When we're hunting for items for our homes -- whether they be related to home improvement, maintenance, or decor -- we put serious mileage on our vehicles in the relentless pursuit of just the right items. Add up those gas bills at the end, and you probably could have built a small house. While the Home Shopping Network and other broadcast shopping channels carry a bit of a stigma for their obscure viewing hours (they're often an insomniac's friend) and occasionally campy merchandise, the Internet has yanked the proverbial torch out of television's hand. The Web is home to an almost limitless array of home shopping sites. Beyond the sites which are devoted exclusively to ordering, you may also download various company sites -- for example, if you're hunting for appliances -- and do much of the legwork yourself, all without leaving home. It's an incredible time-saver for those of us who spend hours driving from place to place, comparison shopping.

The following sites offer out-of-the-ordinary home merchandise.

Martha Stewart by Mail: Don't be daunted. You don't have to create your own cake flour or grow your own professional garden to be able to make use of the merchandise on this site. Stewart sells everything from sheets, lamps, curtains, and rugs to (for those of us who pattern our lives after Martha) more time-intensive items, such as soap-making kits. You'll also find her books (including the "Entertaining" series); home organization items (photo albums, collector's boxes); kitchen materials (cookie cutters, aprons, various containers, spice racks); holiday-related merchandise (note cards, candles, and for the ambitious, sugar egg-making kits in honor of Easter); gardening gear; and, of course, wedding merchandise -- the market in which Stewart seems to gaining the most ground lately). Alongside each item, you'll find a small list of related items. Prices range from the affordable to the extravagant, so be sure to keep your calculator by your side as you're filling your virtual shopping basket. If nothing else, you'll find plenty of good gift ideas here -- whether or not the recipient is a home guru. Love her ... or not, there's no denying that Martha Stewart has tapped into the current national sentiment of getting back to the home.

The Internet Shopping Malls Web site is a directory of home-shopping links, including the Internet Shopping Network, the online extension of the Home Shopping Network; Virtual Yellow Pages Shopping World; and others.

Amazon, a book-lover's paradise, is well worth a visit. Type in your home-related field of interest in the site's search bar, and you'll be presented with a long list of choices. You also may order online.

Value America contains home electronics, software, home improvement items, building products, housewares, home furnishings, even barbecue grills. Prices appear to be relatively even with those you'd pay at your nearest retail store, although if you're a Value America member, you receive discounts. Each product is accompanied by a photo and detailed information, as well as a shoppers' rating of the item (percentage of shoppers who rated the product "excellent," "good," and "bad."

Appliance Consumer Connection (a.k.a. appliance.com), was named to the "BigBook ShortList," who called the site "one of the best shopping aids on the Web." Users will find not only thorough, straightforward product information, but also links to comprehensive list of appliance manufacturers, along with their respective contact phone numbers. An "Inside Sources" link provides contacts at national organizations.

Consumer World contains a dizzying selection of merchandise, as well as an additional "Bargains" link. Users will find, among other choices, links to various online auctions and items as specific as logs for log homes. Just-added Bank of America, another merchant, includes a list of bank-owned homes and property.

If you're in the market for a floor plan, check out Build It! Home Plans, which allows users to research a wide array of styles, then order blueprints by calling an 800 number at the bottom of each page.

A Do-it-Yourself Online Store from Reader's Digest Shop at Home is a list of helpful how-to books for the Tim Allen in all of us.

The Internet Kitchen is comprised of manufacturers including Farberware, Fiskars, KitchenAid, Krups, Wusthof, and Zojirushi. This site caters to more experienced cooks, selling fine cutlery, top-of-the-line cookware, serveware, and small appliances.

NY Style isn't just for New Yorkers. This is one of the most comprehensive home shopping sites you'll find. Users may select categories including home design, accessories, books and magazines, and from a wide variety of vendors, such as Krups, Cuisinart, and KitchenAid. Orders more than $100 are shipped free of charge.

Many of these sites provide a list of hot links, as well, so the possibilities are limitless. Just remember that while you're saving all of that money you used to devote to guzzling gas, keep a tight grip on that credit card of yours. While "wealth" best describes the motherlode of information on the 'Net, chances are good that your wallet won't be deserving of the same adjective after you've cruised the Internet for any length of time. So put your feet up, surf the Internet, but watch that hole burning in your pocket.

Published: April 23, 1998

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.