One day last year I realized that I was receiving catalogs faster than I could recycle them. Cabela’s, Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, Land’s End and others seemed to know when their catalogs were no longer on the mail pile at home.
I decided to keep every catalog received from the first one with a Christmas cover in 2010 to the first received this year, in late September. Thank you, Frontgate, for saved me from accumulating any more. I still can’t afford the artificial Christmas tree that would look perfect in my living room. How I got on other lists, I’ll probably never know.
I’ll admit to being a catalog shopper for much of my clothing. Most stores don’t carry pants with long enough inseams or blouses with long enough sleeves. They also have been a convenient way to send gifts to people out of state. However, I’m too short for many items in Long Tall Sally.
Who is Norm Thomson? Does anyone wear what is found in Woman Within? There’s also Winter Silks, Fossil and Soft Surroundings. Garnet Hill and other clothiers competing for dollars.
Red Envelope, Fresh Finds, Brookstone, Sharper Image, Fresh Finds, Expressions, Acorn, Signals, Duluth Trading Co., Wind & Weather and the Vermont Country Store, Herrington, Potpourri and What on Earth have gift items so unique and clever that I don’t know how I could have resisted them.
Which catalog has the most calories, I wonder: Harry & David, Wolferman’s, Cheryl’s cookies and brownies, Mrs. Prindable’s, Hickory Farms, Uncommon Goods, Mrs. Beasley’s, Fairytale Brownies, and one devoted to everything pecan.
After looking at those delights, Athleta reminds me to sprint over to their place in San Francisco, and there’s always Spanx if I ignore Athleta’s invitation.
Now that I have a grandson, it may be time to pay attention to HearthSong,Young Explorers, Constructive Playthings and Fat Brain Toys.
There are catalogs to support social causes: National Wildlife, World Vision and Heifer International.
In the what-were-they-thinking category are SherrillTree (tree gear for tree people), Consolidated Plastics and ULINE shipping and industrial supplies. And then there’s the catalog for outfitting my Corvette — but I don’t have one.
I could have saved a lot of time by just keeping Collections Etc., Catalog Favorites and Catalog Classics, which edit down popular items into one handy magazine.
The 61-1/2 inch stack of catalogs has fallen over twice as I attempted to measure the height, scaring the cats into hiding.
Now it’s time to recycle the stack and try to get off their mailing lists. Maybe a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation would be in order, too.
Top Four Catalogs
46 Land’s End
42 Cabela’s
27 Coldwater Creek
24 Eddie Bauer
Heaviest Catalog
Cabela’s 2010 Limited Fall Edition
1320 pages
4 pounds 3.7 ounces
How to Get Off Catalog Mailing Lists
www.catalogchoice.org
www.dmachoice.org/
