Mental Floss

Peek Inside Sears's 1990 Holiday Wish Book

By Jennifer M Wood

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY
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Electronics were huge (literally) and acid wash was all the rage in 1990.

In 1933, Sears released its first ever Wish Book—a vast catalog highlighting the store's best-selling items that served as a sort of cheat sheet for what to buy everyone on your holiday gift list. By the time 1990 rolled around, the catalog was even bigger—a whopping 728 pages—and filled with the kind of then-popular, now-comical products that only the 1990s could have produced. Take a trip down retro memory lane with this photo peek inside the 1990 Wish Book.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Don't mess with a kid in a RoboCop sweatsuit.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

At $1419, this IBM computerwasa bargain.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Nothing says "relaxation" like a bright red cotton union suit.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

So. Many. Walkmans.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

The higher the waistline, the hotter the jean style.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

No holiday celebration was complete without a selection of Hickory Farms cheese and cured meats.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

The biggest problem with today's flat-screen TV trend? There's no space on top of the television for family pictures. (Fortunately, there's still plenty of space for a rocking chair full of creepy dolls.)

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

For the Best Dressed Family on Earth, only a Best Dressed sweatshirt collection will do.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Calling all NKOTB fans.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Jane Fonda had a lot of competition on the celebrity fitness video scene.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Camo and acid wash and overalls, oh my!

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

A corded phone may be cumbersome, but try finding a Garfield-shaped smartphone.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Who needs Barbie or G.I. Joe when you can have a Beetlejuice action figure?

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Wood-paneled microwaves were clearly a thing.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

The NES Classic may be this holiday season's most hard-to-get item. Back in 1990, it was the Game Boy that everyone wanted.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Nintendo was hardly the only video game system on the market. Sega was a serious competitor.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Yes, Atari was still a player in the video game world, too—and the best option for bargain shoppers.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

What to get the woman who has everything? A Simpsons nightshirt, obviously.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

While Monopoly has managed to hang around, longevity wasn't in the cards for The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High board games.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Let's get physical.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

Pint-sized potters—and fans of Ghost—must have loved this pottery-making set.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

For the outdoor adventurer who doesn't mind ill-fitting ski wear...

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

A monogrammed towel: the perfect gift for anyone who wants to reenact the "Zestfully clean" commercial.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SEARS WISH BOOK 1990 VIA EBAY

If Don Draper grew up in the 1990s...

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