locate one of these houses I could measure, draw to scale and eventually produce a line of kits.

I stopped at one place last summer. They seemed enthusiastic, but never called me as promised.

Going on other peoples' property these days taking pictures and drawings can get a little dicey. 

I put a post up here if I'm ever successful.

Two years after getting married we scraped together a down payment and bought a 39 year old Sears cape cod that the original owner had constructed by a local builder. It was a very simple home, a classic cape cod design with a door and a window on each side in the front.

It was 1200 square feet and a porch and dormer (extra bedroom) had been added upstairs. It was a very solid house and served us well for 8 years until a growing family made moving to a larger home (1,600 sq. ft.!) a necessity.

There were many happy memories there and it was in that home that I dug out my old trains and got back into the hobby.

Another neat idea Lee....I know you will do it first class!

Alan

Ironic, too, isn't it, guys?  Sears was a big part of my childhood.  It and J C Pennies were the "big" stores we went to when Western Auto, Woolworths, and Kresses, etc., or the independent shops downtown, didn't have what we wanted.  I must have owned four of five Craftsman lawnmowers, and still have hundreds of their tools, and gobs of their appliances, over the years.  

But now, Sears is in so much financial trouble.  ((( I promise not to start in about what I think of analytical financial wonks who take over companies and try to solve their problems with "financial engineering" solutions, but the results sort of speqk for themselves, don't they! ).  The Sears nearest me - only one within miles and miles - is closing and having super sales over these holidays.  I guess it says something about their situation that I have not even stopped in to see.    

There is an amazing similarity to the story or "the rise and fall" of Sears and Amazon: Amazon is the Sears of the 21st century, and in large measure responsible for creating the situation that Sears - and Barnes and Noble, and others - can't deal with effectively.  

But I just checked this morning to make sure: you still can't buy houses on Amazon.

But you can buy Mopeds and motor scooters (my wife's younger brother had one way back when, a Vespa of sorts).  I was surprised.  Probably only a matter of time until Amazon sells houses, too.

I even bought three food items from Amazon that I could not find in our local stores.

Yeah, we buy a low-sugar Lemonade my wife likes that the local groceries stopped carrying, and some rice that is hard to get from them.  I figure in a few years I can get rid of the car 'cause I won't ever need to go shopping - just order it from Amazon!

To Lee and all,

I found this neat Honor Built home manual from 1930

even includes the railroad shipping page ( page 4).

How To Build Your Ready Cut Honor Built Home

https://archive.org/details/HonorBiltBuildingMaterials

Lot's information here for the scratch builder. I am

not at that level yet. But if some of the other readers

produce kits I would be interested. Maybe a topic for

Woodland Scenics?

I was searching for exterior measurements, specifically 

foundation heights when I came across this document.

Tom

Hi Tom

Having trouble getting that link to open. Thanks!

ALAN

Sorry,

This  Sears Book link will work better!

https://archive.org/details/Ho...iltBuildingMaterials

Tom