# Is this the begining of the end for Lee Valley???



## Dr_Unix (Feb 12, 2007)

What is going on with Lee Valley? I just got the "Early Holiday Gift Catalog 2009" and if it didn't say Lee Valley on the cover, I would have guessed it came from Lillian Vernon. Ok, maybe not that bad, but still high quality hand tools seem like an afterthought. They are scattered between listings for hand cranked apple peelers, Tatcheting Garlic Presses, books on the "Classic Art of Hand Shadows", and the "Original Whirley Pop™ Popcorn Popper."

Is this normal for their Christmas catalog? It just seems sooooo out of place and wrong.


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## ropedog (Mar 26, 2008)

ya if i remember correctly the do have a pretty weak tool selection in there holiday catalog every year.


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Far as I can remember the Christmas catalog is always that way


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## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

i kind of liked some of the stuff in there! after all, they DO sell gardening supplies etc… overall the gifts and novelties in there far surpass the quality youd find elsewhere.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Mine says "Early Holiday Gift Catalog" Is that the same one that you got?


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Their Christmas catalogs are always geared toward interesting gifts that appeal to a wider audience.


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## rickf16 (Aug 5, 2008)

Got mine today, and as far as I can remember, this has always been directed for gift shopping. Got their regular catalog about 3 weeks ago, and it was a *monster*. No gift ideas in there…. except for me


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## woodenyaknowit (Oct 21, 2009)

Give Lee Valley a break will ya, they are MORE than just tools, we get 3 BIG catalog's a year…wood, garden, and hardware, I surely don't mind getting a gift catalog that has pieces of all three, new product and gift items. This is soooooo right!!!


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## RobLee (May 19, 2009)

Hi -

Yes - that's normal this time of year…. a real hodge-podge of stuff we run across at various shows, like, and doesn't necessarily fit in our regular product lines.

That catalog is our "Early Holiday" catalog… the next one is "Christmas 2009", and it'll be more than twice that size… and will actually have at least three new Veritas product in it.

We really have four distinct catalog groups - Woodworking, Gardening, Hardware, and Gift. The first three are very focussed - the last is a patchwork!

Cheers -

Rob


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## Dr_Unix (Feb 12, 2007)

Well, thanks to everyone for the clarification. I'm glad to hear that this is a normal event. To me, not having received one of these in the past, it just seemed out of character for what I normally see from Lee Valley.

Long live Lee Valley!


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

I look forward to my Lee Valley catalogues because they are quite often "eclectic".

A trip through the main catalogue will reinforce the fact that these folks are dead serious about quality tools and workmanship.
Kudos to you and your staff Rob!

Bob


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## NSWoodspinner (Oct 24, 2009)

I pretty well have to settle for the catalogs, as Lee Valley is on the Wifes' list of Places Gord Is Not To Go Without An Escort (along with Home Depot, Rona, Chapters, FutureShop). Although I have discovered that daughters can be bribed (they just don't stay bribed!!)


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## rustedknuckles (Feb 17, 2008)

Not bad to have a member of the Lee family answer that one, right from the horse's mouth you might say! thanks for chimming in there Rob. By the way, you guys need to do a (if you haven't already) calander featuring your cover art, I'd pay money for it.


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

Hey, I got a Whirly Pop popcorn popper last year. Best popper I've ever used. Haven't had an old maid yet
Their popcorn ain't bad either.

Lee


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

lol


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## woodshavings (Aug 26, 2009)

Yea I got mine last week and before I looked through it I told my son that I would pick out my Christmas present for him to buy. When I looked through it I scratched my head and threw it in the trash.


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

Stanley:

What went into the Trash …your Head .or the Catalogue?


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