I thought maybe he was pulling your leg at first but I do see some mention of it in this discussion....
http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.f...t&q=sears+robot&rnum=1&hl=en#062b30a94deb923b
Some of the comments...
"Ah, memories: toddling along with Grandpa to pick up a few cans of
tobacco for his roll-yer-owns and being grievously disappointed at the
absence of the Sears Robot."
"I'd take a guess that the Gun Control Act of 1968 did a lot to usher
guns out of hardware and department stores in general. Besides the
abovementioned factors, that was the occasion of a major tightening of
gun laws in the US, with mail-order sales pretty much halted and the
duties and requirements for being a storefront gun dealer increased."
"My father has a gun from Sears which I think is signed by JC Higgins.
Any information is appreciated."
"While I can't tell you whether J.C. Higgins was a real person or no, I can tell
you that it was the name Sears' proprietary sporting goods line. As a child I
received my first bike at age 5, catcher's mitt at 6, and my first rifle at age
10, all from Sears and bearing the J.C. Higgins signature. I still have the
mitt and .22, but the bike is long gone. I believe the mitt was actually
manufactured by Rawlings and the rifle was made by Marlin."
