Vintage catalogs are available to view online at RadioShackCatalogs.com and WishBookWeb.com. The Sears Archives websites also provides some resources for viewing or purchasing old Sears catalogs.
Visit RadioShackCatalogs.com to see vintage Radio Shack catalogs between 1939 to 2005. The catalogs are free to browse from the website. For viewing, the catalogs require non-flash HTML or Adobe Flash. The site also has a helpful instruction manual for viewing the catalogs. The archive includes the very first Radio Shack catalog, which was released in 1939. It includes communication and radio supplies, sound systems and various radio equipment.
Sears catalogs are available from multiple resources, which Sears Archives provides. Some of the catalogs are free, while others need to be purchased. It includes the holiday Wish Book catalogs that used to be released near the end of the year, as well as the general Big Book catalogs.
For a selection of holiday catalogs from different stores, visit WishBookWeb.com. The catalogs are free to view and date back to 1933 with the Spiegel Christmas Catalogs. Some of the other early catalogs available include the Sears Christmas Catalogs from 1937 and 1940, Lord and Taylor Christmas Catalog from 1941 and the Wards Christmas Catalog from 1944.