5 Best Catalogs for Finding Unique Gift Ideas

Find Unique Gift Ideas with these Simply Delightful Catalogs

Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, holiday, or just because, these catalogs will generate a ton of unique gift ideas. We know it can be overwhelming to find the perfect present. That’s why the Great Gift Catalogs team has done the work for you and compiled this list of the top 5 unique gift catalogs.

Hammacher Schlemmer Catalog

Hammacher Schlemmer catalog offers an impressive array of high-quality and unique products that are perfect for gifting. From high-end tech gadgets to exclusive outdoor gear, this catalog contains a carefully curated selection of items. They are known for their innovative products, and their catalog is the perfect place to look for those hard-to-find gifts.

In addition to their tech products, the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog also features unique toys and games. Remote-controlled cars or vintage-inspired arcade games—their mix of toys and games is perfect for kids and adults alike.

The home decor and furniture options are also impressive, with a focus on high-quality materials and cutting edge designs. With styles ranging from functional to whimsical, you’re sure to find something for every taste.

The Hammacher Schlemmer catalog is a great resource for anyone looking for unique and innovative gift ideas. Check out their “Tested Best” section for trusted favorites and one-of-a-kind finds.

The Lighter Side Catalog:

The Lighter Side Catalog has products that celebrate classic Americana and pop culture. Whether you’re looking for retro toys and games, humorous home décor, or prank gifts, you’ll find a gift that will leave your loved ones in stitches. And now, The Lighter Side Catalog has teamed with Betty’s Attic Catalog and The Things You Never Knew Existed Catalog for even more vintage finds and unique gifts ideas.

One of the standout features of The Lighter Side catalog is the novelty gift category. They have a wide range of products that are sure to make people smile, including funny t-shirts, quirky kitchen gadgets, and an abundance of out-of-the-ordinary books. And don’t forget this catalog when it comes to that one-of-a-kind occasion or personalized gift. The Lighter Side Catalog has a broad category of personalized gifts to find gift ideas for everyone.

In addition to their novelty gifts, The Lighter Side also offers products that celebrate popular culture and retro pop culture. They have an abundance of products that feature popular characters and franchises. They also have a big assortment of figurines, collectibles, and memorabilia.

Uncommon Goods Catalog

Uncommon Goods catalog is a treasure trove of original and handcrafted gifts made by independent artists and designers. They pride themselves on having a wide variety of products that are not only highly sought after but also socially responsible. Uncommon Goods works with artists and artisans to maintain a selection of products that are eco-friendly and ethically made.

Their offerings include many products that can be customized to create a truly one-of-a-kind gift. Personalized birthstone necklaces and initial necklaces are particularly popular and make great gifts for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

Uncommon Goods catalog includes unique and quirky kitchen gadgets that will amaze the foodie in your life. How about a DIY mozzarella and ricotta cheese kit or a hand-forged steel pizza slicer? Their selection of kitchen gadgets is both fun and functional. They also have home decor items, including handcrafted wall art and distinctive lighting options.

Uncommon Goods’ socially responsible products are perfect for those who are environmentally conscious. Many eco-friendly products are available, including customizable bamboo cutting boards. They also sell products that support social causes and have donated over 2.8 million dollars to non-profit organizations around the world.

Spencer’s Catalog

This is a great place to find gifts for those who love pop culture and humor. They sell a wide assortment of products that feature popular characters and themes from movies, TV shows, and more. Showcasing graphic tees to novelty items, Spencer’s is sure to have something for the pop culture enthusiast in your life. Just beware, some of the items in Spencer’s catalog are very explicit and FOR ADULTS ONLY.

Licensed merchandise is also a focus of Spencer’s catalog. You’ll find products featuring popular characters and franchises like Harry Potter, Marvel, and Star Wars. Graphic tees are particularly popular, featuring unique designs that are sure to make a statement.

Spencer’s has awesome novelty items that are perfect for gift-giving. Inflatable costumes or giant wine glasses— their selection of novelty gifts is sure to delight. They also have home decor items, including wall art and bedding, featuring popular characters and themes.

In addition to their pop culture and novelty items, Spencer’s offers a range of party supplies and gag gifts. Their options for party supplies include everything from decorations to tableware, making it easy to throw a themed party.

The Lillian Vernon Catalog

For personalized gifts that show you went the extra mile, check out the Lillian Vernon Catalog. Their wide selection of products and customizable options make it easy to find the perfect gift for any occasion.

A large number of products can be customized with a name or monogram, making them a great option for those looking for a thoughtful and unique gift idea. Some of their most popular personalized gifts include monogrammed tote bags and custom photo blankets. Ideal for those who appreciate a personal touch

From seasonal decorations to functional kitchen accessories, their selection of home decor items is both stylish and practical. They also have great outdoor décor items, including personalized garden flags and doormats.

Lillian Vernon is also a great resource for party supplies and favors. Perfect for weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions with products like personalized champagne flutes, cutting boards, and coasters.

The Best Unique Gift Ideas

When searching for the best gift, it’s important to consider the recipient’s interests and personality. These top 5 unique gift catalogs have a multitude of memorable and distinctive gift ideas, ensuring that you’ll find the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

Uncommon Goods Catalog

Unique and Creative Gifts

Uncommon Goods is a unique gift catalog that features a curated selection of creative and quirky gifts for all occasions. The catalog is known for its commitment to sustainability, fair labor practices, and supporting independent artists and designers. You’ll find many hand made gifts in the catalog

The idea for Uncommon Goods came from Dave Bolotsky, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs, while at the SmithsonianCraft Show in 1999 saw an opportunity to showcase the work of talented artisans and makers. He started the company with a mission to connect consumers with unique and eco-friendly products that are ethically made and socially responsible.

Despite the slow growth in the early days and a rough “downsizing” during the dot-com bust, today Uncommon Goods is a successful e-commerce retailer with a thriving catalog business. The catalog features a wide range of gifts, including jewelry, home decor, kitchen gadgets, and personalized gifts, all of which are designed to inspire and delight.

Today, Uncommon Goods is still committed to its original mission of supporting independent designers and makers. About half of all their products are hand made gifts. In addition, the company has a rigorous selection process for all products, ensuring that each item meets its high standards for quality, originality, and environmental sustainability.

What can you find in Uncommon Goods catalog? Here are some sample items that caught our eye:

Custom Family Portrait: This personalized artwork features a hand-drawn portrait of your family, including pets. It’s a great gift for weddings, anniversaries, or any occasion.
Himalayan Salt Tequila Glasses: These glasses are made from real Himalayan salt, and are perfect for tequila shots. They add a touch of elegance and fun to any party.
Gourmet Oil Dipping Spice Kit: This set includes four different blends of gourmet dipping spices, perfect for bread dipping or seasoning your favorite dishes.
Wine Cork States: These wooden maps of the United States are designed to hold wine corks from different regions. They make a great gift for wine lovers or travelers.

Uncommon Goods also has a strong commitment to giving back to the community. The company donates $1 of every purchase to your choice of one of its non-profit partner organizations, which include environmental and social justice causes.

Uncommon Goods catalog is a great source for unique and creative gifts that are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. With its commitment to supporting independent designers and makers, Uncommon Goods is more than just a purveyor of unique gifts, it’s a movement. If you’re looking for something special, be sure to check out the Uncommon Goods Catalog.

If you’re looking for more great catalogs click on over to our post on the 5 best catalogs for finding unique gift ideas.

Hammacher Schlemmer

Hammacher Schlemmer is America’s longest-running mail-order catalog. In 1848, William Tollner founded a hardware store in New York City’s Bowery District that would eventually give birth to the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. A family friend, Alfred Hammacher, soon began investing in the business, and eventually accumulated a half-interest in the store. Tollner’s nephew, William Schlemmer, came to America at age 12 and began working at the store, often hawking tools on the sidewalk in front of the store. William gradually bought out his uncle’s stake and by age 26 had formed a partnership with Hammacher.

The store specialized in hard-to-find hardware and offered the best mortise gauges and plumb bobs sold anywhere in the city. It was one of the first stores in the country to have a telephone and one of the first to have electric lighting in the showroom.The company’s first catalog, (actually a fully bound hardcover book), was published in 1881, and by 1912 had become the most complete hardware source on the east coast with a total of 1,112 pages. The catalog offered “horseless carriage” tool kits for flat tires and blown gaskets even before the first service stations existed. The company also supplied virtually all piano parts for the leading brands of the day.

By the 1930s Hammacher Schlemmer had moved twice and had de-emphasized their hardware lines in favor of household goods and gadgets. They were the first to offer an electric toaster and portable radio.

The family business was later sold to a group of investors. Around this time, in the 1960s, the catalog featured unusual items such as a regulation-sized bowling alley and restored London taxi cabs. The late 1960’s saw a return to specialized gadgets such as the first answering machine, (The Telephone Valet), and the first microwave oven, (Amana’s RadarRange).

The company was one of the first retailers on the internet and by 2005, online sales accounted for one-third of Hammacher’s revenues.

The Hammacher Schlemmer catalog continues to innovate today and offers a unique range of electronics, gadgets, furniture, appliances, tools, toys, memorabilia, decorative accessories, and apparel. Well into the future, this company will likely be driven by their motto: “Offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected”.

Hammacher Schlemmer is included in our list of the 5 best catalogs for finding unique gift ideas. Be sure to check it out!

W.W. Grainger Catalog

Started in 1927 by William W. Grainger, this Chicago based business was incorporated as W. W. Grainger, Inc., in 1928. Sales in the beginning were generally through mail order via post cards and a catalog. The catalog was originally called The MotorBook and was filled with wholesale electric motors.

Bill Grainger opened a branch in Philadelphia in 1933, then continued to open more local branches to better serve customers. By 1936 there were 15 branches in operation.

In 1967, Grainger became a publicly traded company.

The first Motorbook catalog was 8 pages long, today the 4,000-page Grainger catalog is still printed annually and is also available online at Grainger.com, the company’s award-winning Web site. By 2010, the catalog carried over 400,000 products, and over 900,000 products through their website.

Grainger provides businesses and institutions of all sizes with products such as adhesives, hand tools, power tools, testing instruments, hardware, and even office furniture. They supply customers in industries such as Janitorial, Painting, Plumbing, Electrical, Pneumatics, Hydraulics and Metalworking.

For more than 80 years The Grainger Catalog has been an indispensable a resource for diverse customer base that ranges from government offices and institutions to manufacturing and retail establishments, with more than 307,000 facilities maintenance products.

Omaha Steaks Catalog

J.J. Simon and his son, B.A. started a meat cutting operation in an old carpentry store in 1917, after working as butchers for other people since their immigration to America, more than 20 years before. To save money they adopted the name of the carpentry shop, and inserted the word meat, so that the name became Table Meat Supply Co.

In 1929, B.A.’s son Lester joined the company and later convinced Union Pacific Railroad to serve Table Meat Supply steaks in their dining cars in the 1940s. Success with this operation, and requests from passengers to buy the steaks directly, prompted the company to try magazine ads and direct mail flyers in 1952.

Advances such as polystyrene coolers and vacuum packaging helped the company grow in the early 1960s. The first Omaha Steaks catalog was published in 1963, featuring an expanded product offering, including seafood, pork, poultry, and side dishes. In 1966 the company name was officially changed to Omaha Steaks.

In the 70’s they made history by offering a toll-free phone number for placing orders. They added retail stores in 1976, and in 1990 was among the first companies to have a presence online.

Today Omaha Steaks has more than 80 stores across the U.S. and a store on Amazon.

Collections Etc. Catalog

Collections Etc. offers unique gifts and collectibles for holiday and special occasions. Collections, Etc. started life over 40 years ago as a solo sheet mailer. The solo sheet was accompanied by a punch card, giving the offer a sweepstakes feel. The sheet focused merchandise selection, usually complemented by a themed offer.

The cost of expanding the solo sheet format became more expensive due to repeated postage increases, so the company changed to a catalog format in 1997. Extensive experimentation was performed on the format of the catalog. The single price point format used in the catalog at the time was the result of a decision to concentrate on the ease of use for the customer.

Holiday and seasonal gifts are a mainstay of the Collections Etc. Catalog. Find unique gifts for all your friends and family, for pets, and for yourself! Find gifts for the home, collectible dolls and figurines, novelty gifts and more.

Collections Etc. (link to website)

(An additional way to shop: Click the following link to go directly to the Collections Etc. Store on Amazon)

The Collections Etc. Family

In 2017, the Collections Etc. family grew to include Taylor Gifts Catalog as well as Better Senior Living.

And in 2020, the Johnson Smith Catalog brands were added including:

Things You Never Knew Existed Catalog
(Visit the Great Gift Catalogs profile page for this catalog)

The Lighter Side Catalog

Betty’s Attic Catalog

Oriental Trading Company

Oriental Trading Co. 35,000 Fun Products

Harry Watanabe founded the Oriental Trading as a gift shop in Omaha , Nebraska in 1932 and grew it to a chain of 17 shops selling wholesale value-priced novelty & gift items.

When imports from Japan were restricted during WWII, the company shrank. Watanabe bought a factory that made kewpie dolls and other ceramic items. He used this to keep building his gift item business.

In 1954 Watanabe resumed importing and started the catalog, becoming a major supplier to the carnival trade in the United States in the fifties.

In the 1970s and ’80s the Oriental Trading Company catalog expanded and the company’s direct marketing efforts were tested and refined.

In 1977, the founder’s son, Terrance Watanabe, shifted focus from carnivals to supplying party goods for schools, churches, as well as retailers, and individuals. In 2000, Terrance sold his entire stake in the company and resigned.

Although the company has had some trying times in recent decades, it is now a part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and has been acquiring other toy brands.

The company still specializes in party supplies, toys, craft supplies, school supplies and other novelty and gift products. Oriental Trading is also a sort of umbrella company for a host of other catalogs that offer birthday supplies, “DIY décor”, and “wow-worthy” ideas for fun.

Today Oriental Trading Company is “recognized as one of the Top 50 Internet Retailers and one of the Top 50 Catalog Companies”

Oriental Trading Official website

Oriental Trading Store on America’s Top Online Retailer

Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Corp.

Beginning in 1980, Dr. Leonards started as a direct mail marketer of health and personal care products. It is the leading healthcare catalog, offering support and mobility aids, as well as dietary supplements and arthritis & pain relievers.

Dr. Leonard’s Catalog is seldom referenced without a mention of Carol Wright Gifts. Although closely linked, they appear to run as seperate entities and have different product selections. Links for Carol Wright Gifts can be found on this page.

Over time, Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Corp. expanded their product lines to include “As Seen on TV” items, clothing, collectibles, exercise equipment, home furnishings, housewares and shoes for senior citizens.

Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Corp.

Dr. Leonard’s Store – More shopping options.

Carol Wright Gifts

Carol Wright Gifts is a leading marketer of affordable gift and personal care items, apparel, and footwear They also offer diet & exercise aids, skin & dental care items, and sight & sound aids. Product selection has also included discounted home furnishings, bed and bath accessories, and As Seen On TV items.

Often mentioned together with their sister company, Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Catalog, Carol Wright Gifts actually began in 1972 and appears to predate Dr. Leonard’s by a few years. You can find links to Dr. Leonard’s products on our Dr. Leonard’s Catalog summary page.

Carol Wright Gifts offers thousands of value-oriented products. Their mission is to provide customers with a safe, convenient, and satisfaction guaranteed customer experience.

Carol Wright Gifts Catalog

Carol Wright Gifts Store – More shopping options

Neiman Marcus Catalog

The Neiman Marcus Catalog didn’t start on someone’s kitchen table like many of the early mail-order catalogs, but this Catalog still has a special place in gift catalog history.

Herbert Marcus, Sr., along with his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband, A.L. Neiman, after successful careers in Atlanta, moved back to Dallas to open the first Neiman Marcus retail store. The Neiman Marcus store was lavishly furnished and stocked with clothing of a quality not commonly found in Texas. Neiman Marcus was instantly successful and very profitable.

Neiman Marcus first published a Christmas booklet in 1926 consisting of 16 pages of Christmas gift suggestions. Herbert’s son Stanley Marcus came aboard in the 1920s and was soon steering the company. In 1939 Neiman Marcus sent out it’s first magazine-size holiday catalog.

In 1952, in response to a question from journalist Edward R. Murrow, Stanley Marcus invented an extravagant offering on the spot, that was included in that year’s Christmas catalog. This began a new tradition of extravagant and unusual gifts in each year’s Christmas catalog, known as The Christmas Book.

For a time, the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog carried the dubious distinction of being the item most stolen from mailboxes. One Chicago postmaster suggested that the company begin enclosing the catalogs in plain brown wrappers.

The first “His & Her’s” themed gifts were featured in the Christmas book in 1960. A pair of Beechcraft airplanes. $149,000(His)-$27,000(Hers).

The Neiman Marcus family now also includes The Horchow Collection catalog of home furnishings and Bergdorf Goodman.

Neiman Marcus