One of the hazards of my job is that since I’m almost always shopping (whether personally or professionally), I often end up buying stuff. And it’s usually a gag-type gift for a friend. The latest victim was my friend Kevin — gorgeous, wickedly funny, and, thankfully, appreciative of my gift to him. It was a boxed set of postcards featuring shots from 1970s catalogs. Shots of men only. We sat at Blue Ribbon Bakery playing “war” with these cards — which ranged from shots of guys in high-waisted underwear, to shots of half-naked guys in polyester pants with what seemed to be a lack of underwear. We were so entertaining that the host picked up our drink check (in reality, he was totally cruising Kevin, but I’d like to think I had something to do with it)! $8.95.

Purchase online at chroniclebooks.com (search for "catalog man")