# Trying to remember a magazine/catalog **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310 "2016-05-21T17:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/1 "2016-05-21T17:37:42Z")
Back in the 80s, I think, i vaguely recall a magazine/catalog that had some fairly bizarre stuff in it. I seem to recall that it was set up as a catalog, but my recollection was that the things in it were science fiction sort of items. I read a reference to The Whole Earth catalog, and my fractured memory went “ping!” But when i looked it up, that doesn’t seem like what i remember. For some reason, I associate this catalog with omni magazine. That may be a temporal association, though, in that i got the catalog around the same time. I was a kid at the time, so it’s possible that the cool stuff i almost remember want really that cool, or that the catalog itself was all just concept stuff and not real. Maybe the whole earth catalog really is what I’m remembering. I don’t remember a particularly ecological focus though. Why, yes, i could vague this up some more. But I’m hoping someone can say yes, that’s the WEC, or no, that sounds like \. Anyone know what it might be? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/2 "2016-05-21T18:47:06Z")
[Archie McPhee](http://mcphee.com/shop/)? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/3 "2016-05-21T19:13:31Z")
[https://www.pyramidcollection.com/](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/) …? ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/4 "2016-05-21T19:28:30Z")
Edmund Scientific, in Barrington NJ? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/5 "2016-05-21T19:42:05Z")
American Science and Surplus, maybe. [https://www.sciplus.com/CatalogRequest](https://www.sciplus.com/CatalogRequest) ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/6 "2016-05-21T21:22:11Z")
All good suggestions! And all ones i remember. But alas, not the fantastical one that is tickling my brain. Thanks though! I’ll have to revisit those and explore. ---
**Author:** ![Spiriting\_Lightly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Spiriting\_Lightly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiriting_Lightly)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/7 "2016-05-21T21:28:15Z")
Hi, **raventhief** : What you’ve described sounds like [_The Fringes of Reason: A Whole Earth Catalog_](http://www.amazon.com/Fringes-Reason-Whole-Earth-Schultz/dp/051757165X). If it’s not, I hope it turns out to be one of those books you didn’t know you wanted! Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/8 "2016-05-22T00:32:18Z")
[Hammacher Schlemmer?](http://www.hammacher.com/?promo=header) My brother used to get their catalogs in the 80s and the whole family would read it cover to cover and pass it on. If it’s not what you’re thinking of, you can always buy yourself a life size T-rex skeleton or a hot tub boat. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/9 "2016-05-22T00:50:21Z")
I’m gonna guess the OP is remembering a [DAK catalog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAK_Industries): I know I sure do miss them. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/10 "2016-05-22T00:59:21Z")
Correction! [I used to miss them](http://www.dak.com/index.cfm)! Thanks to the OP cause I doubt I’d have looked up DAK; I thought I knew what had happened to the company but turns out Mr. Kaplan kept on keepin’ on. ---
**Author:** ![oara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/11 "2016-05-22T02:18:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’m gonna guess the OP is remembering a [DAK catalog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAK_Industries): I know I sure do miss them. We got those, and I remember them as being somewhat bewildering because we were poor and rural. Couldn’t tell whether they were crap or whether they were good stuff for “rich” people. Weren’t going to buy anything in either case. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/12 "2016-05-22T02:49:17Z")
These are all awesome and i am happily browsing:) I think i might be remembering a specific issue of omni. Looks like they had a supplemental issue called the whole universe catalog - id have to see it to figure out of that’s what I’m thinking of. But i am loving all the suggestions! ---
**Author:** ![blueliner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@blueliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueliner)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/13 "2016-05-22T02:56:24Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Anyone know what it might be? Sharper Image? Not all of their stuff could be called sci-fi but they did advertise in Omni. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-magazine-catalog/755310/14 "2016-05-22T05:27:42Z")
[Things You Never Knew Existed](http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/home.do). Not all sci fi related, but has a lot of sci fi and other unusual things.