FIGHT BACK : THE JOYS OF SHOPPING FROM MAIL-ORDER CATALOGS.

Byline: David Horowitz 

I have to admit, I like mail-order catalogs. They're full of all kinds of neat things I probably would never notice just walking through a store or shopping mall. They're convenient, they never interrupt me when I'm busy, and best of all, they're free.

I'm never intimidated by threats that if I don't buy something soon, I'll be stricken from their mailing list. So what? If the company sells stuff I like, I'll probably buy something, and I'll get every new catalog that company sends out. If not, there will always be someone else's catalog in my mailbox.

The mail-order business itself has changed a lot since the days when every home had the Sears & Roebuck ``wish book.'' Those huge, comprehensive catalogs are long out of date. Today's mail-order houses are specialty retailers - clothing, sporting goods, gourmet foods, computers and electronic equipment - thousands of different catalogs, all aimed at narrowly targeted consumer groups.

An interesting new twist in mail marketing is the appearance of the ``romance'' catalog. J. Peterman Co. and the Territory Ahead now feature romantic and adventurous scenarios along with pictures of their apparel. Each garment has a story to go with it, something to engage the customer's imagination and give the merchandise an emotional appeal.

Clothing in the Peterman catalog is painted, rather than photographed. The Territory Ahead uses no models. It's clothing is photographed in spectacular and exotic settings around the world. The stories that accompany the photographs may be about the location, the people who live or travel there, or something entirely creative.

Some retailers are also going beyond ``upscale'' to the upper reaches of fantasy. This used to be Neiman Marcus' exclusive domain - the Christmas catalog containing outrageous (and outrageously expensive) gifts like boats, unique jewelry, solid gold golf tees and gold dog houses with chandeliers. Now, some competitors are poaching on Neiman's turf.

Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday catalog this year features two classic Mercedes Benz roadsters, which will be auctioned to the highest bidder. Marshall Field's is offering such fluffs as Scotty Pippen sunglasses, 101 Dalmatians (including a live one) and a 450-pound chocolate Santa Claus. Field's is also opening Hanukkah and Kwanzaa shops in selected stores. Those items will probably find their way into future Field's catalogs.

The Japanese are just discovering the wonders of shopping from American catalogs. While many conventional retailers have tried and failed to penetrate the Japanese marketplace, large mail-order houses like L.L. Bean, Land's End, Patagonia and Eddie Bauer are doing a huge business. What young middle- and upper-class Japanese consumers look for in these catalogs is what they often can't find locally - high-quality goods at reasonable prices.

Analysts say American catalog sales fill a sizable gap between the high-priced goods, especially clothing, sold in local department stores and the junky hodgepodge of merchandise offered in most Japanese catalogs. Even with import duties, shipping and handling added on, American mail-order goods have that midrange almost to themselves.

TV shopping networks and marketing on the Internet may be growing, but mail-order catalogs are still consumers' favorite home shopping experience - in America and Japan.