OK, this is just a shot in the dark, but did both of you talk to the same person in the store? Believe me, not everyone in any dealer I've ever been to knows where everything is at the same time. You probably got told there were no catalogs because the person you talked to didn't know (or wasn't told) any were available. Your friend who went in 30 minutes later, maybe talked to a different person who happened to have seen that pile of new catalogs under the counter and got your friend one. Hell, I've been in dealers talking to two different salespersons maybe 5 minutes apart and have gotten two different stories on what their motorcycle inventory was and what was available for sale!
Find out which person your friend talked to and go back and see if you can get a catalog (which will confirm or deny your theory). Talk to the parts manager (who just happens to make a living off of the parts and accessories you buy in that store) and let him/her know that they inconvenienced you because of the catalog snafu and you had to go to store X down the road to get what you needed. They hate stories like that!!
Find out which person your friend talked to and go back and see if you can get a catalog (which will confirm or deny your theory). Talk to the parts manager (who just happens to make a living off of the parts and accessories you buy in that store) and let him/her know that they inconvenienced you because of the catalog snafu and you had to go to store X down the road to get what you needed. They hate stories like that!!