UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
[X] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s)
Lessin, Robert H.
131 South Woodland Street
Englewood, NJ 07631
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Fingerhut Companies, Inc. (FHT)
3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
03/99
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
[X] Director [ ] 10% Owner
[ ] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
[X] Form filed by One Reporting Person
[ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
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1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of
action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect
Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial
(Month/ or Owned at or Ownership
Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C><C>
Common Stock 03/22/99 D V 2,318.84 D $25.000000 0.00 D Direct
<CAPTION>
Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6)
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1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and
Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date
Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D)
Derivative
Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Non-Qualified Stock Option $8.520000 03/22/99 D V 10,000.00 09/28/99 (1) 09/28/08
(right to buy)
<CAPTION>
Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11)
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1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of
Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect
Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial
Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership
Number of Owned at I
- Title Shares End of Month
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Non-Qualified Stock Option 03/22/99 Common Stock 10,000.00 $16.480000 0.00 D Direct
(right to buy)
<FN>
Explanation of Responses:
(1)
These options were granted under the Fingerhut Companies, Inc. Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option Plan and vest in two equal
annual installments.
</FN>
</TABLE>
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/S/ Lessin, Robert H.
DATE
