No more Freestyle catalog

[ChrisPlatt]

I just received in the mail what Freestyle Photographic Supplies states will be their final printed catalog.
They claim the cost of producing and distributing a print catalog can no longer be justified.
They will continue selling film and photographic items through their freestyle.biz website.

I'm not surprised by their decision to discontinue mailing a printed catalog.
Such things seem inevitable nowadays. However I am very disappointed.
Any thoughts?

Chris

 

[zuiko85]

What in the world took them so long? Since I order on a semi regular basis they kept sending them but when I was looking for something I always went to their site anyway.

 

[CMur12]

I received their final catalog together with the same notification.

It makes sense to me. I like the tangibility of a catalog, but it is a terrible waste of paper and ink, it doesn't represent their entire inventory, and I make the order online anyway.

- Murray

 

[Rayt]

B&H still sends me that phone book sized catalog even though I never asked for it. What total waste of paper.

 

[kshapero]

B&H still sends me that phone book sized catalog even though I never asked for it. What total waste of paper.

Aren't we in the internet age yet? I can do without all the paper.

 

[dmr]

B&H still sends me that phone book sized catalog even though I never asked for it. What total waste of paper.

That's the one I was thinking of when I saw the thread title. 🙂 Yeah, they send it to me too, even though I maybe order from them once a year or so, and mainly odds and ends that I can't get locally. I keep it in the "reading room" 🙂 and skim it on occasion.

My guess is that its days are numbered too.

 

[Mackinaw]

Aren't we in the internet age yet? I can do without all the paper.

How about toilet paper?

Jim B.

 

[shadowfox]

Back when I have a steady income, their paper catalog *never* failed to cause me to buy something them.

Why don't they keep producing the PDF version and let people download.

 

[zauhar]

I enjoyed looking through their printed catalog.

I continue to receive fistfuls of printed junk mail every day - I guess some people haven't heard that paper is dead ?

Randy

 

[ChrisPlatt]

You must look long and hard to find the small amount of film gear in the B&H catalog now, so I seldom bother.
But most of the Freestyle catalog was film and other items for chemical based photo processes of interest to me.

Chris

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I enjoyed looking through their printed catalog.

I continue to receive fistfuls of printed junk mail every day - I guess some people haven't heard that paper is dead ?

Me too. The printed catalog is more sensuous and pleasing.
It also works nicely in places the website isn't convenient, like my bathroom or on the subway.

You are correct that many haven't gotten that message.
USPS delivered 150 billion pieces of mail to 150 million addresses last year...

Chris

 

[Beemermark]

I guess it's an age thing but after many years of buying from Freestyle I doubt if I'll buy again. It's easier and usually cheaper to buy from Adorama or BHphotovideo than the Freestyle webpage. When I got their catalog I would always hang unto it and see some new film, developer or something else that I would have to try and log on to the internet and start buying. There will be nothing to start that reflex response now so when I really need something it will be the above two stores. Most probably BHphotvideo because they still send me a catalog. So when I need some tri-X I'll peruse the catalog and then start seeing a tons of other stuff I want.