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Google Search Engine

Search Through Mail-Order Catalogs

SUMMARY: Looking for a gift? Search through Google's digitized versions of mail order catalogs.

Looking to purchase items from mail-order stores but don't want to wait for them to send you catalogs? Or do you want to quickly compare prices between mail-order houses? Google lets you search for items inside digitized versions of various mail-order catalogs without requiring you to lug around those heavy books.

1. Access Google Catalog search at http://catalogs.google.com
2. Browse through catalog entries or enter a search query.
3. Google shows results from scanned catalog pages. The matching words are highlighted. Click a matching thumbnail to view the entire page.

After viewing a match, the top of the resulting webpage shows the company name, phone number, and website URL if provided. You can also browse the resulting catalog by page.

Note that Google Catalogs is a beta service, thus it is subject to potential errors. Also, current prices may differ from what is listed in a catalog, so always verify the final cost of an item through the retailer before you make a purchase.