U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
[ ] Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Tallman, Karen A.
   200 Continental Blvd.
   El Segundo, CA  90245
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Merisel, Inc. MSEL
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   95-4172359
4. Statement for Month/Year
   08/31/99
If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner (x) Officer (give title below)
   ( ) Other (specify below)
   Vice Pres. and General Counsel
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                        <C>    <C>  <C><C>               <C> <C>         <C>                 <C>    <C>
Merisel, Inc. Common Stock |8/18/1|A   | |10000 [1]         |A  | [2]       |16720 [3]          |D     |                           |
                           |999   |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                   <C>      <C>   <C>  <C><C>        <C> <C>   <C>   <C>          <C>     <C>     <C>          <C> <C>
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
1. Consists of shares of restricted stock awarded under the Merisel, Inc. 1997
Stock Award and Incentive Plan,  which vest on August 17, 2002 or earlier if
certain financial performance targets are achieved.
2. No consideration was paid for such shares.
3. Includes 6,720 shares of Common Stock held in the Company's 401(k) plan.


SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/Signature/

DATE
[{"type": "4", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 4 - 08/31/99", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4757}]
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
[ ] Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Tallman, Karen A.
   200 Continental Blvd.
   El Segundo, CA  90245
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Merisel, Inc. MSEL
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   95-4172359
4. Statement for Month/Year
   08/31/99
If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner (x) Officer (give title below)
   ( ) Other (specify below)
   Vice Pres. and General Counsel
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Merisel, Inc. Common Stock |8/18/1|A   | |10000 [1]         |A  | [2]       |16720 [3]          |D     |                           |
                           |999   |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Explanation of Responses:
1. Consists of shares of restricted stock awarded under the Merisel, Inc. 1997
Stock Award and Incentive Plan,  which vest on August 17, 2002 or earlier if
certain financial performance targets are achieved.
2. No consideration was paid for such shares.
3. Includes 6,720 shares of Common Stock held in the Company's 401(k) plan.

SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/Signature/

DATE