U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C.  20549
                                FORM 8-K

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  June 24, 1998

                     Commission File No.   0-22524  

                     REAL GOODS TRADING CORPORATION
(Exact name of small business issuer as specified in its charter)

         California                     68-0227324
(State or other jurisdiction of        (IRS Employer
 incorporation or organization)         Identification Number)

555 Leslie Street, Ukiah, California         95482
(Address of principal executive offices)    (Zip Code)

Issuer's telephone number, including area code:  (707) 468-9292

                              PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
For More Information:    John Schaeffer,  Chief Executive Officer
                         Leslie B. Seely, Chief Financial Officer
                         (707) 468-9292 

            REAL GOODS NAMES LES SEELY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

     Ukiah, California, June 24, 1998.  Real Goods Trading
Corporation (Chicago Stock Exchange:  RGT) announced today that
Les Seely, 54, has been named Chief Financial Officer and
Secretary of the Company.

     Seely, most recently Chief Financial Officer at Schurman
Fine Papers, has had substantial experience at both public and
private companies and within a major accounting firm.  "It's
great to have Les on board," CEO John Schaeffer said.  "He brings
a lot of relevant experience with him."

     "We are very glad Les decided to join Real Goods," said Real
Goods President Ron Zell.  "We expect him to be a key member of
the new management team we are putting together to develop the
Real Goods franchise," Zell added.

     "I've been a fan of Real Goods for years," Seely said. "I'm
looking forward to working with John Schaeffer and Ron Zell to
enhance Real Goods' position as the leading retailer of renewable
energy and conservation supplies in the world."

     Seely graduated from the University of Colorado and has his
MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of
Pennsylvania.  Following ten years with Arthur Young & Company
(now Ernst & Young), he spent three years at an electronics
company and  seven years as Chief Financial Officer of Dakin,
Inc., a designer and manufacturer of plush stuffed toys, before
joining Schurman Fine Papers, where sales grew by 500% in the
seven years he was there.

Seely replaces Donna Montag who was with the Company for four
years.

     Real Goods Trading Corporation sells a broad range of energy
and conservation products through its catalogs, retail stores and
on its website (www.realgoods.com) (call 800-762-7325 for a
free catalog).  The Company believes that it is the largest
retailer of these products in the world.  The Corporation's
common stock is publicly traded on the Chicago Stock Exchange
under the symbol "RGT," on the NASDAQ Small Cap Market under the
symbol "RGTC" and through a bulletin board maintained on its
website (http://www.realgoods.com)

Item 5.  Other events

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference the information
contained in Attachment A hereto in response to this Item 5.

                                SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements on the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                              REAL GOODS TRADING CORPORATION
                                        (Registrant)

Date:  June 24, 1998                  By:[S]LESLIE B. SEELY
                                            Leslie B. Seely
                                         Chief Financial Officer