As Novembers of each year came to a close, a recurring hobby for me was to always be looking through shopping catalogues for the Christmas season. I didn't get exactly everything I'd wished for, but going through the pages of catalogues from various stores in my state was always something that I looked forward to when the time came for it.

As common as shopping at the mall would go, Sears was like an all-around store for the folks, but for the kids as well. Mothers could shop for all sorts of selections of clothing and perfumes, while fathers could find power tools and other items fit for a garage. As for children, they could find a good selection of toys, sleeping bags, board games, and school supplies.

Most of these were also pretty common in other stores, but seeing the variety of different toys and games, as well as other childhood products in the catalogues were what made returning to them so fun. You never knew what would show up as a new one came in to look through.

The Toys "R" Us Big Toy Book had a treasure trove of pages to go through, giving kids an opportunity of the toys they wanted most, though of course, they couldn't go TOO crazy with their wish list as to not burn their parents' wallets. Aside from the usual toys though, the store also provided a selection of video games and movies that were hot off of being new releases.

Obvious as it was during my younger years, I became hooked to video games and looking through the Toys "R" Us catalogues was like a road map of what I could ask for. The only problem was that I could only get a minimum of two games at a time. The downside was that I didn't always get what I wished for, but when I did, I spent a few hours on the new games that I got. The Sega Saturn in particular was something to be excited for, as I wanted to own games like Virtua Fighter 2, BUG! and Loaded.

As the 1990s drew to a close, I was late into my childhood and becoming a teenager was just on the horizon. I didn't let that get me down though, as virtual pets like Tamagotchi and the ever popular Pok'emon craze began to make their sweep around the states. And while I was saddened to find out eventually that Santa Claus was never real, the shopping catalogues continued to be my go-to for what I asked for.

It was sad to see my childhood coming to an end, but it went out with a bang after looking for some of the best products to buy at the time. At least some of them proved to be great stocking stuffers to actually fit in the stocking. With so much to look for and so little money for gifts, it was a tough decision on what there was you wanted most with the limitations of spending.

What are your memories of looking through shopping catalogues for Christmas? Leave a comment and see you next article!