<P> Spiegel soon became a trendsetter in the catalog business, which was booming as a whole during the early 1980s . The company's sales grew at an impressive pace of 25 to 30 percent a year . Although Spiegel still ranked fourth in catalog sales during this time, trailing Sears, J.C. Penney, and Montgomery Ward, the company's strategies were being followed closely by its larger competitors . </P> <P> In 1982 Beneficial sold Spiegel to Otto - Versand GmbH, a large, private West German company prominent in catalog sales . Between 1982 and 1983, Spiegel's revenue shot from $394 million to $513 million, and the company's pre-tax profits more than doubled, reaching $22.5 million in 1983 . The following year, control of Spiegel was transferred from Otto - Versand itself to members of its controlling family, the Ottos . Under its new ownership, Spiegel's transformation into an outlet for higher - end products continued . </P> <P> In 1984 Spiegel began distributing specialty catalogs in addition to its four primary catalogs; 25 of these specialty catalogs were in circulation by 1986, featuring Italian imports, plus - sized clothing, and other specialty items . That year, Spiegel mailed a total of 130 million catalogs, at a cost of $100 million, and company sales surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time . </P> <P> In 1987 six million shares of nonvoting stock was sold to the public, marking the first time since 1965 that Spiegel was not completely privately held . in 1988, Spiegel acquired Eddie Bauer, Inc., a retail chain specializing in sportswear and outdoor equipment from General Mills . Eddie Bauer, which also maintained a catalog operation, had annual sales of $260 million . In the first year following the acquisition, the chain was expanded from 60 to 99 stores . </P>

When did spiegel catalog go out of business