The 1999 Online Shopping Guide

AN STYLE='font-size: 100%; color: #000066; font-weight: bold; '>Books -- Music -- Videos
AMAZON.COM
The mother of all e-tailers, this easy-to-navigate site offers books, music, videos, cards, toys, electronics and auctions. Its simple, user-friendly site design, excellent customer service and on-target product recommendations make it the best of its kind.

BARNESANDNOBLE.COM
Shop online for everything you'd expect at their stores--minus the cafe. You'll find deals on music, magazines, software and books.

BOOKSMITH
Support both the new economy and independent booksellers at once. This indie sells titles in subgenres like goth and jazz age.

BORDERS.COM
There are 10 million books, CDs and movies for the picking here. And Borders will let you return online purchases at their retail stores.

JESSICA'S BISCUIT
If you're looking for a cookbook--best-selling, unusual or out-of-print--this site is your best bet by far.

POWELL'S BOOKS
This site boasts a huge collection of used, out-of-print, rare and autographed books. A search service tracks down out-of-print titles.

CDNOW
Plus: this huge site's gift registry takes the guesswork out of shopping for music. Minus: no customer service number is posted.

K-TEL.COM
Known as the online source for "as seen on TV" music offers, K-Tel.com also serves up videotapes, custom-made CDs and auctions.

MUSICMAKER.COM
Why suffer through someone else's Christmas mix? Create a unique CD here with only your own holiday favorites, from Bing Crosby to the Beach Boys.

THURSDAY'S GOLDEN GOODIES
Vinyl fans, you're not forgotten. Stop by for nostalgia-inducing records in varieties like Doo-Wop and the British Invasion.

TOWER RECORDS
A superstore takes its urban sensibility on the Web with music, videos and DVDs. Can't find what you like? Get a custom-made disc.

BIGSTAR.COM
Film buffs will appreciate the incredible breadth of offerings here on videos, DVDs and laser discs. Search quirky categories from anime to zombies.

DVD EXPRESS
This site for movies, music and DVD-ROMs also answers all your burning home-entertainment questions, like what exactly is a DVD player anyway?

REEL.COM
You'll find more than 100,000 films here, including used movies at good discounts. Check back in for suggestions based on your past picks.

Toys -- Games
ETOYS
Gift wrapping, wish lists and smart ideas for presents at any price help a harried parent shop on this time-saving site. A handy search tool sorts movies, music, toys and more by category, age and price.

ARCHIE MCPHEE
Turn here for weird and inspired pop-culture gifts like Star Wars Pez dispensers and Elvis playing cards.

CATCH THE WIND
This is the site for classic toys and gifts that take flight, from box kites to boomerangs, wind socks and 32 different types of yo-yos.

COPERNICUS TOYS & GIFTS
Unusual and educational gifts abound here. Pick up a Brew Your Own Root Beer kit, finger-bone pen or, if you really want to drive someone crazy, a backward clock.

DISNEY STORE ONLINE
Shopping for the Mulan-loving eight-year-old in your life? Search Disney toys, videos and clothes by age of gift recipient and name of character.

FAO SCHWARZ
Stuffed animals, the piano dance mat that you saw in Big and many more classic toys are shipped from this revered toy retailer.

GAMECAVE
Friends and family of serious gamers, you can't go wrong here. Buy hardware, equipment and games for all major systems, including Japanese stuff.

JUSTBALLS!
That's really all they sell--balls, from medicine to golf. But if you know what you want, it's better than bouncing around the mall.

KBKIDS
Parent reviews and expert articles give shoppers plenty to think about as they pick video games, software, videos and collectibles.

MOBILEATION.COM
All the toys here are for ridin', from scooters to rocking horses to little luxury cars that even Mom and Dad might covet.

RED ROCKET
Toys, music and clothes from beloved Nickelodeon shows like Rugrats and Blue's Clues are for sale at Nick's online storefront.

TOYS "R" US
Shoppers have jammed this national retailer's site. Maybe they're all at the Pokemon page, trading cards and toys.

TOYSMART.COM
Specializing in educational toys and books for kids, this site will leave grownup shoppers feeling virtuous about what's under the tree.