They like to view themselves as knowledgeable in the field under question, but at heart they are dilettantes. Also, many people who are just getting involved with a specialty area will have first marketing exposure to the area from the companies that more aggressively promote their catalogs to more general audiences. These will tend to be the more expensive glossy catalogs. Many catalogs, circulated by companies that think they are niche marketers, are really directed to the fringe of the niche. That is not to say this practice is bad.
Many real niches are very small, and many direct marketing companies seek growth.
It is difficult to grow into a niche. This demands becoming the low-price provider of products and goods that are most highly desired by the niche. It would mean your company's growth would be market limited. Let's turn our attention away from catalog sellers and toward direct mail used to promote one product via a typical direct-mail package. Success in direct mail involves testing.