If you're clicking through the internet today hoping to do a little shopping, you likely have Aaron Montgomery Ward to thank. Ward's catalog was a single sheet offering 163 items. By 1884, the catalog ...

Apparently the holidays are in full swing: Our mailbox is chockablock with a steadily increasing number of catalogs, flyers, and other unwanted detritus every day. There’s really nothing like a wasted ...

In one TV commercial from this year’s Toys R Us holiday campaign, a mom sweats through her cycling workout while her suspiciously helpful daughter tries to stir up a breeze. “I’m just gonna leave this ...

Shopping by mail can be a convenient and effective way to shop, but while some catalogs are desirable and useful, others are just junk sent by direct-mail marketers. Catalogs for products you don’t ...

It’s a sure sign that Christmas is coming. A chill in the air. Bing Crosby music at the mall. And the first blizzard. Not snow, but mail order catalogs — their glossy pages imploring Americans to buy ...

You may think catalogs are only for your grandma so she can complete her holiday shopping, but many retailers will disagree. According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), companies spent $10.4 ...

In the early days of this column, I had a list of several “must have” seed catalogs. They were all snail mail catalogs. These were the ones that took care of Alaska gardeners or had fantastic pictures ...