EXHIBIT 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CREATIVE COMPUTERS, INC. SETS TIMING FOR SPIN-OFF OF UBID, INC.


TORRANCE, CA, May 18, 1999 -- Creative Computers, Inc. (NASDAQ: MALL) today
announced that its board of directors has declared a distribution to its
stockholders of all of the 7,329,883 shares of uBid, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBID) owned
by Creative.  The distribution is intended to be a tax-free spin-off and is
payable on June 7, 1999 to stockholders of record as of May 24, 1999.  The
number of uBid shares to be distributed for each share of Creative Computers
stock will be determined based on the number of Creative shares outstanding on
the record date. Based on the number of shares of Creative common stock
currently outstanding, Creative stockholders would receive approximately 0.7 of
a share of uBid common stock for each share of Creative common stock held on the
record date.  Completion of the distribution remains subject to certain
conditions set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement previously
entered into between Creative and uBid.

About Creative Computers

Creative Computers, Inc. is a leading direct marketer of personal computers and
related products. The Company offers over 55,000 products to its customers.  The
Company creates demand for its products through its distinctive, full-color PC
Mall, MacMall and ComputAbility catalogs, out-bound marketing, Internet
marketing and its web sites, and other promotional materials.  The Company's
staff of over 400 knowledgeable sales executives, telemarketing, customer
service and technical support personnel work together to provide high-level
customer service and gain customer loyalty.  Creative also sells computers,
computer-related products and consumer electronics, from a variety of leading
manufacturers, in an Internet auction format, through the Company's majority-
owned subsidiary, uBid, Inc.  uBid's web site is located at http://www.ubid.com.

Customers may call PC Mall sales at 800/555-MALL, MacMall sales at 800/222-2808,
and ComputAbility sales at 800/558-0003, or shop Creative on the Internet at
http://www.pcmall.com, http://www.macmall.com, http://www.ubid.com,
http://www.computability.com or http://www.ecost.com.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and
assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements.  The
realization of any or all of these expectations is subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties and it is possible that the assumptions made by management may
not materialize.  There can be no assurance that the conditions to the spin-off
of uBid will be satisfied on a timely basis or at all.  In addition to the
factors set forth above, other important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from our expectations are set forth in the in the Company's
SEC reports, including but not limited to those set forth in the section
entitled "Certain Factors Affecting Future Results" in its Annual Report on Form
10-K for 1998.

CONTACT: Creative Computers, Inc., Torrance, CA
Frank Khulusi, CEO or Ted Sanders, CFO: 310/354-5600