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Sears, once the largest retailer in the world, could face liquidation. These photos reveal how its sprawling former headquarters were left to crumble. (SHLD)

Martin Gonzalez on Flickr

  • Sears has been thrown a lifeline, but a possible liquidation still looms. 
  • Sears was once the largest retailer in the world.
  • In its heyday, the company was run from its sprawling headquarters, a 55-acre complex located on the west coast of Chicago. 

In an unexpected twist, Sears has been thrown another lifeline.

On Tuesday, during a bankruptcy hearing, a judge ruled that chairman Edward Lampert would be given a second chance to buy the company. Judge Robert Drain said that Lampert's $4.4 million takeover bid would be assessed against competing parties' bids at an auction on January 14, Business Insider's Hayley Peterson reported.

Sears was once the largest retailer in the world. In its heyday, the company was run from its former sprawling headquarters, a 55-acre complex located on the west coast of Chicago. This was where Sears tested its products and printed the famous catalog. 

In 1974, the company moved to Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), and these buildings were left deserted for 30 years. In that time, Sears went from being on top of the world to becoming one of the most distressed American brands.

Since then, developers have been working on transforming the brand's first home. Keep scrolling to see what it looked like then, and what it's looking like now:

This photo, taken in 1910, shows the original Sears, Roebuck & Co. complex.Library of Congress Prints

Source: Library of Congress



Sears started off as a mail-order catalog company selling watches and jewelry in 1888. It became the largest catalog company in the United States after expanding its assortment.Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

At the time, Sears was America's largest mail-order catalog company ...Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

... and it ran its entire operation from this complex.Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

When Sears moved locations in 1974, these buildings were abandoned for the next 30 years.Martin Gonzalez/Flickr

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Sears, once the largest retailer in the world, could be forced to liquidate. Here's how it got there.

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