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-   -   How did Estes distribute catalogs in the early days? (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=3156)

yousah 04-14-2008 03:06 PM

How did Estes distribute catalogs in the early days?
 
I was initially into rocketry during the 1970's. I recall getting a new catalog whenever I placed an order. But did they otherwise just mail out the newest catalog to customers each year?

I placed my share of orders with them but also bought directly from hobby shops. I don't recall if I ever got new catalogs in the mail every year??

It's certainly not like today where they can be picked up at Hobby Lobby. Just wondering because there are some neat older catalogs and I was wondering how well they were distributed in their day.

Pat

Initiator001 04-14-2008 05:33 PM

I used to receive Estes (And Centuri) catalogs in the mail until 1979.

I don't know if that's when Estes stopped mass-mailing catalogs or I just started buying all my Estes products in hobby stores.

Bob

Doug Sams 04-14-2008 05:46 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by yousah
I was initially into rocketry during the 1970's. I recall getting a new catalog whenever I placed an order. But did they otherwise just mail out the newest catalog to customers each year?
My experience, IIRC, was that they sent out a new catalog, upon rollout, to customers who had purchased from them recently, probably within the past year or so. If you went for a while without activity, they would drop you from their mailing list (as I recall).

That said, I'd give my left youknowwhat to go back to 1974, when I had a paper route and some serious pocket money, and send in a huge order :) Alas, by that time, I had already moved on to other things.

Doug

.

dwmzmm 04-14-2008 06:14 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
Alas, by that time, I had already moved on to other things.

Doug

.


Like what?! :D

shockwaveriderz 04-14-2008 07:16 PM

like ..life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? thats what got me. :confused:

terry dean
nar 16158

A Fish Named Wallyum 04-14-2008 07:44 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by shockwaveriderz
like ..life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? thats what got me. :confused:

terry dean
nar 16158


Was Liberty a blonde or a beer? I can never remember. :rolleyes:

Royatl 04-14-2008 07:50 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by yousah
I was initially into rocketry during the 1970's. I recall getting a new catalog whenever I placed an order. But did they otherwise just mail out the newest catalog to customers each year?

I placed my share of orders with them but also bought directly from hobby shops. I don't recall if I ever got new catalogs in the mail every year??

It's certainly not like today where they can be picked up at Hobby Lobby. Just wondering because there are some neat older catalogs and I was wondering how well they were distributed in their day.

Pat


In the early days, Estes' main way of attracting new customers was through small ads in Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Mechanics Illustrated, Boys' Life, and the model airplane magazines. Sometimes in comic books. You can see some of these ads over on Ninfinger or on YORS.

I'm sure I saw those ads occasionally but I pretty much ignored them. I became aware of them in the classifieds of Popular Science when I was looking for ways to build jet engines (at 10!), but I didn't bite from those ads. Instead I saw a classmate's science fair display of his rockets the day the first Saturn V flew. He loaned me his catalog, and I wrote off for one immediately.

After that, I think if you made an order anytime in the previous year, Estes would send a catalog to you when it came out. I think Gleda stated as much in either the Launch or Sport Rocketry interviews.

After Damon took over and the emphasis was turned to trying to get rockets into the retail channels, catalogs and mail order started to wane but it took a long time to do so. I don't think they completely let go of retail mail order until after 1991 (as there were still a lot of mail orders for the Patriot missile kit).

Doug Sams 04-14-2008 07:55 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by dwmzmm
Like what?! :D
Nothing so grown up as blonds and beer. More like 10-speed bicycles and plastic model cars, along with baseball, football, water skiing and youth theater. The blonds and beer were still a few years away.

I never really quit rocketry - it was just on the back burner during those years :)

Doug

.

Rocket Doctor 04-14-2008 08:04 PM

After Estes stopped selling through mail order, the catalogs stopped being sent through the mail. basically, their mailing list stopped because they didn't have the feedback from orders to keep a mailing list.

Emphasis was swithched oveer to the mass merchandisers, and the hobby shops were put on the back burner. Now, that certain mass merchandisers don't stocke that much of the estes products,the emphasis has now swithced back over to hobby shop. But, unfortunately, hobby shops are few and far between, except like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

As we all can remember, at one time estes stopped sending out catalogs at all, their thinking was that it would be easier to have the catalog online , also, print catalogs are expensive to produce, Customer complaints brought back the catalog.

This years 2008 is scheduled to come out at the end of April, and, possibly into May.

Unless you go to a retailer that carries the catalogs, then, I guess everyone will have to do what they did last year, send in an email (email only-don't call) to the estes customer service department requesting a catalog.

Now is the time to email your requests, I'm sure they are compiling a list right now for the mailing of the catalogs.
But, remember Don't Call, email only.

I think that we will all be surprised as to what and is available and not available.

dwmzmm 04-14-2008 10:03 PM

Just e-mailed Estes Customer Service to put me on their mailing list for the 2008 Estes
Catalog..... :)


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