Recently I was thumbing through a recent Estes catalog and noticed that I wasn't looking over the contents with the same enthusiasm as a kid. Sure, I'm a lot older now, and not the kid that I was back then. The newer catalog seemed heftier than I remember from the old catalog -- so it's not the volume that didn't make me feel not so enthusiastic. After getting back home, I dug up some of the old catalogs that I had as a kid -- and looking over the items listed, I felt the same sort of enthusiasm I felt as a kid -- then it dawned on me -- the newer catalog picture of item, and the specs, but none of the descriptive text. Okay, so when you really look at things, the text is essentially a sales pitch -- but then a bit more. for certain subjects it helps to convey the concept behind of the particular model (e.g. especially the "scale-like", fantasy, and exotic types).

scans of some old catalogs can be found on Ninfinger's site:
http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/rockets.html