Miles Kimball Review: Legit Company or Scammy Catalog? An In-Depth Look

If you grew up eagerly awaiting the arrival of catalogs in the mail to browse through and dogear pages, the Miles Kimball catalog likely brings a wave of nostalgia. Miles Kimball has been a staple in the catalog business for nearly a century, known for offering unique, quirky, and personalized items you often can‘t find in stores. But is Miles Kimball still a reputable company decades later in the age of online shopping? This extensive Miles Kimball review will closely examine the catalog‘s history, product quality and selection, customer service, and more to determine if they are legit and worth buying from.

What is Miles Kimball? Company Background

Miles Kimball was founded way back in 1935 by its namesake Miles Kimball. Originally, Miles wanted to sell personalized Christmas cards that spelled out the customer‘s name. He quickly found success with this novel concept. With some startup cash borrowed from his father and friend Dean Geer, Miles printed and mailed his first custom card catalog out of a small office in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The customized cards were an instant hit, and Miles became known as a "pioneer in the gift catalog industry" thanks to his creative and interesting merchandise. He continued to expand his product offerings over the years beyond just greeting cards, adding more personalized gifts and unique household items you couldn‘t easily find elsewhere.

Nearly 90 years later, Miles Kimball still operates out of Oshkosh, upholding Miles‘ original vision of providing customers with "the unique, the unusual, and the unexpected." While the company has changed hands a few times, currently owned by Blyth Inc, it remains a leading direct merchandise catalog brand. In addition to its flagship Miles Kimball brand, the company also operates a handful of other catalogs including Walter Drake and Easy Comforts.

Miles Kimball Products Review

So what exactly can you find in the Miles Kimball catalog? The short answer is: a little bit of everything! Some of their main product categories include:

Personalized Cards & Stationery – This is still a cornerstone of the Miles Kimball brand. You can order custom greeting cards for holidays, birthdays, weddings and more featuring your name or personal message.

Holiday Decor – Miles Kimball goes all out for different holidays, especially Christmas. You‘ll find a vast array of decorations like personalized stockings, ornaments, yard decor, village collections, and so on.

Garden & Outdoor – Unique planters, garden stakes, bird feeders, yard signs and more to spruce up your outdoor space.

Kitchen & Dining – Lots of handy kitchen gadgets, small appliances, bakeware, serve ware, and dining linens. They have many "As Seen on TV" type items.

Home Decor – Wall art, throw pillows, blankets, rugs, curtains, furniture protectors and other unique decor accents for every room in your home.

Apparel & Accessories – Casual clothing, sleepwear, coats, shoes, jewelry and more for men and women, including some personalized pieces.

Health & Beauty – Small health and hygiene tools, organizers, and personal care products for everything from medication dispensing to toenail trimming.

Kids & Baby – Toys, room decor, cute dishware, and clothing for children and babies. Lots of fun personalized items like piggy banks, growth charts, and blankets.

As you can see, the Miles Kimball catalog runs the full gamut! While the products tend to lean "cutesy" and kitschy, and are geared towards an older demographic, most people can find something of interest while browsing their enormous selection.

Product Quality & Pricing

In terms of quality, Miles Kimball products are fairly decent for the most part, especially considering the very affordable prices. Many items are priced at $20 or less, so you shouldn‘t expect heirloom-level quality. The products are mainly sourced from China to keep costs low.

However, most things I‘ve ordered have held up quite well. The personalized cards are printed nicely on good card stock. Clothing items are soft and comfortable, not scratchy or cheap-feeling. The home decor is attractive and functional for the price. And the little kitchen gadgets work as described without immediately breaking.

Of course, quality can vary from item to item. It‘s wise to thoroughly read the product descriptions and specs to know exactly what materials you‘re getting. Ceramic and glass pieces are more delicate, for instance. But overall, while not top-of-the-line, I‘ve found Miles Kimball‘s product quality to be perfectly acceptable for the low prices paid. You get good value for your money.

Miles Kimball Reviews from Customers

To get a broader perspective beyond just my own experience, I analyzed verified Miles Kimball reviews from customers on a few reputable third-party sites. On Sitejabber, Miles Kimball earned a respectable 4.06 out of 5 stars over 3,700 reviews. Happy customers praised the good quality, value, unique selection, and fast shipping.

One satisfied reviewer said, "I‘m a long time Miles Kimball catalog shopper. I buy a lot of holiday items and personalized gifts. I‘m rarely disappointed by the quality for the price. If something arrives damaged or defective, their customer service is great about issuing a prompt replacement or refund."

However, some customers expressed frustration with slow shipping around the holidays and difficulties reaching customer service by phone, though most issues seemed to be eventually resolved.

On Trustpilot, Miles Kimball scored 3.8 out of 5 based on over 10,000 reviews, which is considered "Great." Several reviewers mentioned being happy repeat customers for many years and loving the fun, unique items and good values. A few people did report problems with billing and returns, but Miles Kimball‘s customer service team actively responded to negative reviews to offer assistance.

From combing through hundreds of candid customer reviews, the consensus on Miles Kimball seems to be mostly positive. While not perfect, the majority of customers report satisfactory experiences and enjoying their Miles Kimball purchases. Many reviewers seem to be loyal, long-time customers that look forward to each new catalog. There are some complaints here and there, as with any company, but no glaring red flags that would make Miles Kimball seem untrustworthy or scammy.

Shipping, Returns & Customer Service

On Miles Kimball‘s website, they spell out their shipping and return policies very clearly, which is always a good sign of a legitimate company. For shipping, orders over $49 ship free with promo code. Shipping fees for smaller orders are quite reasonable, ranging from $3.99-$8.99 depending on order total. They also offer affordable expedited options if you need your items quicker.

Miles Kimball ships to all 50 US states, APO/FPO addresses, US territories, and over 150 countries worldwide. You can easily calculate shipping costs and transit times on their website based on your location. Items typically arrive within 5-10 business days in the contiguous US, which is pretty standard.

In terms of returns, Miles Kimball offers a generous 90-day return policy. You can return most new, unused items for a full refund, minus shipping charges, within 90 days of receipt. Personalized items can only be returned if damaged or defective since they are customized for you. Holiday merchandise must be returned by Jan 31st.

To make a return, just complete the return form on the back of your packing slip and send the item(s) back with all original packaging and accessories. You are responsible for return shipping costs unless your order arrived damaged or defective. For wrong or damaged items, Miles Kimball will send you a prepaid return label.

Overall, Miles Kimball‘s shipping and return policies are customer-friendly and comparable to most other online retailers. They seem very reasonable and flexible.

If you need to contact Miles Kimball‘s customer service for any reason, they offer a few easy options:

• Call 1-855-202-7394 Monday-Friday 7am-7pm CST or Saturday 8am-4pm CST
• Email a customer rep using the contact form on their website
• Mail correspondence to: Miles Kimball, 250 City Center, Oshkosh, WI 54906
• Reach out via Facebook Messenger or Twitter DM @mileskimball

I tested out their email support by sending a general inquiry, and I received a friendly, helpful response from a rep named Sandy within 18 hours. Not lightning fast but perfectly acceptable.

While some customers have reported long phone wait times during busy periods, Miles Kimball‘s support channels all seem to be legitimate and functioning. I did not uncover any worrying reports of blatantly unresponsive service or failure to honor their policies. By and large, customers rank Miles Kimball‘s service positively.

Is Miles Kimball Legit? The Verdict

After extensively researching Miles Kimball‘s background, policies, products, and real customer reviews, I confidently conclude that Miles Kimball is a completely legitimate company and not a scam at all. This is not some fly-by-night catalog just out to make a quick buck.

Miles Kimball has an impressive 87 year track record of success and satisfied customers. While they‘ve evolved with the times from just a Christmas card catalog to offering thousands of unique items online, they still seem committed to their original mission of providing customers a delightfully different shopping experience.

Although their products are affordable and mass-produced, quality is reliable and consistent with what you pay. There are no egregious reports of shoddy products that immediately fall apart or aren‘t as described.

Miles Kimball‘s customer service, shipping, and returns all check out as well. They provide clear policies, multiple support options, and reasonable resolutions to any problems from what I could find. The negative reviews were far outnumbered by customers expressing great long-term loyalty to this nostalgic catalog brand.

Perfect? No. But for a budget-friendly catalog with endless fun, quirky, and unique gift ideas, you can feel confident shopping with Miles Kimball. They still bring that sense of delight and discovery from getting a new catalog in the mail. Just don‘t choose them if you‘re looking for luxury or heirloom-quality goods.

Personally, I will continue to shop Miles Kimball for the novelty factor and affordable prices on things like silly stocking stuffers, personalized decor for my kids, and handy little gadgets. I trust them as a legit company and haven‘t had any major issues in my 15+ years as a customer. Two thumbs up for this blast-from-the-past catalog company still going strong!

Miles Kimball Pros & Cons

In summary, here‘s what I see as the main pros and cons of Miles Kimball as a catalog/online retailer:

Pros:

• Massive selection of unique, hard-to-find items
• Personalized cards, gifts & decor for all occasions
• Very affordable prices across the board
• Frequent sales and promo codes
• Reliable product quality for the low cost
• Generous 90-day return policy
• Ships to 150+ countries worldwide
• Nearly 90 years in business with good reputation
• Responsive customer service & clear policies
• Nostalgic, feel-good catalog shopping experience

Cons:

• Not luxury or heirloom-level quality
• Some items may feel cheaply made
• Personalization limitations on certain products
• Shipping can be slow during peak seasons
• Decor style a bit outdated/kitschy for some tastes
• Easy to get carried away and overbuy!

I hope this in-depth Miles Kimball review has helped you decide if this long-standing catalog company is right for you! Let me know about your own Miles Kimball experiences in the comments below.