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National Mail Order Catalog Day is celebrated on August 18 of each year. People will choose items from the printed catalog, order and pay for them via post, email, or over the telephone. Mail Order Catalog is an old-fashioned way of shopping that includes both buying and reselling the goods directly to the customers. A catalog is nothing but a publication or pamphlets that display a list of items along with their prices. Benjamin Franklin considered being one of the first people in America to print a catalog in 1744, from which people could choose to purchase books and scientific publications. The old mail-order catalog is replaced now by the current online or e-shopping. Celebrate the National Mail Order Catalog Day by ordering some goods from the catalog.
“There were no mail-order catalogues in 1492. Marco Polo’s journal was the wish book of Renaissance Europe. Then, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and landed in Sears’ basement. Despite all the Indians on the escalator, Columbus’ visit came to be known as a ‘discovery.’ ” – Tom Robbins
History of National Mail Order Catalog Day
Despite the claim of Benjamin Franklin, the history of National Mail Order Catalog Day dates back to 1872. Aaron Montgomery Ward, of Chicago, was the very first person to produce the Montgomery Wards mail order catalog. The same day is marked as the anniversary date for the Mail Order Catalog Day. Mail Order Catalog means buying the goods and then reselling them directly to the customers. Thus, Montgomery Ward had removed the middlemen at the general store and thus benefitted the buyer drastically with the lowered prices. The very first catalog was found to have an eight by 12-inch single sheet of paper. It carried the commodities for sale, the price list along the ordering instructions. Later, Montgomery Wards single page listing of products expanded into a 540 page illustrated book retailing over 20,000 items. Soon Montgomery Wards catalog was copied by other enterprising merchants, and the most notable one is the Richard Warren Sears. In 1896, the first general Sears catalog was mailed. The sales of the catalog grew due to many others entered in the field.
Other Celebrations on August 18
August 18 is also celebrated as
- National Pinot Noir Day
- National Bad Poetry Day
- Serendipity Day
- Never Give Up Day
- National Men’s Grooming Day
How to Celebrate the day
One of the best ways to celebrate National Mail Order Catalog Day is by signing up for a few mail-order catalogs. There are still some firms that publish mail-order catalogs, and you can order items from the catalog. You can also go to the nearest local thrift shop to see the vintage mail-order catalogs. Post your photos with the item you have bought via mail order catalog. Share your celebration of Mail Order Catalog Day with the hashtag #MailOrderCatalogDay on social media sites.
Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy National Mail Order Catalog Day 2023.