MAIL-ORDER MIRACLES : MIZ HOT TIPS THUMBS THROUGH SOME OF THIS YEAR'S MOST PROMISING HOLIDAY-SHOPPING CATALOGS.Byline: Barbara De Witt Daily News Fashion Editor You know the holiday shopping season has begun when the catalogs start arriving. From European linens to garden gargoyles gargoyles medieval European church waterspouts; made in form of grotesque creatures. [Architecture: NCE, 1046] See : Ugliness , the range of items available in catalogs has made them the home shopper's dream. More than two-thirds of U.S. residents have let their fingers do the walking sometime this year, said Tina Caprio, spokeswoman for the Direct Marketing Association of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , which represents 3,600 direct marketers and tracks catalog sales. More than 10,000 specialty catalog titles are in print, and 132 million people - largely Generation Xers and baby boomers - have spent $75 billion this year, an increase of $25 billion, she said. What are they buying? Home decorating items and unusual gifts are the best sellers, Caprio said, but toys and electronics remain strong holiday favorites. And one of the hottest tickets, she said, is a kit to make an edible face mask Face mask The simplest way of delivering a high level of oxygen to patients with ARDS or other low-oxygen conditions. Mentioned in: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome from Jello, priced at $12.98 in the Lighter Side catalog (call 813-747-5566 to order). The reason for the growing popularity of catalogs is, obviously, convenience. You can escape the mall's maddening crowd and avoid beating your bunions. There's no embarrassment about putting your reading glasses on in public, no parking hassles and no intimidating salesperson to follow you around and tell you an item doesn't come in your size. And, best of all, there's no parent/child/spouse to hurry you. If you can think of all those fab gifties as being as near as your phone or computer keyboard, arriving at your doorstep packaged in boxes suitable for mailing, here's a sampling of what you'll find: Sears Wish Book This smaller-than-usual catalog features 200 pages of toys, sporting goods and musical instruments divided into categories (like action toys and ride-on toys). Among the gotta-have gifts is the Deluxe Continental Breakfast Silver Service, a way-cool two-decker serving cart with casters, comes complete with a silver-finished tea set, as well as cups, plates and utensils for four, plus napkins and an etiquette book, all for $19.99. Farther along in the catalog, past the ``101 Dalmatians'' slumber tents, priced at $24.99, is My Little Doll House Bed, a toddler's fantasy bed that converts to a bookcase bookcase Piece of furniture fitted with shelves, formerly often enclosed by doors. In early times the ambry, or wall cupboard, was used to hold books. Bookcases were included in the medieval fittings of college libraries in Britain. and bench as the child grows. It's $104.99. Call (800) 775-5555. Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Every year, this company outdoes itself with a grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. fantasy gift, and this year's no different. Ready for Christmas morning delivery is a 1997 silver Jaguar XK8 convertible with all the bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. worthy of a $74,975 set of wheels. This sleek automobile with oatmeal-colored leather interior takes a $5,000 deposit, but hey, you'll get 25,000 NM credit card bonus points. For pampered pam·per tr.v. pam·pered, pam·per·ing, pam·pers 1. To treat with excessive indulgence: pampered their child. 2. pets, there's a well-bred bed in the shape of a neoclassical ne·o·clas·si·cism also Ne·o·clas·si·cism n. A revival of classical aesthetics and forms, especially: a. A revival in literature in the late 17th and 18th centuries, characterized by a regard for the classical ideals of reason, form, mansion painted in pure gold and featuring an interior green velvet cushion and three circular windows and a rear hinged door, all for a mere $9,400. More price-friendly gifts in this luscious catalog include a Russian Santa purse made of acacia wood by Timmy Woods for $195 and a four-piece set of handblown hand·blown also hand-blown adj. Formed or shaped with a hand-held blowpipe: handblown goblets. stemware stem·ware n. Glassware mounted on a stem with a broad base. made with glass confetti, $48. For the men in your life, there's a champagne label-design vest of Italian silk for $225, and a set of brass collar stays in a black leather storage case for $30. To order, call (800) 825-8000. Bloomingdale's Christmas 1996 This store and its catalog are crazy about the city of New York, often focusing on landmarks from yellow taxi cabs to the Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty great symbolic structure in New York harbor. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : America Statue of Liberty perhaps the most famous monument to independence. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : Freedom for gift items. Among the newest designs are a Limoges signed and numbered porcelain replica of Lady Liberty for $99 and a black cotton denim jacket with a sequin-covered taxi for $198. Other hot tickets include a glamorous leopard-print dog bed, $109, and stackable sterling-silver cocktail rings, $50 each. To order, call (800) 777-0000. Macys Catalog Called the ``Indcoividualize'' catalog, this paperback gift guide is packed with fashionable fashions, including leopard-print velour shirts by Lizsport, $98; a double-breasted banker's check pantsuit by Jones New York, jacket is $208 and cuffed trousers are $126; and a swank faux mink scarf for $125. To order, call (800) 746-7148. Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue is a chain of upscale American department stores that is owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (SFAE), a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the elite luxury department store market with Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New Defining Style Holiday 1996 The redesigned catalog features the cover of the new book ``Ship of Dreams'' by Dean Morrissey. It's filled with high-fashion gift-giving ideas, from fur coats to imported cigar humidors. Among the less pricey goodies are a leopard-print fake fur headband by Marina Killery, $85; sterling-silver dog head-and-bone cuff links by Links of London, $125; and carved sterling-handled toothbrushes by John Hards at $350 each. Hammacher Schlemmer Holiday 1996 This is the catalog guys love for all those autographed baseballs and Star Trek toys, but wait, there's more. Among its 100 pages are a singing umbrella that plays ``Singin' in the Rain Singin’ in the Rain downpour doesn’t dampen singer’s spirits. [Pop. Music: Fordin, 355] See : Cheerfulness ,'' priced at $39.95; a portable ``Jeopardy!'' electronic game that has a tiny LCD screen and 30 categories for $29.95; and a replica of a 1950-styled English radio for $299.95 that comes with modern features like a telescopic antenna and headphone See headphones. jack. To order, call (800) 543-3366. Pottery Barn Early Fall Catalog Animal prints are hot in everything this year, including Pottery Barn's cheetah-bound jute rug, priced at $69. More animal prints are available on pillows at $59 each, which go well with the store's wrought-iron furniture, such as the Riviera-inspired bar stools for $149 each. Call (800) 922-9934. Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . Studio Store Fall 1996 Put a funny face on your mantel with Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes clocks at $15 for a single character or $45 for a group of characters handing over the dial. Call (800) 223-6524. Hearth Song Autumn 1996 This is a sweet little catalog with family-friendly gifts that spark your youngster's imagination and creativity. Among the unusual giftcos are an herbal soaps kit that includes dried flowers and herbs and everything you need to make six bars of handmade soaps, $19.95; a crystal-growing kit to make realistic geodes, $19.95; and a child-size lap harp made in Russia, $49.95. Call (800) 325-2502. The Jazz Store Catalog A small catalog aimed at jazz lovers, featuring calendars, videos, CD sets and T-shirts. High-profile gift ideas include the series of videos ``Live at the Village Vanguard,'' a New York jazz mecca since the '30s. Freddie Hubbard, Michel Petrucciani and the Mal Waldron Quartet are among the featured film clips, priced at $19.95 each. Call (800) 558-9513. Talbots Dedicated to traditional womenswear, this retail catalog has the new purple look in pantsuits (silk charmeuse char·meuse n. A satin-finished silk fabric. [French, trade name, from charmeuse, charmer, seductress, from charmer, to charm, from charme, charm shirt, $88; jacket, $180; trousers, $118) and several pages of wowie-red cocktail party dresses for the holidays, priced at $164 and up. While you're checking them out, take a gander Gander, town (1991 pop. 10,339), NE Newfoundland, N.L., Canada. Gander's airport, an important base in World War II, is a hub for international flights; it also attracts many refugees. It was the site of a Dec. at the black velvet swing jacket lined in red satin for $170. Call (800) 825-2687. The Territory Ahead This is a catalog for those city folks who can't make it back to the farm, but wish they could. Colorful, comfy shirts are abundant, but the Red River Canyon shirt featuring a soft cotton twill twill One of the three basic textile weaves (see weaving), distinguished by diagonal lines. In the simplest twill, the weft crosses over two warp yarns, then under one, the sequence being repeated in each succeeding shot (row), but stepped over, one warp either to the with a New Mexico print for $59 is a knockout. Another wild West item is the Physician's Gladstone Bag, a soft natural leather tote with nautical brass to hold medical instruments, clothes or screenplays. It's 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide, priced at $288. To order, call (800) 882-4323. Harley-Davidson Motor Clothes Fans of the classic motorcycle need to have all the right stuff, and this artsy art·sy adj. art·si·er, art·si·est Informal Arty. catalog shot on location is filled with apparel and accessories. Among the must-haves are black leather jeans for her at $190, an antiqued silver-plated wrist watch with the Harley-Davidson logo engraved en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. on the bracelet for $140 and a cowhide cow·hide n. 1. a. The hide of a cow. b. The leather made from this hide. 2. A strong heavy flexible whip, usually made of braided leather. tr.v. mini backpack with the metal winged wheel logo, $85. Call (800) 588-2743. Top 10 catalogs And you thought cothe Sears Wish Book was No. 1? Here are the big guys in catalog shopping, according to 1994 sales figures: JC Penney Dell Computer Gateway 2000 DecDirect Spiegel Fingerhut Lands' End IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) Direct L.L. Bean Micro Warehouse CAPTION(S): Drawing, 12 Photos, Box Drawing: (Cover--Color) LET YOUR FINGERSDO THE SHOPPING Now is the time to start ordering holiday gifts to avoid the last-minute rush. A guide to catalog shopping Photo: (1--3--Color) Catalog gift-giving ideas include gold-tone hat pins-in-a-thimble lapel pin, $48, from Talbots' catalog; a Rivera-inspired bar stool in wrought iron, $149, from the Pottery Barn catalog; and a Looney Tunes battery-operated desk clock, $45, from the Warner Bros. Studio Store catalog. (4--5--Color) Get nostalgic with a furry rocking horse with leather saddle, priced at $299.95 in the Hammacher Schlemmer Holiday catalog, or the colorful clown skittles skittles English ninepin bowling game played with a wooden disk or ball. The pins are set in a diamond formation; the player who knocks down all the pins in the fewest throws wins. Skittles has been played for centuries in public houses and clubs. for toddlers priced at $24.95 in the Hearth Song catalog. (6--7--Color) Make it a fashion-forward gift with this double-breasted banker's check pantsuit by Jones New York (jacket, $208, cuffed trousers, $126) from Macy's fall '96 catalog or a quartet of confetti-colored hand-blown stemware, priced at $48 to $80 in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog. (8--Color) Get her in the holiday spirit with this dainty Russian Santa purse made of acacia wood by Timmy Woods, $195, from the Neiman Marcus 1996 Holiday Planner. (9--10--Color) For the stylish pet, a glamorous leopard-print dog bed, $109 with a bone pillow to match for $25; and for her, a sterling silver cocktail ring, $50 each. All from the Bloomingdale's by Mail catalog. (11) Sterling-handled sensor razor, $350, and toothbrush, $295, are both from the Saks Fifth holiday 1996 catalog. (12) A tower of brightly colored boxes contains more than 4 pounds of assorted candies, including chocolate coins and hard candy, priced at $42 in the Neiman Marcus catalog. Box: Top 10 catalogs (See Text) |
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