Mouser keeps sending me 10 pound catalogs - WTF?

I don't understand why I get so many cats (Digi included) that just have a clone of the website. If the cat offers something the site doesn't, fine - but it never does. Not only does it cause destruction to trees, but shipping such a heavy item from the US to the UK is going to incur a good deal of energy being used - only for me to toss it in the recycling bin. Stupid.

Justin

jsteiger said:

How much do you think they spend on those catalogs? I'm sure they are getting a pretty good deal but man, what a bunch of wasted money.

Jeff

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Jeff, it does not cost them anything. The suppliers pay for an entry fee for the catalogue. At least how RS and Farnell operate here.

onlymeeee said:

I still can't get one!

No matter how many times I ask!

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OK I'll send you one.

Mouser has been sending me the abridged catalog for about the last year.  It's only the size of a small city phonebook.  And of course it never has the stuff I want to look up!  Funny that Mouser was one of the first kids on the block with a truly searchable web catalog, but they're still sending out a lot of dead trees.  Though nowadays their search is OK, compared to the truly badass (and FAST!) search at McMaster-Carr.

On the upside, when I run out of bubblewrap those thin catalog pages crumple up nicely for shipping filler.

sahib said:

Jeff, it does not cost them anything. The suppliers pay for an entry fee for the catalogue. At least how RS and Farnell operate here.

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More wasteful spending. It figures. No wonder why everything is so expensive these days.  ???

kato said:

onlymeeee said:

I still can't get one!

No matter how many times I ask!

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OK I'll send you one.

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Ah cheers but I'm all the way over in UK so no worries.

Just find it funny that they won't send me one.  Maybe they think I'm taking the piss because SO many people probably have a go at them for too frequent catalogues!

I've just always prefered looking through paper catalogues rather than on the web.
Mind you, 1 a year would be MORE than enough.

funny thing. As I am reading this the postman has delivered my mouser catalog.... I will be recycling mine.

I quite prefer the print catalogs. They are invaluable for finding problem solvers.

Much like cruising thru the hardware store when you're trying to solve a mechanical
problem.

It isn't always clearly defined, but ideas germinate.

Not so in suffix specific search engines.

I like the print catalogs, too.  But I don't need them sent every 3 to 4 months.  I'm sure I'm paying for it somewhere.  But their "My Mouser" is so convenient, I don't even care.

Dan Kennedy said:

I quite prefer the print catalogs. They are invaluable for finding problem solvers.

Much like cruising thru the hardware store when you're trying to solve a mechanical
problem.

It isn't always clearly defined, but ideas germinate.

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Oh yes. The print catalog is also very good at getting answers to broad questions, like I need to connect box X to box Y, is that at all feasible? I actually prefer the Farnell and RS catalogs over Digi and Mouser, as the former two are more organized by (sub)type while the latter two are more sorted by manufacturer.

Dan Kennedy said:

Not so in suffix specific search engines.

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Strewth. On the other hand I really love how Digi-Key's search engine can help answer specific questions, like what's the highest value capacitor I can get for a 63V 18mm dia 7.5mm pitch part? Mouser almost gets it right, but too many parts are either mislabeled or not labeled at all. Using the RS or Farnell search engine for more than ten minutes makes me want to go looking for my favorite axe.

JDB.
[long ago learned that for small-to-medium scale production it is imprudent to spec parts which aren't carried by at least one major distributor]