Years ago the model companies gave out catalogs to promote their upcoming products and to touch base with their current products as well. Well when companies had to downsize to cut cost, they had to get rid of some employees, cut production & shipping costs, and also do away with the free catalogs.
I used to go to the Unlimited Hydroplane races starting in 1990 and the sponsors would give away a lot of swag including pens, key chains, hats, buttons, pins, photos, printed material, etc. After a few years of this, one could see the decline of some of this swag due to the high cost of doing business. Just to sponsor a boat in the early 90's was one million dollars a year, and then the cost started rising as the years went by.
Yep, it's all about the money.