 
"Discoverer" Model 6345, 90 mm (f15.6, 1400 mm focal
length) Equatorial Refractor Telescope
in the Sears, Roebuck 1970 Fall Winter Catalog.
Before the Sears, Roebuck and Co. was cursed with boneheaded executives in
the 1990s, it was undeniably America's premier retailer, and just about
everything available to the consumer market could be found in their bi-annual
catalogs. A Sears catalog was found in nearly every American home. In the very
early days you could buy a house from them in kit form, farm implements, tombstones,
windmills, and even cars (the Sears
Motor Car, aka Motor Buggy). Here
is the entire
1912 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog; take a look at the
index!
Beginning in the mid 1960s, Sears catalogs contained some pretty nice
equatorial mount, refractor telescopes. The f15, 60 mm
(2.3")
"Discoverer"
Model 6305 appeared in the 1967 catalog for $99.98, which in 2019 money
is the equivalent of $763.49 (per the
BLS CPI calculator). Then, in 1970 this
f15.5, 90 mm (3.5") Model 6345 was offered for $499.95, or the equivalent
of $3,401.88 (per the
CPI calculator). Yow, I'm guessing
not many of those were sold, especially as evidenced by the lack of available
6345 models that show up on astronomy forums and on eBay. Although not mentioned
in the description, there appears to be a motor drive on the right ascension
axis. Five oculars (0.975" ?) are included along with a special rotatable prism
that holds all five - pretty convenient if it works well. Otherwise, it has the
same set of accessories, but no mention of the really nice mahogany wood case
earlier telescopes shipped in.
BTW, a good quality
90 mm equatorial mount refractor telescope can be purchased
today for about $300.
If you happen to have a Sears Model 6345 telescopes and are willing to part
with it for a reasonable price, please let me know.
Posted December 17, 2019
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