"Montgomery Ward" - does that name ring a bell? When we were kids - way back when - we called it the "Monkey Ward" catalog... This week's DMNews reported on a number of acquisitions in the catalog industry that triggered some thoughts for me, some of them a bit nostalgic.

Montgomery Ward/Swiss Colony

One of the most recent "fire sales" was the acquisition of Montgomery Ward, Charles Keath, and HomeVisions catalogs by Swiss Colony, in a foreclosure sale. Swiss Colony was founded in 1926 by Ray Kubly to sell packages of Wisconsin cheese by mail.

Right in the heart of the Wisconsin hills, the Monroe-based company grew into one of the largest catalogers offering "food gifts;" primarily cheese, sausage, and baked goods. I started my career in the direct marketing industry in the late '70s as a "food gift designer" for Swiss Colony and worked for Ray's son Pat, who is now Chairman of the Board.

Lillian Vernon/Taylor Corp.

Earlier this year, Taylor Corp. - through its subsidiary Current USA - picked up Lillian Vernon at auction. The April sale was for Lillian Vernon assets and Current paid $15.8 million.

Lillian Vernon was one of my heroes - here was a woman who started a business selling monogrammed belts from her kitchen table and turned it into a huge company. Unfortunately, its later history was not as stellar as its early one.

The sales of these companies really brought home how important catalogs were to me and my family; and how important they still are. I'm a catalog shopper, both online and off, and am optimistic that there will continue to be a place for both forms of the media.