Catalog season

It’s catalog season. My mailbox is spilling over with them. Gifts, clothing, specialty tools, fruit – you name it, it’s still being sold by mail, even given internet successes. I love getting catalogs. I used to pour over Lillian Vernon when that mail order business first started back in the 60s. I love to get Harry and David catalogs – just for the beautiful and abundant displays. Levenger has wonderful stuff and Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are worth their weight in entertainment value. But in this season – Catalog Season – there are also the specialty things that you’ve never-heard-of-but-possibly-can’t-live-without to look at. Ah, bliss!

I don’t actually buy much of anything though. That isn't really the point. Not MY point, at least.

Todd grew up in Alaska without the benefit of Toys R Us or any of the big chain stores with isles and isles of toys and games. So catalogs were our connection to the Christmas possibilities. Every year when the JC Penney and Sears Christmas Catalogs arrived we’d settle down for long hours of looking and developing a list of ‘potentials.’ Since all his friends did the same thing, there were intense discussions among them about what the hottest toy might be. For several years radio-controlled cars were the coveted item – and hard to find. Or the big Lego sets (many of which are still in boxes in my basement, but we’ve talked about that before…)

When I was little we’d use catalogs to cut out clothes to dress paper dolls. And I guess the thin paper is still coveted for use in the outhouse at Penns’ Store here in Kentucky.

Catalog season! I’m so excited.