Can I share something quick here? We’ve all gotten our share of catalogs in the mail—rather, we used to. (Do you still get many? It just occurred to me I haven’t seen one in ages.)
But there was a time when I used to keep a wicker basket in my place just to store catalogs to look at later. “Hmm… this Harry & David catalog sure is making me hungry for pears…”
In fact, I still have a pair of tan & red suede pot-holders (that I never used but paid a small fortune for, twenty years ago) from Robert Redford’s Sundance catalog. Damn you, Redford!
Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because this past Thursday I got a rather ominous looking catalog in the mail.
It was a black book that came sealed on 3 sides. Rock River Arms. They are situated in Illinois, and I’ve never heard of them. Have you?
It didn’t look like the type of catalog one would just get randomly. Rock River sells firearms, including all makes & models of pistols. But their specialty is built-to-order, customized AR-15s.
Someone must’ve given them my name and address. These books are too specialized to be sent out to just anyone, and this didn’t come with a bulk shipping rate. It cost them $2.64 to send this obscenity to me via First Class mail.
My big question is… why? Is someone trying to put the fear of guns in me? Trust me, it’s already there! Or maybe someone’s trying to convert me from my liberal mindset? “These guns…. they’re badass! Screw this liberal crap, I want an AR-15 of my own!”
Can I be super-honest here? I claim to be a liberal, but I’m far from a saint. Do you remember a couple weeks ago, when that young thug broke into a convenience store (wielding an AR-15 of all things) and the shopkeeper hauled out a rifle and shot him?
The punk ran out of there hollering “Uggh!! He shot my arm off!!” before jumping into a pretty nice looking SUV, where he & his two cohorts sped off.
I sat here thinking “I hope he did, you piece of slime. I hope that older man DID shoot your arm off, you’re lucky it wasn’t your head.”
Is that how liberals are supposed to think?
I also felt that store owner was justified owning a firearm, I’m sure he’s been robbed before. But a built-to-order customized AR-15 from this catalog? No! No one else should, either!
Ah, I’m back to feeling like a liberal again. Even if it does make me sound un-American.
Rock River, I’m sorry you wasted your $2.64 on me. Along with expensive pears, suede potholders & other useless, pricey doodads, custom AR-15s have been added to my DO NOT BUY list.
I wonder how you got on their mailing list. Who needs one of those things??? Very scary indeed. Personal protection my eye.
ReplyDeleteSo agreed DJan, so agreed. I think it was an intentional act on someone's part to put me on this gunmaker's list. These things are grotesque.
DeleteYou can call and cancel catalogues. In this case, I would let them throw away the $2.64 on me, and just toss the catalogues in the trash. I am also going to point out that I worked for a mail order company, and their catalogues went out based on mailing lists that were generated by names bought and sold from other mail order companies. I'm going to say that you caught their eye based on the fact that you are well to do, based on your recent purchase of your chair. (I'm just saying that's how they would see it, not asking you to verify it). You also live in an area that (geographically) is a good place to sell guns. Pittsburgh has 30+ gunshops alone.
ReplyDeleteI am going to go out on a limb and say that you were not targeted (as grotesque as THAT sounds when talking about guns). You are a combination of your purchase history and your location.
Thank you Debby, that actually makes me feel a bit better. I'm feeling very naive about all this! All I know is, the book is absolutely awful. These people should be in jail for selling these arms.
DeleteDebby; just tossing the catalogues in the trash, won't stop them from sending again and again. They need to be told to remove the recipient's name from their mailing lists.
DeleteBut if they are spending $2.64 to mail these catalogues out, it bites into their bottom line. I don't mind helping a company like that to lose money.
DeleteHaha--Debby, I like that logic. 🙂👍
DeleteI like return to sender, they have to pay the postage is my understanding.
DeleteThanks Celia, next time I will try that! 🙂
DeleteHi Doug, I think Debby definitely nailed it. Purchase history and where you live. Not the most pleasant catalogue to receive. Darn mailing lists!😠Not so much now but in days past I received some interesting catalogs too.
ReplyDeletePretty fancy potholders! They would look nice hung on a hook.
Have a good weekend Doug!❤️
Robin
Thanks Robin... yes I used to get my share of odd catalogs too (I miss those days) but this one--I should've shown more pages, it's really bad news. I hope you & Debby are right. As for hanging those potholders, Robin they DID hang on the kitchen wall in my old apartment--for 20 years! Now they're retired and sit under the bread basket on my microwave. You have a good weekend too. :^)
DeleteOh horrors. That would have wigged me out also. I would have thought it was someone who didn't like my anti NRA views getting a bit nasty. Perhaps a reader of the blog that doesn't comment but just stews. However, Debby supplied a good, informed and comforting probability. Phew.
ReplyDeleteI use to enjoy catalogues but can't remember the last one I got.
Patti, everything you said here--I've never felt someone more on the same page, thank you. And you're right about Debby too, I hope. Maybe us singles are a little more paranoid than others. As for not getting any catalogs in awhile, I wouldn't mind seeing them make a comeback. :^)
DeleteWe still get a few catalogs like King Arthur Baking Company and Cuddledown... but the numbers will increase with Christmas coming. And I just received a Wayfair catalog for the first time... probably because I ordered a bedspread recently. However, DH did receive a gun catalog the other day - out of the blue. We're not sure why, could be because mailing lists are sold, or could be there trying to get people more interested in guns. Don't know. Don't care. Threw it away!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rian, I sure wouldn't mind one from King Arthur baking company! But I was just telling a friend, I've seen gun catalogs before but this one takes the cake no pun intended. But I will take your advice and ditch it!
DeleteThat would be creepy. I don't like weapons and especially revile AR-15s. I think Debby has nailed it on why you got the catalogue although Patti's comment makes me wonder about other possibilities.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret, I do hope Debby is right. But I still can't help wondering.. I've certainly never got anything like this before.
DeleteAgree wholeheartedly with Debby. Just bin the mag and it's wasted postage. Gotta say, Doug, I also smile when a shop owner gets the drop on an armed robber. Sadly, convenience store workers are vulnerable. I still receive seed and hardware catalogs even though they go straight into the recycle bin. As young girls, my cousin and I would make paper doll cutouts from the Sears and Eatons catalogs.
ReplyDeleteThank you Florence, always enjoy your comments. I'm glad I'm not alone in regards to the shop owners getting the drop on the bad guys, but I love your memory of the Sears and Eaton's catalogs! 🙂
DeleteI didn't even know that gun companies would have catalogues. But come to think of it, as a child we used to get the old Sears catalogue and I think they advertised guns at one time...or maybe that was another company. In any event, I agree with the others, toss it in the garbage and let them waste their money.
ReplyDeleteThanks Maebeme I wasn't aware either of gun catalogs, but this one has very extreme guns including military grade weapons. Scary crazy.
DeleteIt is a fact you don't need a suede potholder.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, you just gave me the best laugh of the day! 😄
DeleteSo you can listen to your old tunes in your blue suede shoes while you bake something wonderful with your suede potholders. I still get a few catalogs; mostly from stuff I've ordered in the recent past. I wish I could grab an Earl May garden catalog, but they only have it online. That's no fun. (I agree with Debby as to how you received it, just marketing and lists, not personal. (My first husband died over 39 years ago. I think it was just last year that I stopped getting forwarded mail from ancient mailing lists that still had that married last name on it!)
ReplyDeleteYou could mail the gun catalog back collect postage with a note to remove your name from their's or whatever list they purchased. We're glad you're a liberal who doesn't need a gun. Linda in Kansas
Thanks Linda, and that's wild you received mail tied to your first husband for that long. Well, I'm sure you guys are right in regards to being on a mailing list I still intend to find out if this catalog was personally requested!
DeleteWhat Drum Major said, send it back to them with a request (or a demand) to remove your name from their mailing list. How dare they send you such rubbish? I don't get catalogues in the mail anymore, not since I returned the last one marked in red, "do not send again", I have a "no junk mail" sticker on my mailbox too, for those people who walk around pulling wagon full of junk to put in mailboxes.
ReplyDeleteThanks River, and that's interesting that people can stick junk in your mailbox in Australia. In the US, it's a Federal crime to tamper with someones mail. At least your guns are in better control than here!
Delete"Junk Mail" means supermarket catalogues advertising this week's sales, also the same from furniture stores, hardware stores and so one. Also political advertising when elections are near.
DeleteAlas River, political advertising is exempt from the “No Junk Mail” here in Australia.
DeleteYet another case of one law for us and a different one for them.
It's strange that they have your name and address. I wonder about that. I get catalogs for cigars, but they are addressed to the ex-boyfriend of the previous owner of our house. She moved to another island in 1991, and I don't feel like searching for her. So into the trash it goes!
ReplyDeleteGigi that's both funny and strange. 1991 was a long time ago! I get stuff from former tenants too, but I just have a feeling this gun catalog was a special request. But you're right, into the trash it goes! 🙂
DeleteAgree the gun catalogue is kind of creepy. But I like those suede potholders!
ReplyDeleteTom if you saw the pages labeled "Warfare", creepy is the perfect term! But I'm glad you like those suede potholders.. maybe I'll put 'em on Ebay :^)
DeleteHi Doug! Jase here. :). I always read your blog but have had trouble with commenting. I will type up a long response and then it never appears.
ReplyDeleteAnyway…I would hate to receive a catalog like that! Having shot an AR-15 before (my brothers - and this was like 15 years ago) I knew then and I still believe that nobody other than law enforcement or the military would need a weapon like that. I’m all for people having a hand gun for home protection (yes, some of us liberals are ok with that!), but that’s enough.
The best thing to do with that catalog is to toss it in a recycle bin and then hope that it becomes a VOTE DEMOCRAT mailer in its future life!
Jase! It's so good to hear from you! That's very kind what you said about reading my blog, and I'm sorry the commenting part is difficult. I had to turn on the validation for comments because I was getting overrun with spam. Anyway, very much like what you wrote here and yes! About the recycling to a vote Democrat mailer! I will do that and again it is good hearing from you my friend. 🙂👍👍👍
DeleteThat is darn disgusting. It would go straight into the trash pile if it got delivered to me. How weird that you would get it. I wonder if you'll get another one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay--I should've scanned more pages, it includes military grade weapons! WHY would anyone sell that stuff to civilians? I do want to find out how they got my name, if it was bought off a mailing list or was this a special request from someone trying to rattle me. :^(
DeleteSnowflake
ReplyDeleteIf you mean I'm unique like one, then thanks! :^)
DeleteYet another good reason to live here in Oz – we wouldn’t receive such disgusting rubbish.
ReplyDeleteAs was suggested above, it was probably someone who read your column, disagreed and thought it would be a “joke” to sign you up to this company.
I’m torn between you demanding they take you off their mailing list or stay on and have them lose money each time they send the catalogue.
Peter thanks for commenting; this is exactly how I was feeling, about all of it--including living in Oz!
DeleteUpon further reflection I imagine that the postal charges are considered a business expense, and thus tax deductable.
DeleteSo, indirectly, you’re paying for them to send you this stuff.
Haha!! Peter I'm sure you're serious, and that is seriously depressing me!
DeleteI receive a number of catalogs but none for weapons. Sounds like that one you received would best be relegated to the round file on the floor. You're probably on some mailing list so who knows what else you might get. Someone misspelled my name somewhere along the line and now I periodically receive various mailings with that spelling of my name. There will be a lull in mailings, then different ones start up again. I figure somebody has bought the list again from whoever is trying to make a buck selling such lists of names.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Joared, it's interesting how mailing lists work--along with cycles of misspellings of your name, this happened with me too & Pottery Barn. They used to send one to Douglas Morris & one to Douglass Morris. Same address! As for the gun catalog, it is pretty extreme. That must be one scary mailing list.
Delete