The continuing appeal of catalogues

The promise of a trip down memory lane

Despite the relative ease with which we can buy products online, why do some companies still publish catalogues?

In that polythene sealed envelope that accompanies Sunday newspapers is often a short catalogue typically for household items, clothing, gardening supplies, but best of all - gadgets. It is the gadgets that intrigue me and because you didn't know that they existed you probably wouldn't have searched for them online. That's why the catalogues work. And you judge the price on the basis of does it sound like a good deal, not by going to a comparison site.

One last Sunday was fabulous - a music centre. Described as an 'Exclusive Nostalgic Music Centre with Radio, Plays CDs, Cassettes, Singles, LPs and 78s. ' Fabulous - every music format since the Second World War and all installed in a 'beautifully crafted music centre finished with genuine oak veneer' that looked like it had been designed out of old radio bits about 1941! Promising the experience of'a trip down memory lane' the sales copy expertly makes you want to have one. I  could bring all those old vinyl records in from the garage ...  or not. Maybe I  will stick to the digital music that is on all my Apple kit and actually sounds much better.

How about the opportunity to own a drone complete with HD camera which can be radio controlled to fly in various directions, up, down and hover - all for less than £30. If that was available when I was 10 it would have been fabulous fun! Lots cheaper than the music centre, but then again our children are all long grown up and left home so no excuse to buy one on their behalf and help them fly it.

I particularly used to enjoy the catalogues once found in seat pockets of American airlines a few years ago  which usually included a range of outfits for animals. The tailored suits for dogs were wonderfully amusing and hilarious. Of course it is not just the catalogues that have gone, Ryanair has dispensed with seat pockets as well. But these are only relatively small catalogues, nothing like the huge tomes for mail order clothing that sometimes get delivered by courier and weigh a few pounds. Apart from anything else  because they are so heavy they are difficult to look through. The sheer cost of design, print and delivery must be huge. They do what? Charge you for them!