European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Americans is amps Jim Derti Eim shopping by Catalon at Home is less stressful than enduring crowds and lines at local stores. A random sampling of offbeat Catalon a including Telephone numbers in the United states a culled from the Catalon handbook Winter 1993 edition published by Enterprise magazines inc. Of Milwaukee. E Appl source Chapin iii., 217 245-7509. 00 varieties of apples. E Bandit Power St. Louis to. 314 9614612. Antique Slot machines. A carnivorous plants Greenville . 919 758-2600. Venus Flytrap and other carnivorous plants. A Hank Lee s magic factory Medford mass. 617 482-8749. Props for magicians. A non lethal personal Protection Sel defense products Vwashington 202 265-6035. Mace Pepper sprays stun devices. A pet furniture by Abeta Greensboro . 919 288-5391. Solid Wood pet furniture for cats. A status for Sale Salvisa by. 800 257-8288. Noble titles backstage passes credentials. A surplus Center Lincoln neb. 402 4744055. Motors air compressors and hydraulics. A the associated press 16 tin stars Ano strips sold on by Vivian Marino the associated press after a Long Day film reviewer Judith Crist admits to indulging in a secret passion she curls up with a favorite beverage kicks off her shoes and polls out some plastic for a night of Catalon shopping. That s How she discovered her 18-foot Feather duster that Quot fab Losa Almond Toffee arid most of the additions to her wardrobe among other things. Quot i Don t like going into stores and trying on things. So i buy even my shoes from Cata logs a said Crist an admitted Catalon Junkie. Quot i be been screening them with an Eye toward  Crist s shop at Home preference is shared by an increasing number of american Consumers. In recent weeks most have found their mailboxes crammed with Holiday Cata logs hawking everything from miniature tvs to portable clambakes. While some consider Cata logs to be glorified junk mail others see the sleek publications with their High Quality photographs and Folksy rhetoric As an important source for convenient shopping albeit usually at a Premium Price. Last year More than half the adult population ordered $51.5 billion Worth of merchandise from the 13.5 billion Cata logs mailed out a about a 75 percent increase Over a decade ago says the direct marketing association. The Trade group expects sales to grow steadily through the 90s As More retailers successfully Branch into specially Cata logs and Busy two income households abandon the old shop til you drop motto. Quot people done to have the time to run out to the shopping malls on their weekends. They May have disposable income but they re time poor a said Deborah Warner a spokeswoman for Hammacher Schlemmer a purveyor of upscale gizmos and gadgets. Quot that s Why they shop by catalog.�?�. A few tips for Catalon shoppers a read the Fine print. Make note of inventory numbers sizes or colors of what you re ordering As Well As a company s return and guarantee policies. Keep the Catalon Handy along with the name of the order taker. A never Send Cash. Pay by Check or credit card when. Ordering by mail so there s a receipt in Case you Don t receive the merchandise. A order Early. To ensure timely delivery and availability place your Holiday order before thanksgiving. A stick with reputable companies. If you re unsure make Only modest purchases to Start or Check with the better business Bureau. A know your rights. Federal Law requires delivery of merchandise within 30 Days unless the seller states otherwise. If the seller cannot meet this deadline you must be offered a specified Date or prompt refund. A the associated press Hammacher Schlemmer derives about 85 percent of its business from Catalon orders and boasts the longest continually published Catalon in the nation. Its recently mailed Holiday Book includes $199.95 notebook sized fax machine and a babe Ruth autographed baseball for $4,990. The assortment of unusual or hard to find merchandise offered in Many Cata logs a even the environmental group Greenpeace has one out now a has always been a draw for Consumers. But the proliferation of toll free 24-hour Telephone service for credit eard users along with faxing options and overnight deliveries has helped the Catalon Industry s growth explode in recent years. Fierce Competition which contributed to the recent demise of the Granddaddy Sears Catalon has also led to improved service. Got a hankering for fishing gear at 3 a.m.? no problem. Don t know what to do about your mom s birthday two Days away no problem there either. Quot the one thing we really strive for is customer service Quot said Michele Casper a spokeswoman for lands. End inc., where the average order is Between $60 and $80, arid round the clock sales representatives constitute nearly 20 percent of the work Force. Casper said lands end patrons Are Quot willing to spend the Money to have an item that will last. They be become More value and Quality-conscious.�?�. While lands end and other established Catalon houses have received High Marks for service and Quality not All direct mail retailers Are alike. Quot the Catalon business Falls into two groups one is the very High Quality company and the other is the one that Sells essentially schlock a said David Klein co author of getting unscrewed a consumer Book. The Quot sch lockers a he said May Lack guarantee policies leave out dimensions in their Catalon descriptions or airbrush photographs of merchandise. Quot it looks Beautiful in the photograph but when you get it it s a miniature piece of junk Quot Klein said. Quot you also have to be careful about the line not found in stores mail order facts facts about the Catalon Industry from the direct marketing association Trade group a about 10,000 companies Send out Cata logs annually. A Catalon sales reached $51.5 billion in 1992 they re expected to exceed $66 billion by 1996. A about 1.18 million people Are employed in the Catalon Industry. A the average american household receives two Cata logs a week. A the most frequently ordered Catalon items Are clothing Home furnishings and toys and games a to remove your name from mailing lists Contact the direct marketing association s mail preference service . Box 9008, Farmingdale . 11735. A the associated press because there a probably a reason Why they re not sold in  said the biggest offenders purvey goods on late night to. A  Quot sure their knives and clippers can Cut through a Penny a once. But that s the end of that Clipper Quot said Kieth who is also a consumer representative at Washington state s office of the attorney general. On the other end of the scale some consumer groups say is Catalon merchandise from museum shops which offer exceptional value because curators often work. Closely with artisans. A. Klein and others urge Consumers to buy from. Companies with a proven track record otherwise they should keep their initial orders at a minimum. That s what movie reviewer Crist does. Although she gets enough Cata logs to fill a Barre sized recycling bin every three weeks the new York resident says she limits purchases to a proven Circle of retailers. Nonetheless that does t Stop other Catalon purveyors from trying to win her Over. Quot i seem to be on everyone s list. And they keep sending me Cata logs. Even the ones that say this is the last Catalon you will get getting a requested Cata logs in t uncommon these rays particularly for those with zip codes in affluent areas. Catalon companies routinely Exchange mailing lists with competitors and keep a computerized ache of information that includes individuals dem graphical backgrounds and spending habits said Dick Hodgson who Heads the consulting firm Sargeant House and helped Start the ivc Cable to shopping network. Quot we re the Only country in the world that does that a. He said. A. Hodgson who teaches retailers worldwide about the Fine Art of cataloguing does t believe Catalon shopping will surpass More traditional methods. Quot you have to be willing to buy sight unseen. There Are still going to be that High percentage of people who like to touch and feel Quot he said. A amps Jim cd tip a saturday november 20,1993 Thi stars Ano strips 17