sears

Finally, the massive space that was once a Sears Department Store in a local mall will become a kids' adventure park.

Go back in time and flip through the 1980s Sears Holiday Wish Book pages. Remember circling those special gifts that you hoped you were good enough all year so that Santa would bring them to you?

After six years vacant, we know that the old Sears in Colonie Center will be replaced by Floor & Decor. We now know the date of the grand opening and the amazing prizes they are giving away including a chance to win a million!

It seems that the malls in the area and across the country are changing into entertainment complexes. When Sears moved out of Colonie Center back in 2017, it appeared that nothing would ever take that space. Now a store is moving in and it has nothing to do with entertainment.

There was a Sears department store in every mall throughout New York state when we were growing up. Around Christmas time, our parents would always take out the Sears Holiday Wish Book catalog and tell us to circle what we wanted Santa to bring us. Here is a catalog from the 1980s for you to flip through and take a trip down memory lane!

You might be surprised!

If you're willing to take a road trip, you can still shop some of the Capital Region's retro retail stores.

Check out this Sears catalog that I got my hands on. It is actually the 1980 Sears Holiday Wish Book. It is nearly 500 pages of all of the things that you wanted to circle in the book so Santa knew what you wanted for Christmas. I picked out a bunch of electronics, retro toys, hand-held games, roller skates, big wheels, clothes, even a 1980s version of the electronic spin bike. Enjoy!