Smith & Wesson Launches Crossings
Smith & Wesson, the handgun manufacturer founded in 1852, recently launched a new catalog chock-full of items which are a far departure from the company's 
namesake merchandise. Offering a "reflection of a lifestyle born from freedom
and independence," Crossings features American-spirited casual apparel, home decor, bedding, jewelry, accessories, holiday items, dinnerware and other notably female-oriented merchandise. The front cover of the debut Fall 2003 catalog gives recipients an idea of what they will find inside with sample merchandise categorized as "bedding," "home," "dinnerware" and "for him" inset over a female model sporting a cowboy hat, smiling sleekly into the camera. The western-theme is pronounced throughout the 32-page book, with items such as a resting cowgirl pillow ($98), a set of liquor decanters ($44), a framed John Wayne poster ($1,200) and a horsehead soap dish ($19.95). And while the catalog does not sell any firearms, it does offer a few limited edition commemorative knives. Orders can be placed through the mail, by phone or online.
A Newsletter for The Curious Mind
Published by The Brainwaves Center, The Curious Mind is a new monthly newsletter which is designed to stimulate the adult human mind and memory with puzzles, tests and mental games. The publisher's recent charter offer asks
 recipients, "Just who do you think you are?" on the front of a plain, white #10 package. This inquisitive statement is followed by an invitation to take a test inside and find out. The examination, "The Stress Scale," seeks to determine exactly how stressed an individual is by answering 14 questions. However, the only way to interpret the scores and learn how stress influences memory is to subscribe to The Curious Mind and read the book premium ("31 Brain-Building & Maintenance Techniques") offered with the subscription. A 4-page insert and 6-page letter give prospects added incentives to subscribe by providing detailed examples of the types of games, tests and puzzles that they can find in each issue. Curious subscribers need only insert the involvement token, fittingly drawn to resemble the human brain, into a slot on the reply form to accept the soft offer of $29 for 12 monthly issues (1 free).
Fun Unlimited: Double the Mailer, Double the Fun
While at first glance the new Fun Unlimited gift catalog appears to be a new player in the games and puzzles category, it is identical to the seasoned mailer Spilsbury (with a few important modifications). The new Fun Unlimited book,
 labeled "Holiday Gifts 2003" and released through a special partnership between Spilsbury and Swiss Colony, offers the same merchandise on the same number of pages as Spilsbury's own "Holiday Gifts 2003" catalog. However, the front cover has been revamped and all references to Spilsbury inside have been replaced with Fun Unlimited. While the re-branding is interesting by itself, the more important distinction is that Fun Unlimited introduces a "Buy Now, Pay Later" credit option, allowing holiday shoppers to pay in installments of $20 to $50 per month. The credit option is advertised prominently on the catalog cover, order form and dedicated bind-in that lays out the credit terms. While both catalogs feature their fair share of puzzles (Spilsbury is named for the inventor of jigsaw puzzles, John Spilsbury), the final product mix is all over the map as is typical with gift books. Some of the key product groups are board games, novelty items, pop culture collectibles (featuring icons like Elvis and The Simpsons) and gadget-y electronic toys. A sampling of price points includes a puppy-shaped jigsaw puzzle at $14.95, a Muppets-themed Monopoly game at $34.95 and a desktop water ballet fountain at $129.95. Orders can be placed via direct mail, phone, fax or Internet.
Seen in the Mail items are identified and researched by MarketRelevance.com, an online direct mail and email promotion tracking resource offered by ParadyszMatera. CM staff conduct the interviews.
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