Which end of a train catalog do you open/look at first?

I check the index and go to what I would be most interested in buying, which is high-end steam locomotives and steam-era rolling stock. After that it's the Euro line if I'm looking at the MTH catalog. Then electric locomotives and transition-era diesels, then everything else. 

I look on the packing slip for directions......

I open them to the middle, skipping all the engines, and going straight to the rolling stock. Then I ignore much of that too, but mark the occasional item that fits my railroad. When I hit the first caboose, I'm done. I might look at the scale sets, but I have to like the engine well enough to consider buying one.

Yes but does it have Fragg-Gee-Lee stenciled on the crate (ala "Fragile" from Christmas Story "the leg" crate)

In the case of MTH, I thumb through to the Premier line. For Lionel, I just go to the Signature catalog. I lost interest in the RTR several years ago.

 

Gilly

I actually start at the front but moving fast to the good stuff inside. I do look at all the catalogs just to see what is in them but the Signature is the one I look at over and over..................Paul

Hmmmm, that's a tough one . Always at the start like most things.

With the Ready To Run catalogs, I start at the beginning and go through them savoring every page.

 

With the Signature catalogs, I start towards the end with the traditional offerings and then go back through and look at every thing else. And then I marvel with all the effort Lionel is putting into the scale line, how many people will still be unhappy.

 

Since MTH dropped the Rugged Rails line, well, I do breeze through the MTH Ready To Run catalog, but personally, I haven't been excited about anything it in years. But I still enjoy going through it. And who knows... I could always be surprised. That's the real joy of going through any catalog!

Front to back - start to finish.

Curt

I used to go straight to Lionel accessories.  Now, I start at the beginning of Lionel's Signature catalog and leaf through the whole thing.  Then I go to the RTR catalog and go straight to the rolling stock....occasionally there is a piece or two I want.  With MTH, I look at the Premier engines first, then RailKing engines, then rolling stock.

Steam! 

Almost always front to back, unless.  Unless I know of something of specific interest to me, then will head for that section.

 

Ron

Eh, who looks at paper anymore. 

 

I go to the Online Catalog, and jump around whereever I point the mouse. 

 

Paper consumes natural resources, thus I prefer the "Green" lifestyle. 

Neither end, although with Lionel it is close to the front:

 

- I turn to scale steam locomotives.  Vision and Legacy in Lionel, Premier and Euro-series in MTH.

Same way here. In the case of the recently released Lionel catalogs (four) that just arrived, I start with my least favorite catalog (Christmas Memories or whatever that one was?) and work my way through the AF & RTR catalogs to my favorite which is the Signature catalog. Then I spend the most time with that one, usually marking items for my wish list.

Index.

Well,I am right handed so whenever I pick up a magazine I hold it at the binding with my right hand and use my left hand to index through bottom to top.As a result this causes me to start at the rear.No other reason.Nick

I do the same thing - open right to the accessories section!

-Greg