Remember days gone by when you'd pull out a big marker or ball-point pen and circle away items in the toy catalog at Christmas time? Do you recall slowly flipping through the pages, careful to only circle those items that you really wanted lest Santa or Mom and Dad deliver the ones you could live without?



Dreaming those items would appear under the tree was only half the fun, wasn't it? The other half was the hunt for the perfect item!

Shopping for the holidays doesn't have to be any different as an adult. It can still be as much fun to pour over catalog pages, carefully choosing items you'd like to have or those you might want to purchase for a loved one.

Catalog shopping has a lot more to offer than just fun, too. In fact, there are a number of compelling reasons to turn to catalogs for holiday shopping, especially free holiday catalog offerings. These are important to keep an eye out for since many large department stores now charge for their full catalogs. The free ones are the best because they give you ideas without investment, allowing you to fully explore what's out there to buy without having to plunk cash down. And who doesn't need to save a few dollars at holiday time?

Some of the best reasons for shopping free catalogs at holiday time include:

? Ease ? What can be better than flipping through the pages of a catalog at your leisure to find the right gifts for friends and family?

? Comparison shopping ? If you're savvy at finding the best in free holiday catalogs, you'll be able to compare what one store offers over another. You might even find some great deals.

? Time savings ? Running from store to store to locate the perfect gift can be a real pain and it might not garner the perfect gift. By looking through catalogs, you save the trouble of running around and you might have better luck securing the gift you'd like to obtain.

? Simplicity of helping others make their lists ? Let's face it, shopping for spouses, children and even friends can be a nightmare. What gifts do they really need or want? It takes a mind reader to know. Employ that tactic your parents used at holiday time by handing the kids, your spouse or friends a big, thick catalog just loaded with pictures of neat gifts and let them go to town circling. You might only be able to buy one or two items on the list, but at least you'll know your choice will be wanted and appreciated.

? Skip the mall ? There's nothing worse at holiday time than fighting the traffic at malls, and that's figuring you manage to find a parking space. Catalog shopping allows you to avoid the mess entirely.

? Door-to-door service ? Catalog orders are delivered right to you or the gift recipient, often in plenty of time for the holidays.

While it might seem like an antiquated idea in this computerized day and age, catalog shopping is a great route to go at holiday time - especially if the catalog happens to be free and the choices are plentiful.