Mid 1990's online PC catalogs Q

stirgy

Junior Member
Sep 25, 2015
4
0
0
Does anyone know the names of some of the Computer order catalogs that were around back in the mid 90's? I believe it was 1994-95 when I ordered my first PC - through a mail-order catalog.

It was similar to a Harbor Freight catalog. It was in color, and I used to get them in my mailbox what seemed like every other day.

I can't remember the catalog name and it's driving me crazy, because I used to flip through the pages and drool over all the new and exciting technology!

I can still hear the dial-up fax modem blazing away @ 56k while trying to connect me to the 'World Wide Web'.

Catalog? Anybody?

cheers!

:confused:
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
71,929
32,031
136
Computer Shopper was a big one.

Also, TigerDirect
 
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nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
61,092
16,514
136
Computer Shopper was the first one that came to mind for me too. I remember being excited at a CD burner only being $500, when I told friends about it, they'd ask why you want to burn a CD.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Remember Damark catalogs? I've never seen a bigger collection of refurbished electronic junk for sale until Woot got bought out by Amazon.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
71,929
32,031
136
Computer Shopper was the first one that came to mind for me too. I remember being excited at a CD burner only being $500, when I told friends about it, they'd ask why you want to burn a CD.
It's become a valid question again. :biggrin:
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
Computer Shopper was a monthly magazine (with 90% ads), not a catalog, but it's probably what you're thinking of.

I remember thinking how smart I was in that era to spend a couple hundred more for a PC from Ares Microdevelopment because they were the only maker to put the CPU on a daughterboard, and do the same with RAM. That was going to "future-proof" my PC!
 

Banana

Diamond Member
Jun 3, 2001
3,132
23
81
My stack of Computer Shopper is right next to the stack of Playboys. Wonder what it'$ worth. :confused:
 

ghost recon88

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2005
6,196
1
81
I remember browsing through these catalogs in the early 2000s. Tons of little mom and pop online shops would advertise, and normally each place had their own full page which listed their prices on drives, RAM, CPUs, and video cards. Occasionally they were even list fully assembled PCs. I remember Freeway Technologies and CyberPower PC. Ah those were the days!
 

SKORPI0

Lifer
Jan 18, 2000
18,469
2,407
136
PCMall and Global Computer comes in mind. Egghead too.
Of course my favorite was Computer Shopper with their phone-book-size magazine/catalog with about 800 pages every issue.
 
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stirgy

Junior Member
Sep 25, 2015
4
0
0
I believe that's the one. Spent like $2,400 on a 'Pionex' PC deal - really just to play Doom and to check out 'chat rooms'...

Came with Windows 3.1 installed... Hot damn!

Thanks for the replies all!

stirgy

:D
 

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,652
3,517
136
Computer Shopper was it in the mid 90's. I placed many orders from it.

When Best Buy was actually relevant in the mid to late 90's I would look at their Sunday circular to see if the mainstream PCs they were pushing had caught up to whatever PC I had built at the time. They never did.