GIFT o 
 
PRINCIPLES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MAIL ORDER 
 BUSINESS 
 
 BY ARTHUR E. SWETT 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 ARTHUR E. SWETT 
 
 Royal Insurance Building 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 Price, $1.00 
 
 SIXTH EDITION 
 

 
Preface 
 
 I present the sixth edition of Principles of the 
 Mail Order Business with the hope that it will be 
 found of interest to mail order men and those who 
 desire to start in this business. The information 
 this book contains is put in compact form. 
 
 Should you desire my services in any branch of 
 mail order advertising, whether placing, designing, 
 writing or illustrating, I should be pleased to hear 
 from you, and will give your letter prompt and 
 careful attention. 
 
 I can. be of service to you, no matter what 
 stage your business has reached. I have the capital 
 and facilities to handle an appropriation in the mail 
 order papers of any size and can put you in the right 
 direction towards making money, as I do not work 
 
 from theory, but practical experience. 
 
 j ( 
 The numerous advertisements shown in this 
 
 book have been written and placed by me in 
 various ' 'mail order' ' papers throughout the country. 
 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 Arthur E. Swett 
 442711 
 
Principles of the Mail Order 
 Business 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Introductory Remarks. 
 
 There is no doubt of the fact that the 
 mail order business is the great money- 
 making field of to-day for the bright 
 man with a few dollars capital, who 
 knows how to take advantage of his 
 opportunities. 
 
 Here in the United States and Canada 
 we have nearly 100,000,000 people, and 
 you can reach them all through your 
 advertisements and circulars. Even 
 those who cannot read and write can 
 be reached, for even though they can- 
 not read your advertisements you can 
 find agents who will reach them and 
 transact your business for you. Out of 
 this vast army of people, if you cannot 
 succeed in doing enough business with 
 them to make a living, there is probably 
 no other -business in which you could 
 succeed. 
 
 CONDITIONS FAVORABLE. 
 
 Conditions are certainly favorable for 
 starting a mail order business. 
 
 You do not come in personal contact 
 with your customers, but influence them 
 entirely through advertisements, printed 
 circulars, catalogues, etc. There are 
 many things that people will buy by 
 mail that they cannot get at home. You 
 can also sell your goods at wholesale 
 t6 agents who will send cash with every 
 order, so that you make an immense 
 profit on every lot of goods that you 
 sell. 
 
 You can put on the market through 
 this method some article of your own 
 invention or manufacture, or you can 
 obtain such goods in quantities from 
 other manufacturers and put them on 
 the market in your own way. There 
 are a number of firms who make a spe- 
 cialty of manufacturing goods suitable 
 for the mail order trade, such as novel- 
 
 ties, useful household articles, medicinal 
 specialties, etc., whose names are given 
 in another part of this book. 
 
 Just what articles you will select and 
 just what methods of cataloguing or 
 describing to employ, which would in- 
 volve other details, are, of course, mat- 
 ters to be considered in each specific 
 case. It is useless to say that you must 
 have enough business ability to . work 
 these out for yourself. 
 
 The aim should be to arrange for 
 mail order sales either direct to the con- 
 sumer or through agents who will be 
 allowed a suitable commission. 
 
 STILL ROOM IN THE MAIL 
 ORDER FIELD. 
 
 Some pessimists are inclined to think 
 that the mail order business is being 
 overdone, and that there is a reaction 
 among the people at large against this 
 form of trading. 
 
 Of course it is not so easy to succeed 
 in the mail order business now as it 
 was a few years ago, when there was 
 much less competition. This is espe- 
 cially true in case the business is started 
 and conducted along the same lines as 
 followed by scores of other mail deal- 
 ers. But the man with an original and 
 meritorious selling scheme, or a novel 
 and useful specialty, need not hold back 
 because there has been some dullness 
 in the mail order trade during the past 
 few years. The concern with a reason 
 for existing, that will advertise its 
 goods persistently and well, is as sure 
 of succeeding as ever. 
 
 The people are prosperous and have 
 the money to buy. The scores who 
 went into the mail order business on 
 five dollars' capital during the past few 
 years are being weeded out. The field 
 
OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ' iV being !ett open f->r ih-ose who have 
 their own plan and their own literature. 
 
 The great mail order successes are in 
 the future, not in the past never doubt 
 that fact. Desirable goods are still be- 
 ing sold in immense quantities by mail. 
 Both new and old concerns are getting 
 their share of this business. 
 
 The aggregate of the mail order busi- 
 ness done is increasing steadily. Even 
 the scheme of a fakey order, which of- 
 fers much for little and gives little for 
 much, is still drawing, where it is clev- 
 erly devised and convincingly written, 
 but this is not the most profitable 
 branch of the mail order business. 
 
 The mail order houses have done for 
 country consumers what the depart- 
 ment stores had already done for urban 
 and suburban purchasers established a 
 fairer range of prices. Even where the 
 country buyer does not patronize the 
 mail order man, he is benefited by mail 
 order methods. He gets the opportunity 
 to buy a better grade of goods in a 
 wider range of styles at a far smaller 
 margin of profit than he would be 
 obliged to pay if it were not for the 
 mail dealer's competition. 
 
 "The old order changes, giving place 
 to new," and the new order is a far 
 better one for trie great mass of the 
 people. Of course, country middlemen 
 who expect as large a profit for merely 
 handling the article as the manufacturer 
 gets for it after purchasing raw mate- 
 rial and putting it out ready for the 
 market, will not think much of the new 
 way. But the fittest will survive and 
 adapt themselves to the new order. 
 
 REQUIRES BRAINS AND TIME. 
 
 To get established in a paying mail 
 order business requires brains and time. 
 Of course, some money is needed, but 
 if that is not plentiful, the business can 
 be started on a very small scale . and 
 gradually developed. 
 
 If you have no idea as to what spe- 
 cialty or line of goods you will take up, 
 write to thfi different manufacturers, 
 etc., and make your selection ; also read 
 the advertising that appears in the pa- 
 pers, magazines, etc., that reach country 
 people and see what others are adver- 
 tising by mail. Do not copy anyone 
 else's, scheme, however, and as far as 
 possible avoid imitation, but pick out all 
 the good ideas you can. 
 
 Mail order firms come from every 
 
 conceivable source. There are many 
 manufacturers of staple articles who 
 want to do more business than their 
 present method of doing business 
 through jobbers will allow. These 
 sometimes start a retail mail order 
 business under a different name so as 
 not to conflict with their regular line, 
 and they find it a quick and easy method 
 of building up a profitable business. An 
 advertisement in a paper, offering some 
 specialty at a lower price than it can be 
 secured at the local store, has enabled 
 many a manufacturer to get in money 
 quickly to weather a financial storm. 
 
 GETS RETURNS QUICK. 
 
 There are many large general adver- 
 tisers who, many imagine, must be 
 making fortunes, simply because they 
 are spending a great deal of money, 
 who may not even be getting; their 
 money back and probably will not for 
 many months to come. General adver- 
 tising is simply an investment, and it 
 requires a long time to realize on it. 
 On the other hand, there are hundreds 
 of small mail order advertisers who 
 have large places of business and em- 
 ploy dozens of clerks, who are really 
 making money from the results of small 
 ads that these big announcements seem 
 to overshadow. It is simply because 
 the mail order advertiser gets his re- 
 turns direct and quick and turns his 
 appropriations over and over again, 
 while the general advertiser is com- 
 pelled to keep on spending more money 
 or lose the results of everything he has 
 put in it. 
 
 NOT INTERFERE WITH REGU- 
 LAR TRADE. 
 
 The business that he does direct with 
 the customer would not interfere with 
 his regular trade. It would come from 
 sections of the country where he would 
 not be represented by stores. Should 
 an order come from a section in which 
 he was represented, the sale could be 
 made by allowing the dealer in that sec- 
 tion to handle it. 
 
 The business that is done by mail is 
 all cash business. Mail order buyers 
 do not expect, nor ask for credit. 
 
 The business is also done on a low 
 margin of expense. There is no store 
 rent or clerk hire the only cost to be 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 added to the cost of the manufacture is 
 that of advertising. 
 
 If you are already doing a successful 
 business on a small scale, it is safe to 
 assume that you have, a meritorious ar- 
 ticle that could be sold far more widely 
 if you would but tell the people about 
 it. That's advertising by its means you 
 can reach practically the whole Ameri- 
 can public. 
 
 The cost of advertising in mail order 
 publications is cheap and results are a 
 certainty in the right mediums and with 
 attractive announcements. 
 
 Many manufacturers have taken al- 
 vantage of the opportunity presented to 
 them, and no doubt many others will, 
 too, when they become fully alive to the 
 richness of the mail order field. 
 
 To give an idea of what it would cost 
 to attractively advertise an article of 
 merchandise in such a manner as to sell 
 the goods direct from the advertisement, 
 it is only necessary to state that the rate 
 per line per thousand circulation, in the 
 monthlies that circulate among mail or- 
 der buyers, is, after deducting discounts, 
 about one-third of a cent per line per 
 thousand circulation. That would mean 
 that by using a space of six inches, ev- 
 ery thousand papers in which your an- 
 nouncement appears would cost you 
 about 28 cents. 
 
 By using a six-inch space you have 
 an advertisement so striking that every 
 reader of the -paper could not help but 
 see it. 
 
 That would mean that for every 
 twenty-eight cents you can have one 
 thousand possible buyers read your ad- 
 vertisement. The number of readers 
 that would respond to your advertise- 
 ment would depend upon what the arti- 
 cle was and the price at which it was 
 offered. 
 
 THE MANUFACTURER'S OPPOR- 
 TUNITY. 
 
 Economical distribution of a manufac- 
 tured product is quite as important a 
 consideration to the manufacturer as 
 economical production. It is true, a 
 large volume of business can be built 
 up through the old channels of distrib- 
 uting through wholesalers, jobbers and 
 retailers, maintaining an expensive corps 
 of salesmen and depending largely up- 
 on the efforts of retailers to build up a 
 demand for the product. The experi- 
 ence of scores of manufacturers in re- 
 
 cent years, however, proves that a much 
 better way to quickly and effectively 
 create a demand, and economically to 
 supply it, is by the institution of a mail 
 order system or department which serves 
 as a direct medium between the manu- 
 facturer and the consumer. 
 
 The opportunity for doing a profitable 
 mail order business is one which the 
 manufacturer cannot afford to ignore in 
 face of the tremendous amount of evi- 
 dence that it is a practicable and profit- 
 able undertaking. 
 
 To market an article through mail 
 order advertising means to quickly in- 
 troduce it to the most responsive buy- 
 ing public on earth. There are, in the 
 United States alone, millions of people 
 who depend upon the advertisements in 
 their favorite family papers to supply 
 nearly all their wants. It must be 
 clearly understood that mail order busi- 
 ness does not consist entirely in catch- 
 penny trade with boys and girls. True, 
 this trade which superficially appears in- 
 consequential and trifling, is an exceed- 
 ingly and highly profitable branch of the 
 mail order business. From the manu- 
 facturer's viewpoint, however, any arti- 
 cle of merit, which can be sold at all, 
 can be marketed through mail order 
 channels, and this can be done far more 
 cheaply and a great deal more quickly 
 than through the usual chain of sales- 
 man, wholesaler, jobber and retailer. 
 
 There are two plans followed which 
 are known to be successful and in which 
 successful methods are, at this time, 
 pretty well known. The first consists in 
 establishing a mail order department, or 
 in marketing the entire output of a fac- 
 tory by mail, by means of advertising 
 in various publications, and following 
 up with catalogues, circulars, price lists, 
 form letters, etc. Many manufacturers 
 establish such a system and maintain it 
 to the end without attempting to work 
 in connection with the retailer. The 
 business becomes simply a mail order 
 business, dealing directly with the con- 
 sumer and filling orders directly from 
 the factory. An example of this plan 
 is the Kalamazoo Stove Co., whose ad- 
 vertisements, usually headed "A Kala- 
 mazoo, Direct to You," are familiar to 
 the mail order buying public of the. en- 
 tire United States. The other plan is 
 instanced by the Ostermoor Mattress 
 Co. and the Regal Shoe Co. These con- 
 cerns first built up a large demand for 
 their product, soliciting direct mail or- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ders and filling these orders direct to 
 the consumer. Later, however, after the 
 demand was well established, they trans- 
 ferred the business to dealers, thus 
 achieving their end of placing their 
 products on sale everywhere with retail 
 dealers without the intervention of eith- 
 er wholesaler, jobber or salesman. 
 
 By either of these plans a manufac- 
 turer is enabled to provide practically 
 a -limitless outlet for a product, and it 
 is easily proven that the selling cost by 
 this plan is ridiculously small, com- 
 pared with the selling cost by the com- 
 plicated method of marketing through 
 middlemen. A given quantity of any 
 product can be sold much quicker, cred- 
 its and losses are entirely eliminated, 
 because mail order business is a cash 
 business, and a demand once created 
 becomes an asset of the manufacturer 
 and may not be transferred to some 
 other manufacturer or product -through 
 the caprice of salesmen or retailers. 
 Competition is no more keen in the 
 mail order business than outside of it. 
 Such a business is more satisfactory 
 in many ways, requires a smaller or- 
 ganization for the handling of a given 
 volume of business, and if rightly con- 
 ducted, invariably shows a larger mar- 
 gin of profit accruing to the manufac- 
 turer than he could otherwise hope for. 
 
 Time after time, a manufacturer 
 whose business might be said just 
 barely to exist, has turned the tide in 
 his favor and achieves a gratifying 
 even phenomenal success, by inaugura- 
 ting the mail order method of market- 
 ing his product. 
 
 The chief requisite in launching 
 such an innovation is for the manufac- 
 turer to . get in touch with some one 
 capable of making an intelligent and 
 searching analysis of the product, the 
 field, etc., and of creating advertising 
 and literature which will be effective, 
 selecting mediums, which are adapted 
 to the proposition and will produce 
 results, and looking after the many 
 details which necessarily arise, wholly 
 apart and aside from the mere 
 receiving, handling and filling of 
 orders. It has been convincingly dem- 
 onstrated that this part of the thing can 
 best be done by a properly equipped 
 advertising agency, which has a record 
 of success with this particular class of 
 business. The agency of which I am 
 the executive head has been very suc- 
 
 cessful in placing the business of manu- 
 facturers at once upon a successful 
 basis. Correspondence is solicited from 
 any manufacturer who may be consid- 
 ering the advisability of instituting a 
 mail order department, or of changing 
 his method of marketing his product to 
 the mail order method. 
 
 THE WHOLESALE MAIL ORDER 
 TRADE. 
 
 If you are a publisher, manufacturer 
 or jobber, and have goods which are 
 adapted to the mail order trade, it will 
 pay you well to arrange to supply mail 
 order dealers at wholesale rates, should 
 you not care to deal direct with the 
 consumer. 
 
 If you have a good article or line of 
 articles, and will advertise them, you 
 can in a short time make arrangements 
 with scores of hustling advertisers and 
 circular mailers to handle your goods. 
 
 To attain the greatest measure of 
 success in this line, however, you 
 should have a good line of advertising 
 matter prepared describing the goods, 
 and supply such dealers as do not care 
 to go to the expense of having- matter 
 written, printed and illustrated for their 
 own exclusive use. You should not at- 
 tempt to make a profit on the advertis- 
 ing matter, but should sell it to dealers 
 at cost. This literature should, of 
 course, be well gotten up ; the amount 
 of the sales will depend upon this. You 
 can well afford to have an expert write 
 and illustrate it. It should be well- 
 printed on a fair grade of paper, and 
 should not give the impression of being 
 too cheap. Having the matter electro- 
 typed and run off in large editions will 
 reduce the cost so that you can sell it 
 to dealers at a price lower than they 
 would have to pay for crude, poorly- 
 printed stuff, if ordered in small quan- 
 tities at a printer's. Electros should be 
 furnished such dealers who are getting 
 up a catalogue of their own and wish 
 to list any of the articles that you 
 handle. In fact, if you want this trade, 
 you should give dealers every induce- 
 ment to handle your goods. Most 
 houses which wholesale articles for the 
 mail order trade fill orders direct to the 
 dealers' customers, charging enough 
 extra on the one article to reimburse 
 them for their trouble, of course. It is 
 advisable to do -this, especially in case 
 of higher priced articles. Many manu- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF- THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 facturers have lately gone into this line, 
 to the great increase of their sales and 
 profits. You do not need to have a 
 small novelty in order to do this kind 
 of business, though a meritorious nov- 
 elty is a good seller. Any standard 
 line can be sold by mail order dealers; 
 if it is not generally handled by coun- 
 try dealers, so much the better. If it is 
 different from a similar article usually 
 kept in stock by retailers, and the differ- 
 ence is of such a character as to give 
 the advertising man a chance to exploit 
 this difference as making it more mer- 
 itorious, well and good. If you can sell 
 it at a price which will enable the mail 
 order dealer to undersell the retailer, 
 or claim to, this is another advantage. 
 Merely being different will often make 
 goods sell to the country trade. There 
 are lots of people who do not want the 
 same kind of articles as their neighbors 
 have. There are firms already supply- 
 ing stock catalogues and circulars of 
 many lines, but there are plenty of 
 openings for desirable goods. Every 
 mail order man is continually on the 
 lookout for such. 
 
 If you wish to go into this branch 
 of the business, I will prepare the mat- 
 
 ter and illustrations for your stock cir- 
 cular, booklet or catalogue. If I get 
 this matter up, you may depend upon 
 it that it will pull the orders for your 
 customers. It will be of such a char- 
 acter that its strength will be evident 
 to any mail order man of experience 
 who gives it a casual examination. 
 
 You should also have a good strong 
 form letter to send out to inquirers. In 
 this form letter you should call atten- 
 tion to the merits of .the goods, and to 
 the fact that the articles will give the 
 purchasers satisfaction so that they will 
 order other goods, that this is neces- 
 sary in order to make the mail order 
 business profitable, selling standard 
 lines. You should call attention to the 
 stock advertising matter enclosed, tell 
 them it is proving the strongest kind of 
 a puller, as all who have sent it out 
 testify. Then give prices on the circu- 
 lar matter, with imprint and without, 
 and price on the goods in large lots, 
 and on one article shipped separately to 
 a customer. 
 
 I will write up all this matter for 
 you, in a way that will assure you a 
 successful start in the wholesale branch 
 of the mail order field. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Some Essentials of Mail Order Success. 
 
 Whatever the line of business, there 
 are certain elemental essentials of suc- 
 cess similar in all cases. First place, 
 you must have goods to sell. They 
 must be goods of merit which will give 
 satisfaction and which can be sold at a 
 reasonable price. If you are already 
 in some line of retail or wholesale busi- 
 ness, but wish to branch out and sell 
 by mail, you have a good opportunity 
 to establish a mail order business. Per- 
 haps you have some family remedy 
 which you know to be a good thing, and 
 which has accomplished cures, or per- 
 haps you have a patent on some article, 
 or perhaps you are doing some business 
 in the regular channels of trade and 
 wish to enlarge your business by enter- 
 ing the mail order field. In any such 
 instance it is first necessary to provide 
 the goods which you will sell, or, at 
 least, make definite arrangements so 
 they can be procured promptly when 
 needed to fill orders. 
 
 Again, you may have no idea as to 
 what you will sell, but merely have a 
 desire to start in some business for 
 yourself in which there would be oppor- 
 tunity for the creation of a solid, sub- 
 stantial, permanent business to which 
 you could devote your life. You could 
 not do better than to consider the mail 
 order business in this connection, but 
 if you do you should consider well what 
 you are handling or what branch of the 
 mail order business offers the most 
 promising field. 
 
 It is here in the selection of a line of 
 goods or a proposition that the guid- 
 ance and counsel of an experienced and 
 conscientious mail order man is of tre- 
 mendous value. Much money is wasted 
 in ill-advised ventures which could 
 not be a success for any one of a hun- 
 dred reasons, but which might look very 
 promising to the inexperienced novice 
 depending upon his own judgment 
 alone, or the superficial appearance of 
 success presented by similar proposi- 
 tions. 
 
 A careful decision with reference to 
 
 the proposition which will be taken up, 
 or the line of goods which will be sold, 
 is of the utmost importance and should 
 not be hastily made. There are many 
 things to be taken into consideration, as, 
 for instance, the previous training of 
 the mail order man, his knowledge con- 
 cerning some particular line of goods, 
 the amount of capital available, the loca- 
 tion of the business, proximity to 
 sources of supply, shipping facilities, 
 and such things. Once the line or the 
 proposition is determined upon the next 
 important consideration is 
 
 THE PLAN. 
 
 A retail store may be conducted with- 
 out any particular plan or scheme of 
 selling. Not so a mail order business. 
 There must be in every mail order busi- 
 ness, large or small, a well-defined plan 
 or system upon which the business is 
 conducted. What this means can, per- 
 haps, best be shown by an illustration. 
 The 1900 Washer Co., in all of its ad- 
 vertising, emphasizes the fact that the 
 washer will be sent on thirty days' free 
 trial. Throughout the follow-up litera- 
 ture this point is strongly impressed, 
 and the endeavor is made to get the 
 customer to order a washer on trial. 
 Of course, when analyzed, it is seen this 
 offer means that the customer must first 
 send the price of the washer before get- 
 ting the goods, and that if found un- 
 satisfactory in any way, the sum will 
 be returned. Briefly, this is the plan 
 followed by that concern. There are 
 almost as many plans as there are mail 
 order propositions in operation, and up- 
 on the fortunate selection or creation 
 of a plan depends largely the success of 
 a new mail order venture. 
 
 Again, foresight and careful investi- 
 gation is a necessity. Mail order busi- 
 ness to-day does not consist merely in 
 placing a few ads, receiving orders and 
 shipping goods. There is much to be 
 provided for between the appearance of 
 the ad and banking the profits. Experi- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ence has shown that it is much more 
 profitable to employ a competent ex- 
 pert to devise a plan that will work 
 smoothly, without waste and without 
 confusion, than for the mail order man 
 to attempt, by blind experimenting and 
 the severe lessons of experience, to 
 eventually find the way to success. Peo- 
 ple who make a business of building 
 mail order plans are no more nearly 
 infallible than other people. There is 
 no question that the percentage of suc- 
 cesses made by concerns which, in the 
 beginning, have enlisted the aid of an 
 expert, is overwhelmingly higher than 
 the percentage of successes made by 
 those who have not. 
 
 A properly constructed plan takes in- 
 to consideration several different things. 
 Not only does it comprehend the plan 
 itself, but such matters as copy, medi- 
 ums, systems for keeping accurate rec- 
 ords of the business, the proper han- 
 dling, billing and shipping of goods, and 
 many other details which need not be 
 enumerated. The vital point is, that 
 there must be a plan complete in every 
 way, and with each integral part co- 
 ordinated with and working in har- 
 mony with every other part. Success 
 nowadays cannot reasonably be expect- 
 ed with hit-or-miss, haphazard methods, 
 nor with a supine dependence upon 
 Providence, or a sort of sublimated 
 fatalism which hopes blindly and ignores 
 the value of preparation. 
 
 Many of those who attempt to enter 
 the mail order business do so on very 
 small capital and expect in a few years' 
 time to retire with a fortune. They 
 have the idea that the mail order busi- 
 ness is a get-rich-quick scheme that re- 
 quires no brain, no ability, and no in- 
 dustry. They seem to think that all that 
 is required is to^ "get in" the business, 
 and the profits will flow into their pock- 
 ets with little thought or effort on their 
 part. 
 
 The mail dealer who has a good arti- 
 cle, a good plan, and enough capital to 
 see him through the first stage of the 
 game has a better chance to succeed in 
 this business than he would have in any 
 other mercantile business, provided he 
 also brings intelligence and industry in- 
 to the combination. 
 
 There must be something novel and 
 attractive about either the article itself 
 or the selling plan. People buy goods 
 by mail either because they can get low- 
 
 er prices on the goods or else because 
 the advertiser makes them believe that 
 the goods are different and much better 
 than competing lines. The plan is at 
 the very center of the mail order propo- 
 sition that is to be started on small cap- 
 ital. One cannot expect to get many in- 
 quiries or many orders if he sells the 
 same old goods in the same old way. 
 
 To offer a gold-filled watch for twelve 
 dollars will bring comparatively few in- 
 quiries and fewer orders, but offer this 
 watch free to agents who will show it 
 and the advertiser will be overwhelmed 
 with letters asking for particulars. Of 
 course, the free offer will have a string 
 to it, but if the plan is attractive and the 
 argument plausible, many who write can 
 be persuaded to buy. 
 
 Originality is called for in the mail 
 order business. There is no business in 
 which original thought and sound busi- 
 ness judgment will pay larger returns. 
 The mail dealer cannot -expect to suc- 
 ceed by using stock circulars that scores 
 or hundreds of others are sending out. 
 If one must sell standard goods or 
 goods that are neither novel nor exclu- 
 sive, let him at least build a new selling 
 plan around them. Let him at least 
 have his own literature written and not 
 try to sell the goods by using the same 
 arguments, word for word, that his 
 competitors are using. 
 
 Many a business that once paid well 
 has reached the stage of dry rot because 
 the old goods and the old plans have 
 lost their pulling power, and the owners 
 of the business haven't the originality 
 to devise something new that will regal- 
 vanize the business. Such concerns will 
 speedily give up the ghost if new life 
 is not injected in their veins. 
 
 THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL. 
 
 Because a man starts in the mail 
 order business with small capital is no 
 sign that he is going to fail. Because 
 another has several thousand back of 
 him is no sure evidence that he is going 
 to make a success of it. This is the 
 same in every line of business and 
 human effort. It all depends upon the 
 man. 
 
 We see John Wanamaker starting 
 without a dollar and becoming the best 
 known merchant in America. We see 
 Hilton, Hughes & Co. starting with a 
 large capital and with the prestige of 
 
10 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 the Stewart store and the Stewart clien- 
 tele back of them, dropping millions in 
 the rat hole. After Hilton, Hughes & 
 Co. have acknowledged failure and quit 
 business in disgust we see John Wana- 
 maker take hold of it and build it up 
 to greater proportions than it ever 
 reached during the Stewart regime. 
 
 If you have business ability, grit and 
 industry, do not be deterred from em- 
 barking in the mail order business be- 
 cause of small capital. Start in a small 
 way run the business as a side line at 
 first, if necessary if you are cut out 
 for a mail order man you will gradually 
 put the business on a firmer foundation. 
 Ideas and resourcefulness count more 
 than does mere capital. 
 
 Do not heed the theorists who declare 
 that unless an advertiser can use large 
 space he would better not advertise at 
 all. That is nonsense. Some of the 
 
 smaller ads have been appearing in the 
 mail order papers for years.' Some of 
 those who put them outr have a net 
 yearly income of many thousands of 
 dollars. It depends upon what you 
 have to advertise and how you adver- 
 tise it. 
 
 Caution is all right at first. Try out 
 the possibilities of the plan before 
 plunging into it. Try various ads until 
 you find one that will pull replies at a 
 low cost. When you have proven the 
 plan -a success, when you get inquiries 
 and orders at a profit-making figure, 
 spread out as largely as you can. Put 
 all the money you own or can borrow 
 into the thing. An ad which will pay 
 well in one paper will usually pay fairly 
 well in all other papers of the same 
 class. Careful planning, economy and 
 judicious boldness will win for you, 
 even though you have but small capital. 
 
 uyii uiiuiuc vJ 
 
 $3.75. Every Watch is Exactly 
 
 To prove that we are selling watches lower than 
 ' Q ft) I 3 any other bouse in America, we offer your choice of 
 ^iS any of these 25 year guaranteed watches, for only 
 
 xactly As Represented, and you do not need to pay one cent in 
 
 advance. Just send your name and state the style of watch you want and we will send it, C.O.D. 
 
 $8.? and express charges, to your express office for you to examine. 
 
 $375 
 
 $3 
 
 .75 BUYS A GENUINE Im. DIAMOND 
 
 set, superbly engraved case, which looks like a hundred dol- 
 lar watch. Fitted with a stem wind and set High-Grade 
 American Works which is guaranteed for 25 Years. 
 Send this to us and we will send the Watch and Gold 
 Chain and Silk Plush Case C. O. 1>. $3.75 and 
 express charges to examine. If as represented pay $3.75 
 and express charges and it is yours. Write if you want 
 Ladles' or Gents' watch. 
 
 RAILROAD 
 MAN'S ^ 
 
 WATCH DUST PROOF 
 
 ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED 1OR 25 YEARS. A watch that is good 
 enough for any man. A watch that will keep perfect time and wear forever. The case 
 is genuine Solid Sllverlne, extra heavy 4 oz. case, solid through and through. It is 
 better than solid coin silver for it will never tarnish. It is screw back and screw bezel, 
 and therefore dust and damp proof. Just the watch for railroad men, mechanics, 
 farmers, and those who require a substantial, solid heavy watch and a reliable 
 timekeeper. The movement is in keeping with the case, and is absolutely the Best 
 Standard American Ruby Jeweled Movement on tha market today. It is quick 
 train, lever escapement, compensation balance, and has every improvement known, to 
 make an absolutely correct timekeeper and a watch that will last practically forever. 
 It is stem wind and stem set and absolutely Guaranteed For 25 Years, both case and 
 movement. Handsome "Gold" vest chain free. 
 
 A GENUINE 21 JEWELED 
 $50,00 GOLD WATCH. 
 
 $3.75 buys an elegantly engrayed 
 Double Hunting Case 
 Watch, fitted with.an accurate 
 stem wind and set, high grade ruby 
 jeweled movement. GIT Alt- 
 AM BED FOR 25 YEARS. 
 Send this ad to us and write if you 
 want ladies' watch and " Gold '' 
 lorgnette chain, or gents' watch 
 and vest chain, and we will send 
 them for free examination, and if 
 after examining the watch at your 
 express office, you consider it 
 equal to a 21 jeweled $50.00 gold 
 watch, pay $3.75 and express char- 
 ges, and they are yours. 
 
 REMEMBER No such watch bargains as above have ever been offered before by any firm in America. Cut this ad out, 
 and state what stvle watch you want, and we will send it to your express office to examine. If satisfied it is a big bargain pay 
 express agent $3.75 and charges, andit is yours. AMERICAN JEWELRY CO., Dept. CHICAGO, ILLS. 
 
 A "C. O. D." watch advertisement. The fact that the advertiser is willing to 
 send the goods C. O. D., subject to inspection and approval, is an indication of good 
 faith and makes a strong argument. For some reason or other, the C. O. D. plan is 
 the only method by which watches can be sold by mail on a cash basis. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ii 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 How the Big Catalogue Houses Do It. 
 
 There is scarcely an individual now- 
 days who is unacquainted with the huge 
 catalogues issued by Sears, Roebuck & 
 Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co. The 
 catalogue itself should fairly indicate a 
 large degree of success, but many peo- 
 ple do not know the methods which 
 have been pursued to build up the tre- 
 mendous business enjoyed by each of 
 these mail order concerns. The evolu- 
 tion of a customer for a big catalogue 
 house is practically the same in every 
 instance. The advertising is usually 
 directed to the exploitation of some one 
 article which is attractively even allur- 
 ingly described in the ad and a price 
 put upon it which is strikingly lower 
 than the same kind of an article can be 
 bought for at the local store. Each ad 
 carries an offer of the big catalogue 
 free, so that in many cases, while the 
 article advertised may not be purchased, 
 the reader of any particular ad is inter- 
 ested enough to send a request for the 
 catalogue. If the article advertised is 
 ordered, the catalogue house sees to it 
 that a copy of the big catalogue goes 
 out with the goods. There is scarcely 
 a human being on earth who would be 
 unable to find something in one of these 
 big catalogues that he or she wants, and 
 here again is carried out the policy of 
 complete, detailed and attractive descrip- 
 tion of each article. 
 
 A very large number of those who 
 receive the catalogue send an order at 
 once, and here begins the real evolution 
 'of a real customer. Promptly an ack- 
 nowledgment of the order is sent the 
 customer, and very quickly thereafter 
 the order is filled, and with it or by first 
 mail goes a letter, thanking the custom- 
 er for the order, assuring him if there 
 is anything unsatisfactory that it will 
 be satisfactorily adjusted, and soliciting 
 more orders. Always and eternally 
 there goes out to the customer a steady 
 stream of special catalogues, circulars, 
 price lists, bargain sheets, combination 
 offers, booklets, etc., keeping the con- 
 cern forever in his mind and constantly 
 
 inviting the sending of further orders. 
 Should there be any dissatisfaction it 
 is promptly and agreeably adjusted with- 
 out unnecessary red tape, and in every 
 possible instance, to the advantage of 
 the customer, even though it entail a 
 slight loss to the house. For example : 
 Any unsatisfactory goods may be ship- 
 ped back to the house at their expense,' 
 and any forwarding charges which may 
 have been paid .by the customer are 
 promptly refunded in cash. 
 
 By these and similar methods a cus- 
 tomer once induced to buy is carefully 
 taken care of, and, by the mail order 
 concern, is regarded as a tangible asset 
 to be retained at all hazards, and en- 
 couraged, by every possible method to 
 buy more goods. Further, the greatest 
 care is exercised to the end that no mis- 
 representation is made and no chance 
 is taken of disappointing the customer. 
 Throughout all of the literature of a 
 big catalogue house it will be found 
 that descriptions of goods, while enthu- 
 siastic and even highly colored, are ac- 
 curate and truthful. This is one of the 
 reasons why these two leading cata- 
 logue houses have each been able to 
 build up a clientele of customers num- 
 bering several million. It is partly for 
 these reasons that Sears, Roebuck & Co., 
 for example, were able to do a gross 
 business last year aggregating more than 
 $40,000,000. 
 
 The evolution of the mail order cus- 
 tomer is quite natural. The man in the 
 country town may try to remain loyal to 
 the local store, on the principle that he 
 is patronizing home industry, but in the 
 long run prices overrule sentiment. 
 
 He concludes after seeing a finely il- 
 lustrated and well-written advertisement 
 of some article, the price of which is 
 much lower than he can buy it in his 
 own town, that it will do no harm to 
 give him a whirl, anyway. In answer- 
 ing this advertisement, he probably has 
 little idea that the firm who sold him 
 this one article is doing all in their 
 
12 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 power to get him for a permanent cus- 
 tomer. 
 
 When he sends the order in, it is 
 promptly acknowledged. They thank 
 him for it and state when the goods will 
 be shipped. With the letter comes in 
 the same mail their mammoth catalogue. 
 Here are listed everything that people 
 eat, wear or use and the prices in nearly 
 every instance are lower than the same 
 goods can be purchased at the local 
 store. 
 
 The promptness with which the order 
 was filled and the satisfaction in the 
 goods encourages further transactions, 
 and before long he has acquired the 
 "mail order habit," and when he wants 
 anything he consults this big catalogue. 
 The general store usually gets his busi- 
 ness when he has something he wants 
 to trade or when he wants credit. 
 
 This is pretty rough on the general 
 stores, but there is no getting around 
 the fact that the large mail order 
 houses, with their thousands of cus- 
 tomers in all parts of the country, can 
 and do sell lower than any small store. 
 
 There is probably not another busi- 
 ness in the world that has more patrons 
 with whom business is directly trans- 
 acted than the mail order houses. Its 
 customers are found in all parts of the 
 country, rich and poor, ignorant and 
 educated. 
 
 It must be apparent that to operate a 
 business of this kind it would require 
 an immense capital, as most of the 
 goods are carried in stock, and an im- 
 mense amount of help is required in 
 order to answer their correspondence, 
 ship the goods, enter and check the or- 
 ders, etc. It is encouraging, however, 
 to consider the fact that each of these 
 firms started on a small scale and gradu- 
 ally built up their business by dealing 
 fairly with their customers and giving 
 them good value for little money. 
 
 The firm of Montgomery Ward harps 
 on quality, while Sears, Roebuck & Co. 
 aim to push the bargain feature of their 
 offers. 
 
 THE FUTURE OF THE MAIL 
 ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 The mail order method will be the 
 great future method of trading. People 
 will come to see that it is a waste of 
 time to spend an hour or two making a 
 personal call on a merchant, when a 
 written order can be prepared in a few 
 
 minutes. Those whose time is of little 
 or no value may continue to shop, but 
 Americans are a busy people, and people 
 who can regard the loss of time with 
 equanimity are in the minority. 
 
 In the cities many people will doubt- 
 less continue to make most of their pur- 
 chases of the retail dealer, but even 
 here written orders and telephone orders 
 are likely to grow greatly in popularity. 
 The majority of our inhabitants live in 
 the country, and in comparatively small 
 cities. These people will become more 
 and more addicted to the mail order 
 habit as time goes on. They will buy 
 by mail because it is easier and more 
 convenient, when they are not in a hurry 
 for the goods. They will find that they 
 have larger assortments of goods to se- 
 lect from, and that the mail dealer gives 
 them better value than they can obtain 
 from their local dealers. 
 
 Another thing that will lead to a 
 larger volume of mail trading is the fact 
 that more first-class firms are every year 
 adopting this method of marketing their 
 goods. Progressive firms see the trend 
 of the times. They see that it is good 
 business to get closer to the consumer. 
 They see that it is advisable to own 
 their own trade, and net give a middle 
 man the opportunity of swinging it to 
 a'nother product, if the manufacturer 
 will but offer better prices. 
 
 The big concerns are coming to see 
 that it is absurd that middle men should 
 get more for merely handling the goods 
 than they receive after erecting great 
 mills, buying raw material, and employ- 
 ing thousands of hands to turn the goods 
 into the finished product. They see 
 that it would be to their benefit to take 
 a somewhat larger profit, and sell to 
 the consumer. They could pay cost of 
 marketing, and still give consumers far 
 better values than the retailer would 
 give him. It is to the benefit of both 
 producers and consumers that they 
 should get closer together. 
 
 The more of the reliable concerns that 
 adopt the mail order method, the more 
 popular will mail trading become among 
 the people. Consumers appreciate goods 
 of the first class at moderate prices. 
 Those who receive good value at the 
 hands of one mail dealer will be glad 
 to give another, who is selling a differ- 
 ent line, the chance to make good. 
 
 Still, retailers will not be entirely 
 crowded out. There is a place for them 
 to handle perishable goods, and articles 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 that are not likely to be ordered far in 
 advance. There will always be less mail 
 trade in groceries than in dry goods. 
 
 If you want to get in the mail busi- 
 ness, start now. Do not lament the fact 
 that you did not start earlier. The 
 growth of the mail trade has in reality 
 just begun. There is more competition 
 than there Was years ago, but there are 
 also more mail buyers more population 
 an'd more who have been educated to 
 mail buying. If you have a desirable 
 proposition, and exploit it in a winning 
 way, you can look forward to a great 
 measure of success. 
 
 " LARGE OAKS, ETC." 
 
 Starting in with a limited assortment 
 of goods to list in your catalogue or cir- 
 culars, you can gradually add other ar- 
 ticles to your catalogue, and while you 
 cannot probably nope for such a re- 
 markable success as these two firms 
 have achieved, still I believe it is pos- 
 sible to build up a line of customers 
 who will consult your catalogue fre- 
 quently and that in the course of time 
 you can build up a safe, conservative 
 and profitable business. 
 
 There are quite a number of firms 
 who would allow you to list their goods 
 in your catalogue and instead of carry- 
 ing the goods actually in stock they 
 will ship them to your customers direct 
 from their factory or place of business. 
 Your customer, of course, would not 
 know of this arrangement, and it would 
 be as satisfactory to him as though the 
 goods were shipped direct from you. 
 
 If you have goods listed in your cata- 
 logue that are priced in the neighbor- 
 hood of $10.00 or more, you might be 
 called upon at times to send them C. O. 
 D., as people who purchase goods to this 
 amount naturally desire to see what they 
 are getting before they pay their money ; 
 therefore, you would have to require a 
 deposit of $1.00 or so as an evidence of 
 good faith, and then snip the goods C. 
 O. D., subject ^ to their a^roval. The 
 express agent in your vicinity will tell 
 you how to go about this in case you 
 do not understand it. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF ADVERTISING. 
 
 It will probably occur to you that the 
 question of how to interest people in 
 your firm and let them know that you 
 exist for the purpose of furnishing 
 them with whatever they happen to need 
 in your line, presents considerable dif- 
 
 Can be obtained, whether of wood, metal, canvass, 
 shingle, on any other substance, by using 
 BL.ACK GIANT ROOF? PAIINT 
 
 Will make a worthless roof as good as new 
 
 and serviceable for jeans; positively fire-proof and 
 water-proof. Stops all leaks and holes. The best roof 
 p-unt on the market. Sold direct to the consumer. 
 Ready for use. Requires no mixing or thinning. 
 Prices, booklet, testimonials, etc., on application. 
 Vulcan Chemical Co., Dept. Cleveland, O. 
 
 The advertisement of Vulcan Chemical Co. is 
 designed merely to get inquiries from those who 
 need the goods. No attempt is made in the ad. 
 further than that. The catalogue, follow-up 
 system, etc., does the rest. 
 
 39 
 
 Is all we ask for this nobby little 
 setofANGOKA FTKS. It 
 IncludeaCollarette and Muff, exactly as shown 
 in picture, and Is a handsome and attract! 
 gift for any child. This price is less than on 
 hird. the wholesale value and is A BIG 
 ttle ones 
 snows 
 
 of mid winter. Your money back if not satis- 
 fied Sent to an* part of ihe U S all charges 
 paid. Only 39 CENTS. Order today. 
 MONTGOMERY GIBBS CO. Dem 
 $ 400-40-J V. itarrt St.. NEW YORK. 
 
 . a 
 
 BARGAIN. w l kP tb little 
 well protected during the icy blasts and 
 
 The above ad. pulled so well that the adver- 
 tiser was obliged to discontinue it on account of 
 not being able to get the goods in sufficient 
 quantities to fill orders with. 
 
 worth of SEEDS 
 
 Just to introduce our famous Garden Seeds to thous- 
 andsof new customers, we make this SPECIAL OFFER: 
 Send us 50 cents, stamps, money order or silver, and we 
 will send you by return mail one packet each of the 
 following choice and selected seeds 
 
 paid 
 
 Pkt. Onion lOe 
 
 Lettuce lOc 
 
 Peppers 10c 
 
 Beets l()c 
 
 EariyCabbagelOc 
 
 LateC.tbbage.10c 
 
 Sweet Corn .MOc 
 
 Carrots l"c 
 
 Tom n toes Jdc 
 
 Watermelon. lOc 
 .Remember, you get one pac 
 in all, worth $2.00. for only 50 cents. 
 
 PRICE 
 
 Pkt. Radishes lOc 
 
 Peas lOc 
 
 Bean* lUc 
 
 Celery lUc 
 
 Turnips lUc 
 
 Cauliflowtr .. .Hie 
 
 Squash lOc 
 
 Endive lOc 
 
 Cucumber ]0c 
 
 Canteloupe....lflc 
 11 of the above. 20 
 is the biggest 
 
 ever made by a reliable house. ORDER TO-DAY. 
 
 Aurand, Seedsman. Dept. Beaver Springs, Pa. 
 
 How a seed advertiser gets sample orders. A 
 large catalogue is sent out listing other flower 
 and garden seeds. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ficulty. In fact, the most essential part 
 of the mail order business is in adver- 
 tising. Until you have advertised, to all 
 intents and purposes you do not exist, 
 because it is only by advertising that 
 the people in the country can possibly 
 know of your existence. 
 
 -It would be a good plan to take some 
 a'rticle from your catalogue as a leader 
 and then when you fill the order for this 
 article you would send your customer a 
 catalogue or circulars of other goods. 
 Take some article that presents points 
 of attractiveness and something that 
 will serve some useful purpose, or a 
 novelty, and then advertise it at a low 
 price in order to attract attention. It is 
 best to take some article that you can 
 sell low, because you want to make just 
 as many sales as you can in order to 
 get your catalogue into the hands of a 
 large number of buyers. This is the 
 method that has been pursued by Sears, 
 Roebuck & Co., whose advertisements 
 ^you have probably seen. 
 
 SPECIAL INDUCEMENTS. 
 
 Do not imagine that you can attract 
 any attention by taking some article and 
 briefly mention it in a few lines' space 
 and expect that people will buy it. Un- 
 less you are prepared to advertise in the 
 right way, it would be best for you not 
 to advertise at all. Take an article that 
 you desire to advertise and use an adver- 
 tisement that contains an illustration of 
 it, then describe it fully and explain all 
 its points, show all the uses it can be 
 put to and explain why it is sold so 
 cheap; in fact, give persuasive argu- 
 ments why the party reading the adver- 
 tisement should buy it. Even though you 
 lose money on the first sale that you 
 make, it will give you an opportunity to 
 
 it 
 
 ONLY 10 CENTS 
 
 forthisthree-piece VIOLET WAIST SET. 
 
 The prettiest set ever advertised. Each pin 
 is an imitation of a Violet and is set with a 
 perfect im. diamond. The face is beauti- 
 fully enameled in soft Natural Violet color, 
 back and pin is a heavy Gold Plate, warran- 
 ted to wear two years. Everybody admires 
 them. Retailers charge 35c. To advertise our 
 house we send a set, together with our illus- 
 trated listof fine jewelry for only 1 cents 
 postpaid; 3 sets 25c. Silver or stamps. 
 BORNS JEWELRY HOUSE, Dept. 
 1907 MILWAUKEE AVE., CHICAGO. 
 
 The above advertisement shows how a 
 jewelry house introduces their catalogue. 
 When they fill these 10-cent orders they 
 send out their catalogue of other goods, and 
 the good value given in their "leader" forms 
 an 'entering wedge for further business. 
 
 send out your catalogue of other goods, 
 and it will also attract the attention of 
 people who otherwise would never 
 write to you were it not for the extra 
 inducement you offer. This plan of 
 drawing the attention of the people by 
 means of special inducements is per- 
 fectly legitimate and is practiced by all 
 mail order dealers. If the first pur- 
 chase the customer makes is all right, 
 they will naturally come again. There- 
 fore, do not advertise for a leader any 
 thing that will not give perfect satis- 
 faction, for by so doing you would sim- 
 ply run against your own interests. 
 
 Neither should you attempt to adver- 
 tise any article that you cannot fill or- 
 ders for promptly as soon as received. 
 
 The new advertiser should be ready 
 to satisfy his customers in the s-ame 
 manner as a retailer is anxious to sell 
 to the lady before the counter. If he 
 be a mail order man, and does not recog- 
 nize that the people who answer wish 
 to be satisfied as quickly as possible, he 
 is likely to be loaded with letters indi- 
 cating the poor idea his customers have 
 of him, and that they will secure the 
 assistance of the postal authorities. 
 
 HOW TO WRITE GOOD MAIL 
 ORDER ADS. 
 
 In writing a mail order advertise- 
 ment, you must remember that to make 
 an advertisement convincing, there must 
 be something more in it than mere as- 
 sertion. There must be reason logic. 
 Prices are nothing without descriptions. 
 The cut of a pair of silk hose, retailing 
 for $1.49, looks exactly like the same 
 article in cotton, retailing at IQC. 
 
 Describe the goods. If they are espe- 
 cially good value at the price, show up 
 their strong points, and show wherein 
 they are superior to articles usually re- 
 tailed at the prices quoted. 
 
 Give reasons why you can afford to 
 sell at less than the regular price charged 
 for that grade of goods. The reasons 
 must be plausible. 
 
 But good values do not necessarily 
 mean low prices. A superior class of 
 goods at the usual price charged for reg- 
 ular lines will attract the interest of a 
 large clientele of buyers. Goods with 
 superior style, or some good quality 
 that differentiates them from the usual, 
 will always fetch a price that will mean 
 a good profit for the manufacturer or 
 dealer. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 Bring out the distinctive qualities of 
 the line advertised in the most promi- 
 nent manner. Greater than illustration, 
 greater than decoration, greater than 
 type effects, is the power of reason. 
 The first thought should be given to 
 the argument the reasons why this is 
 the real motive of the advertisement. 
 All the other things are trimmings. Of 
 course, trimmings are of considerable 
 importance. They will direct to the ad- 
 vertising the attention of those who 
 otherwise would not notice or would 
 not read it. But the attention evoked 
 by the trimmings is not enough. Peo- 
 ple will not buy the goods unless they 
 are given convincing reasons why they 
 should do so. 
 
 Most goods have talking points most 
 goods have merits ; those that haven't 
 should never have been placed on the 
 market. These can be sold by talking 
 the one reason price. But the meri- 
 torious articles should be described in a 
 straightforward, forceful manner. Tell 
 all about them, including the price. 
 
 RIGHT AND WRONG ECONOMY. 
 
 There are right and wrong ways to 
 economize in the mail order business the 
 same as in any other business. A nig- 
 gardly stinginess in the matter of space, 
 copy, literature or postage is the poorest 
 sort of economy in the mail order busi- 
 
 ness. This does not mean that waste 
 and leakages should not be watched for 
 and eliminated, but that the mail order 
 man should be broad-minded enough to 
 view his proposition in a proper light, 
 and differentiate between real economy 
 and unprofitable stinginess. 
 
 The advertiser would better econo- 
 mize on almost anything else than on 
 the advertising copy that he intends to 
 use. He would better use space in 
 fewer periodicals and have the space 
 filled with convincing talk, and be pre- 
 pared to send convincing literature to 
 inquirers. 
 
 It is as much to the advantage of the 
 beginner to have the right sort of ad- 
 vertising matter as it is to the experi- 
 enced mail order man. Indeed, it is of 
 even greater importance. The mail or- 
 der concern that has been in business 
 for a considerable length of time has 
 acquired a prestige that will help make 
 indifferent advertising matter fairly ef- 
 fective. The new bidder for the pub- 
 lic's favor must say something that will 
 draw trade at once. It must be stronger 
 than the advertising of tne older firms 
 that are advertising the same class of. 
 goods. Most new advertisers haven't 
 the capital or the grit to stay unless they 
 can see results within a few weeks of 
 the time that their first advertising ap- 
 pears. If they are to see results, they 
 must use good advertising copy. 
 
 BIG REDUCTION IN PICTURES 
 
 Owing' to the fact that we have an enormous stock of pictures which we wish to turn into 
 money in order to make room for a fresh lot we have decided to make a sweeping reduction 
 in price of our pictures for a few weeks only. 
 
 Our pictures have been sold very largely at 25 cents each. They are printed in many 
 beautiful colors and the size of each picture is 16x20 inches. 
 
 For a short time we will send six samples, no two alike, for 25 cents postpaid. 25 pictures $1.00, 
 100 pictures $3.75. At these figures we cannot guarantee to fill orders indefinitely. 
 
 As soon as our stock is reduced we shall refuse to fill any more orders so do not delay but 
 order at once. 
 
 The subjects which we offer are as follows: Fruits, eight or ten different kinds; 
 Flowers, three or four different kinds; Old Church, Old Mill, Simply to Thy 
 Cross I Cling, Rock of Ages, Christ in the Temple, Christ Before Pilate, 
 Lord's Supper, Can't You Talk, Playmates, Pharaoh's Horses, Horse Fair, 
 etc. We have about 100 subjects at the present time and those who order first will get the best choice. 
 
 LEE PICTURE CO., 74 Canal St., Dept. S3, Chicago, III. 
 
 The above advertisement shows how an advertiser of lithograph pictures does 
 business by mail. This advertiser is said to publish and sell by mail and through 
 other mail order dealers, to whom he sells at wholesale, over five million pictures 
 a year. He publishes an elaborate catalogue listing other pictures of all characters, 
 and in this way has built up a big and prosperous business. It is needless to say 
 that the pictures are excellent value for the money and speak for themselves. 
 
i6 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 LEADER WILL NOT PAY FOR THE 
 ADVERTISING. 
 
 Do not expect that the leader which 
 you advertise will pay for the advertis- 
 ing. It is only by selling them other 
 goods that you can expect to make a 
 profit. Some firms advertise some small 
 article free as a present, in order to get 
 people to write for their catalogue. 
 This, of course, could only be attempted 
 by a firm with ample capital, because the 
 names obtained in this way would prob- 
 ably not begin to yield a profit in less 
 than a year, as advertising of this kind 
 is expensive and their customers would 
 have to purchase considerable goods be- 
 fore the cost of getting them would be 
 made up. 
 
 Many who advertise on this plan fail 
 because their advertisement does not at- 
 tract attention, as they briefly mention 
 the article and do not present any argu- 
 ment, and do not take pains to get their- 
 advertisement up in the way that I have 
 indicated. Therefore, if you wish to 
 have your advertisement of any con- 
 sequence in the world, see that it is 
 just as attractive in appearance as you 
 can possibly make it ; also see that it is 
 placed in papers that will bring results. 
 
 EMPLOY AN AGENT. 
 
 The beginner should employ an agent. 
 The agent can place advertising cheaper 
 than the advertiser can, and his experi- 
 ence in the business would enable him 
 to place the business with less risk, 
 since it is his business to know the 
 standing of the different papers, their 
 rates, circulation, etc., and without this 
 knowledge the advertising is often 
 placed in papers that are worthless and 
 could bring no returns at any price. 
 
 In placing advertising, I not only save 
 my customer money by allowing him a 
 percentage from the rate charged by the 
 publisher, but I also can be of in- 
 estimable service in selecting the papers 
 best suited for his proposition. 
 
 To an advertiser with a limited' ap- 
 propriation it means a great deal to get 
 the very best space that his money will 
 buy. There are mail order papers with 
 rates that vary from 10 cents to $5 a 
 line. There are many papers with the 
 same rate and claiming the same circu- 
 lation whose value as advertising media 
 differs to a greater extent than most 
 new advertisers would suppose. 
 
 An advertiser who wants to put his 
 money where it will do the most good 
 will find my advice as to media of in- 
 estimable value. Those who place their 
 advertising with me frequently receive 
 advice and suggestions regarding their 
 business that is of considerable help to 
 them. 
 
 Some of those who decry the adver- 
 tising agent and his work would ac- 
 knowledge that there is a place, and a 
 very large place, for him if they could 
 but read some of the queries that come 
 into this office. Many beginners in the 
 advertising line have the most absurd 
 theories, and if the advertising agent 
 did no more than set some of these 
 people right and show them that their 
 plans are not feasible he would save 
 enough money for his clients to pay his 
 annual income many times over. 
 
 An advertising man can only stay in 
 the business by delivering results. To 
 handle the business with satisfaction to 
 his customers, he must really under- 
 stand the advertising problem. This is 
 not to say that any advertising agent 
 can push every proposition he handles 
 to success. Some advertisers are com- 
 mitted to a plan that the advertising 
 man does not consider the wisest. But 
 the advertiser may still have so much 
 confidence in his own judgment that he 
 wants to try the proposition out. In 
 such cases the advertising man will put 
 the scheme in such shape that it stands 
 the best chance of success. It may or 
 may not win out. No advertising agent 
 is infallible. Look out for the one that 
 tells you he is. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Following Up Inquiries. 
 
 It is a difficult matter to make direct 
 sales from an advertisement, unless the 
 amount called for is quite trifling. With 
 articles that are of much value the 
 reader whose attention is attracted by 
 the advertisement usually writes to the 
 advertiser for his descriptive matter 
 and other particulars in regard to it. 
 The advertisement simply produces the 
 inquiry and after the inquiry is received 
 the advertiser works up a sale through 
 correspondence. 
 
 When you send the inquirer your 
 catalogue or circular, it is customary to 
 acknowledge receipt of their inquiry, 
 thanking them for it and calling their 
 attention to the circular and catalogue. 
 This gives the transaction a personal 
 flavor and will assure your circular or 
 catalogue getting better attention than 
 if you merely send these out and make 
 no comment whatever. Where you are 
 receiving a large number of answers to 
 your advertisement, it is a good plan 
 to have a form letter printed in imita- 
 tion of typewriter, in which you will fill 
 in their name and address, to give the 
 impression that it is a personal letter. 
 
 Oftentimes the party will make no 
 response after having received your 
 catalogue and letter, and the next thing 
 to do is to follow them up with other 
 letters at frequent intervals. This con- 
 stitutes the follow-up system, and is 
 one of the secrets of success in the 
 mail order business. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 In writing your circular letters, how- 
 ever, always keep the personal quality 
 constantly in mind and do not let them 
 degenerate into circulars in disguise. 
 They must appeal direct to the person 
 addressed and have every appearance 
 of being a personal letter. Sometimes 
 correspondence is developed covering 
 certain points about the article adver- 
 tised, and in answering letters of this 
 kind that require special answers, see 
 that every point and every question is 
 
 specifically answered, no matter how 
 trifling it may appear to you. Some- 
 times people will write of things in 
 their letters that are not exactly perti- 
 nent to the subject in hand. Untactful 
 correspondents, instead of noticing 
 them, will only answer that which is 
 strictly business, and in this way create 
 a prejudice that no amount of good 
 business writing can overcome. Corre- 
 spondence with mail order people can- 
 not be conducted on the same lines as 
 correspondence with business men. In 
 writing to business men, all that is re- 
 quired is to stick to the subject in hand; 
 be as brief as possible, say what you 
 want to say, and when you are finished 
 stop. Country people, however, must 
 be approached in a more friendly spirit. 
 
 All inquiries that are received in re- 
 sponse to your, advertisement represent 
 so many possible purchasers of your 
 goods, because they certainly would not 
 have written unless they had some de- 
 gree of interest in your advertisement. 
 
 The importance of the people who 
 write for particulars with no desire at 
 the time to purchase has for years been 
 belittled. The fact is, perhaps, that a 
 goodly proportion of those who write 
 for particulars are curiosity seekers, 
 open to conviction, however, if the sam- 
 ple literature or follow-up be of the 
 kind that it should be in other words, 
 persuasive and convincing. Even the 
 follow-up crowd that all the advertising 
 literature in the world could not induce 
 to purchase are often valuable, because 
 they show and discuss the advertised 
 samples or booklets to those who may 
 be anxious to purchase. Trying to cut 
 out curiosity seekers is one of those 
 efforts indulged in largely by novices in 
 advertising whose ignorance is consid- 
 erably larger than their knowledge 
 who fail to see that human foresight 
 can never tell where the effect of a 
 business announcement may end. 
 
i8 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 " FOLLOW-UP " LETTERS. 
 
 When doing a catalogue business, 
 where there are hundreds of articles 
 offered, it is not advisable to devote the 
 whole letter to arguing the merits of 
 any one particular article. It should be 
 the advertiser's aim in such a case to 
 convince the inquirer that he can order 
 any article listed and be sure of good 
 value and prompt, courteous attention. 
 It is also well oftentimes to call par- 
 ticular attention to some article which 
 offers exceptionally good value, and to 
 devote some little space to explaining 
 its merits. 
 
 In following up the catalogue, a cir- 
 cular showing other goods than those 
 listed in the catalogue can be inclosed 
 with the letter, and a brief mention 
 made of the inclosure in the follow-up 
 letter. It is customary, after quite a 
 number of letters have been sent with- 
 out getting a response, to inclose a 
 postal card or stamped envelope and 
 ask the recipient to reply to certain 
 questions, such, for instance, as to 
 whether he has purchased the goods he 
 intended to buy when ordering the cata- 
 logue, if not, whether he still intends to 
 purchase. In case of high-class goods, 
 it is often asked when he intends to 
 purchase at any future date, and if he 
 replies his answer is kept on file and a 
 special offer made him about that time. 
 The mode of procedure varies with dif- 
 ferent classes of articles. The inquirer 
 for a catalogue of costly articles, such 
 as pianos, organs, buggies, farming 
 implements, etc., can be followed up for 
 a considerable length of time, because 
 if a sale is made, it means many dollars 
 of profit for the advertiser. 
 
 New catalogues can be sent to such 
 inquirers profitably for two or three 
 years. This is also true in the case of 
 inquirers for a catalogue of articles of 
 clothing. Such catalogues are usually 
 issued semi-annually, and the regular 
 semi-annual catalogue of the advertiser 
 should be sent to all who have shown 
 interest enough in the goods to make 
 inquiries for several seasons, or until 
 it is quite certain no business can result. 
 
 Some firms which issue costly cata- 
 logues, instead of sending a catalogue 
 the second season, send a postal card 
 or form letter, notifying the person ad- 
 dressed that the catalogue is out and 
 that he can have a copy by sending 
 for it. 
 
 A GOOD SYSTEM. 
 
 As an example of what a good follow 
 up system will accomplish, the follow- 
 ing letters are given to show how a 
 firm which manufactures a trousers 
 press follows up those who answer its 
 advertisement and request to send its 
 descriptive catalogue ; in fact, almost 
 the whole secret of success in selling 
 articles by mail, the prices of which are 
 too high to bring in quick replies from 
 the ad, is in a persistent follow-up sys- 
 tem. 
 
 LETTER NO. i. 
 
 Dear Sir : We beg to remind ybu that 
 we are still without response from you 
 regarding the "Practical" trousers hang- 
 er and press. We feel sure your inquiry 
 for our book would not have been made 
 unless you felt the need of a proper 
 device for caring for your clothing. 
 Can we give you any further informa- 
 tion? 
 
 You remember the emphatic manner 
 in which our customers endorse it. It 
 certainly supplied their wants. It will 
 as surely supply yours. 
 
 No one keeps our device except at his 
 own pleasure. We refund the money if 
 it does not completely satisfy. 
 
 You must not confound the "Practi- 
 cal" trousers hanger and press with any 
 other article devised for similar pur- 
 poses. If you had only our unsupported 
 statement that our device was the "best" 
 we should expect you to take such a 
 statement with due allowance. Our 
 tEousers hanger is in a class by itself 
 and possesses original features which 
 embody all the essentials and niceties of 
 a perfect device. The letter inclosed 
 illustrates clearly the superiority of our 
 device. 
 
 We ask that consideration which the 
 evidence we have submitted and the in- 
 terest you have shown merits. 
 
 Yours respectfully. 
 
 LETTER NO. 2. 
 
 Dear Sir : We have not yet heard 
 from you since complying with your 
 request for our book. While we do not 
 expect that every one who writes for 
 our printed matter does so with the idea 
 of buying immediately, nevertheless we 
 infer that the inquiry came from you 
 because you were interested, and natur- 
 ally we look for some reply. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 We know that every man who gives 
 any care whatsoever to his apparel will 
 find our device indispensable. There is 
 nothing else that will meet the require- 
 ments. 
 
 So well assured are we, from our ex- 
 perience that if we can interest you suf- 
 ficiently to secure* your order, we have 
 acquired not only a patron but a cham- 
 pion, whose influence will surely bring 
 us additional orders, that we cannot help 
 being enthusiastic and persistent. We 
 do not want to be forgotten in the rush 
 of other things. 
 
 Our proposition is to refund the 
 money at any time within sixty days, 
 goods being returnable at our expense. 
 It entirely eliminates any risk of loss, 
 and gives you ample time to decide 
 which you would, rather have, your 
 money or our goods. 
 
 We inclose a facsimile copy of a let- 
 ter we received from Mr. C. Oliver Ise- 
 lin. As Mr. Iselin has been using our 
 device for several years and has sent 
 us a number of orders, we take pleas- 
 ure in submitting it for your considera- 
 tion. 
 
 We beg to remain, 
 
 Very respectfully. 
 
 LETTER NO. 3. 
 
 Dear Sir : We have had no reply from 
 you since complying with your request 
 for our printed matter, nor to our let- 
 ters subsequent thereto. It costs us 
 something to get your inquiry and com- 
 ply with your request, and we have been 
 glad to make this expenditure, although 
 thus far we have had our "trouble for 
 our pains." 
 
 We are anxious to find out if your in- 
 quiry was made with the hope of learn- 
 ing of some reliable and meritorious 
 device for the care of trousers. To 
 keep our records perfect, we want to 
 know exactly why the inquiry was 
 made. Are we not in fairness entitled 
 to some reply? Such, for instance, as 
 we would have had if you had made 
 inquiry in person. 
 
 I* would be manifestly "flat, stale and 
 unprofitable" for us to claim our device 
 was the best, unless we could prove our 
 claims. Can the testimony we have 
 already presented 'to you be success- 
 fully questioned? We most certainly 
 would not extend a guarantee which al- 
 lows the purchaser to take sixty days to 
 determine whether to keep the goods or 
 
 send them back and get his money, we 
 prepaying the expressage both ways, un- 
 less we were absolutely sure of the 
 result. 
 
 You evidently value the neatness, 
 comfort and convenience the "Practi- 
 cal" trousers hanger and press provides, 
 and the query rings in our ears, "Why 
 don't we get an order?" Will you let us 
 know why, and very greatly oblige, 
 Yours truly. 
 
 The above letters are a very good 
 example of how "follow-up" letters 
 should be worded, although, of course, 
 different articles require different argu- 
 ments in order to make the sale. 
 
 OVERPERSISTENCY. 
 
 We wish to warn the reader, however, 
 that there is such a thing as following 
 inquiries up too persistently and not al- 
 lowing time enough between letters. 
 Too frequent communications, contin- 
 ued too long, will often prejudice the 
 receiver against the advertiser and 
 against his products. 
 
 Of course, it is folly to pay out good 
 money for an advertisement and then 
 fail to get all the trade possible from 
 the volume of inquiries that results. But 1 
 the way to obtain all the possible trade 
 is not to send out a long letter each 
 week for fourteen weeks. It is not by 
 talking against time and indulging in 
 trite platitudes. It is not by sending im- 
 pertinent letters which accuse the in- 
 quirer of discourtesy because he does 
 not buy the goods nor answer the let- 
 ters. 
 
 Obtain an answer if you can, get an 
 order if you can, but remember that you 
 will get fewer of them, by nagging or 
 blustering than by straightforward bus- 
 iness letters telling of the merits of the 
 goods from a new point of view. Let 
 each letter be fresh and unhackneyed in 
 its treatment of the matter. When you 
 have fully covered the subject, when 
 you have brought all the available ar- 
 guments to bear on the inquirer, then 
 stop. If you want a reply, inclose a 
 stamped post card with one of the last 
 letters . and have this card printed with 
 the questions you wish answered, leav- 
 ing a blank for the answer. Courteous- 
 ly request that correspondents should 
 fill these out, and in a majority of in- 
 stances they will do so. 
 
 Desirable questions to ask are if the 
 purchaser intends to buy goods of the 
 
20 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 class advertised in the near future; if 
 he has already filled his wants in this 
 direction ; if not, when in the future he 
 thinks he is likely to purchase. Those 
 who answer that they intend to buy dur- 
 ing a coming year or at a future sea- 
 son can then be put on the index, to be 
 followed up again just previous to the 
 season when they are likely to buy. 
 
 The length of these various letters 
 will depend, of course, upon the nature 
 of the goods, and also upon the ques- 
 tion of the class of people to whom they 
 are to be sent. People in the rural sec- 
 tions will read longer letters than will 
 the business man. The farmer who 
 answers advertisements that appear in 
 the progressive agricultural papers is 
 not so likely to stand for a long letter 
 as is the rural resident that answers the 
 ad in a mail order monthly. 
 
 Then something depends upon wheth- 
 er one relies upon the letter only, or if 
 a booklet, folder, or circular is sent 
 with each letter. In the latter case, of 
 course, the letter can be made compara- 
 tively short, and the more extended 
 argument given in the other inclosure. 
 
 This is a very good way to do when 
 one is selling high grade goods. In such 
 cases, too, it is well to have the letter 
 written on the machine instead of send- 
 ing an imitation typewritten letter. 
 
 If you use typewritten facsimile let- 
 ters, have good ones. The object of the 
 typewritten letter is to make the recip- 
 ient believe that he is the object of a 
 direct and personal communication. If 
 >our letter does not carry out this im- 
 pression, better use a printed circular. 
 It will convey the same message and 
 cost you less. 
 
 BOOKLETS AND FOLDERS. 
 
 Circulars alone can no longer be prof- 
 itably used for advertising most high 
 grade mail order propositions. Even in 
 the case of cheaper goods, the folder 
 or booklet will often be found more 
 economical in the end, even though the 
 first cost is greater. 
 
 The folder and booklet possess a neat- 
 ness, an attractiveness, and permit an 
 ease in handling that is quite foreign 
 from the circular. They make a better 
 first impression on the mind of the re- 
 ceiver. 
 
 As to whether it is better to use a 
 folder or booklet, depends on the 
 amount of copy that the advertiser is 
 
 going to use. It is not wise to use a 
 folder of too many pages. Such fold- 
 ers are as unwieldy as a circular, and 
 they have the additional disadvantage 
 that it is hard for the reader to find the 
 right place. A four, six, or even eight 
 page folder is all right, but if one is go- 
 ing to print more pages than eight, it is 
 better to shape the literature up in book- 
 let form have the back wired or 
 stitched and the leaves cut. It will cost 
 only a little more anyway. 
 
 Too many advertisers when they 
 finally decide to use a folder or booklet, 
 are filled with the determination to 
 have something pretty; they sacrifice 
 effectiveness to their ideas of neatness 
 and attractiveness. Now, it is all right 
 to get the advertising up in good shape, 
 and to have it neat typographically. But 
 the first consideration should be to 
 make it sell the goods. Wide margins, 
 attractive display lines, and leaded body 
 type are not so important as convincing 
 argument concerning the merits of the 
 goods. 
 
 Fifty words of epigrammatic smart- 
 isms to a page will make a neater ap- 
 pearing booklet than will two hundred 
 words of business talk telling all about 
 the goods. To the man who is looking 
 for something bright, something catchy, 
 it may appear, that the fifty word pages 
 contain the strongest talk. They may 
 interest the man who does not care 
 about the goods, or intend to buy, but a 
 person who is looking for an article in 
 the line advertised and intends to pur- 
 chase of the firm that offers him the 
 best value will be the most interested 
 by the booklet that tells him all about 
 the goods. He is not reading advertis- 
 ing matter to be amused, nor for the 
 purpose of being informed about the 
 idiosyncrasies of human nature. He 
 wants information about the goods 
 he wants to know all about them. 
 
 In the booklet tell the story in full. 
 There is no need of being verbose, of 
 taking five thousand words to give in- 
 formation that could as well be put in 
 half that number, but do not cut down 
 the talk to fit the size of the booklet, 
 which has been determined on in ad- 
 vance. Do not cut down the informa- 
 tion to allow wide rnargins. for the pages 
 of the booklet. Just as sure as you do, 
 the reader will give you a wide margin 
 when he comes to buy. 
 
 It is better to give too much infor- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 21 
 
 mation than too little. When a person 
 is not interested in certain particulars 
 regarding the goods he can skip them, 
 but he cannot supply information that 
 is not given. 
 
 The booklet can be twelve, sixteen, 
 twenty-four or even a hundred pages in 
 length, if the subject warrants and re- 
 quires it; and it will be read through. 
 
 The best mail order advertisers in the 
 country give more attention to present- 
 ing all that can be said in favor of their 
 goods than they do to printing their lit- 
 erature in an ultra fine manner. They 
 economize on paper, and by so doing 
 economize on postage, but they do not 
 economize on the amount of wording 
 used in their descriptive matter. 
 
 Take the Sears-Roebuck catalogue a 
 heavier paper might be used, which 
 would take better illustrations and show 
 up better typographically. One-half the 
 number of pages would then make as 
 much bulk and weigh as much as the 
 catalogue now used. Shorter descrip- 
 tions could be used and fewer goods 
 listed. But the catalogue now used 
 would bring far more orders, and that's 
 what Sears, Roebuck & Co. are looking 
 for. 
 
 The Dr. Shoop booklets, the Slocum 
 booklets, the Liquozone booklets are 
 never ornate. They are just plain, com- 
 mon sense pieces of advertising matter, 
 filled with convincing talk that sells the 
 goods. If prettier advertising matter 
 would sell the goods faster and produce 
 a larger net profit, these experienced 
 advertisers would use them 
 
 There are some mail order proposi- 
 tions that require a high grade of typog- 
 raphy for the folder, booklet, or cata- 
 logue. High priced articles advertised 
 in the magazines are best advertised by 
 booklets that are approximately in the 
 same class typographically as are the 
 magazines in which they are given pub- 
 licity. But the information should never 
 be cut down in the interests of mere 
 typographical details. 
 
 It is not necessary to give dozens of 
 examples to show that people will do 
 what they find most easy to do. If an 
 advertiser desires that many readers 
 should buy his goods, he must make 
 these, aside from their inherent good- 
 ness, easy to buy. The person who goes 
 into a store anxious to purchase a cer- 
 tain article and fails to find it there, 
 soon loses his enthusiasm, and buys 
 what the man in the store tells him to. 
 
 In the war to make the consumer buy/ 
 the storekeeper plays an important part. 
 Not so important, however, that within 
 recent years he has not been made to 
 see that to fail to have in stock what his 
 customers ask is to put him in the list 
 of those to whom progressive people do 
 not apply. Once there, it is a hard job 
 to get into one's former place again. 
 The right way is never to get so far 
 below that a climb upon the mountains 
 must be made before one's earlier cus- 
 tomers can again be made to see that 
 the man who was "way below" has 
 come forward to his former position. 
 
 FOLLOWING UP SALES. 
 
 Holding old customers and cultivating 
 them is as important as getting new 
 ones. There is something more for the 
 advertiser to do than simply to give 
 good values 'and satisfactory service. 
 These are of the utmost importance, but 
 in order to get the most business out of 
 a list of old customers it is necessary to 
 cultivate their trade by keeping them in 
 mind of the fact that you have goods to 
 sell and are offering them at a price 
 that makes it desirable for them to pur- 
 chase from you rather than elsewhere. 
 
 Follow up the sale of one bill of 
 goods by sending out advertising matter 
 concerning other goods at regular inter- 
 vals. If you use circulars, list a few 
 special bargains in goods that sell at a 
 fair price and inclose with a form let- 
 ter calling attention to the goods and 
 making reference to past satisfactory 
 business relations. 
 
 It is never advisable to cram an en- 
 velope full of circulars. If an adver- 
 tiser has so many different goods that 
 he wishes brought to the attention of 
 those on his mailing list he would bet- 
 ter prepare a catalogue and list the 
 goods in such shape that the matter can 
 be easily read and kept on file. 
 
 The firms that get out a large, bulky 
 catalogue, such as issued by Montgom- 
 ery Ward, might get along very well 
 without follow-up matter, because peo- 
 ple keep these catalogues on hand and 
 refer to them frequently. Such firms 
 also advertise extensively, so that the 
 firm name is kept in the public eye, as 
 are some of their bargain offerings. 
 But even some of the large firms are 
 sending out small catalogues, offering 
 special inducements on certain goods for 
 a limited length of time. 
 
22 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 If the small firm would not be forgot- 
 ten it is very important that it should 
 keep in touch with customers. No mat- 
 ter how satisfactory the values in past 
 business transactions, the old customers 
 are likely to try otner concerns if the 
 advertising of these firms is constantly 
 before their eyes. The fact that the 
 person answered your advertisement 
 and purchased your goods is excellent 
 proof that he will answer other adver- 
 tisements if they convince him that the 
 firm putting them out has goods that he 
 wants and is selling them at a low 
 price. 
 
 Of course, when an advertiser is han- 
 dling a specialty or a line of articles 
 which, where one purchase is made, it is 
 likely to be sufficient to last the buyer 
 a lifetime, it is useless to send such pur- 
 chaser new catalogues and try to sell 
 another article of the same class. For 
 instance, no one wants to buy a piano 
 every year. But in the case of most 
 articles, catalogues and circulars can be 
 profitably sent out to buyers whenever 
 issued, and it is well to send a form let- 
 ter along, courteously thanking the cus- 
 tomer for past favors, and calling his 
 attention to the new bargain offerings 
 which are being sent him. 
 
 Remember, however, you can only 
 hope to make sales if you have lived up 
 to your previous advertising. If you 
 have not sent out goods that proved sat- 
 isfactory, if they were not up to your 
 description of the articles in your cata- 
 logue or letters, you cannot hope to sell 
 to that party again. 
 
 Therefore, lay a foundation for fol- 
 lowing up your sales by doing just as 
 your advertising matter says you will 
 do. Following up replies and customers 
 is the backbone of the mail order busi- 
 ness. Only by doing it well can a profit 
 be realized, and a much larger profit 
 will result if it is done as well as it can 
 be done than if it is done only fairly 
 well. Only a person familiar with all 
 phases of the mail order business is 
 competent to advise as to the best plan 
 to use, the best arguments to advance, 
 and to write the letters in such a way 
 as to assure the largest possible results. 
 
 Advertisers often request names and 
 addresses of those known to be inter- 
 ested in their line of goods when send- 
 ing literature to old customers, or even 
 when circularizing those who have 
 never purchased. Often some induce- 
 
 ment, usually a discount on goods to be 
 ordered, is offered for these names. 
 Oftentimes^ it is not found so profitable 
 to circularize addresses so obtained as 
 the advertiser fancied it would be. In 
 other cases, this method of finding a 
 new public is continued from year to 
 year, which is very good evidence that 
 returns justify the expenditure. 
 
 I Write 
 Follow 
 Up Letters 
 
 of all kinds and for all classes of 
 mail order goods. Recently I 
 wrote a series of seven letters 
 for a mail order medical adver- 
 tiser, which increased their cash 
 returns on their follow up letters 
 over ten per cent. It took me 
 over three weeks to write these 
 letters, but the effect was cer- 
 tainly worth it and the price 
 paid for my work was not 
 questioned. 
 
 Follow up letters to bring re- 
 sults cannot be dashed off, but 
 each sentence, each phrase, 
 each word must be carefully 
 studied out. 
 
 I have no set price for follow 
 up letters. Let me know what 
 you want and I will make an 
 estimate. 
 
 Arthur E. Swett 
 
 Royal Insurance Building 
 CHICAGO 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTLR V. 
 Novelties, Cheap Books, Etc. 
 
 The sale of cheap books, jewelry, nov- 
 elties, etc., is quite a profitable branch 
 of the mail order business. Although 
 some condemn this sort of goods as 
 "trash," there is no doubt that many 
 firms have made a fortune in selling 
 goods that appeal to the passing fancy. 
 
 There have been a great many small 
 ads constructed that call for 10 or 25 
 cents that have been wonderful pullers. 
 An ad of this kind should offer some- 
 thing of seemingly extraordinary value, 
 something that will afford a great deal 
 of amusement to the one that buys it 
 and something also that they cannot 
 obtain in their town. 
 
 It is true that many attempt to work 
 up a trade in small novelties by adver- 
 tising leaders that do not appeal to the 
 class of people that this advertising is 
 supposed to influence. Do not try to 
 advertise a box of grease extractor or 
 a patent pencil holder or any article of 
 that nature as a lo-cent leader. The 
 class of mail order buyers who answer 
 small ads are boys and girls and young 
 men and women, who are looking for a 
 chance to spend their stray dimes and 
 quarters. They do not want anything 
 useful and will not buy it any more 
 than a boy will take the money that he 
 has saved up for the circus and buy 
 himself a necktie. 
 
 SMALL NOVELTIES SELL WELL. 
 
 For the man with a small capital of, 
 say from $50 to $100, it is well to make 
 his start in the mail order business by 
 handling his line of small novelties. It 
 may not be exactly to his liking, but it 
 is the simplest branch of the mail or- 
 der business, while to handle agents re- 
 quires experience and skill, and to han- 
 dle articles of heavy merchandise or 
 ordinary household goods requires cap- 
 ital and ability to invest money for sev- 
 eral months before any profits material- 
 ize. This small novelty business will 
 enable you to get along with chances 
 in your favor of at least breaking even, 
 
 and while you are doing this you are 
 also learning the business. 
 
 It is needless to say that there is no 
 book on earth that can teach you every- 
 thing about the mail order business, and 
 the longer you have been in it the bet- 
 ter you will understand it. I might also 
 truthfully say the less you will know 
 about it. Advertising is largely a mat- 
 ter of experience, and in a book of this 
 kind I can simply tell you what experi- 
 ence has been and tell you what kind of 
 an advertisement would probably bring 
 replies; also what kind of an advertise- 
 ment would fail. 
 
 A successful novelty dealer is one that 
 understands human nature and who 
 gives the class of people he wants to 
 reach just what they want. It is strange 
 but nevertheless it is true that the ad- 
 vertiser who advertises a love charm or 
 a collection of songs for 10 cents will 
 make more money than the one who 
 advertises the patent pen and pencil 
 holder, although there is no question 
 that the pen and pencil holder is the 
 more valuable article of the two. 
 . An attractive ad calling for 10 to 25 
 cents that will bring back nearly the 
 cost of the advertising, thus enabling 
 you to get circulars of other goods into 
 the hands of the buyers without extra 
 expense, will put your business on a 
 paying basis in short order/ 
 
 Now, do not imagine that you can 
 take a novelty and merely by mention- 
 
 McGINTY WATCH 
 
 Creates more fun and laughter 
 than a cage of monkeys. Looks 
 like a regular watch. Plated 
 hunting case with chain. 
 jWhen asked the time you can 
 J paralyze your friends 
 by pressing the clasp | 
 and "Up jumps Mc- 
 Ginty" right in their 
 face. Everybody has to laugh. Don't fail to get one. To in- 
 troduce our big catalogue of Toys. Notions, Novelties, Jewelry, 
 Postcards, etc. We send sample lOc, 3 for 2oc, 12 for 75c, post- 
 age paid. U. 8. CO., Dept. 85, 60 Wabash Ave. Chicago. 
 
 A typical novelty ad that is a ten cent puller, 
 enabling the advertiser to get names to which 
 to send out their big catalogue of novelties, 
 books, etc. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ing its name and price in a few lines of 
 space attract any attention, because it 
 cannot be done. 
 
 The average beginner in advertising 
 reasons that because he knows and is 
 fully convinced of the merits of this or 
 that article that all he has to do is to 
 mention it briefly and people will want 
 to buy it. 
 
 Separating people from their money 
 is a hard task. It is especially hard in 
 mail order advertising, where the buyer 
 does not come in contact with the goods 
 and only knows of them through a 
 printed description. 
 
 QUICK ACTION. 
 
 A great advantage in selling the class 
 of goods under consideration is that you 
 do not first have to build up a name and 
 reputation in order to make .sales. Any 
 one will order a small lo-cent novelty 
 from an advertiser if it is described in 
 such a way as to convince that it is 
 something that is wanted, something 
 that is, unique and will create a sensation 
 among the sender's acquaintances. It 
 does not matter if the advertiser is well 
 known or not. Ten cents is not much to 
 risk, and the name of the advertiser is 
 a matter of little consideration. When 
 an advertiser offers standard articles, on 
 the other hand, people want to know 
 who he is, what there is behind his 
 statements. 
 
 GROWTH. 
 
 People who buy one lo-cent novelty, 
 if it proves satisfactory, will buy others. 
 They will get in the habit of sending 
 orders amounting to from 25 cents to 
 one dollar and upwards for an assort- 
 ment of games, novelties, books, jew- 
 elry, etc. If they still get satisfaction, 
 the advertiser can gradually add more 
 expensive articles to his line, and send 
 circulars of them to his old customers, 
 and if anything is desired in that line 
 he has a better prospect of selling it 
 than if he had purchased the names and 
 sent a catalogue or circular of high 
 priced goods at the start. The young 
 people of the family usually order the 
 cheap novelties. Tne older people will 
 see the circulars sent, however, and will 
 also know about how promptly the 
 goods have been sent, and wnat values 
 
 have been given. Then the younger peo- 
 ple will be gradually getting older and 
 be in the market for more expensive 
 goods. Cheap jewelry should form a 
 part of the catalogue or circular matter 
 sent to those answering a novelty or 
 song book or cheap jewelry ad, gradu- 
 ally a more expensive line of articles 
 can be added. There is an opportunity 
 to grow in this branch of the mail 
 order business, as in every other, and 
 this branch does not require the capital 
 or experience that most other branches 
 demand. Nearly every successful firm 
 began small and gradually worked up 
 into a more expensive line. Sears, Roe- 
 buck & Co. began business in Minneap- 
 olis, handling a rather cheap line of 
 jewelry and watches. Gradually higher 
 priced goods in watches, diamonds ana 
 jewelry were added, and then ail other 
 kinds of goods. 
 
 The great mail order jewelry firm of 
 the Baird-North Company began with 
 a sixteen-page catalogue of silver nov- 
 elties and gradually added to their line 
 until it includes all kinds of high class 
 articles in gold, silver and gems. If 
 you have it in you, you can work from 
 small beginning. The cheap line is the 
 best for the man of small capital and 
 little business experience. 
 
 SOME HINTS. 
 
 There are many firms sending put 
 catalogues of novelties and similar 
 goods, but most of them are not stay- 
 ers. If you have the pluck to hang on, 
 you can gradually get the business on a 
 paying basis, while those who drop out 
 will lessen your competition. 
 
 Follow-up letters can often be profit- 
 ably used to follow up orders and re- 
 plies when handling this class of goods. 
 A letter calling attention to a catalogue 
 or circulars will cause a more attentive 
 consideration. 
 
 One of the disadvantages which is 
 experienced in selling this class of goods 
 is the large number of orders received 
 from children for 5 or 10 cents' worth 
 of goods. The cost of postage and 
 packing takes all the profit off such 
 small orders. In order to reduce this 
 class of business to a minimum and to 
 encourage larger orders, it is a good 
 plan to offer premiums for orders 
 amounting to 50 cents, one dollar, two 
 dollars, etc. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 SELECTION OF CIRCULARS. 
 
 The selection of proper circulars to 
 follow up those who answer your ad is 
 quite a task, but remember to send cir- 
 culars of goods similar to those men- 
 tioned in your ad. If you advertise a 
 book in your ad it would be a good plan 
 to send a circular of other books, be- 
 cause you have evidence that the party 
 who answered your ad is in the habit 
 of buying books. An advertisement of 
 novelty should be followed up with a 
 catalogue of other novelties. 
 
 A collection of popular songs is an 
 excellent article to advertise to get quick 
 replies, and a song collection which you 
 can advertise at 10 cents you can pur- 
 chase from Will Rossiter, 56 Fifth ave- 
 nue, Chicago. 
 
 He also has a number of fast selling 
 books that would be suitable to adver- 
 tise as leaders. He also has ready print- 
 ed circulars of books, songs, etc. 
 
 "Ready made" circulars with your im- 
 print on, describing fast selling goods 
 that should pull well, when sent to the 
 class of people who would answer the 
 above ads, may be had from the follow- 
 ing firms : 
 
 F. N. Lupton, 27-28 City Hall place, 
 New York, supplies an excellent circu- 
 lar of fast selling 10 cent books at a 
 very low cost. 
 
 The Rex Trade Supply House, 108 
 Fulton street, New York, have various 
 circulars of fast selling books that they 
 furnish cheap, including a circular of 
 "sixty books for 32 cents." 
 
 Circulars of fast selling novelties or 
 catalogues of novelties, witn your im- 
 print on, may be had of I. Whiteson, 
 240 East Madison street, Chicago. 
 
 He also fills your orders direct to 
 your customers, so that in using his 
 novelty catalogue you will not have to 
 carry a big stock of goods on hand. 
 
 Manhattan Supply House, 416 Dear- 
 born street, Chicago, have an excellent 
 catalogue of cheap books, also circulars. 
 
 Communicate also with the Murphy 
 Manufacturing Company, Stamford, 
 Conn. 
 
 Eureka Trick and Novelty Company, 
 New York. 
 
 Chas. E. Marshall, Lockport, N. Y. 
 
 From these you can select a number 
 of articles and make up your batch of 
 follow-up circulars or catalogues. 
 
 P^^o^i^y JL s 
 
 Words and .Music for Piano orOrsran. Also CreoleBelles. 
 
 ords and Music for Piano or Organ. AlsoCreoleBelles, 
 I Wants a Man Like Romeo, Please Go way and Let Me 
 Bleep, Go way Back and Sit Down, Susan Van Doozen. 
 Mid the Orange Trees and Blossoms. Dear Genevieve. 
 and 33 other Very Latest Sone8,includlng the great 
 descriptive song, when Mammy Rocks her Little One to 
 Sleep, and the HOOOOsong-success, HIAWATHA 
 The biggest, brightest and best collection of genuine 
 songs ever published, including Ragtime, Coon. Comic, Senti 
 Also a big collection of Minstrel Jokes and Magle Trlek8,includlng How to Pass 
 a Card through a Handkerchief and How to Bite Nails in Two, fully illustrated: 
 also a Guide to Flirtation, a bunch of Red-Hot Monologues, a coupon good for 11.00 
 worth of our goods, and a PR | Z Tl C K ET which entitles you to a Free 
 nts, to introduce our Mammoth Catalogue. 
 St., CHICAGO, 
 
 Collections of popular songs are very attrac- 
 tive. The above advertisement pulls several 
 hundred thousand replies every season. Novelty 
 and book catalogues and circulars are mailed 
 with each order filled. 
 
 LEARN MIND READIN8 
 
 and how to control the mind of others. Our book 
 
 , 
 
 Fountain Pen. All for only 10 cents, to introduce our Mammoth Catalogue. 
 Address, LEWIS MUSIC CO., Dept. 18, 610 Jacks 
 
 teaches the subject of mind reading, makes every 
 ing so clear thatany person can understand and 
 become an expert mind reader in a short time. 
 Tou can mystify your friends, gire public enteruiif 
 >nt and help yourself to social and buiioeM 
 uccess. Our book explains all the feau of all 
 the mind readers now before the public. 
 Yoa Can Do Them All. Also tells how to con- 
 trol fh mind* of dogt or other animals and mate 
 tbem do laemingly imoonlblcfriu. "TheM 
 tery nf Mind Reading (Ueall " sent postpaid on rcipt of 2 S CENTS 
 CUtUi, WIU,UB9*CO 7l4iCh*mlaln*.D*pt. tuieag* 
 
 A book ad that proved a good "puller," enab- 
 ling the firm to get out their catalogue into the 
 hands of buyers at small cost. 
 
 RIP-ROARING (50MIC POST 
 
 ill send 
 
 Oft DLTIO 
 
 UAIfUd 
 
 Post Cards FREE to anyone sending 
 us ten cents for a three months' trial 
 subscription to FARM MONEY 
 MAKER, the great family home 
 and farm magazine. The cards 
 are printed in many colors, no 
 two alike. Comic Post Cards 
 are al 1 the rage. These are 
 ' funniest you ever saw and 
 ft. would make a wooden In- 
 
 mm ^ -- r r- -nvw^r *dian laugh. We will return 
 your money if you are not 
 
 satisfied. Send 10 cents (silver or stamps; for 10 Post 
 Cards and Magazine. Two Extra Colored Art Cards 
 8, en t Free if you i write today. All new subjects just out. 
 FARM MONEY MAKER, 28 E.3rdSt.,Cincinnati,Ohio. 
 Post cards are a strong "puller" for mail order 
 business. The above advertisement shows how 
 a publisher sells post cards in connection with 
 subscriptions to his paper. 
 
26 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Selling Through Agents. 
 
 Selling goods through canvassing 
 agents is probably the most difficult 
 branch of the mail order business, al- 
 though to a novice it seems easy. I be- 
 lieve that the time is past, except in ex- 
 ceptional cases, where business can be 
 done by agents on a cash basis that is, 
 for agents to send in cash in advance 
 for the goods. Most of the large houses 
 who deal through canvassing agents 
 have inaugurated the practice of extend- 
 ing credit. They require, of course, ref- 
 erence or endorsement of some responsi- 
 ble party in the town where the agent 
 hails from. 
 
 A good specialty like the chemical ink 
 eraser of the Monroe Manufacturing 
 Company or the patent pens of the 
 Braham Pen Company can be made to 
 pay, but it requires a great deal of skill 
 to present a proposition by means of 
 circular letters, etc. After the Agents 
 are secured there is also considerable 
 difficulty in keeping them in line. 
 
 Many of the agents' propositions real- 
 ly aim to sell the agent a sample outfit 
 or first lot of goods, and the advertisers 
 never expect to hear from them again 
 after they have loaded them up. 
 
 Then, of course, there are other ad- 
 vertisers who have goods of merit, 
 whose agents canvass for them all the 
 year round for the purpose of earning a 
 living. 
 
 Books sell well through agents, es- 
 pecially during the holidays and winter. 
 Books treating of timely events, as, .for 
 example, the Galveston hurricane or the 
 Martinique horror, sell well for a few 
 months after these events. During the 
 presidential campaign the lives of the 
 candidates sell well. 
 
 MUST HAVE A GOOD ARTICLE. 
 
 If you want to sell your goods through 
 agents, unless you are merely working 
 them on a sample outfit, you must have 
 something that agents can sell if they 
 try, something that has genuine merit 
 and plenty of talking points. An article 
 
 does not necessarily have to be new in 
 order to be a good seller, although new 
 articles of merit are naturally preferred. 
 
 The Monroe Manufacturing Company 
 has been selling its chemical eraser 
 through agents for the past ten or fif- 
 teen years, and apparently they are do- 
 ing as much business as ever. 
 
 In order to handle agents successfully 
 it is essential to have an advertisement 
 that will attract their attention. You 
 would then need an attractive circular 
 of your article, or perhaps a small book- 
 let. This circular or booklet should go 
 into the merits of it and should describe 
 it fully, showing up its talking points 
 and attempting to convince the agent 
 that it is an easy article for him to sell. 
 Then you should have a circular letter 
 in which you make him your prices, 
 terms, etc., and if you. are willing to sell 
 him on credit this letter should ask him 
 for references, etc. Some firms sell 
 sample outfits by offering the agent a 
 salary of $15 to $20 a week or some 
 such an amount, but the conditions of 
 the salary are that he shall sell a few 
 dollars' worth of goods, so that the firm 
 can determine how rapidly he sells 
 them. Sometimes they state that if he 
 can succeed in selling the goods in a day 
 they will sign a contract with him at a 
 salary of $15 to $20 a week. When the 
 agent receives the contract he finds he 
 must sell a specified amount of goods. 
 
 It is true that a certain proportion of 
 those who answer agents' wanted ad- 
 vertisements are mere curiosity seekers, 
 but you cannot tell them from those who 
 mean business. It is well to follow up 
 all replies you get, as it frequently hap- 
 pens that at the time the agent writes 
 you he is not open to your proposition, 
 and by writing him two or three times, 
 at frequent intervals, you can possibly 
 find him when he is in a mood to trans- 
 act business with you. 
 
 After you have secured your agents it 
 is unnecessary perhaps to say that you 
 should acknowledge receipt of all or- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ders, remittances, etc., promptly on the 
 day received. 
 
 MEDIUMS TO USE. 
 
 In advertising for agents the mediums 
 that can be used are the classified col- 
 umns of the daily papers and the mail 
 order weeklies and monthlies. The 
 daily papers bring a lot of replies, and 
 returns are quick, but they contain a 
 larger proportion of curiosity seekers 
 than do the inquiries received from the 
 weeklies and monthlies. I prefer adver- 
 tising in the weeklies or monthlies, as 
 they reach a better class of people for 
 the mail order business, and besides 
 there is an opportunity to display the ad- 
 vertisement, also to illustrate it. 
 
 It is well to illustrate the article, 
 thereby giving the prospective agent an 
 idea as to what the article is that you 
 desire to have him handle. 
 
 Another class of agents' propositions 
 are those that mean to sell the agent 
 something with which he can make 
 money, such as vending machine, knit- 
 ter, printing press, plating outfit, etc. It 
 requires considerable skill to construct 
 advertising literature for a proposition 
 of this kind. 
 
 LARGE PROFITS FOR THE 
 AGENT. 
 
 Agents demand large profits on the 
 goods they handle, and they still wish 
 to handle articles of sufficient merit to 
 sell well. A first class, experienced 
 agent can sell almost anything, but such 
 an agent can choose his own proposition 
 and make his own terms. Most agents 
 are amateurs and are looking for arti- 
 cles that will sell themselves. 
 
 Books give a profit of 100 per cent to 
 the agent usually, and they are allowed 
 to make payment after delivery. Small 
 articles, selling for 10 or 25 cents should 
 allow the agent a profit of 150 to 200 
 per cent, especially if he is required to 
 pay for them in advance. A big profit 
 enables the agent to sell through sub- 
 agents and to still make a large profit. 
 Where cash is required in advance, it is 
 desirable to offer the prospective agent 
 the general agency for his territory, and 
 be able to show the large amount of 
 money he can make by the work of oth- 
 ers. Of course a certain minimum 
 quantity must be ordered in order to re- 
 ceive the general agency, and this kind 
 of an offer serves to stimulate large or- 
 ders. The manufacturer can afford to 
 
 sell the goods in large quantities for cash 
 at a small margin of profit, and if 
 the goods are low in price and offer a 
 big profit to the agent it is possible to 
 get the cash orders; but in the case of 
 more costly articles, such as books, medi- 
 cines, etc., it is best to sell on credit, 
 taking the proper precautions to avoid 
 loss, and when this is done the agency 
 firm must figure a large margin of profit 
 ^o cover costs of collection, an occa- 
 sional loss, etc. 
 
 A firm in the west has worked up a 
 large business by placing a silver polish 
 through agents. The goods are sold to 
 agents at $6 per hundred packages, or 
 at a still lower price in larger quantities. 
 The polish retails at 25 cents per pack- 
 age, and the consumer gets good value 
 at that, as the packages contain twelve 
 ounces of the powder and the powder 
 does the work for which it is designed. 
 Indeed, an article of this kind should 
 be right as to quality, because it is 
 necessary to demonstrate it in order to 
 make sales. 
 
 THE LITERATURE NEEDED. 
 
 The literature with which to interest 
 agents consists besides the ad of a book- 
 let or circular describing the merits of 
 the article and showing why it should be 
 easy to make large sales, a form letter 
 to go along with such a booklet or cir- 
 cular quoting terms, and two or more 
 follow-up letters. Circulars showing 
 what other agents have done with the 
 article will also do much to convince the 
 prospective agent. Testimonials are 
 quite as valuable when going after agents 
 as when trying to sell a medicine. If 
 one agent writes and says he is making 
 $10 per day and doing it easy, while he 
 made a failure of trying to sell other 
 lines, it will go far to convince the pros- 
 pective agent that the line advertised is 
 the one to handle. Some firms use pic- 
 tures of the successful agents along 
 with their testimonials. This flatters the 
 agent and adds interest to what he says 
 in the case of most readers. 
 
 To stimulate sales and to insure the 
 agents handling the article for a consid- 
 erable length of time, some advertisers 
 offer premiums to those making the 
 largest sales during the course of the 
 year. These premiums often consist of 
 a certain amount in gold, watches, trips 
 to Europe or the equivalent in cash, etc. 
 Then some firms offer a premium extra 
 
28 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 to every agent selling a certain amount 
 of the goods. 
 
 Every agency firm of much preten- 
 sions sends carefully written instruc- 
 tion with the first bill of goods. These 
 instructions give many pointers to the 
 beginner as to the best way to make 
 sales. A "talk" is included for the agent 
 to memorize and reel off, if he is not 
 capable of doing his own talking. 
 
 The agency field is a good one to 
 work, if one has the right article and the 
 ability to push it in this way. Get a 
 hundred good agents working for you 
 and profits are likely to come in fast. 
 But first you must get your agent and 
 it is hard to get answers from the right 
 class ; there are lots of curiosity seekers, 
 who are looking for a chance to make 
 money without working, who answer 
 this class of ads. Many are ne'er do 
 wells, who will not take up the work 
 and would not succeed if they did. It is 
 hardest to get good agents during pros- 
 perous times. Every one who wants to 
 work can find work to do, and most 
 people prefer to work for wages rather 
 than to sell goods by a house to house 
 canvass. 
 
 In hard times, when work is scarce, 
 many out of employment try the agency 
 business; but of course there is less 
 chance of sales in hard times, and more 
 agents out after what money there is. 
 
 The very strongest and most carefully 
 considered literature should be used 
 when trying to interest agents. There is 
 lots of competition, and if an agent is to 
 take up your proposition, you -must show 
 him good and convincing reasons why 
 he should do so. Every good agent who 
 stays with you any length of time will 
 put lots of easily made money in your 
 pocket. The man who can and will sell 
 goods is a valuable man and no trouble 
 or expense should be spared in bringing 
 him your way, and when you have se- 
 cured him, see that he stays with you, if 
 fair and courteous treatment will induce 
 him to do so. 
 
 Agents in most cases do not stay with 
 one article long. They see some other 
 article advertised which they think will 
 pay better and take that up instead. 
 Then some agents merely take up the 
 sale of an article in order to earn the 
 money for some particular purpose. A 
 student works during vacations in order 
 to continue in school; country teachers 
 and ministers often take an agency in 
 order to increase their small income. 
 
 Farmers' sons take an agency during the 
 winter months when there is little to do 
 on the farm. Some who begin in this 
 way like the work, and, finding they can 
 make more money and make it easier 
 than in other occupations, stay in the 
 business. 
 
 A BOOK AGENT'S LETTER. 
 
 The following letter, sent out by an 
 enterprising Philadelphia publishing 
 house to their prospective agents, will 
 give some ideas along the line of clever 
 circular letter construction : 
 
 Esteemed Friend: If you are willing 
 to work for $75.00 per month for the 
 first three months, $85.00 per month for 
 the next three months, and $100.00 per 
 month for the balance of the year, we 
 think a satisfactory arrangement can be 
 made. 
 
 We want a live, energetic person to 
 represent us in a number of counties, to 
 travel and appoint agents for our vari- 
 ous publications. Your duties will be 
 to go from town to town, appoint and 
 drill canvassers, thus giving satisfactory 
 employment to those out of work and 
 to those who are employed at unsat- 
 isfactory wages. You have nothing to 
 do with the agents after they are ap- 
 pointed. These agents send their or- 
 ders and reports direct to us. The work 
 is not hard, but pleasant and profitable 
 and we are sure you will like it. In 
 addition to the above salary we allow 
 our General Agents their traveling ex- 
 penses, such as railroad fare, hotel bills, 
 etc. When you become General Agent 
 for us prospectuses, circulars, envelopes 
 and everything necessary for the work 
 will be sent you in a splendid sample case. 
 
 In order to be successful as our Gen- 
 eral Agent, it is necessary that you 
 should become thoroughly familiar with 
 our plans and methods of doing business 
 and to have become thoroughly enthused 
 and know all about at least one of 
 our publications. Before beginning the 
 work, therefore, as General Agent, we 
 shall expect you to devote at least 
 twenty-four days to canvassing for one 
 of our publications, and the one we want 
 you to start with is fully described by 
 the enclosed circulars. We know that 
 you will at once 'recognize the merits 
 and selling qualities of this valuable 
 work. Be sure to read 'the circular 
 carefully. We know from actual experi- 
 ence that it will pay you to do as sug- 
 gested above, because the successful gen- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS, 
 
 29 
 
 eral agent is the one capable of drill- 
 ing the agents he appoints in such a way 
 that they will be able to do good work 
 and to make many sales. You cannot 
 do this unless you know how to canvass 
 yourself and learn our methods from 
 actual experience. 
 
 We guarantee to allow you as per 
 memorandum of contract enclosed here- 
 with, $72.00 for the 24 days' preliminary 
 work, or $3.00 per day irrespective of 
 the number of books that you sell, and 
 you will be entitled to the general 
 agent's position whether you sell one 
 book or one hundred. All we ask is 
 for you to do your level best in the 24 
 days, and then order and remit for the 
 books you have sold. Of course, while 
 you are doing tnis preliminary work we 
 expect you to do your level best to sell 
 just as many books as possible. You 
 ought to be able to sell from 75 to 100 
 books during this time, and if you ac- 
 complish this, it will make you even 
 more than the amount which we guar- 
 antee to allow. We want you to be suc- 
 cessful as a General Agent, and if you 
 will follow our advice and instructions 
 we feel quite sure that you will prove a 
 valuable person to us. 
 
 It is not necessary that you should 
 have had any experience in general 
 agency work or in canvassing, as we will 
 take hold with you and show you how 
 to make a success. Our plans are the 
 best and they insure success to a person 
 of ordinary ability one who has push, 
 grit and common sense. 
 
 We enclose herewith a memorandum 
 contract which please sign and return to 
 us with your order for canvassing out- 
 fit, accompanied by $1.00. We will then 
 
 send duplicate contract signed by us, and 
 at the same time forward you promptly 
 a complete canvassing outfit with all 
 necessary instructions for the 24 days' 
 preliminary work. You can make a 
 copy of this contract so as to see that 
 the one we send you is exactly like the 
 one you have signed. 
 
 We have another party in view for 
 this position, but we believe you can 
 do more business than any one else we 
 know of, and hence we ask you to en- 
 gage with us. We hope, therefore, you 
 will let us hear from you by return mail 
 as we want to get some one started on 
 the road as general agent at the earliest 
 possible moment. 
 
 We shall expect the courtesy of a re- 
 ply by return mail. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 P. S. As to our financial standing 
 we refer you to any bank or the com- 
 mercial agencies. In .looking up our 
 rating look for the People's Publishing- 
 Company as the Century Manufacturing 
 Company is a department of this firm. 
 
 You will find us rated at from $75,000 
 to $125,000. 
 
 P. S. No. 2. It may be possible that 
 you will not be able to accept our gen- 
 eral agency proposition on account of 
 having to leave home and travel. If this 
 is the case we would be glad to have 
 you to take hold of one of our popular 
 and rapid selling subscription books and 
 canvass for it on a commission basis 
 and work in your leisure hours. We 
 have hundreds of agents who work for 
 us in this way and they make from 
 $40.00 to $50.00 per month. If you de- 
 sire the Local Agency send us 20 cents 
 
 $10.00 SAMPLE WATCH and 
 
 AGENTS OUTFIT FREE 
 
 To help introduce our famous $10.0( Evington watch in every 
 locality, we want men and women everywhere to wear these 
 watches and sell them among their friends. For this service we 
 give liberal pay and a Sample Watch Free. This watch is fully 
 guaranteed for 25 years and has elegant engraved gold laid case, 
 ruby jeweled movement, and all you have to do is to carry one of 
 these watches with you and show it to your friends and'you will 
 soon sell enough to handsomely increase your income. We guar- 
 antee $18 to $30 a week to agents who devote their entire time 
 to the sale of these watches. Sell one watch and you can easily sell 
 a dozen more in the same locality. Write now for sample watch 
 and terms to OGDEN JEWELRY CO., Dept. Chicago, III. _, 
 
 How a Chicago watch firm advertised for agents. There is, of course, a "string" to the proposi- 
 tion, but the above advertisement is so attractive that replies come in by the thousand from those 
 who want to get the free watch and outfit. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 to help cover the cost of mailing you the 
 outfit, and we will send same with full 
 instructions prepaid stamps will do. In 
 writing say whether you want the gen- 
 eral agency or the local agency. 
 
 C. M. CO. 
 
 "BLIND" ADVERTISING. 
 
 An advertisement which does not tell 
 what the goods are that the advertiser 
 is selling, but relies upon vague prom- 
 ises to arouse interest or curiosity, is 
 called a "blind" ad. It is the adver- 
 tiser's purpose, in putting out an ad of 
 this kind, to draw more inquiries than a 
 straightforward ad which described the 
 proposition would do, and then to rely 
 upon the literature and follow up let- 
 ters to bring in a profitable volume of 
 business. 
 
 The blind ad is often a small ad, and 
 in some cases the advertiser could not 
 give adequate treatment to the adver- 
 tised article in such small space. The 
 general run of this class of advertising 
 is of the business opportunity or home 
 work type. Many advertisers who go 
 out after agents do not tell what the 
 goods are that the agents are to sell, but 
 make promises of big pay, describing the 
 proposition at length in the advertising 
 matter that is sent to inquirers. 
 
 The blind ad should always be so con- 
 structed as to interest a class that is 
 likely to be able and willing to buy the 
 goods put out by the advertiser. The 
 large number of inquiries mean a posi- 
 tive loss to the advertiser, unless he can 
 induce a sufficient proportion of the in- 
 quirers to buy goods. 
 
 Many advertisers prefer to have a 
 smaller volume of answers and greater 
 surety of the interest that the inquirers 
 have in the proposition. 
 
 For instance, here is the kind of prob- 
 lem that an advertiser is sometimes 
 
 called upon to face : He is advertising 
 for agents ; his goods are a line of me- 
 dicinal preparations. He is aware that 
 many agents have a prejudice against 
 handling this class of articles. Shall 
 he advertise : "A snap for agents $20 
 to $50 weekly easily made," or thus : 
 ''Agents wanted for a fast-selling line 
 of medicines $20 to $50 weekly easily 
 made." 
 
 In the first case all sorts of agents, and 
 those looking for agency work, would 
 answer the ad many of these might 
 not care to handle medicines under any 
 circumstances. The literature would 
 have to be exceptionally strong to bring 
 many of these inquirers to the buying 
 point. 
 
 In the second case, the advertiser 
 could depend upon the fact that those 
 who answered would not be prejudiced 
 against a medical proposition ; many of 
 them, it is evident, would prefer to han- 
 dle medicines. All that it would be 
 necessary for the literature to do would 
 be to persuade prospective agents that 
 the remedies were a popular kind, and 
 that the terms and wholesale prices were 
 right., 
 
 But the first ad would bring more in- 
 quiries. It might not bring the more 
 agents, and the more orders. 
 
 This firm has been singularly successful in get- 
 ting good results from small advertisements. 
 The above advertisement runs in a large list of 
 paper? during the season. It attracts a large 
 number of inquiries from prospective agents, and 
 their elaborate "follow up" system gets the busi- 
 ness. Of course the salary offered of $18.00 a 
 week is contingent upon their selling a certain 
 amount of goods each month, as no firm can af- 
 ford to give something for nothing. This point 
 is fully covered in their contract which they 
 make with their agents. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 By the Way. 
 
 Here are a few hints, "by the way," 
 to those who are handling novelties and 
 expect results from their ads, that are 
 out of proportion to the amount ex- 
 pended. Many who start the mail order 
 business fail at it, because they expect 
 more than is possible and do not con- 
 sider that if the mail order business con- 
 sisted only of putting an ad in a paper 
 and drawing out the money, there would 
 be a mail order firm in every home in 
 America. 
 
 Always remember there are few 10 or 
 25 cent articles, unless it is an extreme 
 novelty, that will bring back enough from 
 the face of the ad for you to make a 
 profitable income. It is the business 
 that you get afterwards that pays. You 
 ought to have circulars of other goods 
 to send out with every order you fill. If 
 the first thing you sold gives satisfac- 
 tion, future orders are sure to follow. 
 
 THE MAIL ORDER SPECIALTY. 
 
 The question will perhaps be asked 
 is it possible to advertise the single arti- 
 cle as a mail order proposition? 
 
 Well, that depends. If the single ar- 
 ticle is to be sold, and no other goods 
 listed, it should either be something that 
 can be sold again and again to the same 
 people, or else the price and profit must 
 be large enough so that a profit can be 
 made on each sale, and it must be re- 
 membered that it costs money to make 
 first sales. 
 
 Let us take the article that can be 
 sold again to old customers a good 
 example of this kind of a mail order 
 article is the cigar specialties sold by 
 Rogers. The only way in which this 
 manufacturer can hope to realize a profit 
 is by giving such satisfaction, that a 
 large proportion of those who buy once 
 will become permanent customers. But 
 if this is done, he can afford to pay 
 twice the price of each first box sold 
 as advertising expenses. A box of ci- 
 gars is soon smoked up, and it is not 
 necessary to make large profits on each 
 
 box of cigars, if old customers can 
 be held. 
 
 A good example of the high-priced 
 single article would be a piano. People 
 are not buying an article of this kind 
 often. For most families, one will last 
 a lifetime. It is therefore necessary for 
 the advertiser to make a price on the 
 goods that will include the advertising 
 expenses and a fair margin of profit. 
 Selling expenses must be included in 
 the price of each piano; They cannot 
 be spread out among several pianos to 
 be sold in the future, as in the case 
 when selling cigars. Selling expenses 
 are so high, however, when pianos are 
 sold through the agency system, that 
 the mail order piano dealer can usually 
 give better values than can the manu- 
 facturer who sells through agents. 
 
 There will be some sales made to 
 friends of those who have already pur- 
 chased, and the manufacturer will be 
 able to make an added profit on such 
 sales. 
 
 There are other goods that, while not 
 articles of consumption, yet more than 
 one of them can be placed with most 
 families, if the first sold gives satisfac- 
 tion. A good example of this is the 
 Ostermoor mattress. Many who try 
 this mattress equip all their beds with 
 it sooner or later. And mattresses wear 
 out sooner than pianos. A certain 
 amount of future business can be count- 
 ed on when exploiting a meritorious 
 article of this kind. 
 
 The single article can sometimes be 
 profitably sold through agents. Goods 
 of consumption, such as a medicine or 
 a metal polish, can continue to be sold 
 through the same agents in the same 
 territory. A household specialty, such 
 as a carpet stretcher, or an ironing 
 board, demands new territory, after one 
 section has been carefully canvassed. 
 
 But this is a big country, and there 
 is several years' good business in a 
 really meritorious specialty. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 FURTHER SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 After you put your advertisement in 
 a paper and it brings you replies, the 
 paper has fulfilled its mission. It is 
 then up to you to follow up these replies 
 with well written circulars, which should 
 receive your personal or an experienced 
 man's attention. If you do not feel cap- 
 able of getting up your own follow-up 
 system, hire the best man you can get 
 to do it for you. If your follow-up sys- 
 tem is not perfect, your advertising will 
 be an utter waste of money. 
 
 Treat your replies as you would a 
 prospective customer that would come 
 into your store. You would not send a 
 slouchy, slovenly clerk to meet this cus- 
 tomer and expect him to make a sale 
 but you would either go forward your- 
 self, meet the customer, or send one of 
 your best salesmen to meet him. This 
 and fair dealing has been the foundation 
 of every successful business; so you 
 should be just as careful in sending your 
 circulars they are going to meet a pros- 
 pective customer. The first impression 
 you make upon this customer will be a 
 lasting one. The more care and atten- 
 tion you pay in making that impression 
 a good one the more profitable it will 
 prove to you. 
 
 You judge others by appearances, and 
 you are judged in the same way. When 
 you meet a man face to face, you judge 
 him by his face, his clothing, his con- 
 versation and his manner. To be sure 
 you may make a wrong estimate of his 
 ability some men who are rather loud 
 
 in dress and manner still have great 
 business ability. But, in a majority of 
 instances you can size up a. man fairly 
 well by his appearance and conversation. 
 At any rate, that is the way men are 
 judged. And a business house is judged 
 by the class of men it sends out, and 
 by the class of employes that represent 
 the house when one calls. 
 
 A neat, well-kept office, store or other 
 business place, when one is conducting 
 a business that invites personal calls 
 from a customer, is one of the best 
 kinds of an advertisement. People like 
 to trade with a house that is prosperous. 
 An appearance of prosperity will be a 
 great aid toward producing real pros- 
 perity. 
 
 When a firm is conducting a mail or- 
 der business, it is possible to economize 
 in the matter of plate glass, fine store 
 fixtures, etc. People, in such instances, 
 judge by the appearance of the firm's 
 advertising matter, the stationery used, 
 and the kind of letters sent out. 
 
 It may just as well be admitted, that 
 different kinds of advertising matter and 
 different kinds of stationery will affect 
 different classes of people in different 
 ways. A firm that is appealing to busi- 
 ness men must take a different tone, 
 than one that is going out after the trade 
 of the country consumer. The s.hort to- 
 the-point letter which would be just the 
 thing for the business man, would be 
 altogether too curt for the average mail 
 order customer. It would make an un- 
 favorable impression. 
 
 BIG FISHING OUTFIT CHEAP 
 
 This 1s one of the best fishing outfits ever offered. It consists of *9 different pieces, everything jtwt 
 
 . 
 
 as represented and every piece there 2J in all. The Reel la tor fastening on a pole. >o be used to catch all 
 kinds or gamey flan. The Trout Files have long gut leaders to prevent the flsh biting off the hook. Th 
 HOP with a float is especially pot np for the use of women and children. This is one of the most 
 complete fishing outfits ever offered. Its 29 pieces Include tackle for every kind of fish now caught. An 
 outfit like tbis will irist the family for years and at the stores would likely cost at least 92.95. AS 
 long as oureupply lastswewill sell these great 29-Piece Fihing Outfits for only 99 cents. Money promptly 
 refunded If we sell out before your order is received Shipped, nil cbarces paid, for 99 cents. No higher; 
 o less. .Satisfaction guaranteed. BICHARDSON 4fc CO.. 814 Wilson Building, Chicago. 
 
 Although as a rule mail order advertising in the summer is not as good as at other seasons of the 
 year, the above concern sells thousands of fishing outfits every season to ambitious anglers. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 33 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Mail Order Medicine Advertising. 
 
 A great deal of money has been made 
 in advertising by mail medicines for 
 the cure of various chronic diseases. 
 There seems to be a fascination about 
 consulting a "specialist" or an "expert" 
 by mail that most country people cannot 
 resist. They are strongly impressed 
 with the fact that the treatment they get 
 is somewhat different from what they 
 could obtain from their legal doctor. 
 Undoubtedly this is a fact, as people do 
 not send away from home for medicine 
 except for the cure of some chronic 
 ailment. 
 
 Success in mail order medical adver- 
 tising lies in the fact that the advertise- 
 ments are constructed so as to attract 
 inquiries from those who are suffering 
 from the disease that the advertiser be- 
 lieves he can cure. There are few medi- 
 cines that are sold direct from the ad- 
 vertisement, as it requires considerable 
 talking in order to persuade a person to 
 give the medicine a trial. Most of the 
 medical advertisers now offer a free 
 sample of the medicine or free advice in 
 addition to their free booklet or other 
 literature. This opens up correspond- 
 ence with the patient and once a person 
 has written to a medical firm, it never 
 lets up on them. Undoubtedly it is the 
 persistency with which the inquiries are 
 followed up that finally convinces the 
 reader that the advertiser has an un- 
 usual article and is induced to send 
 for it. 
 
 MAIL ORDER MEDICINES. 
 
 What kind of medicines will sell by 
 mail is another important question. The 
 only medicines that can be successfully 
 advertised for the mail order trade are 
 those that cure diseases which the or- 
 dinary doctor is unable to cure, such 
 as kidney diseases, piles, liver complaint, 
 etc. If you have got a cure for the 
 headache or toothache and think of 
 building up a mail order medicine busi- 
 ness with it, don't try it. People buy 
 articles of that kind only when they 
 
 need them, and they haven't time to or- 
 der by mail, but will get them at the 
 nearest drug store. Successful medi- 
 cines that have been advertised by mail 
 have been formulas that have been tried 
 and found all right. If you have in 
 your family a tried and true preparation 
 for the cure of consumption, rheuma- 
 tism or kidney diseases and wish to 
 market it by the mail order method, 
 the first essential is to have it put up 
 by some first-class manufacturing chem- 
 ist. It is not advisable to attempt to 
 put up your own medicine unless you 
 thoroughly understand it. If you live in 
 a small town where there is no manu- 
 facturing chemist, you could probably 
 have your medicine put up for you by 
 the local druggist. 
 
 If you haven't a formula for a good 
 medicine, there are manufacturing 
 chemists who will put up medicines for 
 any chronic complaint after standard 
 formulae, and these medicines are 
 doubtless as good in every way as those 
 are likely to be which are made after 
 an old woman's recipe. 
 
 HOW TO ADVERTISE. 
 
 How a medicine is advertised is the 
 main thing. The medicine may contain 
 the same ingredients as do the medi- 
 cines used by many physicians, but if the 
 advertising matter is properly construct- 
 ed, the patient will be persuaded that 
 the advertised medicine is something 
 better something out of the ordinary. 
 Of course, something out of the ordi- 
 nary is better to handle if you can find it. 
 If you come across a medicine which is 
 marvelously effective in the cure of any 
 chronic complaint, that is the medicine 
 for you to advertise. But a large ma- 
 pority of those -who wish to go in the 
 mail order medicine business are not 
 lucky enough to find anything of this 
 kind, and a good medicine put up "by a 
 competent chemist after a standard for- 
 mula 'is likely to prove more satisfac- 
 tory and is less likely to do harm, than 
 some ignorant quack's concoction, though 
 
34 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 it is possible that the latter may hit 
 on an article of merit. The thing to do 
 is to advertise the medicine as some- 
 thing different from other medicines de- 
 signed for the same disease. 
 
 A plausible explanation should be 
 given as to how it differs, and as to 
 why it acts more effectively. 
 
 Show how it cures because it con- 
 tains the right drugs in the right pro- 
 portion to act upon every symptom of 
 the disease. 
 
 SOMETHING NEW. 
 
 If your medicine is just like dozens of 
 other remedies, what reason will the 
 public have for purchasing it, rather than 
 the remedies of established reputation? 
 
 Anything new will do a new selling 
 plan, a new method of application, a new 
 discovery in medical science, a new 
 method of putting up or even a new 
 advertising argument will sometimes 
 make the thing go. 
 
 You must have some leverage for the 
 advertising man to use, in his effort to 
 interest and convince the public. To be 
 sure, the clever writer of advertising 
 copy can find wonderfully convincing 
 arguments, with very little to go on. 
 But the more facts that you can give 
 him to help out his story the better it 
 is likely to be. 
 
 Consider some of the great medical 
 advertising successes of recent years. 
 There is Vitae Ore, much in the public 
 eye at present. This medicine enjoyed 
 a fair measure of success for many 
 years, being sold through local agents, 
 who distributed circulars and booklets, 
 which sang the praise of the remedy in 
 a very sensational manner. The word- 
 ing was often ungrammatical, too, yet 
 the medicine sold. The new idea about 
 Vitae Ore was the claim that it was 
 mined from the earth and contained the 
 essential elements of a mineral spring. 
 Lately the medicine has had the added 
 advantage of a new selling method. A 
 dollar package was sent on trial to any- 
 one who would request it. If the rem- 
 edy failed to cure or benefit, no pay 
 was required. 
 
 Dr. Shoop also has offered to allow 
 patients to take the medicines thirty days 
 without paying for them. His new idea 
 was the "inside nerves," which other 
 physicians didn't know about, didn't doc- 
 tor, and so, of course, didn't cure. 
 
 In the case of "Five Drops," the name 
 and dose were so different from the ave- 
 
 rage, that they were sufficient to attract 
 attention. 
 
 And there is Cascarets "the candy 
 cathartic" has a splendid sound. To eat 
 a piece of candy is surely easier and 
 pleasanter than swallowing a pill. The 
 price was low people tried them, and 
 continued their use. 
 
 Orangeine was not only put up in new 
 form, but it occupied a place of its own 
 among medicines. It was advertised as 
 a good headache remedy, a good grip 
 or cold remedy, and as a general all 
 'round bracer for fag or fatigue. And 
 then, it had an attractive name. 
 
 The foot drafts for rheumatism, which 
 have been extensively advertised on a 
 pay-only-if-cured plan, have proven suc- 
 cessful sellers. A vacuum cap for the 
 cure of baldness, put out by a St. Louis 
 firm, has also met with great success be- 
 cause it was a novelty. A preparation 
 under the name Vitae-Ure, and claiming 
 to be the concentrated essence of several 
 mineral springs, found in a natural min- 
 eral substance dug out of the ground, 
 has been a big seller for the same rea- 
 son because it was "different" a nov- 
 elty something new and out of the 
 beaten path. 
 
 The scheme is the thing in mail order 
 medical advertising and the medicine it- 
 self is a part of the scheme. If it can 
 be something new and appealing to that 
 inherent instinct of mankind for some 
 new method of finding the road to health 
 it has a much greater potential chance of 
 success than if it is merely "medi- 
 cine" put up in a box or bottle j-ust like 
 all the other cures for the same ailment. 
 
 PROPRIETARY MEDICINES. 
 
 A proprietary medicine should be a 
 vegetable remedy and advertised as such. 
 All the medicine advertising has harped 
 on this point so much that buyers of 
 medicine look with suspicion on a med- 
 icine that is not so advertised. If a 
 mineral medicine were advertised, it 
 would take some very strong arguments 
 indeed to make it go. It would be up to 
 the advertiser to prove that the mineral 
 was quite harmless, and in point of fact 
 far more beneficial than any vegetable 
 could be. To advertise a mineral rem- 
 edy, it would be necessary to combat 
 prejudice. 
 
 Indian remedies have a considerable 
 vogue, because the advertiser can point 
 to the superb health and freedom from 
 disease of the savages and ascribe to the 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 35 
 
 medicines advertised the reason for this 
 state of health and physical vigor. 
 
 It would seem that some advertiser 
 might use tne same argument for a rem- 
 edy supposed to be discovered by the 
 gypsies and used by them for centuries 
 before the receipt came into the hands 
 of the advertiser. 
 
 A woman's remedy will perhaps sell 
 faster if it is said to have been discov- 
 ered by a woman and bears a woman's 
 name. In putting forward a remedy the 
 discovery of which is ascribed to anyone 
 else than a physician, it is advisable 
 to tell how the discoverer cured himself 
 or herself of the disease it may be well 
 to do so, even where the discoverer is 
 alleged to be a doctor. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 Testimonials are of greatest value to 
 the medical advertiser. It is easy to get 
 testimonials, after a large amount of the 
 medicine has been put out a certain 
 proportion of those who receive it are 
 bound to be benefited nature will cure 
 part of them, even if no real benefit re- 
 sults from the medicine, and those who 
 are cured of a lingering complaint will 
 usually thank the one whom they look 
 upon as a benefactor. 
 
 To get testimonials to use at the very 
 beginning of the advertising campaign 
 is what bothers most medical advertis- 
 ers. Testimonials might be worked up 
 in the advertiser's home neighborhood 
 by giving out trial treatments of the 
 medicine free of charge. Those who 
 were cured or helped would be glad to 
 sign a testimonial, and would in most 
 cases be willing that the advertiser 
 should word it to suit his own ideas. 
 
 Then, it might be found easy to get 
 testimonials by offering a series of 
 prizes at the beginning of a campaign to 
 those who reported the most marvelous 
 cures. Of course, this prize offer should 
 be put forth in the right manner. Some- 
 thing of this kind would bring responses, 
 and convince the reader of the firm's 
 honest intentions. Knowing of the un- 
 equaled merits of this marvelous rem- 
 edy, and bearing in mind the cures that 
 have been accomplished under our own 
 eyes, and reported to us by those using 
 our remedy all over the country, we feel 
 assured that there are still others who 
 are experiencing equally good results 
 from the use of our preparation. We 
 want to receive a report of such cures 
 we do not ask something for nothing ; 
 
 but in order to get all who are bene- 
 fited to report their case we offer the 
 following prizes to such as send the best 
 testimonials, as adjudged by our com- 
 mittee. These prizes will be awarded to 
 those who report the worst cases that 
 have been radically cured, taking into 
 account the fullness of the report, etc. 
 Literary ability to write up the case will 
 not count but the case should be fully 
 described, failure of other remedies, etc. 
 Then the results of our medicine, amount 
 taken and present condition of the 
 patient. 
 
 This is only a hint, of course it would 
 be well to require certain conditions, 
 such as medicine to be taken in the com- 
 petitor's family, accompanied by a label 
 from a wrapper around the medicine, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 But the testimonials are necessary to 
 the medical advertiser who would attain 
 the fullest measure of success, and they 
 must be obtained in some way; if not in 
 this way, then in some other. Then they 
 should be testimonials which will hold 
 water. To make a testimonial convinc- 
 ing, an~ address must be given, except in 
 case of certain private diseases, for 
 which secrecy is only natural ; some who 
 read testimonials write to the person 
 who describes a case like their own. 
 
 Testimonials are the clinchers. The 
 advertiser tells the public about the rem- 
 edy what it is made of and why it 
 should benefit and then comes the tes- 
 timonial and gives the practical evidence. 
 The patient says: IT HAS CURED 
 ME. That convinces. 
 
 THE PRICE. 
 
 It will not pay to sell a medicine by 
 mail, exclusively, at a low price, say 
 twenty-five or fifty cents. Advertisers 
 who place their medicines through deal- 
 ers and sell by mail to those who can- 
 not obtain the medicine of their dealer, 
 are on a different basis. It takes as 
 much literature and postage to work up 
 a sale at a low price as at a higher price. 
 The medicine should sell for at least one 
 dollar per package or bottle, and a com- 
 plete guaranteed treatment be given for 
 three or five dollars this may consist of 
 four or six bottles or packages, as the 
 case may be. It is well to offer to pay 
 transportation charges, and it is there- 
 fore advisable to put up the medicine in 
 dry form, tablets, capsules, pills or pow- 
 ders, rather than in liquid form. Charges 
 will be much less. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 The advertiser must allow a large 
 margin for selling expenses, if he would 
 make a profit ; he should not allow his 
 dollar packages. of medicine to cost him, 
 as sent out, more than twenty-five or 
 thirty cents. It costs as much, or more, 
 to market a medicine by the mail order 
 plan as through dealers, though mail 
 order medicine men, in their advertising, 
 may well harp on the advantages of buy- 
 ing medicines by mail rather than 
 through dealers, and bring forward the 
 plea that the purchaser is paying for 
 nothing but medicine and one small 
 profit to the manufacturer. 
 
 THE GUARANTEE. 
 
 A guarantee which promises to re- 
 fund the money if the patient is not 
 cured or materially benefited is of the 
 greatest value in assisting sales. The fact 
 that this guarantee is sent out with every 
 package of the medicine may be well 
 written up in the booklet, and also given 
 much attention in the following litera- 
 ture. It can be shown how the adver- 
 tiser is taking all the risk of a fair trial 
 of the medicine, that if he cannot cure 
 the case, he does not care for the money 
 that there are but few cases that can- 
 not be cured, and they are so complicat- 
 ed and have been allowed to run so long 
 that they are incurable by any earthly 
 means. That in these exceptional cases 
 the advertiser will be glad to return 
 money, as it will hurt the reputation of 
 his medicine to keep it. That nearly 
 every treatment sent out accomplishes a 
 cure, otherwise it would be impossible 
 to make such an offer. 
 
 It may be objected by some that such 
 an offer is likely to make considerable 
 trouble for the advertiser; that he is 
 likely to have many demands for a re- 
 turn of the money. Of course, it should 
 be the advertiser's purpose to cure as 
 many as possible, and to that end it is 
 well to have a first-class medicine, and 
 to inclose with it hygienic rules which 
 will help along the cure. It is Nature 
 which cures usually, anyway. Give 
 Nature a chance, and a little help in the 
 way of medical assistance and wonders 
 will be accomplished. Most people who 
 order mail order treatment live in the 
 country, where it is possible to lead a 
 healthful life; hygienic rules in connec- 
 tion with a medicine will be followed by 
 those who would scorn them as a means 
 of getting well without medical aid. 
 
 In spite of all this, there are likely to 
 be many who are not cured by the medi- 
 cine, and a certain proportion of these 
 are likely to demand a return of the 
 money. Some dealers make no guarantee 
 except what is said in the booklet and 
 letters. But if the case were carried to 
 the courts and the firm were good for 
 the amount, that guarantee would hold 
 as well as any. Other medicine men 
 pack a guarantee with the treatment, 
 but this guarantee usually has a "string" 
 to it, so that they can crawl out in most 
 cases. In order to obtain the money 
 the purchaser is expected to unwind a 
 good deal of red tape. He is required 
 to 1 make affidavits, to have witnesses 
 make affidavits as to the fact that he is 
 still ill, although he took the medicine, 
 persistently and regularly, and faith- 
 fully followed directions in every re- 
 spect. Few will follow the matter up 
 to this extent, and those whose claims 
 are not satisfactory can be turned 
 down. None of them is going to carry 
 a case into the courts for a matter of 
 three or five dollars, so the dealer need 
 repay the money only in the case of a 
 few seemingly worthy claims that he 
 feels disposed to grant. 
 
 If the medicine is indeed a good med- 
 icine, and accomplishes cures, the man- 
 ufacturer will make more money than 
 he will be able to do otherwise, be- 
 cause he will be able to sell many treat- 
 ments to the friends and acquaintances 
 of those benefited by the medicine and 
 these sales will be made without the 
 outlay for advertising expenses, which 
 is necessary when working up a sale in 
 the usual way. The profit on all such 
 sales therefore will be large. 
 
 TWO METHODS OF ADVERTIS- 
 ING PATENT MEDICINES. 
 
 To the man who has never adver- 
 tised' one, all patent medicines look 
 alike and so do all patent medicine 
 ads. But the expert promoters of ad- 
 vertised remedies divide them into two 
 great groups. Each is exploited in an 
 entirely different way, and each appeals 
 to a trait in human nature that is as far 
 from the other as the terrestrial poles. 
 
 The largest group consists of the 
 "staple" medicines the mild-mannered 
 little liver pill, the delicious laxative 
 tablet, the warm aromatic liniment for 
 aching bones, " the cough mixture, the 
 general tonic and all the pharmaceutical 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 37 
 
 preparations that are in demand season 
 after season, year after year, eternally. 
 
 A "staple" remedy needs an unfprget- 
 able name and plenty of advertising at 
 the beginning of its career. In the 
 case of such a preparation as Omega 
 Oil a half million dollars may be paid 
 out for newspaper space and painted 
 bulletins in two or three years, while 
 not one-tenth that sum comes back in 
 immediate sales. The advertising bills 
 of Omega ran as high as $50,000 
 monthly during the early years of its 
 career, while its sales were sometimes 
 less than $25,000 per month. But the 
 name was fixed on the public memory, 
 the remedy sold, and sold again, until 
 the foundation of a trade that may last 
 a quarter of a century was laid. 
 
 After the introductory work of a 
 staple remedy has been completed, its 
 advertising may be reduced to a very 
 moderate annual expenditure. The 
 popular staple keeps doing business at 
 the same old stand on its reputation, 
 and is handed down as an heirloom in 
 families. A very good example of such 
 a remedy is Perry Davis' Pain Killer, 
 seldom seen among the advertisements 
 in city dailies, yet on sale at every city 
 drug store. Back in the countrv dis- 
 tricts can be found pills and tonics that 
 were advertised during tne civil war. 
 St. Jacobs' Oil has not been exploited 
 to any extent in fifteen years, and even 
 patent medicine men sometimes refer 
 to it as a thing of the past. Yet the 
 company that still makes it clears about 
 $50,000 a year, it is said. 
 
 That's the staple. 
 
 The second group of medicines is of 
 an entirely different character. Patent 
 medicine men call them the "agony 
 remedies." A staple medicine is ex- 
 ploited by quiet advertising jingles, 
 three-line readers, trademarks, pretty 
 posters. Whatever the advertising ar- 
 gument, it is printed over and over 
 and over. There is no element of ex- 
 citement in a staple remedy. People 
 buy it to cure a cold or create an appe- 
 tite. You might as well try to thrill 
 them over the virtues of granulated 
 sugar. But the "agony" remedy's ad- 
 vertising is excitement from the very 
 start. It rescues victims of disease from 
 the jaws of death, cures cases that all 
 the doctors have given up, makes hair 
 grow in a night and all that sort of 
 thing. The more fuss kicked up about 
 
 it the better it sells. Big space must 
 be used, with testimonials from con- 
 gressman and crowned heads. There 
 must be illustrations so vivid that es- 
 thetic souls complain about them, and 
 their indignant letters are printed in 
 the papers that didn't get any of the 
 advertising. Three cardinal principles 
 of the agony remedy must be kept in 
 sight : 
 
 First The wonderfulness of it. 
 
 Second Heart interests. 
 
 Third Miraculous cures. 
 
 The wonderfulness of an agony rem- 
 edy is easy. Every patent medicine is 
 really wonderful if you look at it in 
 the right light even the staple. You 
 might say, for example, that a certain 
 nerve builder is made from a marvelous 
 root dug by the natives in Chinese Tar- 
 tary; that scientists have never been 
 able to determine the exact species of 
 this priceless plant, and its properties 
 are beyond the analysis of the most 
 skillful chemists ; that its whole history 
 is shrouded in mystery, yet it has been 
 known for ages, and since its introduc- 
 tion into Europe by Arabian physicians 
 has been a means of curing all the ills 
 that flesh is heir to ; mystic and subtle 
 in its properties, it is still absolutely 
 harmless even to the tenderest infant. 
 
 These absorbing details are simply 
 what is known about that good old 
 standby of the pharmacopoeia, tinctura 
 rhei, or rhubarb. To find others equally 
 mysterious and valuable you need go 
 no further than the encyclopedia. All 
 the standard drugs have life stories as 
 interesting as that of radium, and in the 
 hands of an able wordmonger they be- 
 come as marvelous as the seven won- 
 ders of the world. 
 
 Heart interest in the advertising of 
 an agony remedy is secured by playing 
 on the imagination and sympathies of 
 readers. When the advertising is prop- 
 erly done it ought to cure as many peo- 
 ple as the remedy itself. Before the 
 agony remedy can cure people, however, 
 its promoter must persuade them that 
 they are sick. It's amazing how many 
 good people there are in this world 
 who never suspect that they have the 
 germs of a deadly disease in their sys- 
 tems. Their bones may ache at night, 
 but they, make the terrible mistake of 
 thinking that they are just tired. Per- 
 haps they do not feel like springing out 
 of bed in the morning when the alarm 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 clock rings, but they reproach them- 
 selves with laziness. When they sit in 
 a draught they catch cold and lay it 
 to the draught. If they run up four 
 flights of stairs their hearts palpitate, 
 but they never suspect heart disease. 
 Their appetite fails sometimes, or if it 
 doesn't they have an appetite that is 
 too good. All these symptoms they re- 
 gard as normal, poor souls, and the 
 only way to rouse them from their illu- 
 sion is to print a line etching of a ceme- 
 tery, flanked by the Angel Death and his 
 little sickle. This catches their heed- 
 less eye. Then you begin your diag- 
 nosis. 
 
 The diagnosis is a series of questions. 
 Do your ears ring? Is your tongue 
 coated? Are you easily discouraged 
 melancholy tired of life? These symp- 
 tims may mean nothing, gentle reader, 
 but it is well to be on your guard, for 
 many of them indicate the approach of 
 the wooden overcoat. 
 
 The diagnosis runs on in this vein, 
 and when you have really persuaded 
 the reader tliat he has symptoms, it is 
 time to trace the course of the disease 
 that has now fully developed. He no- 
 tices that he is wasting away, and fall- 
 ing behind in the struggle for exist- 
 ence. Then his friends notice it. He 
 grows thin, pale, feeble. The old fam- 
 ily physician is called. Medicine. Suf- 
 ferer grows worse. Another physician. 
 More medicine. No good. The patient's 
 wife weeps over their little ones, and 
 the advertising man draws a picture of 
 the desolate home after he is gone. This 
 part of the agony medicine ad is purely 
 emotional. The reason of the reader 
 must be appealed to as little as possible, 
 but every heart string that can be 
 reached must be twanged for all it is 
 worth. Then ring in the wonderful 
 remedy, tell what it has done for oth- 
 ers, and wind up with testimonials and 
 a $5,000 guarantee to cure anything and 
 everything. 
 
 Do the agony remedies really cure? 
 Well, perhaps the majority of their 
 patients are not really sick until they 
 begin to read the diagnosis. As for 
 those who are sick, the medicines must 
 cure a large proportion. Testimonials 
 are always easy to- get, and the people 
 who testify are always enthusiastic. The 
 philosophy of an agony remedy comes 
 down to two things : If it cures, it is 
 a modern miracle, and the patient tells 
 
 all his friends. If it doesn't cure, he 
 denounces it as a fake. But that only 
 sends him to the next agony remedy, 
 for every person that has tried yours 
 and found it effectual will try the next 
 fellow's. Which is where the sales 
 come in. 
 
 The excitement created by heavy ad- 
 vertising and the right agony remedy 
 makes it highly profitable. People pay 
 a dollar a bottle for it, but want the 
 staple cough mixture for fifteen cents, 
 with trading stamps. When the adver- 
 tising of an agony remedy stops, how- 
 ever, the sales stop, too. There are no 
 agony remedies left over from former 
 generations on the shelves of the coun- 
 try store. A man uses liver pills all his 
 life, but he takes an agony remedy only 
 a short time at most. It either cures 
 him Or he quits because it is a fraud. 
 
 VALUE OF NEW IDEAS. 
 
 A new and plausible idea in the medi- 
 cine field is always likely to take the 
 fancy of thousands of people if it is 
 written up in a convincing manner. For 
 instance, when Dr. George A. Scott 
 brought out his electric hair brushes 
 many years ago, and advertised them for 
 the cure of headache, etc., the idea im- 
 mediately caught the fancy of the public. 
 He followed it up with an electric cor- 
 set and made a fortune with the scheme 
 before his death. Of course that idea 
 is old now. 
 
 The foot drafts "for the cure of rheu- 
 matism was another original idea which 
 caught the public to some extent. A 
 St. Louis advertiser has introduced an 
 appliance to make the hair grow by fit- 
 ting a cap-like appliance to the head 
 and creating a vacuum in it, thus draw- 
 ing the blood to the scalp. 
 
 Then there is Dr. Shoop with his 
 medicines which cure the "inside 
 nerves ;" this was decidedly a new argu- 
 ment, and the constant reiteration of it 
 has helped to enrich the doctor. An- 
 other new argument was advanced by 
 the Peruna people when they began to 
 contend that nearly all diseases were ca- 
 tarrhal in origin, and therefore curable 
 by Peruna. 
 
 These instances will give you an ink- 
 ling as to what I mean by a new idea. 
 Some of the articles are appliances, 
 rather than medicines, but all of them 
 are used for curative purposes. If you 
 can conceive anything new upon which 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 39 
 
 a convincing argument can be built, I 
 can write it up in a way that will start 
 you on the road to fortune. 
 
 An idea does not need to be altogether 
 new to win out it may simply be an 
 old idea turned around or adapted to a 
 new purpose. 
 
 For the sake of illustration, we will 
 presume that you have a rheumatism 
 cure that you will put on the market, 
 and have constructed an advertisement 
 offering free samples to alf who will 
 write you who are afflicted with this 
 disease. Having placed this advertise- 
 ment in a number of papers, you find 
 yourself in receipt of a large number of 
 inquiries asking for free samples. 
 
 YOUR BOOKLET. 
 
 It is customary to have a booklet or 
 descriptive circular describing the differ- 
 ent phases of the disease. This you 
 send out with the sample, and you also 
 send out a letter acknowledging receipt 
 of their inquiry and giving a few addi- 
 tional arguments why they should use 
 this medicine. The writing of medical 
 booklets, circulars, etc., is a profession 
 in itself. A skilled medical writer de- 
 scribes the symptoms of a disease so 
 that the patient cannot mistake the na- 
 ture of his malady and by the time he 
 has read the literature through, he is 
 convinced that he has the symptoms and 
 needs the medicine that the advertiser 
 has to offer. 
 
 It would be useless to advertise a cure 
 for rheumatism or anything else unless 
 it was first-class and the sample that you 
 sent would give satisfaction, otherwise 
 nobody would order a full-sized pack- 
 age. If there is a great deal of money 
 to be made in the mail order medicine 
 business, there is also a great deal of 
 competition, and it is useless to attempt 
 to put a medicine on the market without 
 the right kind of literature to back it up 
 a good medicine. 
 
 If you intend to go into the mail or- 
 der medicine business, I should be pleas- 
 ed to have you write me in relation to 
 writing up your literature, as I write 
 medical booklets, advertisements, circu- 
 lars, etc., that will actually sell medicine. 
 
 "FOLLOW-UP" LETTERS. 
 
 It is essential also to follow up your 
 inquiries, as those who send for a sample 
 and try it, do not order at once, but have 
 to be urged into it by persistent and sys- 
 
 tematic letter writing. Form letters on 
 which you fill in their name and address, 
 to give it a personal appearance, are 
 used by advertisers who are in receipt 
 of a great number of letters a day, all of 
 which, of course, require the same an- 
 swer. In your first letter, it is best to 
 try and work up a sale for a half dozen 
 bottles or packages. In your second let- 
 ter, it is well to put forth additional 
 argument, as to why the treatment 
 should be taken, and in your third let- 
 ter, it might be well to make a reduc- 
 tion in price, as that is always an in- 
 ducement and stimulates a sale. 
 
 There is one more precaution that 
 should be taken by the medical advertise- 
 er. If you are not a doctor, do not ad- 
 vertise that you send them a special pre- 
 scription for their case, as that is not al- 
 lowable; simply advertise that you have 
 a medicine for the cure of their disease. 
 
 The method of getting up your book- 
 let may be gained by the usual medical 
 booklets found on the counters of most 
 any drug store. A large number of tes- 
 timonials are almost a necessity in order 
 to make the literature "pull," though fre- 
 quently this feature can be gotten over 
 by the advertiser stating that the names 
 of those treated are kept confidential. 
 
 Ideas for form letters may be gained 
 from the following: Letter No. i is to 
 be sent with your booklet and free sam- 
 ple. Letter No. 2 is to be sent several 
 weeks later, when they have had oppor- 
 tunity to test the medicine and determine 
 whether it has helped them or not. 
 
 If the first letter does not sell the med- 
 icine, it is often advisable to assume in 
 the second that the sample sent them 
 did the patient little or nt) good indeed 
 the small amount of medicine sent out 
 as a sample can have little direct re- 
 sults on most chronic complaints. A 
 sample of a stomagh remedy which con- 
 tains pepsin or some other digestive will, 
 of course, prove immediately beneficial; 
 other medicines which contain powerful 
 tonics or stimulants may have an im- 
 mediate result but these are the excep- 
 tions. 
 
 In the second letter tell the patient that 
 if there was no benefit perceived, it was 
 because his case was so far advanced 
 that the small sample could not be ex- 
 pected to do much good. That this, in- 
 stead of being a reason for not taking 
 the medicine, should cause him to order 
 a complete treatment at once. That the 
 tendency of the disease is to become 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 worse, and that every week delayed in 
 commencing treatment may mean a 
 month more of sickness. 
 
 Ask him if he can afford to remain 
 ill for the price of the treatment. Tell 
 him there is absolutely no risk incurred 
 by him, that you take all the risk. If a 
 complete treatment fails to cure money 
 will be refunded. 
 
 In the third letter epitomize these ar- 
 guments and present them again in a dif- 
 ferent form make them stronger and 
 more convincing. Then tell the patient 
 that if he does not wish to order a com- 
 plete treatment, to order one bottle of 
 the medicine; this will cure many of the 
 milder cases of the disease, and will 
 prove beneficial in any case, so that if 
 one bottle is ordered, enough medicine 
 for a complete cure will surely be or- 
 dered by him. 
 
 If a price concession is made in the 
 last letter, it is well to require a certain 
 number of names and addresses of those 
 afflicted with the disease for which the 
 medicine is designed. This will make 
 the offer seem fairer, and prevent those 
 receiving the offer from thinking you 
 will accept any old price for the medi- 
 cine if they will only wait long enough. 
 
 These names will also prove valuable 
 enough to work, at least to the extent 
 of sending them circulars, and offering 
 to send a free sample on application. 
 Much of the mail order medicine man's 
 success, or lack of success, will depend 
 upon the letters he uses. I can write 
 the letters that bring the business. My 
 past work proves that fact. My clients 
 are getting results. 
 
 THE DOCTOR WHO ADVERTISES. 
 
 Sidestepping the question of right or 
 wrong as gauged by that intangible will- 
 o'-the-wisp, "ethics," it may be safely 
 asserted that the doctor who advertises 
 and does it rightly, can make a great 
 deal of money and build up a very sat- 
 isfactory business. We are not talking 
 now of the quacks who are able, for a 
 short time, to prey upon the credulity 
 and weaknesses of the ignorant. There 
 are any number of reputable physicians 
 who specialize on some one disease, or 
 two or three diseases, or who sell reli- 
 able remedies for certain classes of dis- 
 eases, and whose business, judged from 
 any standpoint, is honest, legitimate, and 
 a real benefit to humanity. There are, 
 in rural communities, thousands of peo- 
 
 STOMACH 
 
 TROUBLE CURED 
 
 Free for any 
 
 Sufferer to 
 
 Try. 
 
 Immediate 
 Results 
 When 
 Medicine 
 Alone Fails 
 
 If you have any symptoms or form of stomach 
 trouble (Heartburn, Distress After Eating, 
 Indigestion, Sour Stomach, Dyspepsia, 
 Belching, Heart Fluttering*, Biliousness, 
 Dizziness, Constipation, Catarrh of the 
 Stomach, Sick Headache, etc.), yon can be 
 speedily and permanently cured at your own home 
 by using Dr. Dill's Stomapad and Constipation Tab- 
 lets. The Stomapad applied externally over the 
 etomach draws the soreness outward. The Stoma- 
 lets regulate and heal the bowels inward. By this 
 Double Treatment you are relieved at once, where 
 medicine alone fails, and you can eat anything you 
 like. Send lOo to cover COST OF MAILING and we 
 will send you a $1.00 treatment FREE. Send to-day. 
 DILL'S TRINITY CO. CHICAGO. 
 
 Suite Oakland Music Hall. 
 
 The above advertisement illustrates the value 
 of new ideas in medical advertising. There are 
 thousands of pills, tonics, powders, etc., on the 
 market to cure stomach troubles, but this is the 
 first attempt to get away into new fields. The 
 advertiser is so confident of the merits of his ar- 
 ticle that he sends it out on free trial to any one 
 who writes for it. 
 
 STOMACH 
 
 Troubles CRCB 
 
 CURED rncc 
 
 By Dr. Dill's Stomapad Treatment. 
 
 Immediate results, relief at 
 once "when medicines alone 
 fail. If you have heartburn, 
 distress after eating:, indi- 
 gestion, sour stomach, dys- 
 pepsia, nausea, heart flutter- 
 eringr, catarrh of the stom- 
 ach, dizziness, sick head- 
 1 ache, nervousness, cramps, 
 etc., you can be permanently cured at your owu 
 home. Send lOc. to cover cost of mailing:, and we 
 will send you a $1.00 treatment, Free. Send to-day. 
 DILL'S TRINITY CO., Oakland Music Hall, Chicago 
 
 Smaller copy used in papers to try out before 
 the larger advertisement is run. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 pie who do not have convenient access 
 to high-priced physicians, and to whom 
 the idea of sending away to a distant 
 physician in a large city is, somehow, at- 
 tractive. Furthermore, statistics show 
 that the better element of advertising 
 physicians accomplish just as large a per- 
 centage of successful cures in their mail 
 order practice as other physicians ac- 
 complish in their office practice. The 
 mail order plan enables a physician to 
 handle a very much larger number of 
 patients than he could hope to handle 
 by personal visits or at his office. The 
 fees he requires can be verv much 
 smaller, and yet return him very much 
 more than his income would be from reg- 
 ular practice. 
 
 This idea has been carried to a point 
 by some physicians where "medical in- 
 stitutions," and similar institutions, can 
 and do successfully treat almost every 
 kind of disease by mail. These institu- 
 tions have a staff of physicians, each of 
 whom is a specialist in some disease, 
 and among whom any patient can be 
 sure of receiving expert and successful 
 attention. 
 
 There is plenty of room for any good 
 medicinal remedy in this broad land and 
 the physician who has one should put 
 forth every effort to make it known. 
 You may effect a cure of some patient 
 thousands of miles from you, and one 
 that their local physician has given up. 
 If this was the case as it frequently hap- 
 pens, you can readily realize what it 
 means to you to spread your reputation 
 for miles around each locality, the 
 strength of which brings you other pa- 
 tients. Do not lose sight of this fact, 
 that a patient secured by mail does not 
 require but a few rnoments of your time 
 to take care of, while a local patient may 
 require several hours and possibly a 
 long country drive. Doctors are too 
 often satisfied with a moderate local 
 practice and a moderate income when 
 there are thousands of people who need 
 their assistance and are willing to pay 
 for it. Why not talk to them through 
 the press and tell them what you can 
 do? 
 
 At this period in the doctor's career 
 he wonders how it can be done and 
 things look black to him, but the way 
 is clear and simple to the educated 
 along this line. When your booklet, cir- 
 cular and letters are in readiness, con- 
 struct an advertisement telling the truth 
 in plain, simple words, using a large 
 
 headline displaying the feature, and it is 
 a good idea to use an illustration of 
 some kind that will also indicate what 
 disease you make a specialty of curing. 
 By some careful thought on your part 
 you will study out the correct wording 
 of an advertisement to make it appeal 
 to the public and that they will read, and 
 will gain their confidence enough to an- 
 swer. This is not so very hard, but if 
 you do not feel able to the task I would 
 be pleased to take it up with you and 
 advise you on all points and write your 
 advertisements, booklet, letters, etc. If 
 you wish I will also place your adver- 
 tisements in publications that have a 
 reputation for pulling qualities or busi- 
 ness bringers for the advertisers. 
 
 It is not necessary for doctors to use 
 large space to start with, but just enough 
 to tell the story in as few words as 
 possible, in fact a one-inch advertise- 
 ment has started many on the road to 
 success and then as business shows life, 
 increase the list of papers, then com- 
 mence over and increase the space until 
 finally your business has grown to enor- 
 mous proportions. After you get nicely 
 started each mail, as it comes in, will 
 always bring you a cash return and it is 
 very gratifying to receive money by 
 mail. Doctors are too apt to lose sight 
 of the advantage gained doing a mail 
 order business. You nearly always re- 
 ceive cash with each order and thereby 
 you do not run any risk or have any 
 losses on credits; then again you have 
 cash for your order before you have to 
 invest in the medicine. These advan- 
 tages are large items of profit that in 
 your local practice you never enjoy, but 
 on the other hand your lenienc" is usu- 
 ally abused as the doctor's bill is always 
 the last one to be paid. 
 
 Do not think for a moment that be- 
 cause you live in a small city or vil- 
 lage that you cannot enter the mail or- 
 der medical advertising field. If such is 
 your situation you have a great advan- 
 tage over the city doctor: your expenses 
 are not one-fourth that of the city phy- 
 sician and you can buy your medicines 
 just as cheap and your adverti .ing will 
 only cost you the same. The mail serv- 
 ice of today is so thorough that it reach- 
 es the innermost sections of the country 
 in very quick time, so that you can 
 count place and distance as of small im- 
 portance. 
 
 Every physician owes to himself and 
 family the fruits of his years of study 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 and he has no right to bury some meri- 
 torious preparations from the public 
 when they are in need of the same and 
 deprive his family of the proceeds, when 
 this revenue will mean that when your 
 life of usefulness is over, you can say 
 that you have made a success and sur- 
 render your secret as an asset to your 
 successors. 
 
 A FEW WORDS FURTHER ABOUT 
 MEDICAL ADVERTISING. 
 
 People are still looking for medical 
 preparations that will cure their real or 
 fancied ills. Anyone who has a remedy 
 that will really give results should not 
 hesitate to advertise it. 
 
 But the advertiser who goes in the 
 medicine business without a desirable 
 preparation to back up his advertising 
 is likely to do little good to anyone ex- 
 cept the publishers, and it is doubtful 
 if they will be benefited greatly in the 
 long run by fake advertising of any kind. 
 
 Those who hold that anything will 
 sell in the medical line are fond of cit- 
 ing a remark attributed to various med- 
 icine advertisers, that one could bottle 
 sea water, and by the means of good 
 advertising create an extensive demand 
 at a good price. 
 
 Yet, can anyone show a case where a 
 really inferior medicine has enjoyed a 
 large sale for a long term of years? 
 Most proprietary medicines are really 
 meritorious preparations. In many in- 
 stances they are composed of just about 
 the same ingredients that a physician 
 would prescribe for like ailments. To 
 be sure, they are more often of a vege- 
 table nature than are the prescriptions 
 of "regular" physicians. But this is 
 nothing against the remedies. The "reg- 
 ulars" acknowledge the worth of vege- 
 table remedies though they often use 
 something else in their practice. 
 
 There are doubtless many cases where 
 the patient thinks the medicine cured 
 when it was nature that did the busi- 
 ness. It is doubtless true that the ad- 
 vertising literature also has a suggestive 
 effect on some patients that is similar 
 to that exercised by Christian Scientists 
 and the various other "faith healers." 
 Every physician knows that the confi- 
 dence felt in him by the patient doubles 
 the powers of the medicines prescribed. 
 
 For all this, it is wise for the medical 
 advertiser to seek a remedy that is pecu- 
 liarly effective. He should aim to push 
 something that will cure oftener and 
 
 make more wonderful cures than will the 
 medicines prescribed by physicians, or 
 will competing preparations. Then every 
 sale of a treatment in any community 
 will make more sales. Cured patients 
 will be his best advertisement. A manu- 
 facturer who has a preparation of this 
 kind can start on very limited capital, 
 with the assurance of working up a good 
 business, while one with a worthless or 
 ordinary remedy will find it necessary to 
 put up a large amount of money, with 
 little assurance of continued business. 
 
 In most communities there are neigh- 
 borhood remedies that have a favorajjle 
 reputation among all who have tried 
 them. Often these have been handed 
 down from generation to generation, 
 from someone's great-grandmother. 
 
 If a whole community prefers such a 
 remedy to -any thing that doctor or drug- 
 gist can supply, it is reasonable to sup- 
 pose that it possesses exceptional points 
 of merit. If one hundred out of three 
 hundred families in a community are 
 using it, why should not that same pro- 
 portion hold in other communities if 
 the remedy is introduced to them? 
 
 If you can find such a remedy, and it 
 is of a nature that will enable you to 
 put it up in a convenient form and with 
 assurance of its keeping qualities take 
 hold of it. Of course, only a remedy that 
 will cure diseases of a chronic nature is 
 available for a mail order proposition. 
 People haven't time to order a medicine 
 for an acute complaint; they run to the 
 nearest doctor or druggist. 
 
 Another thing, the advertiser who 
 starts out with a remedy that has made 
 a reputation, even in a limited territory, 
 is ready equipped with a lot of first- 
 class testimonials, usually for the mere 
 asking. Most people are inclined to be 
 garrulous about their diseases and cures. 
 
 If you cannot find a remedy of the 
 kind indicated, get a particularly suc- 
 cessful prescription of a successful phy- 
 sician. In most communities there will 
 be found a physician who is phenome- 
 nally successful in the cure of a certain 
 class of diseases. It will usually be 
 found that his success comes from the 
 use of the same prescription in every 
 case. Of course, doctors decry proprie- 
 tary remedies on the ground that differ- 
 ent stages of a disease call for differ- 
 ent remedies. Yet, many of them are as 
 wedded to the use of a certain formula 
 for certain classes of diseases, as is the 
 patent medicine man. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 43 
 
 SUGGESTIONS. ' 
 
 The mere fact that a remedy has pro- 
 duced results in certain cases, that oc- 
 curred directly under your own personal 
 observation, is not certain evidence that 
 the medicine will be a desirable one for 
 you to take up and push as a mail order 
 propositon. 
 
 Real merit is a most desirable point 
 about a medicine, but it is not the only 
 point to be considered. The medicine 
 must be one that people will buy by 
 mail orders, and you must be able to 
 manufacture it at a price that will allow 
 you a fair profit, after paying the adver- 
 tising bills and other selling expenses. 
 
 In the first place you cannot hope to 
 sell by direct mail orders >any medicines 
 except those designed to cure chronic 
 disorders. People will not look far 
 enought ahead to lay in a stock of medi- 
 cines that they may cure possible acute 
 diseases. It may be they will some time 
 have toothache, headache, earache, sore 
 throat, etc., but unless they have had 
 these diseases to an almost chronic ex- 
 tent in the past, you cannot persuade 
 them to buy. Remedies for acute trou- 
 bles can, however, often be profitably 
 placed through agents. Pain Paint is a 
 case in point. 
 
 People turn to the mail order medi- 
 cine advertiser in search for a cure for 
 their chronic diseases. The more obsti- 
 nate and harder to cure the disease may 
 be, the better chance to sell the medi- 
 cine, provided, of course, that the dis- 
 ease is one that afflicts a comparatively 
 large number of people. 
 
 Most people do not turn to the mail 
 order medicine man until they have 
 tried their local physician, and have 
 purchased some of the well-known pat- 
 ent medicines of their druggist. They 
 come to the mail order man as a last 
 resort. They have perhaps concluded 
 that their cases are hopeless, but the lib- 
 eral offer of the medical mail dealer, by 
 which they are to receive medicine free, 
 or on trial, is the lure that makes them 
 believe that at last they have found 
 something that will cure them, or at 
 least, it will cost them nothing to give 
 it a trial. 
 
 Where free samples are sent, it is, of 
 course, very desirable that these samples 
 should produce results, or that the pa- 
 tient should think that he sees benefit. 
 The right kind of advertising matter 
 will put the patient in an optimistic, 
 
 hopeful state of mind. He will be pre- 
 pared to see beneficial results, even in 
 those cases where no great improvement 
 can be looked for in so short a period 
 of time. And hoping for benefit, he will 
 think he sees it. In the same way, a 
 call from a physician, in whom a patient 
 has confidence, will brighten him, arouse 
 him and make him feel better in every 
 way. The follow-up matter should be 
 strong enough to bring orders from 
 many who are not certain that they have 
 perceived any good results. 
 
 Then there is the question of profit. 
 Mail order medicine dealers make their 
 appeal to those who must count their 
 pennies. They cannot afford to buy 
 what they want regardless of price. To 
 gain any large sale the remedy should 
 sell at a popular price. One dollar per 
 package is a good price three or six 
 packages to comprise a treatment that 
 will effect a cure. Have the medicine 
 in dry form that is readily mailable, if 
 possible. 
 
 THE SUCCESS OF ORANGEINE, 
 
 One of the most striking of the re- 
 cent successes in the medical field has 
 been that of Orangeine. Not that there 
 has been anything sensational in the 
 rise of this excellent preparation to pop- 
 ular favor ; neither has the advertising 
 been of a sensational character. The 
 immense sale enjoyed by Orangeine is 
 all the more striking on that account 
 
 The way this preparation has come to 
 the front is an answer to those who hold 
 that all that is necessary in pushing a 
 remedy is lots of advertising of the hot 
 air variety. Advertising is essential, but 
 merit must exist in the medicine, if it 
 is to retain any lasting popularity. Some 
 medical advertiser once said that he 
 could bottle sea water, and sell it by 
 means of advertising. He doubtless 
 could, but a meritorious remedy would 
 pay better, because a large proportion of 
 those who used it would be benefited 
 and would purchase more they would 
 tell their friends about it. 
 
 The Orangeine advertising began in a 
 small way, some five or six years ago. 
 Mr. William Gillette, the well-known 
 actor and playwright, had been under 
 the care of a physician in Windsor, On- 
 tario, who had prescribed the powders 
 now known as Orangeine. They were 
 so effective in restoring Mr. Gillette's 
 health that he was enthusiastic in the 
 
44 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 praise 01 the powders ; he always car- 
 ried them with him for use in case of 
 emergencies, and finally brought them 
 to the attention of his friend, Charles L. 
 Bartlett of Chicago. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett tried them, and was soon 
 converted to a belief in their merits. 
 But he was not content to use them him- 
 self and let it go at that; he believed 
 that a remedy that had been found so 
 efficacious by himself and Mr. Gillette 
 would strike other people just as favor- 
 ably. 
 
 So he adopted a distinctive name, put 
 the medicine on the market, and began 
 advertising it in a small way. No at- 
 tempt was made to cover the whole 
 country at first. It was advertised in 
 Chicago, its home town ; the advertising 
 sold some of the remedy and its merits 
 
 sold more. The campaign was gradually 
 extended from the profits realized, until 
 it became known the country over. 
 
 Orangeine, while selling in small pack- 
 ages at a popular price, makes its appeal 
 to the more intelligent classes. Most of 
 the advertising appropriation is spent for 
 magazine publicity. In the magazine ads 
 samples are often offered free, but no 
 elaborate follow-up system is used to 
 make sales. The medicine is for sale 
 by most first-class druggists, and a large 
 proportion of those who sample the pow- 
 der purchase without further urging. 
 Mr. Bartlett also believes in street car 
 advertising, more as a reminder than for 
 making first sales. Short newspaper ads 
 are used for a like purpose. Striking 
 window display in the large drug stores 
 is a feature of the Orangeine publicity. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 45 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Selling Medicine Through Agents. 
 
 There is lots of money in selling med- 
 icines through agents if one understands 
 the business. To make a success of it, 
 it is advisable to have a line of popular 
 medicines which will cover nearly every 
 ill that is likely to afflict the ordinary 
 family. Some successes have been made, 
 however, with a single article, which 
 was advertised as being good for most 
 chronic complaints. If you should wish 
 to bank on one medicine, it is best to 
 use a blood purifier and general stomach 
 and system tonic. This will enable you 
 to write up the medicine as being a sure 
 cure for such diseases as rheumatism, 
 scrofula, nervous diseases, indigestion, 
 liver complaint, female disorders, etc., 
 etc. Some advertisers make claims that 
 their remedy will cure countless other 
 diseases such as kidney trouble, fever 
 and ague, locomotor ataxia, etc., etc. 
 
 But as a general thing it is well to sell 
 a line of medicines through agents. It 
 enables your agents to compete on even 
 terms with the druggist and country 
 grocer who handles patent medicines. A 
 good line to put out is a blood purifier, 
 a kidney cure, which can also be adver- 
 tised to cure rheumatism, when used in 
 connection with the blood purifier, an 
 "oil" for internal and external use, a 
 pill and a salve. The pill is fcr liver and 
 stomach troubles; the oil is to be used 
 as a liniment externally, and as a cure 
 for bowel complaints, internally ; the 
 salve can be advertised as a remedy for 
 piles, sores, etc. 
 
 It is well to have the blood purifier 
 and the kidney cure put up so as to re- 
 tail at fifty cents. Most of such medi- 
 cines are sold at one dollar, and even 
 though your bottles are only half the 
 size of the others, there are many people 
 who would prefer to spend fifty cents at 
 a time than to hand out the whole dol- 
 lar at once. The way to advertise medi- 
 cines placed through agents is by the 
 means of booklets and circulars. When 
 you arrive at a stage of the game where 
 you feel you can afford it, use a good 
 almanac. Almanacs are read in the 
 
 country the jokes are laughed at, the 
 cooking recipes are given a trial, the 
 almanac, as a whole, is considered valu- 
 able, and carefully kept until the next 
 one arrives, and oftentimes kept on file 
 for years. If you do not care to compile 
 a large almanac at the start, you may 
 include a few pages of jokes, wise saws, 
 etc., in your booklet. The value of the 
 almanac class of literature among buy- 
 ers of medicine in the country is not 
 open to controversy. Such a large ad- 
 vertiser as the firm of J. C. Ayer & Co. 
 put it ahead of their newspaper adver- 
 tising for results, after having curtailed 
 the almanac appropriation for a few 
 years. 
 
 HOW TO GET AGENTS. 
 
 Having a good medicine and good lit- 
 erature with which to convince your 
 prospective customers, the next thing is 
 to get a lot of good agents to handle 
 the remedy or line of remedies. If 
 you can but secure these, you are on the 
 road to make a considerable sum of 
 money. 
 
 Agents are rather shy of a medicine 
 proposition, yet some agents who take 
 hold of a medicine and push it are able 
 to make a large income. Those who 
 show business ability should be given 
 the general agency and allowed to cover 
 considerable territory. 
 
 To secure a desirable class of agents, 
 it is well to advertise in the weeklies 
 and monthlies which circulate in the 
 small villages and the rural districts 
 some advertisers can also use the Sun- 
 day dailies of large circulation profitably. 
 Whether to use an ad telling what the 
 article is that you want the agent to sell 
 or to use a blind ad which only sets 
 forth the fact that you are offering an 
 exceptional opportunity to make good 
 money, is a moot point among medical 
 advertisers. A blind ad will doubtless 
 draw more replies but a large proportion 
 of those who reply will be prejudiced 
 against handling a medicine. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 The advertiser who uses a blind ad re- 
 lies upon making his literature so con- 
 vincing that a fair proportion of those 
 who write will be willing to try the busi- 
 ness. The advertiser who frankly adver- 
 tises that he wishes a medicine sold will 
 get fewer replies, but he can rely upon 
 the fact that most of those who answer 
 will take up the sale of the goods if he 
 can convince them that the medicine of- 
 fers a better chance for money making 
 than other similar goods on the market. 
 To do this, in the first place you must 
 persuade the agent that the medicine is 
 a good one, and that where a person pur- 
 chases once the remedy will be perma- 
 nently adopted by him as a family medi- 
 cine. Thus you can argue that when 
 he has once succeeded in working up a 
 sale for your goods he will have a per- 
 manent business, which will continue for 
 the term of his life, or so long as he 
 wishes to sell for you. 
 
 Show him how much better this is 
 than handling other kinds of goods, and 
 point out the advantages your line of 
 medicines has over other medicines that' 
 are sold through agents. And then as 
 to terms if you can offer slightly bet- 
 ter inducements than other firms are 
 offering, it would be well for you to do 
 so. Medicines are usually billed at fifty 
 per cent of the retail price. Some firms 
 ask cash in advance in the first letter 
 sent out, and if this brings no response, 
 they send another letter offering to Send 
 the goods on receipt of half the whole 
 sale price as a deposit balance to be 
 paid when the goods are sord. It is cus- 
 tomary to make the goods returnable, if 
 they cannot be sold. If the second offer 
 is not accepted, a third offer is some- 
 times made, whereby the firm Coffers to 
 send the goods without requiring a de- 
 posit, if the prospective agent will send 
 satisfactory reference. Some firms make 
 this latter offer in the first instance. 
 
 An outfit of assorted medicines to the 
 wholesale value of about six dollars is 
 the usual amount sent to the new agent. 
 
 HOW TO KEEP AGENTS. 
 
 Premiums are often offered in this line 
 when the agent has made sales amount- 
 ing to a certain sum. Prizes are also 
 sometimes given to those making the 
 largest sales during a given time these 
 prizes have a tendency to stimulate sales 
 among the more ambitious agents^ Many 
 take the agency for several counties and 
 employ sub-agents to help them in sell- 
 
 ing the medicines. After an agent has 
 worked up a trade and has proven the 
 selling qualities of the remedy, he will, 
 of course, be willing to pay cash in ad- 
 vance, and to take the discount that you . 
 can afford to give to those who pay cash, 
 An agent should be protected in his ter- 
 ritory. You should not sell the medicine 
 to dealers in any part of the country. 
 You should not supply wholesale drug- 
 gists under any circumstances. You 
 should handle your agents with gloves. 
 An agent who can sell goods is a valu- 
 able acquisition to lose him is to lose 
 money. Grant any reasonable favor he 
 may ask of you. Reply to his corre- 
 spondence courteously and at length. 
 Answer him fully. Ship his orders as 
 soon as may be. When employing a new 
 agent, it is advisable to enclose such 
 hints and instructions as may assist him 
 in the sale of the medicines. Send along 
 a good supply of your printed matter, 
 and instruct him to leave a copy of the 
 booklet at every house when making a 
 canvass, whether he sells any goods or 
 not. ' When those who did not buy on 
 the first round have had time to read the 
 advertising matter, say a week after- 
 ward, tell him to call again. Testimo- 
 nials are as valuable in selling medicines 
 through agents as in selling by other 
 methods. Instruct agents to keep an eye 
 on the results of the medicines, and if 
 any cures are made to tell about them 
 when calling on prospective customers. 
 Instruct the agents to obtain signed tes- 
 timonials, where possible, and to send 
 these into the home office thus you will 
 be able to flood any particular district 
 with printed testimonials of people liv- 
 ing in that locality. 
 
 It takes a good correspondence depart- 
 ment and executive ability to manage a 
 large corps of agents satisfactorily. It 
 takes business ability to start an agency 
 medicine business on the right founda- 
 tion to achieve ultimate success. 
 
 I can prepare the form letters and ads 
 that will get the agents. I can get up 
 the circulars, booklets and other adver- 
 tising matter to convince the public of 
 the worth of your medicines. If you 
 have the capital and ambition requisite 
 to enter this field, my advice and serv- 
 ices will be of immense advantage to 
 you. 
 
 Below are three letters which will give 
 you an idea of how to follow up agents, 
 whom you wish to take hold of a line 
 of medicinal preparations. These letters, 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 47 
 
 indeed, will be of service in showing the 
 beginner how to follow up an ad calling 
 for agents. 
 
 FIRST LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir : Your valued inquiry duly 
 received and in accordance with your re- 
 quest we take pleasure in giving you our 
 terms to agents on our*fast selling line 
 of medicines. We desire to call your 
 particular attention to the fact that the 
 remedies manufactured by us are made 
 from the purest and freshest drugs and 
 are compounded by competent chemists 
 after exclusive formulae. These medi- 
 cines are not merely made to sell they 
 are made to cure those who take them. 
 Every sale made of these medicines in 
 a family where they have not heretofore 
 been used will mean a friend and pa- 
 tron for you and for us. This is the 
 kind of articles an agent should handle. 
 In the case of most agents' goods where 
 you sell an article once, you cannot sell 
 again, but must look up a new line of 
 goods or else a new line of customers. 
 In the case of many trashy articles it will 
 be both. 
 
 Our medicines are popular priced; 
 they sell as fast on the first canvass as 
 will most other agents' goods, and the 
 longer they are sold in a community, the 
 larger and easier the sales will be. This 
 business does not necessarily require 
 much canvassing or traveling after the 
 medicines have been well introduced. 
 Many people will come to your house, for 
 the medicines. The sales can be made 
 by your family in case you are away. 
 You can work at your regular occupa- 
 tion and have the medicine lousiness as a 
 side issue, and in many cases the medi- 
 cine agency will pay the better of the 
 two. However, we shall be glad to have 
 you devote your whole time to the busi- 
 ness should you care to do so. We will 
 give you all the territory you can work 
 you can arrange to make regular rounds 
 through your whole county. We give 
 our agents exclusive control of their 
 territory and protect them in it. OUR 
 MEDICINES ARE NOT SOLD 
 THROUGH DEALERS, but by agents 
 exclusively. 
 
 We want to make a trial of the busi- 
 ness. We are putting up a beginner's 
 outfit, containing medicines to retail at 
 $12.00, assorted in the manner which our 
 experience proves to be most satisfac- 
 tory (see other blank enclosed). This 
 outfit will be sent express paid on re- 
 
 ceipt of six dollars. Thus you will net 
 one hundred per cent on your invest- 
 ment and will have established a trade 
 that will stay with you and continue to 
 grow larger, so long as you stay in the 
 business. 
 
 If any of the medicines do not sell, 
 they are fully returnable and may be 
 exchanged for other medicines at any 
 time, or if you decide not to continue 
 the agency they may be returned and the 
 amount paid will be refunded in full. 
 You take no risk we are glad to take 
 it all, because, if you are the man we 
 think you are, we know you will not only 
 sell the preparations contained in this 
 sample box, but thousands of bottles be- 
 sides. Remit by postoffice or express 
 money order or by registered letter. 
 Goods will be sent C. O. D. on receipt of 
 $1.00, express not prepaid. Awaiting 
 your order, and promising prompt ship- 
 ment, we remain, 
 
 Yours for business, 
 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir: Some time ago we wrote 
 to you regarding the agency for our 
 popular-priced and wonderfully effective 
 medicines. We fully expected you would 
 take hold of the business and have ac- 
 cordingly been holding the matter open 
 till you reached a decision, but we have 
 not heard from you. Did you read our 
 advertising matter carefully? Did you 
 notice that our line of medicines is so 
 extensive as to cover nearly every chron- 
 ic disease with which mankind is afflict- 
 ed, as well as various minor acute dis- 
 orders ? Every family needs medicine of 
 some kind, and if you handle our line 
 you will be able to supply that need in 
 a majority of the families in your terri- 
 tory. We get out a good line" of adver- 
 tising matter and supply our agents all 
 they can use. This helps them make 
 sales. But the good effects of our medi- 
 cine on all who use them faithfully will 
 be a still better advertisement for you 
 and for us. 
 
 Do not allow this chance to go by 
 without grasping it. We are offering 
 you a permanent, respectable, and grow- 
 ing business, which will pay you well for 
 any time you can give to it." We intend 
 to put an agent in your locality if not 
 you, then another. We had the idea 
 that you would make a first-class repre- 
 sentative for us. We want an honest 
 and respectable person, who will inspire 
 confidence in his own community and 
 
4 8 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 who will treat us fairly. If you will 
 take up this agency you will have our 
 best help and advice in your effort to 
 build up a profitable business. We will 
 deal with you fairly and generously. 
 Our agents' interests are our' interests. 
 Read the testimonials on the inclosed 
 folder from the agents who are already 
 representing us. Your territory is as 
 good as theirs, and what they have done 
 you can do also if you will but try. We 
 think our terms are very liberal we 
 give you one-half the price of the medi- 
 cine ; you make 100 per cent on your 
 money. That is as large a profit as we 
 can afford to give, and still give value to 
 your customers. Remember, it is not the 
 largest commission which gives the most 
 profit, but a fair commission combined 
 with such values to the consumer that 
 you can make large sales and sell again 
 and again to those who buy once. 
 
 Perhaps you did not feel that you 
 should pay for all the medicine before 
 you had sold any of it; if that is the 
 case, we are willing to make you a spe- 
 cial offer. Send us one-half of the regu- 
 lar wholesale price, $3, using the in- 
 closed order blank, which we have 
 changed to agree with this offer, and we 
 will send the beginner's box by express 
 prepaid, you to remit the balance of the 
 price, $3, within thirty days. This will 
 permit you to sell the medicine before 
 remitting. Trusting you will respond to 
 this liberal offer in the same spirit it is 
 made, we remain, 
 
 Yours for business, 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir: There is no more respecta- 
 ble work than being an agent for a line 
 of sterling medicines, which really cure. 
 There is no more useful work nor one 
 which will make you more warm friends 
 in your community. There is no other 
 agency proposition which will pay you 
 one-half so_ well for the time and atten- 
 tion you give to canvassing as will the 
 agency for our standard remedies. 
 There are no other remedies sold 
 through agents which yield such large 
 profits in the long run as do our goods. 
 This is because there is no other line of 
 proprietary medicinal preparations sold 
 through agents, druggists, medicine deal- 
 ers, or direct to the public which gives 
 the purchaser so much benefit for his 
 money as do our medicines. 
 
 If you intend to sell goods of any 
 kind (and of course you do or you 
 
 would not have written to us) you will 
 find nothing better than our proposition, 
 no matter how long you look or to how 
 many you may write. 
 
 We intend to introduce our medicines 
 in every locality in America. The ques- 
 tion is, will you help us to make them 
 known in your locality? We have writ- 
 ten to you twice and. have received no 
 response to oflr letters. We think we 
 are at least entitled to a reply. 
 
 We can doubtless get another agent if 
 you will not take hold and help us, but 
 we had the idea that you would make a 
 better agent than the average, and we 
 wished to give you plenty of time to 
 reach a decision. We find that in many 
 cases those who think the matter over a 
 while, and look around a bit before en- 
 gaging with us, make the very best class 
 of agents. We have one general agent 
 who is handling an entire western state 
 and making several hundred dollars 
 monthly, who did not take hold of our 
 proposition until he had received the 
 third letter^ from us. Perhaps you can 
 duplicate his success. 
 
 Our chief object is to get you started. 
 We know that a trial of the business 
 will be more convincing than anything 
 we can say, and in order to get you to 
 try selling our preparations we are go- 
 ing to break our regular rule of requir- 
 ing cash with order and will make you 
 the following special offer : 
 
 Return the special order blank in- 
 closed herewith, properly filled out with 
 the indorsement of a clergyman, a repu- 
 table business man, or your postmaster, 
 and we will send the box of medicines, 
 which retail at $12 on consignment, to 
 be paid for when sold. You are to pay 
 express charges on receipt of the medi- 
 cines and $6 when you have disposed of 
 them. We expect you to report within 
 fifteen days and to hold any medicines 
 not sold and paid for subject to our or- 
 der at any time. Kindly read the order 
 blank before sending and tear off the 
 duplicate, so that you will have a re- 
 minder of your contract. 
 
 You have only to try to sell the medi- 
 cines, to remit for those sold, and to re- 
 turn those not sold. We take all the 
 risic. You get as much profit as we get 
 money for manufacturing the medicines. 
 
 If you do not care to take this agency, 
 even when these exceptional terms are 
 offered yon, will you not write to us and. 
 say no and we will not bother you anv 
 further? If you cannot help us we will 
 look for some one else in your town, but 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 49 
 
 we trust to hear from you by return 
 mail. Anxiously awaiting your reply, 
 we remain, etc. 
 
 FURTHER SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 In case's where this consignment offer 
 is worked it is necessary to have a good 
 series of dunning letters to go to those 
 who do not make prompt returns or are 
 delinquent in the matter of remittance. 
 
 If premiums are offered for large 
 sales, circulars giving full particulars 
 should be inclosed with the letter, and 
 the offers should be briefly mentioned in 
 the letters. 
 
 Of course the person signing the order 
 blank does not make himself responsible 
 for payment, but merely signs a state- 
 ment that he believes the applicant to be 
 honest and that he is a person who car- 
 ries out his agreements. 
 
 If the agent does not remit it can be 
 held as a club over him that you will 
 write to his reference. This will some- 
 times bring him to time if worked up in 
 the right manner. It may avail some- 
 times if you do write to the reference. 
 
 If it is not desired to send goods 
 without deposit, the two first letters 
 may ask for cash in advance and the 
 last make the "half cash with order" 
 offer. 
 
 Better terms might catch many agents. 
 The usual agent's commission is 50 per 
 cent of the retail price on this class of 
 goods. An offer of 60 per cent in the 
 case of a desirable line of medicines 
 should prove attractive, and ought to 
 help bring cash with order, as the 
 agent would be making 150 per cent on 
 his investment. Of course, it could be 
 arranged so that the advertiser could 
 make the necessary profit. Less medi- 
 cine could be given in the package. 
 
 If one tonic medicine is to be handled, 
 it would be wisest to put it up in tablet 
 form, so it could be sent at a lower rate, 
 and it would not require the expense of 
 packing, nor would there be the loss 
 from breakage that attends the shipment 
 of liquids if not very carefully packed. 
 A reasonably full line of remedies could 
 be put up in this form if it were thought 
 best, and if the agent is to be allowed 
 150 per cent it would be advisable to do 
 so. A long course of treatment .can be 
 sold at a low price by putting up a medi- 
 cine that is to be taken but once a day, 
 at bedtime. 
 
 ADVERTISING A MEDICINE BY 
 MAIL. 
 
 The following are extracts from a let- 
 ter written a short time ago in answer 
 to an inquiry regarding advertising a 
 cure for dyspepsia by mail : 
 
 The cost of writing a letter of this 
 kind pertaining to any proposition you 
 want to advertise is $5.00. 
 
 ''Kindly overlook the seeming delay 
 in answering your letter as same has 
 been unavoidable, as I have been out of 
 town a few days this week, but will state 
 that a letter of this kind requires con- 
 siderable attention, as there are many 
 points to be covered in order to give you 
 a correct idea as to just what you can 
 do in putting your cure for dyspepsia 
 on the market in a mail order way. 
 
 "In the first place the medicine should 
 be prepared in a tablet or pill so that 
 you can send it through the mails cheap- 
 ly. If you have not made arrangements 
 to have your medicine put up in that 
 form, undoubtedly you can do so, as I 
 understand the modern chemistry makes 
 it possible to put up medicine in any 
 form desired. As far as the medicine it- 
 self goes, undoubtedly it would have the 
 same effect if sent to the patient in bottle, 
 but the cost of sending it would deduct 
 considerable from your profits and in the 
 mail order business every cent that you 
 can save in expense of this kind adds to 
 your profits. Again, it is customary in 
 the mail order medicine business to send 
 out samples of the medicine and if you 
 ^have your medicine in pill or tablet form, 
 you can send two or three tablets in an 
 envelope as a free sample of medicine. 
 This free sample method is that used by 
 all of the successful mail order medicine 
 firms, and of course you would have to 
 adopt the same method in order to at- 
 tract your share of the business. 
 
 "There is no medicine that can be 
 sold direct, from the fact that the ad and 
 the advertisement must simply bring the 
 inquiries, and the sale developed by 
 your circular, follow-up system of cir- 
 cular letters, etc. With a limited appro- 
 priation, should advise a small ad in a 
 large number of papers in preference to 
 a large ad in a few papers. 
 
 "Now, when these inquiries are re- 
 ceived you should have a booklet de- 
 scribing the medicine and a circular let- 
 ter. The advertisement is constructed 
 so as to bring replies from those who 
 have dyspepsia. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 "Now, then, this booklet should de- 
 scribe the horrors of dyspepsia and the 
 fact that stomach troubles are danger- 
 ous and gradually lead to the breaking 
 down of the entire system and convinc- 
 ing them that your dyspepsia cure will 
 cure dyspepsia and all other stomach 
 troubles. Then, of course, the symptoms 
 of dyspepsia and stomach troubles should 
 be described. 
 
 "It would be useless for you to ex- 
 pect to obtain success unless you had 
 convincing literature like that used by 
 other successful advertisers in this line. 
 Even though you advertise in a small 
 way it should be possible for you to 
 get as much business in proportion to 
 the amount of advertising you do, as 
 firms who are spending thousands of 
 dollars. Where most advertisers fail, 
 is that they imagine that b'ecause they 
 are spending a small amount of money 
 that it is not worth while to get up a 
 very elaborate system of follow-up lit- 
 erature, whereas nothing could be fur- 
 ther from the truth. 
 
 "With this booklet you should also 
 send a circular letter, which would be 
 written in the same vein as though it 
 was a personal letter and you had dic- 
 tated it personally to the party making 
 the inquiry. The reason I suggest a cir- 
 cular letter, is that you will receive so 
 many replies that if you attempted to 
 answer them all with actual, bona-fide 
 letters you would have more than you 
 could attend to. 
 
 "Of course, those who send for and 
 receive a free sample will not order your 
 treatment immediately on hearing from 
 you, but your inquiries will have to be 
 coaxed or nursed along by means of 
 your follow-up letters, which you will 
 send them at frequent intervals. I 
 should say that each inquiry should be 
 written to three or four times, and sent 
 a circular letter on the same order that 
 you sent them the first time, only each 
 letter giving them additional reasons 
 why they should order. 
 
 "As to the price of the medicine, I be- 
 lieve that $1.00 or $1.50 for a month's 
 treatment would be the right price. It 
 is hard to get a higher price than this 
 for medicines for these troubles, so 
 would advise you to advertise it at that 
 figure. Undoubtedly you can do so at 
 a fair profit to yourself. 
 
 "The best mediums for you to use 
 for this advertising are, first the mail 
 order monthlies, second some of the 
 
 large weeklies and third the classified 
 columns of the dailies. With a limited 
 appropriation, however, I would not ad- 
 vise you to do much experimenting, but 
 to confine your efforts to the papers that 
 have built up success in the mail order 
 medical field, which papers are" the mail 
 order monthlies of big circulation, which 
 ga to country people in the small towns 
 and villages, among the farmers and in 
 the back woods to people who do not 
 have the opportunity of consulting first- 
 class physicians and who are open to a 
 proposition of this kind. Take say a 
 five-line ad in the following list, and you 
 can reach a large number of people at 
 a comparatively small amount. Would 
 not advise you to place this advertising 
 until you get everything ready, your 
 booklet printed, circulars all ready to 
 send out, your medicine put up in dollar 
 boxes and envelopes prepared to hold 
 three or four of each as samples and 
 then when you get everything ready 
 place your advertising. 
 
 "I have handled a great deal of ad- 
 vertising of this kind for many success- 
 ful firms, know what papers to use, how 
 to get up literature that will bring busi- 
 ness and in fact can look after the ad- 
 vertising end so that it will be a suc- 
 cess. 
 
 "I should like to handle your adver- 
 tising and feel sure that we could make 
 this successful. The cost of replies 
 should be in the neighborhood of 25c 
 each. That is, if you placed $100 worth 
 of advertising you could figure on get- 
 ting about four hundred replies. 
 
 "Now it would be very probable that 
 the business will not show any profits 
 for several months, as inquiries received 
 have to be nursed along carefully and, 
 of course, you will receive many replies 
 that you will never hear from again, 
 and, on the other hand, those who order 
 a month's treatment will undoubtedly 
 keep the treatment up until they are 
 cured and also many who are cured by 
 your treatment will tell their friends 
 about it and the fame of your remedies 
 grow in this way and bring increased 
 business to you. 
 
 "If you have not decided what name 
 you will advertise under, I would ad- 
 vise you to advertise under your own 
 name as a specialist in these troubles, 
 and not under the name of a company. 
 You have a great advantage over most 
 medical advertisers, in that you are a 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS* 
 
 doctor and can give advice and very 
 often you will have a chance to treat 
 these people for other troubles, as no 
 doubt you will find persons who have 
 stomach trouble may also be troubled 
 with rheumatism, etc. Believe it would 
 be a good plan to get up some kind of 
 a symptom blank whereby they would 
 describe their symptoms so that you can 
 get in line with those that have other 
 diseases. However, your leader would 
 be your Dyspepsia Cure and this you 
 could push. 
 
 "I think there is a great chance for 
 you making a success as the field is 
 practically unlimited, and you have the 
 whole United States to work in and 
 these papers which I have mentioned 
 will carry your ad to people whom you 
 can easily convince and get quick action 
 on, but you cannot make a fortune on 
 this in a few months and you will not 
 be able to do any business at all to 
 speak of unless you have the right kind 
 of literature, because other advertisers 
 have it and you have to compete with 
 them." 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Giving Satisfaction. 
 
 In many places in my book I refer to 
 a "scheme." I do not mean by that 
 anything dishonest, but a "plan" worked 
 out and developed on sound principles. 
 
 It is amusing to experienced advertis- 
 ing men to note the attempts that are 
 made by young advertisers to fool peo- 
 ple with deceptive advertisements. Some 
 of these fellows that couldn't swap jack 
 knives without getting the worst of it 
 imagine they have the ability to humbug 
 people in an advertisement. In the end 
 the dishonest advertiser gets the worst 
 of it from the postoffice department. I 
 hope, -however, that those who read this 
 book for the purpose of gaining advice 
 on conducting a mail order business will 
 not become imbued with the idea that 
 any other policy except that of honesty 
 will pay. 
 
 Anybody can sell a man a thing the 
 first time. It is easy to take an inferior 
 article and write it up in an advertise- 
 ment so that the people will believe it to 
 be first class. The secret of success in 
 the mail order business Cor, in fact, of 
 any business) is in giving your cus- 
 tomer satisfaction so he will deal with 
 you again. You do not want to mis- 
 represent things in any way. You 
 want to have him feel that he has had 
 the value of his money and has been 
 rightly used. 
 
 What I am saying is not mere theory, 
 it is the truth, proven beyond question. 
 
 PROMPTNESS. 
 
 There are many ways in which the 
 mail order dealer can give his customers 
 satisfaction. One is by prompt filling 
 of his orders. One hot day I was in the 
 office of a young mail order dealer at 
 about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There 
 was a pile of unfilled orders' on his desk, 
 and he was reading a story in one of the 
 magazines. By and by he suggested that 
 he lock the place up and go out to the 
 races. 
 
 Then and there I gave him a lecture 
 on the way that he was conducting his 
 
 business. I told him that every order 
 on his desk should be filled at once, and 
 if he couldn't fill the order he should 
 write to his customers and state the rea- 
 son why. He said he didn't think a day 
 or two would make any difference in 
 filling an order, but I explained to him 
 that when a person in the country or- 
 dered a thing he was anxious to get it 
 as soon as possible. When there is 
 any delay they fuss and fume around 
 so that when it finally does arrive the 
 pleasure they might have experienced is 
 worn off. The next time they want any 
 thing they will go somewhere else to 
 avoid another disappointment. 
 
 Another way of giving satisfaction is 
 the careful answering of correspondence. 
 A careless correspondent can ruin the 
 best advertised business on earth. When 
 you attempt to answer a letter be sure 
 that you have answered it in full, that 
 no point, however trivial it may appear 
 to you, has been overlooked. If you 
 neglect a point, that may be the very 
 thing that will knock you in making a 
 sale. 
 
 SLACK METHODS. 
 
 Some firms never acknowledge receipt 
 of orders. They imagine that when they 
 have filled the order as specified they 
 have done their part of the agreement. 
 There is no law compelling a mail order 
 man to write a short letter acknowledg- 
 ing an order and thanking the purchaser 
 for it, any more than there is a law com- 
 pelling the store keeper to be polite. It 
 has been found, however, that it pays. 
 When a man passes over money he likes 
 to have it appreciated. It inspires him 
 to do business with you again. 
 
 Accuracy in filling orders is another 
 point. For a customer to receive a pack- 
 age short any article is especially bad, as 
 it gives the impression that it might 
 have been intentional. It pays to check 
 all orders up carefully to be sure that 
 every article is exactly as ordered. See 
 that the packages are also carefully done 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 53 
 
 up, so there will be no danger of their 
 becoming damaged. You will find that 
 all these little things pay to be looked 
 after. Remember the saying that "a 
 bird in the hand is worth two in the 
 bush," and strive to keep your old cus 
 tomers. 
 
 COMPETITION. 
 
 There is competition in the mail order 
 field, as there is in every other business, 
 that offers profitable returns for the 
 capital expended. The man who is look- 
 ing for a field of effort where there is 
 no competition is chasing rainbows. 
 
 The right way to meet competition is 
 to' give a little better values than your 
 competitors. Devote more thought and 
 attention to your work hard work usu- 
 ally brings its own reward. Then ad- 
 vertise extensively and wisely. Adver- 
 tising is the greatest business making 
 force of the day. 
 
 If you sell the right goods for the 
 right price, give your business the proper 
 attention, and advertise judiciously, you 
 can hardly fail to succeed in a greater 
 or less measure. 
 
 You will take the lead of competitors 
 because so few of them do these things. 
 So few have the ambition and energy 
 necessary to exce.1 either in values, serv- 
 ice, or publicity. 
 
 To give better values than others do, 
 it is necessary to adopt more economical 
 buying, selling, manufacturing, or hand- 
 ling methods. This requires study and 
 thought on the part of the manager of 
 the business. 
 
 Advertising is of course a part of the 
 selling system, and it can readily be seen 
 how important it is that the advertising 
 should sell the goods at the least possible 
 expense. It can easily be understood 
 that if a good advertisement will sell 
 twice as many goods as the indifferent 
 one the advertising writer who writes 
 the good ad can sell the goods at one- 
 half the expense incurred by the writer 
 of the indifferent copy. 
 
 The "good enough" doctrine is what 
 keeps many men from getting on. A 
 thing isn't good enough until it is just 
 right. A little more work, a little more 
 care are what make the difference be- 
 tween success and failure. Yet the fact 
 that so many are content with the "good 
 enough" makes it all the easier for the 
 right man to start in business where 
 
 there is lots of competition with fair 
 prospects of success. He can lead in the 
 race before his competitors have become 
 aware that there is a more aggressive ri- 
 val in the field. 
 
 But don't knock competitors don't 
 show that you feel their competition. 
 The man who makes a personal griev- 
 ance of a competitor's success shows 
 himself of very small caliler. Just keep 
 working away trying to give the public 
 better values for their money than they 
 can obtain elsewhere, and you will have 
 your reward all in due time. 
 
 SELLING TO THE FARMER. 
 
 If the advertiser wishes to go after the 
 farmer's personal trade that is, sell the 
 goods that the farmer buys for his own 
 use and to be used in his business there 
 is no o'ther class of mediums that will 
 give such good results as will the ag- 
 ricultural papers. 
 
 It should be remembered, too, that the 
 farmer who gives the most attentive 
 reading to this class of papers is the up 
 to date, successful farmer. He is the 
 man who is looking for the latest in ag- 
 ricultural machinery and for the best 
 strains of seeds and blooded stock. He 
 is looking for meritorious goods and has 
 the money to buy them. 
 
 The old fashioned farmer, who sneers 
 at book farming, will not be reached by 
 the agricultural papers, but in a majority 
 of cases he is the man who hasn't money 
 to spend, even if he can be reached. He 
 is the renter, who goes from one farm 
 to another as sure as the ist of April 
 comes 'round, or he is the man with a 
 mortgage on his back. 
 
 If the advertiser wishes to sell har- 
 vesting machinery, incubators, fencing 
 materials, seeds, trees,, and plants, and 
 other goods of a practical, business like 
 nature, let him tell about them in an 
 honest, straightforward way through the 
 columns of the farm papers, and the 
 goods will go all right, if the quality is 
 there and the right prices are quoted. 
 
 But the farm papers will sell other 
 articles than these. They will sell paints 
 and roofing material ; they will sell bug- 
 gies and harness if there is anything 
 that the average farmer lays himself out 
 on is the rig that he drives on Sun- 
 days ; they will sell clothing and watches 
 for the farmer's own use. 
 
 Now it may be noted that though the 
 
54 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 agricultural papers are such good me- 
 diums to reach the farmer personally, 
 they might not all of them prove equally 
 valuable as mediums for reaching the 
 farmer's family ; and it is the farmer's 
 wife and daughter who spend a consid- 
 erable portion of the farmer's income. 
 But the average farmer's wife and 
 daughter are interested in the dairy and 
 in poultry raising, and scan the columns 
 of the agricultural paper devoted to 
 these subjects. Then, too, the average 
 agricultural paper runs considerable 
 household matter, stories for the chil- 
 dren, etc. 
 
 FORM LETTERS. 
 
 A form letter does not necessarily 
 mean a printed circular letter. Set 
 forms save time and enable one to use 
 a stronger letter in answering regular 
 correspondence on the machine. Of 
 course these forms should be sufficient- 
 ly elastic so that changes can be in- 
 corporated in the body of the letter to 
 meet each individual case. A letter 
 whether a form letter, a dictated letter, 
 or a personally written letter, should 
 reply in full to the inquiry. It will 
 make a prospective customer decidedly 
 chilly to receive a "form" or "circular" 
 ktter which does not cover his case at 
 all. If one wishes to use circular let- 
 ters that really give the effect of type- 
 written letters he should see to it that 
 they are expertly duplicated on a good 
 grade of paper and that the ribbon on 
 the machine, when filling in the name and 
 address, matches the printing ink. Oth- 
 erwise there is no use of using type- 
 writer type. People are educated up to 
 the point where only the best of imita- 
 tions will deceive them. 
 
 When sending catalogue and follow- 
 up literature, the matter in letters as 
 well as its length must be determined 
 by the class of people to whom it is to be 
 rent A letter concerning office furni- 
 ture which goes to the business men of 
 the country should be broken up into 
 short, snappy paragraphs, and should 
 not contain over three hundred and fifty 
 words. On the other hand, a letter 
 which goes to the country consumer or 
 to agents may in some cases be made 
 twice as long and it will still be read 
 thoroughly. The number of letters and 
 the amount of literature to be sent to an 
 inquirer who has failed to purchase 
 goods depends upon the profit one can 
 make on the prospective sale. 
 
 A manufacturer of buggies and har- 
 ness, for instance, can afford to keep 
 after the inquirer not only for a few 
 weeks, but for several weeks during the 
 early summer for several years. Suppose, 
 for instance, the women of a farmer's 
 family have been urging a new buggy or 
 family carriage, accordingly he sends for 
 catalogues to three or four firms, but 
 finds, eventually that certain expenses 
 on which he had not reckoned will make 
 it well-nigh impossible for him to buy 
 the vehicle that year. Perhaps the same 
 conditions will confront him the next 
 year, and not until the third year does 
 he find himself in a position to make the 
 desired purchase. Suppose, but one of 
 the manufacturers to whom he sent for 
 catalogues persists until the third year; 
 if that firm's catalogue and a good busi- 
 ness-like letter is- before him when he 
 gets ready to order, he is extremely 
 likely to let them furnish the vehicle. 
 If no one of the firms keep at him until 
 the third year, he is very likely to or- 
 der from his local dealer. 
 
 With the catalogue there usually goes 
 what might not inappropriately be called 
 an introductory letter a small conver- 
 sational talk which aims to produce 
 pleasant relations between the person 
 who has written the booklet's descrip- 
 tions and the person who reads them. 
 Thus the Burlington Basket Company, 
 of Burlington, la., sends the following 
 communication : 
 
 Dear Sir : Your inquiry came to hand 
 today, and as the writer personally at- 
 tended to the mailing of the catalogue 
 to you, we are sure it will reach you all 
 right. We really tried hard to make that 
 catalogue tell the whole story in a plain, 
 truthful way, but try as we might, it 
 didn't s-ay it all. Even a personal talk 
 with you could not do that. It takes 
 the basket to win its way. Order one. 
 Use it. And then tell us what you 
 think. If you don't think it a rare bar- 
 gain, your money will be sent back to 
 you. The basket is really the working 
 out of our own desires, we being people 
 who like the woods and the banks of 
 streams, and at the same time are mak- 
 ers of baskets. Right well we worked 
 on this problem and would be well re- 
 paid had we only made that first one 
 the one we still use. It has cheered us 
 on many a hot dusty noontime by the 
 cool cleanliness of its contents. 
 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 55 
 
 It may be that it has made us preju- 
 diced, but we still believe that we are 
 manufacturing the most satisfactory ad- 
 dition yet made to the outfit of the man 
 who likes the out-of-doors. 
 
 As to the make-up of the basket, you 
 can be sure that every part of it is of 
 the very best material that it will be a 
 joy and a comfort. We have made the 
 book tell only the truth because we 
 want to make friends with you who are 
 interested. We know that this basket 
 must stand the criticism of many a way- 
 side talk and it is here and there on 
 country roads and city parks and by the 
 lakes and rivers that we must make our 
 friends or our critics. 
 
 We want your order and we are going 
 to look for it with the understanding 
 that you can have your money back if 
 you are not satisfied. 
 
 Yours very respectfully, 
 BURLINGTON BASKET CO., 
 E. A. Florang. 
 
 P. S. If desired we will paint your 
 name on the cover free of charge. 
 
 B. B. CO. 
 
 IF YOU WANT MY HELP. 
 
 I want to impress upon the reader that 
 if he desires to secure my services in 
 placing and writing advertising that I 
 do not have anything to do with furnish- 
 ing goods or choosing them, outside of 
 selecting a leader from your batch of 
 circulars or catalogue. When you get 
 your business organized and decide what 
 you will handle and how extensively you 
 will advertise, I should like to hear from 
 you, and believe we can co-operate to 
 advantage. 
 
 I have the inside track of the mail or- 
 der business and know the circulars, lit- 
 erature, methods, and media used by al- 
 most every successful mail order adver- 
 tiser in the country. It costs me hun- 
 dreds of dollars to keep posted, but I 
 manage to do it for the benefit of my 
 clients. 
 
 I can save you money that you would 
 lose if you tried to conduct your adver- 
 tising alone. Much of the mail order ad- 
 vertising is a failure because it is not 
 placed in the right mediums. Some of 
 the mail order monthlies are a gold 
 mine, but they must be properly worked 
 to produce any money for the advertiser. 
 I know what papers pay and what do 
 not. 
 
 If you want to start in the mail order 
 business to make money, you will recog- 
 nize the fact that an experienced adver- 
 tising agent who makes a specialty of the 
 mail order business, who places adver- 
 tising for hundreds of successful clients, 
 who is employed by some of the largest 
 firms in the entire United States to 
 write their advertisements, circulars, and 
 booklets, can be of considerable assist- 
 ance to you. 
 
 If you are not making money in the 
 mail order business, you should be. Why 
 is it? Why continue to lose money 
 when other firms are making it? 
 
 A small sum to be spent in the cream 
 of the mail order mediums can with my 
 skill, experience, and judgment be made 
 to yield results that will soon lead to 
 larger and successful efforts. I solicit 
 correspondence from those purchasers of 
 this book who mean business, and will 
 give all letters careful attention. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A Few Suggestions. 
 
 There are so many different classes of 
 advertising propositions that it is difficult 
 to lay down any hard and fast rules that 
 will apply to every advertiser's business. 
 Each separate case must be studied by 
 itself before a final judgment can be ex- 
 pressed as to the correct method of pro- 
 cedure. It must be studied without 
 prejudice for or against any particular 
 line of action. The man who is to direct 
 the campaign should know what has 
 been done by other advertisers, and how 
 well the -different methods have succeed- 
 ed. He should have common sense plus 
 technical skill and bring it all to bear on 
 the problem. Those who say that adver- 
 tising is an exact science claim too much. 
 There is no advertising man in the world 
 who can take hold of a new proposition 
 that has never been advertised and be 
 sure of giving a certain specified profit 
 from a specified advertising appropria- 
 tion. 
 
 If advertising were a sure thing, as 
 some are claiming, the various publica- 
 tions would be obliged to double their 
 advertising space, and then would be 
 compelled to leave put many who were 
 hammering to get in. The advertising 
 man who could infallibly and invariably 
 produce large profits for his clients 
 would soon have all the advertising in 
 America placed in his hands. The truth 
 of the matter is that advertising is busi- 
 ness, and in every business there are 
 business risks. Methods that prove prof- 
 itable one year may fail the next through 
 no accountable reason. The public 
 changes. What will meet the fancy of 
 the fickle public at one time will fall 
 down at the next trial. And then one 
 cannot judge of the ultimate results of 
 an advertising campaign until it has been 
 continued for some time. Many an ad- 
 vertiser has won out by sticking to it a 
 little longer. Many a man who has quit 
 a loser might have won out if he had 
 possessed the grit to hang on a month 
 or a year longer. 
 
 TRY IT OUT. 
 
 A plan may bear all the ear marks of 
 success and still prove a failure in prac- 
 tical operation. One can never tell ex- 
 actly how the public is going to take 
 hold of a new plan or a new article un- 
 til it has been tried out. 
 
 Before appropriating a large amount 
 of money, one should test the selling 
 qualities of the goods by using one good 
 medium the one that is, in the opinion 
 of an experienced advertising man, the 
 best adapted to bring business for the 
 advertiser's proposition. 
 
 Prepare to handle the business; have 
 good printed matter and a series of good 
 follow-up letters. Place a fair sized ad 
 in the medium selected and let it run for 
 at least two or three months. You can- 
 not get an absolutely correct line on a 
 paper's pulling powers from one inser- 
 tion, though the one insertion should 
 bring some returns if the proposition is 
 going to prove a winner. 
 
 If the returns after running the ad for 
 three months show up well, enlarge the 
 appropriation and go into other good pa- 
 pers. It may be. that trying the matter 
 out will show that there are points of 
 weakness in the plan as first devised. 
 When getting out a new supply of ad- 
 vertising remedy these weak points. 
 
 After once proving you have a suc- 
 cessful plan, strike while the iron is hot. 
 Push the scheme for all that your capi- 
 tal will permit. If you have devised a 
 successful plan, others will soon know of 
 it and camp on your trail. Get a good 
 start before your prospective competitors 
 can get under way. Take the lead and 
 try to hold it. Make all the money you 
 can before competition becomes strenu- 
 ous. 
 
 To tell an advertiser that he ought 
 not to expect returns at once, and that 
 he ought to be willing to advertise a 
 long time before he begins to get any 
 of his money back is to tell him the 
 road to ruin. 
 
 The time to expect results from a 
 mail order advertisement is at once. I 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 57 
 
 do not mean by this that as soon as the 
 advertiser puts an ad in a paper that 
 he will be flooded with replies, but if 
 he stands any chance of success at all, 
 he will begin to get a few replies at 
 once. If he gets no replies whatever, 
 something is wrong, either with the 
 ad, the medium, or with both. To con- 
 tinue with such advertising would be to 
 pursue a very foolish policy. 
 
 The first insertion of an advertisement 
 very seldom pays for itself. If you ad- 
 vertise for the first time in a certain 
 paper, you will probably not get so good 
 returns as you will after you have ad- 
 vertised three or four times. It is con- 
 tinuous advertising that pays, except in 
 the case of novelties and other ephem- 
 eral productions that depend for their 
 sale upon the fancy of the moment. 
 
 However, an ad on this would pull out 
 no doubt if worked in the manner now 
 suggested. To those that reply to the ad 
 you send a circular something like this, 
 only go into the matter more elaborately 
 and work on their imagination more. A 
 2,000 word circular would make this a 
 very strong proposition : 
 
 Dear Sir : Your esteemed favor at 
 hand. You are well aware that the sil- 
 vering of mirrors is and always has been 
 a valuable trade secret, held with sealed 
 lips by the few who have it. I am the 
 first one in the business who believes 
 in living and let live. I have all the 
 business that I can take care of and do 
 justice to; therefore I offer to send you 
 complete instructions in typewritten form 
 of all the secrets in regard to this busi- 
 ness, including all the formulas and 
 minute details in regard to making them. 
 
 The instructions are very complete 
 and so simple that I guarantee that any 
 one who can read can follow them step 
 by step, from the making of the solution 
 to the finishing of a nice mirror. This is 
 also a good opportunity for bright boys, 
 as they can learn to do this work as well 
 as men, and will find it interesting and 
 very profitable. There is lots of business 
 of this kind in every town. Furniture 
 stores would be glad to give you their 
 business in this line and save time, 
 freight, and chance of breakage. Many 
 families have damaged mirrors that they 
 prize highly and would have resilvered 
 if they knew that -they could have it done 
 without the trouble and expense of send- 
 ing them away. There is easy work and 
 big profits in this trade for some one in 
 every town. A new mirror, 18x36 
 
 inches, will cost you $5. You can re- 
 plate one the same size one coat for 10 
 cents. 
 
 I will send you complete instructions 
 for silvering mirrors, typewritten form, 
 for only $2. This takes in five different 
 processes. Or I will send you instruc- 
 tions in mirror work and intaglio etch- 
 ing, foiling, embossing, and glass chip- 
 ping, which is a valuable addition and 
 makes the course complete, for $3. If 
 there should be anything about the in- 
 structions or formulas that you dp not 
 understand thoroughly you are at liberty 
 to write me and I will gladly answer all 
 questions, promptly until you are pro- 
 ficient in the work. 
 
 Trusting that you will take advantage 
 of this opportunity, and awaiting your 
 commands, which will have our prompt 
 attention, I am Yours very truly, 
 
 The above is the circular letter used 
 by an advertiser who is working on the 
 plan suggested. It would not be fair to 
 him to give the formula here, as then 
 everybody could work it, but there are 
 dozens of equally good schemes that you 
 can think of, and if written up in .the 
 right way will make a good proposition. 
 
 If you know of a business the secrets 
 of which are not known to the general 
 public, and can get particulars of how 
 the business is managed, I will write 
 such business up for you on this scheme 
 plan. The circular matter can give the 
 name of the business and go into details 
 as to the great profits it offers and the 
 opportunities it presents to those looking 
 for a chance to better their condition. 
 The business should be of such a nature 
 that it can be started with little or no 
 capital. 
 
 If you do not know of such a business 
 I can supply you with the business as 
 well as the literature describing it. 'That 
 is, I will find a business of this kind and 
 prepare instructions for running it that 
 you can send to those remitting the 
 price you charge for such instructions. I 
 will write a circular or folder long 
 enough to treat the subject at length 
 and to bring forward every argument 
 likely to interest those looking for busi- 
 ness opportunities of this kind. I will 
 also write a form letter to go with the 
 circular or folder, which will add ma- 
 terially to its pulling qualities. A follow- 
 up letter will also be prepared which can 
 be sent to those not remitting in response 
 to the circular and first letter, and this 
 second letter will bring in a large pro- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 portion of those who fail to order at 
 first. Sometimes a concession in price 
 can be made in the second letter, or a 
 premium offered to those who remit the 
 regular price within a certain specified 
 time. 'You can readily see that the prof- 
 its are large in this business because all 
 that is sent the remitter is a couple of 
 pages of typewritten instructions, and 
 for these he pays one or two dollars. 
 But in order to get enough orders to 
 make it profitable, the literature must be 
 written up in the very strongest style. 
 This literature should be as well written 
 as a good financial booklet, or corre- 
 spondence school literature; in fact, it is 
 on practically the same basis as the lat- 
 ter. You offer to instruct those inter- 
 ested, and to do so at a comparatively 
 low price, in one lesson. There are no 
 papers for you to correct, or further in- 
 structions for you to give. All is com- 
 prehended in the one form letter. 
 
 The name of the business need not be 
 given in all cases, but the proposition 
 may be written up "blind," and if writ- 
 ten in the right way can be made equally 
 plausible and convincing. In fact, in the 
 case of some business propositions this is 
 the right way to do, as telling what the 
 business is gives away the greatest 
 value that exists in the instructions, as 
 they sometimes consist largely of point- 
 ing out a new opening in the business 
 world. In writing up this class of lit- 
 erature I give it my best attention. It is 
 well written and as strong in pulling 
 powers as any business literature being 
 sent out If you get this scheme litera- 
 ture from me, you may be sure of its 
 paying you to send it out either to a list 
 of those who have answered home work, 
 agency, and business chance ads, or to 
 those answering your own ad, copy for 
 which I include. 
 
 In this scheme, as in all other adver- 
 tising, the profits depend upon the pro- 
 portion of orders received from the vol- 
 ume of advertising matter sent out If 
 this scheme were written up in poor 
 shape, there would be no profit, but a 
 loss, because the money received would 
 not serve to pay expenses. If written up 
 fairly well, there would be perhaps a 
 small profit, but as written by me every 
 possible dollar is realized, and the adver- 
 tiser is consequently able to sell such an 
 amount .of instructions as to pay hand- 
 somely. 
 
 There are hundreds of thousands of 
 people in this country anxious to better 
 their condition. Large numbers of these 
 
 are constantly answering advertisements 
 which offer them, at least seemingly, a 
 chance to do this. Any scheme which I 
 offer you will enable you to go out after 
 these people with a proposition which 
 offers them, for a merely nominal sum, 
 the opportunity to make much more 
 money than they have ever been able to 
 make heretofore, to do it without capi- 
 tal, in a business of their own, and with 
 a chance of acquiring wealth. All this is 
 written up in the strongest and most 
 convincing manner. The arguments used 
 are those which practical experience has 
 shown are the most effective in appeal- 
 ing to this class. The instructions which 
 I prepare and which you send out to 
 those who remit, will give satisfaction to 
 those receiving them, and those with the 
 ambition and energy to take up the busi- 
 ness will be able to make goocl money. 
 The instructions sent are of such a char- 
 acter as to fulfill every promise made in 
 the advertising literature, so this propo- 
 sition is honest and legitimate in every 
 respect 
 
 I am a specialist in legitimate mail or- 
 der schemes of all kinds. I know what 
 has been done and is being done. I 
 know the kind of schemes that pay and 
 the kind that are losers, and am able to 
 analyze them so as to discern the causes 
 of success or failure. If you contem- 
 plate launching a scheme of any kind, it 
 will pay you to advise with a man who 
 knows the field. A slight change in your 
 program will often make what would 
 have been "dropping money in a rat 
 hole" a substantial success. Not only 
 must the plan be right, but the literature 
 exploiting the plan must be written in 
 the right way, the right arguments must 
 be used, and they must be presented in a 
 manner which will convince the class 
 which they are designed to reach. Lit- 
 erature which would convince you may 
 not be exactly the thing for the people 
 to whom you aim to sell your goods. 
 All points must be taken into considera- 
 tion when writing mail order literature. 
 
 $25 FOR A SCHEME. 
 
 Every summer while the advertising 
 business has been dull I spend my time 
 in considering a number of propositions 
 that might be profitably worked on the 
 mail order scheme idea. These proposi- 
 tions of course require the right kind of 
 ads and literature in order to make a 
 success, for unless they are written up in 
 the right way and made to "pull," they 
 will not work. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 59 
 
 I got up a scheme for a man who was 
 foreman in the Dixon Pencil Works. He 
 was getting $3 a day when he wrote me. 
 I charged him $25 for it, the same as I 
 would charge you. He had the literature 
 that I sent him printed, placed a small 
 ad in a few papers, and six months 
 afterward he had given up his position 
 as foreman to devote his entire time to 
 the mail order business, as he is making 
 more money with less work than ever 
 before in his life. What I have done 
 for him I believe I can also do for you. 
 If you are one of the numerous class 
 who are anxious to go into the mail or- 
 der business, but do not know just what 
 to advertise, here is an opportunity to 
 get a scheme that will pull, with the 
 proper literature for working it success- 
 fully, for a nominal sum. 
 
 If you have tried the mail order busi- 
 ness and did not make a success of it, 
 the reason was no doubt that you were 
 not advertising in the right way, but if 
 you can have the assistance of an expe- 
 rienced advertising man, one who knows 
 the mail order business from A to Z, 
 there is no reason why you should not 
 make money at it the same as hundreds 
 of others. 
 
 Now by a "scheme" I do not mean 
 anything dishonest or illegal, but a plan, 
 worked out arid developed according to 
 profitable mail order methods. Some of 
 the schemes that I have in view require 
 only printed matter to fill orders, and 
 in consequence nearly all that is taken in 
 above the cost of the advertising is clear 
 profit. 
 
 In order to work out a scheme and 
 give you the best results, I ought to 
 kno*. ' the amount of capital that you 
 have at your command, then I can ar- 
 range it so .that you can work something 
 that your resources will allow you to 
 handle. If, for example, you are able to 
 spend but a small amount each month in 
 advertising space, the scheme I would 
 get up for you would be to advertise to 
 sell information with which the party 
 buying it can make money. The adver- 
 tisement that you would run would not 
 go into particulars as to what the busi- 
 ness was, being for the purpose of bring- 
 iner replies from people anxious to make 
 money. No money would be called for 
 in the advertisement, as such procedure 
 would discourage replies. 
 
 You have undoubtedly noticed many 
 of the small ads running in the mail or- 
 der papers and see them going on month 
 
 after month. The natural conclusion 
 that you draw is that such schemes must 
 make money or the advertisements 
 would not continue to run. You cannot 
 help but believe that "somebody" is mak- 
 ing money in the mail order business, 
 and you might as well be one of them as 
 not, but you must get hold of a good 
 scheme to make money in the mail order 
 business with a small capital. 
 
 If you are already running a mail or- 
 der business there would be no harm in 
 running one of these paying little 
 schemes as a side issue. The proposition 
 would endeavor to get a dollar from 
 each inquiry by means of the pulling 
 circular you would send them when 
 they write in. You would tell in your 
 circular just what you 'would give them, 
 which would be information whereby 
 they could make money. Schemes of 
 this kind pull, because everybody wants 
 to know how to make money and if you 
 can present the proposition with forcible 
 circular matter in the right way the 
 scheme will pull. This I know from ex- 
 perience. Of course the proposition 
 would have to be gotten up in attractive 
 style, and the imagination must be ap- 
 pealed to, yet the truth must not be 
 stretched too much. I do not know of 
 a better way for a man with small cap- 
 ital to get successfully started in the 
 mail order business than to operate a 
 scheme of this kind. All the money tak- 
 en in is clear profit, as it only requires 
 printed matter to fill the orders, and the 
 only expense is advertising and printing 
 no goods to carry in stock. 
 
 If you have a large capital and want to 
 spend several thousand dollars, I could 
 get you up something on a bigger scale, 
 which from experience should pay out. 
 I am constantly in touch with all kinds 
 of mail order advertising, and most of 
 my present clients are those whose entire 
 business has been conceived and success- 
 fully developed by my efforts. 
 
 The scheme I furnish will be con- 
 structed for you only and will be entire- 
 ly made to order. Let me know your 
 resources, etc., and I will do the rest. 
 My principal reason in getting up these 
 schemes is to develop more business for 
 my agency. I know what kinds of mail 
 order business will pay to advertise and 
 those are the kind I want to handle. 
 There are dozens of neople who have the 
 money to put into the mail order busi- 
 ness, but do not know how or what to 
 advertise. 
 
6o 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 I will outline a scheme for you and 
 furnish you the necessary ad, circular, 
 list of papers, etc., and follow-up circu- 
 lar letters for $25. The scheme that I 
 sell you will be entirely constructed for 
 you only, as it is entirely made to order. 
 If you will send me $25 you can get a 
 mail order scheme that you can back_ to 
 win, as it is based on my observation 
 and experience of what will pull in the 
 mail order business. 
 
 If any articles are used in connection 
 with any of my schemes, I oj: course give 
 you full information as to where they 
 may be obtained the cheapest, and, in 
 fact, furnish you with full and complete 
 details for running the business, all for 
 $25. 
 
 This is a chance that will not often 
 come to those who want to get in the 
 mail order business and stand a chance 
 to succeed and make money. If you are 
 not yet in the mail order business and 
 want to be, write at once and send $25. 
 Remember this includes full instructions 
 and all of the necessary descriptive and 
 follow-up circular matter in order to get 
 the money. 
 
 The price about pays the cost of get- 
 ting up the advertisement and literature, 
 
 with a very small remuneration for the 
 idea. It will be written up entirely for 
 you. Whether you are prepared to go 
 into the mail order business on a big 
 scale or a small one, you must have a 
 good proposition to win out. 
 
 If this proposition interests you it is 
 not necessary to write for further par- 
 ticulars. There is no further information 
 that I could give you except to repeat 
 in different languages what has already 
 been expressed here. Any scheme I 
 would work up for you would be strict- 
 ly honest and legitimate, also one capable 
 of almost endless development and could 
 be worked year in and year out. I can- 
 not tell what the scheme would be until 
 I receive the order to get it up. You are 
 buying brains and to describe the scheme 
 would be to tell what it is. The twenty- 
 five dollars you send is a small item com- 
 pared with the business I will get in 
 placing your advertising, if it is a suc- 
 cess, and my sole object in offering to 
 get up a scheme 'is simply to develop 
 more business and to get in touch with 
 those who are anxious to win out in the 
 mail order business, and have the money 
 to invest, but who do not know just how 
 to proceed. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 61 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 The Trust Scheme. 
 
 Tha trust scheme business has been 
 worked very successfully by a large 
 number of advertisers, and although 
 some seem to think that the business is 
 overdone, there is still plenty of money 
 to be made by an advertiser who will 
 get up something new and original in 
 the way of a scheme or who will work 
 the old schemes with a greater degree of 
 persistency. 
 
 It is customary to offer in the adver- 
 tisement some premium which .may be 
 earned in a simple way by selling a cer- 
 tain number of articles for the adver- 
 tiser. 
 
 George Clark 
 
 WILL GIVE YOU 
 THIS RING 
 
 Solid Gold finished, set with 
 Rubles and Pearls, > REE 
 for selling 4 of BIT large Art 
 Picture! at the reduced price 
 of 25 cents. AU diferentr ffo 
 trouble to sell these picture!, 
 __ _ | they are handsome art produc- 
 
 tions, done in 10 to 17 colors, originals costing 200 to 600 dollars. 
 
 The firstiour you meetwillgladlytake them at 25 cents to help 
 
 you win tho premium. The Ring guaranteed worth many timn 
 
 this small service, but want to introduce my pictures at once. 
 
 Send No .71 onr y in ad yanee. I trait you and will send the ploWwes repr*. 
 
 tenting four different and beautiful icenei, all charges paid. Immediately. 
 
 ttEO.CLARK,agr.H.P.t.,63 WashinBtonSU.DepCiS CbJc*|W 
 
 In the advertisement herewith shown, 
 which I constructed for a Chicago ad- 
 vertiser, the advertiser offers a very 
 handsome and attractive ring to those 
 who will sell four of his pictures. He 
 sends the pictures to anybody who will 
 answer the advertisement without ex- 
 acting any money in advance. Although 
 this may appear a reckless way of do- 
 ing business, the advertiser guards him- 
 self by having the goods sent out in this 
 way cost him a very small per cent of 
 the value placed upon them. In this 
 way he can afford to lose even as high 
 as. 50 per cent of the goods sent out and 
 still be able to make a profit. 
 
 REQUIRES PATIENCE. 
 
 I would not advise any one to go into 
 the trust scheme unless they were pos- 
 sessed of considerable patience and were 
 willing to see all their money go out for 
 
 the first few weeks before any of it com- 
 menced to come back. 
 
 Articles to offer in your trust scheme 
 business may consist of jewelry, such 
 as stick pins, beauty pins, aluminum 
 thimbles, perfume tablets, headache 
 powders, corn plasters, laxative pills, 
 etc. In fact, almost any small, cheap 
 article that has a wide demand may be 
 used. It should be light in weight and 
 mailed at a small cost. 
 
 SUPPLY HOUSES. 
 
 Small articles of jewelry suitable to 
 offer your agents to sell may be bought 
 from I. M. Bach, 109 E. Randolph street, 
 Chicago, wholesale manufacturers of 
 jewelry for the trust scheme and mail 
 order business. Pictures, family memo- 
 rials, etc., are also excellent sellers in a 
 trust scheme business of this kind and 
 may be had from James Lee, 134 Van 
 Buren street, Chicago. Articles to offer 
 as premiums for selling the goods may 
 be had from I. M. Bach, who has a line 
 of air guns, cameras, rings, watches, etc. 
 Mr. Bach handles low-priced watches 
 and a number of other articles. In mak- 
 ing up your catalogue, you would prob- 
 ably find it to advantage to write to all 
 of the parties named. 
 
 REACH BOYS AND GIRLS. 
 
 Those who will be interested in your 
 offer are boys and girls. To reach them 
 the best mediums are the cheap monthly 
 story papers. Your advertisement should 
 have an illustration of the article and 
 should be gotten up in attractive shape 
 on the order of the advertisement which 
 is herewith shown. The premium cata- 
 logue which you will have will contain 
 other articles that they could also earn 
 by selling more or less of your goods. 
 The more valuable the premiums, of 
 course, the more goods you would re- 
 quire them to sell. 
 
 The trust scheme really consists in 
 your selling them a ring or some other 
 article, but instead of paying for it with 
 their own money they go around and 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 get the neighbors to chip in five or ten 
 cents each by offering them some tottle 
 article. 
 
 Experience has proven that a small 
 advertisement for, the trust scheme busi- 
 ness pays better in proportion than a big 
 one, that is it costs much less per reply, 
 but, of course, if you wish to do a big 
 volume of business you would have to 
 use a big advertisement in order to get 
 the volume of replies. So do not be 
 alarmed at the advertisements of firms 
 who are using big space, as there is 
 plenty of room in the trust scheme busi- 
 ness for the small advertiser. 
 
 The descriptive matter for each pre- 
 mium that you will use, you can take 
 from the manufacturer's catalogue and 
 most of the manufacturers of premium 
 goods will also loan you electrotypes or 
 will furnish them at a very low cost. 
 
 You will also need a series of follow- 
 up letters, as those who answer -your 
 advertisement do not sell the goods at 
 once and send in the money, but have 
 to be followed up "dunned" at fre- 
 quent intervals, and about one-half of 
 those who send in for the goods will 
 not respond at all. Whether it is dis- 
 honesty or carelessness that is' the cause 
 of this condition in the trust scheme 
 business, I will not attempt to state, but 
 that is the condition which confronts 
 trust scheme advertisers. You must 
 arrange your plan so as not to suffer 
 any actual loss on the whole amount of 
 business you do. 
 
 In going into the trust scheme busi- 
 ness, you will probably find it of ad- 
 vantage to place yourself under the 
 guidance of an advertising agent, who 
 would afford a substantial aid to you in 
 selecting the proper papers for your ad- 
 vertisement and in compiling your cir- 
 cular letters and follow-up system. 
 
 SOME HINTS. 
 
 It is not advisable to try to sell goods 
 by the trust scheme plan that the agents 
 themselves can readily use up. This is 
 the objection against using gum, cough 
 drops or confections of any kind. The 
 temptation to use the goods up, or to 
 divide them with their friends, will prove 
 too strong for many of those who order 
 the articles. In the case of medicines, 
 corn plasters, jewelry, etc., if the goods 
 are not sold and paid for, in many cases 
 persistent follow-up letters will secure 
 the return of the goods or such portion 
 of them as has not been sold. 
 
 It is usually wiser to send out goods 
 that will be purchased by women rathe,r 
 than by children. Grown-up people 
 have more money than boys and girls, 
 and in most cases a woman will buy an 
 article from a neighbor's child, espe- 
 cially if it is anything she can use, S4ie 
 will do this to help the child secure the 
 premium rather than from any particular 
 desire for the goods, so it is not neces- 
 sary to try to give as great value as 
 given by retail stores when selling sim- 
 ilar goods. But, of course, it is well to 
 have the goods make as attractive ap- 
 pearance as possible it will help sales. 
 
 If the goods sell readily, and the agent 
 can quickly dispose of them he will or- 
 dinarily remit and secure the premium. 
 But if the agent sells only one or two 
 articles, after calling upon a dozen or so 
 people, he is likely to become discour- 
 aged, and to drop the matter. If a boy 
 or girl once loses interest and enthusi- 
 asm, it is hard to start him or her go- 
 ing again. 
 
 KEEP DOWN EXPENSES. 
 
 If the trust scheme is to be profitably 
 conducted, it is absolutely necessary to 
 keep down expenses, and to allow a 
 large enough margin of profit to make 
 good the losses that must be expected as 
 a surety. The goods should 'be very in- 
 expensive. Those articles which are to 
 retail at ten cents each should not cost 
 over one dollar to one dollar and fifty 
 cents per gross. Stick pins, medicines, 
 sachet powders, frozen perfumes, etc., 
 can be purchased at this price. 
 
 The goods should be light in weight 
 so that the postage will be as small an 
 item as possible. The one thing in 
 which the advertiser should not spare 
 any reasonable expense is in devising his 
 follow-up literature. 
 
 Good follow-up literature, if the busi- 
 ness is started on a sound basis, will 
 assure the success of the business. 
 
 THE LITERATURE. 
 
 It is the general custom to offer a 
 leader in the advertisement as a pre- 
 mium, and then to enclose a catalogue 
 or circulars of other premiums for sell- 
 ing the same amount of goods or a 
 greater number of the articles. Some- 
 times, however, a larger ad is used, and 
 a number of the premiums are described 
 and illustrated in the newspaper ad. In 
 either case a circular or catalogue is en- 
 closed with the shipment, in which the 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 premiums offered are described at great- 
 er length. The premiums should be de- 
 scribed and illustrated in a very at- 
 tractive manner. It should be the aim 
 of the advertiser to get the agents in 
 such a state of mind that they will want 
 the premiums, . and want them badly. 
 This will assure their starting in the at- 
 tempt to sell the goods with energy and 
 enthusiasm. This, too, will make them 
 more likely to remit when they have 
 sold the goods, because they will prefer 
 the premium to the money or anything 
 they can buy with it. 
 
 ^Sometimes a form letter is sent along 
 with the circular and the goods ; at 
 others, all that would be said in the 
 letter is included in the circular matter. 
 In either instance those who do not re- 
 mit promptly, within ten days or two 
 weeks, should be followed up with a 
 mild dunning letter. 
 
 Some trust scheme operators make a 
 practice of offering a small additional 
 premium for prompt remittance. This 
 may be done either in the circular, the 
 form letter accompanying the circular 
 and shipment, or in the first follow-up 
 letter. This premium may be illustrated 
 and described, or it may be simply 
 stated that a lovely piece of jewelry will 
 be given. 
 
 The first dunning letter should be 
 comparatively mild, the second should be 
 more urgent both, however, assuming 
 the agent's honesty and intention to ulti- 
 mately remit. The third letter should 
 be a threat it is not well to have it too 
 threatening in tone, because the depart- 
 ment has recently ruled some dunning 
 letters of this class could not go through 
 the mails. A letter can be written, 
 which will contain an implied threat 
 which will be equally efficient, and which 
 will not be held up by the postal au- 
 thorities. Sometimes three letters are 
 sent bearing the advertiser's address, 
 and then at last one purporting to come 
 from a detective or collection agency. 
 At other times the third letter is from 
 such an agency. Other advertisers do 
 all their dunning under their own 
 names. 
 
 It is customary to send a return pos- 
 tal or* mailing card with the third let- 
 ter on this postal the agent is invited to 
 answer certain questions regarding the 
 amount of goods sold, and to say when 
 he intends to remit. Sometimes' a few 
 days' grace, and the extra premium still, 
 are offered to those who answer on this 
 
 postal. It may be accepted as a general 
 rule that those who ignore the request 
 for a reply when a postal is sent with 
 blanks for such a reply, do not intend to 
 remit. 
 
 DELINQUENTS. 
 
 All delinquents do not intend to be 
 dishonest when sending for the goods.. 
 Some of them sell part of the articles, 
 and then lose or spend the money, often- 
 times meaning to replace it. But money 
 is scarce and their parents poor, so they 
 cannot raise the amount. In other in- 
 stances, they fail to sell the goods, and 
 the articles are lost or used as play- 
 things until they are worthless. 
 
 There is a class of people, however, 
 who have made a practice of cheating 
 trust scheme operators in a wholesale 
 manner. These "ringers" not only send 
 orders to every consignment firm whose 
 ad appears, but some of them make a 
 practice of ordering several consign- 
 ments from the same firm, using differ- 
 ent names. The south is the poorest 
 field in which to make collections, and 
 many advertisers use considerable dis- 
 crimination in filling orders from that 
 section. Some throw out orders which 
 show evidence of being from very illit- 
 erate people; others do not fill postal 
 card orders. When an advertiser has 
 received a great any orders from the 
 same locality, from which he has re- 
 ceived no returns, it is well to scrutinize 
 such orders and all others coming from 
 that section closely it may be that one 
 person, or several of them working to- 
 gether, are receiving all the goods. Of 
 course, consignment firms selling high- 
 class goods are more likely to be the 
 victims of such thieves. 
 
 Despite such losses, the trust scheme 
 is a very profitable branch of the mail 
 order trade. Several men starting with 
 little or no capital have accumulated 
 good-sized fortunes in a few years. Just 
 as good opportunities are open to the ad- 
 vertiser as when the scheme was first 
 launched, if he w'll but offer some- 
 thing new in the way of goods or pre- 
 miums, or use an advertisement which 
 is stronger in its pulling qualities than 
 the general run. 
 
 The advertiser should figure a liberal 
 margin for losses, and then try to make 
 his follow-up literature so effective that 
 he will suffer much less from such 
 losses than his figures enable him to do 
 
6 4 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 and still make a good profit. In this 
 way he will be able to make a large 
 profit. 
 
 HIGH-CLASS GOODS. 
 
 Though most trust scheme operators 
 use ten-cent articles, and give premiums 
 which appeal to boys and girls, this is 
 not the only class of trust scheme. There 
 are other advertisers who send out a 
 few 25c articles, instead of the greater 
 number of loc articles. Then other ad- 
 vertisers sell standard articles by this 
 method soaps, perfumes, extracts, bak- 
 ing powders, etc., and give high-class 
 premiums which will appeal to men and 
 women. 
 
 Furniture, house furnishings, clothing, 
 watches, are often used as premiums. 
 This sort of an offer will attract more 
 women than men, and the premiums 
 should be selected accordingly. It is 
 customary to ask for reference when 
 sending a valuable shipment of high- 
 class articles on consignment. 
 
 It is not necessary to carry the pre- 
 miums in stock, when operating a trust 
 scheme. Arrangements can be made so 
 that they can be shipped direct from the 
 manufacturer or wholesaler. This is ad- 
 visable in case of costly premiums, es- 
 pecially if the advertiser is operating on 
 small capital. 
 
 FOLLOW-UP REMITTANCES. 
 
 When an agent makes quick sales and 
 prompt remittance he has proved him- 
 self the kind of agent you are looking 
 for, and you should make the effort to 
 have him order again and secure other 
 articles as premiums. 
 
 Ship his premium promptly, and see 
 that it is in good condition, also send 
 a courteous letter, thanking him for 
 prompt remittance, praising his ability 
 to make sales and asking if he does not 
 want to secure some other premium in 
 the same way. You may work up a 
 profitable little business in this manner. 
 A good agent is a gold mine to the mail 
 order dealer. 
 
 CIRCULAR LETTERS. 
 
 Here are a feV suggestions for "fol- 
 low-up" circular letters, after the con- 
 signment of goods have been sent out 
 and no responses received: 
 
 LETTER NO. I. 
 
 This should be sent out in about 
 twenty days after the agent has sent 
 for the goods and failed to make re- 
 turns. 
 
 Esteemed Friend : We are greatly 
 disappointed not to have heard from you 
 after the ten days expired. You know 
 we specially requested you to do so. 
 
 The goods we mailed you are of such 
 high quality that they almost sell them- 
 selves. All you have to do is to show 
 them and most people will, in almost 
 every instance, buy. 
 
 In order to give you an opportunity 
 to earn the handsome present of your 
 selection we have extended the time to 
 thirty days; this, however, is positively 
 the limit. 
 
 If at the end of thirty days from the 
 time you received the merchandise you 
 have been unable to sell all, you must 
 return to us what you have left, to- 
 gether with the money you have ob- 
 tained for the goods sold. We will 
 then, immediately upon the receipt of 
 the money, forward to you the premium 
 you select from our premium list ac- 
 cording to the amount you have sold. 
 
 Should it prove necessary at the end 
 of thirty days for you to return goods 
 to us, simply make a package of the 
 same, tie a string around them securely, 
 and write your name on -the outside of 
 the package in the left hand corner, so 
 we can tell who the package is from. 
 Do not seal the package or place any 
 writing inside, as it is against the postal 
 laws. We would, however, advise you 
 to try your best to sell all before the 
 thirty days are up. Make^ a special ef- 
 fort to do so, as the premiums you will 
 receive are of such meritorious quality 
 that your efforts to do so will be well 
 repaid. 
 
 Hoping to hear from you in a few 
 days, we remain. 
 
 Truly yours. 
 
 LETTER NO. 2. 
 
 Should this "letter fail to bring a re- 
 sponse you next send them, at the ex- 
 piration of twenty days more,* letter 
 No. 2: 
 
 Believing you to be an honest person, 
 in whom we could place the utmost con- 
 fidence, we mailed to you on consign- 
 ment $ worth of our merchandise, 
 
 with the distinct understanding that you 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 should return to us our money within 
 thirty days from the day 'you received 
 the goods, and as we have written you 
 before about this matter and not re- 
 ceived a reply, we now demand Money 
 or Goods. 
 
 We have given you plenty of time in 
 which to sell the goods, as they are fast 
 sellers. Many of our agents write that 
 they have sold them in two or three 
 hours. We, therefore, know if you have 
 not been able to sell the goods in the 
 liberal time we have allowed you, you 
 cannot sell them at all, and request you 
 will return them to us at once. If, how- 
 ever, you have sold some of the mer- 
 chandise, return to us those you have 
 not sold, and the money for what you 
 have sold, and we will send to you a 
 handsome present of our own selection 
 for your efforts by return mail. Should 
 you prefer cash as your reward we will 
 allow you four cents on every ten cents 
 you have obtained. We have certainly 
 acted fair with you and we expect you 
 to treat us likewise. We trust you will 
 not .compel us to use harsher means of 
 collection, as that would make more ex- 
 pense for you and reflect on your good 
 name as well. 
 
 When you receive one of our hand- 
 some presents you will surely try for 
 another, as the presents we give to our 
 agents for so little work are simply as- 
 tonishing. 
 
 Awaiting your early reply and thank- 
 ing you for your efforts, with the hope 
 to yet do a large business with you, we 
 remain, Yours truly, 
 
 GERMANIA MFG. CO. 
 
 P. S. Remember we mean business 
 and must hear from you within the next 
 five days. 
 
 A COLLECTION LETTER. 
 
 The above letters, of course, could be 
 considerably improved upon, but are 
 about up to the average. As a last re- 
 sort it is customary to send out a letter, 
 purporting to emanate from a collection 
 agency, which agency, of course, is the 
 advertiser under another name. 
 
 Some few weeks ago you received no- 
 tice from the " 
 
 requesting you to return the goods you 
 received on consignment, and as you 
 have not yet complied with the request, 
 the said company has placed the bills, 
 
 amounting to $ , in our 
 
 hands for immediate collection. 
 
 The amount is so trifling that we can- 
 not believe that you intentionally over- 
 looked paying it, and we trust that with 
 this reminder you will promptly settle 
 your accounts in full by returning the 
 goods or paying for them at once, thus 
 saving us the painful necessity of taking 
 legal action against you, a move which 
 we are as anxious to avoid as you. 
 
 You received the goods on consign- 
 ment, that is, the goods were mailed to 
 you at your request without money 
 down. It was understood between you 
 and the above named company that you 
 were to sell the goods and return the 
 money within thirty days and receive a 
 handsome premium for your trouble or 
 else return the goods. It is against the 
 laws of vour state to order goods on 
 consignment and sell them and not re- 
 turn the money or keep the goods with- 
 out paying for them, and we therefore 
 request that you settle your account with 
 the aforesaid company at once. If this 
 request is not complied with within ten 
 davs from the day you receive this letter, 
 we will ask our lawyer at your county 
 seat to bring legal action in regular 
 court form and prosecute to the full 
 extent of the statutes of your state laws, 
 which as your own lawyer will tell you 
 are severe; but it is our business to get 
 people to settle their accounts and we 
 must be persistent in your case also. 
 Do not ask for further time. 
 
 The company we represent is a re- 
 liable and liberal concern, but even their 
 patience will exhaust some. time. They 
 pay us to collect what belongs to them 
 and we shall use every means to do so. 
 
 We never make a second request for 
 settlement, so be governed accordingly 
 and act promptly. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 CO-OPERATIVE COLLECTION 
 AGENCY. 
 
 There is no law to prevent you from 
 making any threats you please in re- 
 gard to the things you will do to your 
 agents in case they fail to "settle up." 
 It would be well, however, to have your 
 letter gone over by one who has had 
 experience in the matter, so that you 
 will not get it too "strong." 
 
 TRUST SCHEME SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 Trust scheme advertising does not cut 
 so large a figure in the mail order pa- 
 pers as it did two or three years ago. 
 Many of the consignment firms that 
 
66 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 formerly were using large space have 
 pulled out. This leaves all the better 
 field for the dealer who wishes to ad- 
 vertise with smaller space. 
 
 All along it has been true that a well- 
 written small trust scheme ad would 
 pull replies at a lower figure than would 
 those occupying from one-fourth page 
 to a page space. With less competition, 
 the small dealer should be able to get 
 a still larger* volume of replies from 
 his ad. 
 
 But the ad should be attractive and 
 offer a desirable premium, and make 
 favorable terms. The premium is the 
 thing. It should be something that the 
 readers of the mail order papers want, 
 and it should look good value at the 
 price the goods sell for. 
 
 The goods to be sold can be low- 
 priced still have them as attractive as 
 possible, consistent with economy. A 
 large proportion of those who purchase 
 five or ten-cent articles from boys and 
 girls, do so more with the intention of 
 helping the children obtain the premium 
 than because they want the goods. 
 
 If the premiums are as advertised 
 and give satisfaction, many of those 
 who have sold the goods and obtained 
 one premium, will be willing to try for 
 another. These agents can be relied 
 upon to a greater extent than those 
 that the advertiser knows nothing about. 
 If remittance is made by the agent, 
 promptly and in full, once, he is very 
 
 likely to prove honest and business-like 
 the second time. 
 
 Although it is very desirable that an 
 attractive premium should be selected it 
 is of even more importance that this 
 premium should be attractively de- 
 scribed not only in the advertisement, 
 in order to get the people to send for 
 the goods to sell, but in the literature 
 sent along with the goods. The more 
 attractively the premiums are illustrat- 
 ed and described, the greater will be 
 the desire of the agent to receive the 
 one ,he wishes most. He will be more, 
 likely to sell the goods quickly and re- 
 mit for them promptly. Good descrip- 
 tive matter sent with the consignment 
 will greatly help in cutting down the 
 proportion of delinquents. It should 
 be the aim of the advertiser to have the 
 descriptive matter so convincingly writ- 
 ten that those who receive it will want 
 the goods, or fhe money for which 
 they can be sold. 
 
 Many trust scheme operators have 
 failed because of the large number of 
 agents from whom it is impossible to 
 make collections. Such losses should 
 be figured on in shaping up the scheme. 
 The advertiser should select such goods 
 and such premiums, as will allow him 
 a good margin of profit even though 
 half the claims are uncollected. This is 
 supposing that cheap goods are sold 
 through boy and girl agents. Where 
 soaps and baking powders are sold 
 
 BIG DOLL 
 
 and Complete 
 KITCHEN SET 
 
 This bisque doll is nearly 
 half a yard tall, is beautifully 
 dressed in satins and laces, closes 
 
 and opens its eyes, has shoes and stockings that can be taken off and 
 is one of the best dolls ever offered as a premium. The kitchen set 
 consists of a complete set of finely finished kitchen utensils just the right 
 size for dolly. Send us you* name and address today and we will send 
 you six of our beautiful multi-colored art pictures to sell at 25c each. 
 Everybody will buy one or more pictures from you as they measure I6x 
 2O inches and are just suitable for framing. It will only take you a few 
 minutes to sell the six pictures. When sold, send us the $1.50 and we will 
 send you both the Doll and Kitchen Set at once exactly as described. Re- 
 member we give you not one but both premiums for selling only six 
 pictures. Write today. MYER ART CO., Dept. 10O, Chicago, III. 
 
 An example of a trust scheme advertisement that is a good "puller" during the fall and before 
 Christmas, 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 67 
 
 through men and women agents, refer- 
 ences can be required, and other pre- 
 cautions taken which will reduce the 
 risks. 
 
 No matter how good the descriptive 
 matter may be, however, there will be 
 a large number of delinquents, and to 
 bring these to time good follow-up let- 
 ters are required. The advertiser should 
 not wait too long before sending out 
 the first of these. It is customary to 
 give the agent ten days in which to 
 sell the goods and remit the money. 
 If the remittance is not received 
 promptly on the date set, he should be 
 prodded. The first letter should not be 
 harsh merely a gentle reminder, which 
 assumes the agent's perfect honesty. 
 The second letter should be stronger, 
 and ask an immediate reply. The third 
 letter should be very fierce and make 
 threats that will bring the debtor to 
 time, if any letter will do it. 
 
 A good set of letters means much to 
 the trust scheme man. Unless he can 
 collect the right proportion of his ac- 
 counts, he is in the hole. Only by using 
 the strongest possible letters can he 
 hope to bring all the delinquents that it 
 is possible to influence to account. Many 
 trust scheme men have failed to make 
 the business pay because their letters 
 were too weak. 
 
 A consideration that should not be 
 lost sight of in putting out a trust 
 scheme ad is that the premium should 
 not only be described, but in many in- 
 stances, the ad should strive to waken 
 a desire for it in the minds of readers. 
 Thus, a New York trust scheme opera- 
 tor is offering a punching bag as a 
 premium. It is probable that a certain 
 proportion of the boy readers of the ad 
 are not familiar with the bag and its 
 .uses. Therefore, the ad should tell the 
 benefit of this form of exercise, men- 
 tion that all fighters use it in their 
 training, that it quickens the eye, and 
 makes the user faster with his fists and 
 on his feet. That it is the very best 
 form of exercise, etc. 
 
 There are lots of people still willing 
 to earn what they desire by selling 
 goods. Advertisers who will adopt cor- 
 rect business methods, offer the right 
 premiums and use the right literature, 
 can make money in this field. 
 
 THE MAIL ORDER PREMIUM 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 The Mail Order Premium Business is 
 an aristocratic relative of the "coupon 
 in every package" premium scheme now 
 used almost universally by manufactur- 
 ers of what are known as "package 
 goods," particularly those who advertise 
 largely, says Mr. Ward of Bullock, 
 Ward & Co. The trouble with the "cou- 
 pon in every package" scheme is about 
 the same as with the trading stamp plan. 
 The life of the average man is too 
 short to enable him to earn a premium 
 worth having. The writer not long ago 
 was much amused, as well as aston- 
 ished, on reading over the coupon en- 
 closed with every package of a well- 
 known cereal breakfast food, to note 
 the almost absolutely impossible terms 
 that were required to be complied with 
 in order to earn a premium of respect- 
 able value. Among other things listed 
 was a piano, parentage not specified, to 
 earn which the eater of this breakfast 
 food was required to save 20,000 cou- 
 pons, representing probably more than 
 he and his family and his neighbors' 
 families all put together would eat in 
 several generations, and, mind you, this 
 scheme was advertised and given all 
 the publicity possible in order to help 
 their business, by men no doubt of ordi- 
 nary intelligence, probably with intelli- 
 gence above the average at least, seeing 
 they have made a success of their busi- 
 ness, as far as success can be judged 
 frprn ^ the outside. The usual plan of 
 this "coupon in every package" scheme 
 is to ask the eater, user, or wearer of 
 the package, to send a nice little silver 
 dime, for example, and a specified num- 
 ber of coupons, when a silver-plated 
 spoon, fork or something of that nature 
 
 Ffili THESE BEAUTIFUL RINGS 
 
 finish and set with brilliant that 
 only experts can tell from atienulne 
 Diamond.or Cluster Ring set with 
 2 large simulation Rubies and 2 
 Pearls, being very latest design, 
 square band shape. Earn your 
 Choice. Will send four of my large Art Pictures.which you are to 
 sell at the special price of 25 cents. They sell on sight.asthey are 
 handsome art productions, 16x20 inches, done \ \ I f // . 
 in 10 to 17 colors, originals costing$200 to $500. A\\M ['///// 
 I also send a Handsome Jewelry Novelty in^^ag. 
 
 pictures, all charges paid, immediately on 
 hearing from you. You can also earn other .^^ 
 valuable presents if you dont care for ring. ^^^ 
 JOHH RHODES, 814 Lumber Exchange, Hi 
 
 A Ring advertisement that has been very sue- 
 
68 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 will be sent. The cost of these little 
 premium articles varies usually from 
 five to eight cents apiece. This leaves 
 a comfortable margin for postage, and 
 the firm has presumably thereby induced 
 the consumption of a quantity of its 
 goods without expense to itself. 
 
 Almost all other premium schemes are 
 closely related to these two that have 
 been described in detail. They are 
 all good schemes for the manufacturer 
 or dealer, but as for the public well, it 
 should look out for itself. 
 
 The Mail Order Premium business is 
 based on an entirely different principle, 
 and while philanthropy was no doubt far 
 from being the originating cause of this 
 business, still the public is really bene- 
 fited by this system of trading. The 
 central idea is that the housewife should 
 purchase all her daily supplies, such as 
 tea, coffees, spices, extracts, soaps, toilet 
 requisites, etc., etc., direct from the 
 importer and manufacturer in quanti- 
 ties of, say a month's supply at a time, 
 instead of from day to day, as she may 
 need these supplies, from her local store. 
 This eliminates the profits of the com- 
 mission man, the jobber, and the retail 
 dealer, as well as all the other expenses 
 incident to selling goods in this old- 
 fashioned and expensive way. This say- 
 ing, which on the average amounts to 
 about 100 per cent in some cases more 
 than that, and in other cases, of course, 
 such as on various articles considerably 
 less is invested by the Mail Order Pre- 
 mium House in a valuable and sensible 
 premium, say a piece of furniture such 
 as a couch, rocker, table, etc., equal in 
 value to the amount of the goods pur- 
 chased. Thus a $10 order of supplies 
 would bring with it a premium valued 
 at r tail at $10. 
 
 The Mail Order Premium House 
 proves its faith by works, leaving no 
 doubt in the mind of the thrifty house- 
 wife, who is their customer, that she is 
 actually saving all they claim by pur- 
 chasing her daily household supplies di- 
 rect from them in this economical way. 
 They do this by giving her, should she 
 not desire a premium, her goods at a 
 discount of 50 per cent, or twice the 
 amount of goods for the sum of money 
 she remits, as the case may be. Thus, 
 if she orders $10 worth of goods, and 
 does not want a premium, she gets them 
 for $5, or if she remits $10 and says she 
 does not want a premium, but extra 
 goods, she gets $20 worth. Therefore, 
 
 she knows she is saving all the mail or- 
 der house claims, either in money or 
 premiums, because she can compare the 
 prices they charge her for her supplies 
 and the prices she would have to pay at 
 her local store. Usually, however, the 
 housewife elects to take a premium in- 
 stead of a discount on her goods, be- 
 cause she knows still keeping to the 
 $10 order as an example that with the 
 strong purchasing power of a large busi- 
 ness, the Mail Order Premium House 
 can take the $5 discount that she would 
 be allowed on such an order, and pur- 
 chase for her a much more valuable 
 article than she could purchase for her- 
 self from her local dealer. Probably the 
 article that she would get would cost 
 her at least $10 at her local store, while 
 on large contracts for the same article 
 the Mail Order Premium House would 
 not pay over $5 for it. This goes again 
 to prove that the housewife who deals 
 in this new and economical way, saves 
 one-half of her daily household expenses 
 for supplies and necessities, and can 
 elect to have this saving either in money 
 or in furnishings for her home. 
 
 It will thus be seen that the Mail 
 Order Premium business is built upon 
 the solid foundation of strict business 
 principles carried beyond the commer- 
 cial world and into the home and daily 
 life of the housekeeper, a thing never at- 
 tempted before, and for that reason 
 there can be no question about the sta- 
 bility and permanency of this business, 
 neither can there be any doubt that al- 
 though its proportions are fairly large 
 even now, it is only yet in its infancy, as 
 was stated earlier in this article. 
 
 There are only a few houses engaged 
 in what might be called, strictly speak- 
 ing, the legitimate, full-value-received 
 Mail Order Premium business in the* 
 country. The reasons for this are ob- 
 vious. The capital now required in or- 
 der to meet competition is consider- 
 able, while the profits, being on a strictly 
 conservative business basis, are not such 
 as to allure the many get-rich-quick as- 
 pirants who are continually trying to 
 break into the Mail Order business in 
 some form, and who usually break out 
 of it again just as rapidly. And yet, the 
 total business done by these few Mail 
 Order Premium Houses amounts at the 
 present time to the comfortable sum of 
 fifty millions annually. One firm alone 
 is credibly reported to have done a busi- 
 ness of between fourteen and fifteen mil- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 69 
 
 lions last year. This firm was one of the 
 pioneers in the business, and their 
 growth from year to year has been 
 steady and rapid, which goes to show 
 that there is very little element of 
 chance in a business that is founded on 
 correct business principles, and is not 
 started or organized with the sole ob- 
 ject of plundering the public without 
 giving value received. There was a time, 
 not many years ago, when, unfortunately, 
 the majority of the concerns engaged in 
 the premium business were of the 
 "hold-up" stripe, and existed, apparently, 
 solely with the view of making the most 
 possible money out of the public in the 
 least possible time, and then getting out 
 of this business and into something more 
 respectable. In those days, naturally, 
 the premium business, or the giving of 
 premiums in any form, was looked down 
 
 upon by honorable and legitimate busi- 
 ness houses. Times have changed since 
 then, however. Now there is scarcely a 
 concern in the country manufacturing 
 goods that appeals directly to the indi- 
 vidual or the home, that does not offer 
 premiums in some form or other, to 
 promote the sale and extend the use of 
 their products. Among these concerns 
 of world-wide reputation the following 
 might be given just as one or two nota- 
 ble examples : "American Tobacco Co.," 
 "American Cereal Co.," and the "Cudahy 
 Packing Co." Thus in time, we need 
 not be surprised if we see that greatest 
 and most dignified presumably of all 
 American industrial institutions, the 
 "United States Steel Corporation," giv- 
 ing a coupon, good for a brand new 
 island, to your "Uncle Sam," with every 
 ton of armor plate they furnish him. 
 
 GENUINE DIAMOND 
 
 pure spar 
 
 ond Solitaire in 
 
 a pure gold setting, and there is npfiraitation about this 
 valuable, precious stone or ring. ^This is the same stone 
 and setting usually worn by men and women of wealth") 
 and refinement, and not a word of this adyt. is intended 
 to deceive you. It is agenuinediamond ring with pure 
 gold getting, and you may have it free to own and keep, 
 
 uine dia- 
 
 AWAY 
 
 without sending us any of your money. A gent 
 
 mond ring is costly. We give this one away to advertise 
 
 ourselves. If you want this beautiful jewel.write us for 8 of onr beautiful art color pio- ] 
 tures, size over IX xlV feet, and sell them at 25 cents each. Remember, this Diamond Ring will be sent 
 you all charges prepaid by us when we receive from you the money for the pictures. Everything ia plainly 
 stated, and if you want this Beautiful Diamond Solitaire Ring, as described above, write for the art 
 pictures immediately. The ring will not cost you one cent. If you want this Gold Ring, set with a 
 sparkling Genuine Diamond, address at once. T. LESLIE. Dept. 548 Pearl St.. New York City. 
 
 To offer a "genuine diamond ring for selling $2.00 worth of goods" seems a policy that is well-nigh 
 suicidal. Yet the advertiser does as he agrees. It must be explained, however, that the diamond, 
 is a chip" and worth about 50 cents. 
 
70 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Advertising Mediums. 
 
 You perhaps have an advertising cam- 
 paign in view. You think that your 
 goods, and your plan for disposing of 
 them is a winner, but you cannot be 
 sure of this, until you have tried the 
 scheme on the public. 
 
 Now let me be candid we have known 
 many mail order schemes that looked 
 like winners, and yet they failed to 
 catch on with the public. Every ex- 
 perienced mail order man will tell you 
 the same thing, if he is disposed to be 
 honest and candid. Mr. Sears, of Sears, 
 Roebuck & Co., who probably knows 
 as much if not more about mail order 
 advertising, than any man in the busi- 
 ness, says that mail order advertising is 
 merely a matter of experiment. 
 
 There are some so-called advertising 
 experts, who will tell you that their 
 advice is infallible that if they put the 
 seal of their approval on your scheme 
 and literature, it is bound to make a 
 fortune for you. This may be comfort- 
 ing before the event, but you are likely 
 to find out how little their advice is 
 worth after you have taken it. 
 
 A writer in one of the advertising 
 papers says that the advice of an adver- 
 tising man who says "he don't know" 
 is worthless that it is his business to 
 know. It is certainly his business to 
 know some things, but he cannot be 
 sure of some other things until the 
 scheme has been tried out. 
 
 No physician can guarantee to cure a 
 patient who is very ill, with an acute or 
 chronic disease. Unexpected conditions 
 are always likely to arise. The more 
 the physician knows, and the greater his 
 reputation and skill, the more ready he 
 will be to say he does not know about 
 some things. Quacks give guarantees 
 which are worthless. 
 
 No lawyer of reputation will under- 
 take to guarantee that he will get a 
 verdict. That depends upon how the 
 judges or jury look at the matter. The 
 lawyer may feel that the weight of the 
 law and evidence is on his side, but the 
 
 case must be tried before he can say that 
 it is an absolutely sure winner. 
 
 In an advertising campaign, the public 
 is the judge and jury; the case must 
 be presented to them. The advertising 
 man can prepare the case so that it will 
 have the best chance of getting a verdict 
 from the public. 
 
 It was said, in a preceding paragraph, 
 that it was the business of the adver- 
 tising man to know some things. Some 
 of these things are, he should know 
 what has been done in the advertising 
 field ; he should know what replies will 
 cost for different kinds of advertise- 
 ments in different classes of publica- 
 tions not exactly, of course, but ap- 
 proximately. He should be a student 
 of human nature, and so be able to 
 form an opinion as to why some adver- 
 tising fails, and some pulls with differ- 
 ent classes of people. He should be able 
 to write the kind of advertising mat- 
 ter that will stand the best 'chance of 
 success with the people that the adver- 
 iser wishes to reach. The more experi- 
 ence he has had, the better he will be 
 able to advise intelligently. The suc- 
 cesses and failures will teach him the 
 road to success, and the places in the 
 road where the tires are likely to be 
 punctured. Mail order advertising is a 
 matter of experiment, but in many lines 
 some one else has already made the ex- 
 periment, and it is useless for the new 
 advertiser to try a losing proposition 
 over again. The right kind of an adver- 
 tising man knows about those experi- 
 ments. While he cannot give infallible 
 advice, he will give intelligent advice. 
 
 If you have goods that the people de- 
 sire, will sell them at the right price, 
 and will tell about them in earnest, 
 straightforward, convincing manner, us- 
 ing the right mediums, advertising will 
 sell the goods. Whether you can .make 
 the business pay will depend upon the 
 margin of profit, and your business 
 methods. 
 
 The success of scheme advertising of 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 any kind, depends upon the way the 
 scheme is shaped up and the literature 
 written. This is a matter of natural 
 ability, experience and knowledge of 
 human nature. 
 
 USE GOOD MEDIUM. 
 
 There is not so much competition in 
 the mail order business as many suppose 
 because there are so many advertise- 
 ments run that count for nothing, that is 
 they are so lifeless that they are never 
 noticed. They make no more impres- 
 sion upon the reader than so much blank 
 space. 
 
 Then there are also a great many who 
 are advertising in papers that could not 
 possibly bring them in one cent's worth 
 of business. A large number of people 
 try the mail order business and after 
 one or two ineffectual attempts, give up. 
 It takes a little nerve to place ads in 
 papers where the rate is from 25 cents 
 to $3 a line, but they are the only papers 
 that can pay. 
 
 The beginner in advertising is too apt 
 to consider the cheapness of rate with- 
 out regard to circulation, and in this 
 way fritters away his money in driblets 
 on worthless mediums, without getting 
 returns. The most important point to 
 consider about a paper is its circulation. 
 A paper without a circulation large 
 enough to bring replies is dear, even at a 
 cent per line. Amateur papers should be 
 avoided no matter how tempting the 
 price may seem. They always were and 
 always will be, of absolutely no value 
 whatever. If the money to be spent for 
 advertising is limited, use some of the 
 well-known, low-priced mediums. They 
 bring excellent returns in proportion to 
 their cost and carry the announcement 
 of nearly all experienced advertisers. 
 
 THE CHEAP MONTHLIES. 
 
 What kind of papers are best for the 
 mail order business? Undoubtedly the 
 cheap monthlies. These monthlies seem 
 to have taken the place of old literary 
 weeklies and their coming each month is 
 awaited as eagerly. 
 
 They reach the people of the great 
 middle class who have not the oppor- 
 tunities to buy at their local stores and 
 who have become accustomed to order 
 goods by mail. 
 
 Writers in advertising papers, who do 
 
 not know much about the mail order 
 business, decry the "cheap monthlies." 
 As a matter of fact these "cheap month- 
 lies" supply the entire intellectual life 
 of millions of our countrymen who are 
 as interested in them as their city 
 cousins are in the latest novels and mag- 
 azines. 
 
 The answering of a mail order ad- 
 vertisement may seem a commonplace 
 affair, but to people in the backwoods or 
 farmhouses, the answering of an adver- 
 tisement that arouses their curiosity is a 
 mild form of excitement. 
 
 The "cheap monthlies" are not only 
 read by country folks, but they are 
 studied. The head of the house reads 
 the ads to find bargains in the neces- 
 saries or luxuries of life, the younger 
 people read the ads to hear from their 
 small change. You may wonder how or 
 why these papers are read, but they are, 
 and they bring results to advertisers who 
 want to do business by mail. 
 
 The ordinary family in the country 
 takes a local county paper, perhaps a 
 semi-weekly or tri-weekly edition from 
 the office of a city daily, occasionally a 
 monthly, semi-monthly or weekly agri- 
 cultural paper, and three or four month- 
 ly story papers of the mail order class. 
 Among these papers the ones most at- 
 tentively read are, county paper for the 
 local news of friends and neighbors, and 
 the mail order monthlies for their 
 stories, cooking recipes, directions for 
 dress-making, lace-making, and last, but 
 not least, for the ads, which are read 
 and re-read, even more eagerly than 
 the reading columns of the paper. It is 
 only the head of the family who takes 
 much interest in political matters or 
 in agricultural articles in the tri-weekly 
 or the agricultural paper, but the whole 
 family read the ads and stories in the 
 story paper. To these people a paper 
 means something they do not tear it up 
 to kindle fires they keep files of their 
 favorite publications, year after year, so 
 that they can reread the continued 
 stories when they have nothing else to 
 read. 
 
 Some of these papers have exchange 
 columns, and in these exchange columns 
 may be seen offerings of a year's num- 
 bers of certain papers for a like quan- 
 tity of other publications. In these ex* 
 change columns may also be noted calls 
 for lost numbers of certain publications. 
 It is owing to this fact that the papers 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 are kept and reread, and passed along 
 for others to read, is due the experience 
 of many mail order advertisers in re- 
 ceiving replies months, and even years, 
 after the ad appeared. 
 
 Do not think that the people who 
 treasure a cheaply printed paper are 
 to be held in scorn, or that their trade 
 is worthless, many of them have more 
 money than the average city mechanic 
 or clerk will ever have, and live better. 
 If you think these people are all people 
 of little or no intelligence, just read 
 some of the letters that appear in the 
 correspondence departments of some of 
 these publications. If your stenographer 
 can use as good a grade of English and 
 can spell as well as some of these coun- 
 try women, whose chief relaxation is 
 reading and writing letters to the mail 
 order monthlies, you are in luck. 
 
 I said that the women and girls and 
 boys of the family were not often 
 greatly interested in political or agri- 
 cultural contributions, but this is not to 
 say that all agricultural papers are left 
 unread by them. Indeed, many farm 
 papers publish stories and have depart- 
 ments which appeal forcibly to the 
 women and young people of the farm- 
 er's family. These are the agricultural 
 papers in which it pays to advertise 
 many miscellaneous articles, aside from 
 agricultural machinery, live stock, and 
 veterinary medicines and other articles, 
 which appeal directly to the farmer as 
 a business man. There are, to be sure, 
 all classes of readers in the country, and 
 there are some few who have grown 
 away from the publications I have de- 
 scribed and take a daily, "The Saturday 
 Evening Post," and a "Success" club 
 instead ; but the masses in the rural dis- 
 tricts still rely upon the mail order 
 monthlies for their light reading, and 
 no mail order man who is selling a low 
 or medium priced grade of goods can 
 afford to ignore the mail order month- 
 lies' clientele. 
 
 MAIL ORDER WEEKLIES. 
 
 There are some of the weeklies which 
 go to much the same class of people 
 as do the monthlies. But a rather 
 larger share of the circulation is put 
 m the larger villages and factory towns 
 rather than among the farming popula- 
 tion. However, the goods that interest 
 the latter will often interest the former, 
 
 especially anything in the way of novel- 
 ties. 
 
 Good representations of this class of 
 weeklies are "Boyce's Weeklies" and 
 "Grit." These papers are sent out to 
 newsboys on consignment, copies sold 
 to be paid for at 3 cents each. How- 
 ever, it is not customary to send many 
 more copies than the boy is able to dis- 
 pose of. 
 
 Not only have these papers a large 
 circulation in the factory towns, but 
 they also have considerable circulation 
 in the rural districts ; the boys find 
 a ready sale for them to farmers who 
 come into town Saturday afternoon or 
 evening for the week's supply of gro- 
 ceries. Railroad men are also large 
 purchasers of this class of papers. Be- 
 sides the two papers already mentioned 
 the names of two others of considerable 
 circulation may be added; these are 
 "The Saturday Globe" of Utica and 
 "The Illustrated Record" of New York. 
 Most of these papers devote consider- 
 able space to sporting events, especially 
 prize fights, and to sensational events, 
 such as murders, executions, etc. A con- 
 siderable amount of fiction is printed. 
 Grit publishes a story supplement, as 
 well as a picture supplement. The Sat- 
 urday Globe issues a number of local 
 editions for the various mill towns, and 
 in these editions prints the .pictures of 
 various local celebrities, often social 
 leaders among the mill workers them- 
 selves. 
 
 This is a very taking feature. The 
 Globe, be it said, is printed on .first- 
 class paper, which shows up a photo- 
 engraving as well as those appearing in 
 the ten-cent magazines. 
 
 Some of the weekly agricultural pa- 
 pers are good mail order pullers for the 
 right class of goods. 
 
 And there are about three high-class 
 weeklies that are good mediums for a 
 high class mail order proposition. 
 These are "The Saturday Evening 
 Post," "The Youth's Companion" and 
 "Collier's Weekly." The two first men- 
 tioned have a large number of mail 
 subscribers in the villages and coun- 
 try districts, while the great bulk of 
 Collier's edition is placed in the cities, 
 through news stand sales. These week- 
 lies give results equal to the best month- 
 lies and superior to the weaker monthly 
 publications. 
 
-PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 73 
 
 ONE PAPER OR MANY. 
 
 The beginner in the mail order busi- 
 ness, with a limited capital to use in try- 
 ing out his proposition, hesitates be- 
 tween using one paper or several. It all 
 depends upon what he is advertising, 
 and how much money he has at his 
 command. 
 
 As a general thing it may be said that 
 if the article that is to be advertised is 
 high grade and considerable money is 
 demanded for it, it is better to select the 
 paper best calculated to reach the class 
 likely to be interested in his goods, and 
 to use reasonably large space in that pa- 
 per for a considerable period of time. 
 The best copy and illustrations should 
 be used, and the goods being exploited 
 should, if possible, appear in the illus- 
 tration and be mentioned in the head- 
 line. 
 
 It may be wise to use new copy each 
 issue, so as to hold the interest of read- 
 ers. If the proposition is a good one, 
 and the proper supplementary literature 
 is used, the advertiser will soon be in a 
 position to extend his field and to take 
 similar sized space in other publications 
 of the same general character as the one 
 first used. 
 
 If the advertiser is offering a low 
 grade article, or is pushing a scheme 
 that appeals to people out of employ- 
 ment, it will be better to run a small ad 
 in several papers that have a good rec- 
 ord for getting the kind of orders that 
 the advertiser is after. 
 
 These ads should be carefully keyed, 
 so that one may know where the in- 
 quiries come from. Then the papers 
 that do not. give profitable results can be 
 cut out and others tried. If none of the 
 papers give good results it will be found 
 that there is something wrong with the 
 ad or the plan, or both. This should be 
 remedied and the papers tried again. 
 
 It is well to have a reliable advertis- 
 ing agent make up the list of periodicals 
 rather than for the inexperienced adver- 
 tiser to try to do so himself. An adver- 
 tising agency that has had large experi- 
 ence in handling mail order propositions 
 will also be able to give an intelligent 
 opinion as to whether the plan and the 
 goods are likely to prove a success in 
 the mail order field. However, a plan 
 may seem plausible, and apparently have 
 every element of success in it, and still 
 prove a failure. The oldest and largest 
 advertisers are willing to own that they 
 do not know it all, yet. Mr. Sears, of 
 Sears, Roebuck & Co., is quoted as say- 
 ing that "the whole advertising problem 
 resolves itself in a series of experiments 
 finding your way." But it stands to 
 reason that the advertising agents who 
 have been in business, have made mis- 
 takes and achieved successes for years 
 will be more likely to find the right way, 
 and find it quicker than will the novice. 
 
 LIST OF PAPERS. 
 
 The placing of advertising is a rock 
 upon which most of the new advertisers 
 are wrecked. A paper may be a good 
 medium one month and a poor one the 
 next. I might give a list of mail order 
 media today and two months from now 
 some of the papers may be of no value 
 whatever. Besides some papers may be 
 good for some propositions, but poor 
 for others. I prefer therefore to make 
 up special lists for advertisers. Submit 
 a copy of your advertisement, let me 
 know the amount of money you propose 
 to appropriate and I will be pleased to 
 make you up a list, covering same. 
 
 Or, to get quicker action, you can 
 send me the amount you want to spend 
 for advertising, a description or circu- 
 lar of the article, and I will get up the 
 ad and place it in the most and best 
 papers, according to the amount you 
 send. 
 
74 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 How 5pace is Measured. 
 
 An inch means a space one inch high 
 and one column wide. 
 
 Sometimes a price per line is quoted. 
 Unless otherwise specified, this means a 
 measured line 14 lines agate measure 
 to the inch and has nothing to do with 
 the number of counted lines in the ad- 
 vertisement. For example : In an ad- 
 vertisement occupying ten lines of space 
 agate measure, four or five lines of 
 space may be occupied by one heavy dis- 
 play type. Ten lines simply means ten- 
 fourteenths of an inch. 
 
 DISPLAY ADS. 
 
 Display advertisements are placed 
 among the ordinary advertisements in 
 the publication.. 
 
 It is customary to use some of the 
 type in large sizes to attract attention, 
 with or without illustrations. It is not 
 necessary, however, to use display type, 
 even where one is buying display space. 
 But an advertisement set in shape of 
 reading matter and grouped among dis- 
 play advertisements would be out of 
 place, and in most cases not particularly 
 effective. 
 
 READING MATTER ADS. 
 
 Readers are set in different type with- 
 out display of any sort except that a 
 heading is generally allowed in a black- 
 faced type of small size. The price 
 varies according to the position in the 
 paper, being highest on the editorial, if 
 allowed there at all; they often cost 
 more if set in the reading-matter type 
 of the paper. Generally the rate is 
 higher than for display space in the 
 same publication. 
 
 A FLAT RATE 
 
 is a fixed rate for advertising space, re- 
 gardless of amount of space used or 
 number of insertions. It means one rate 
 to all. 
 
 Papers used to give special discounts 
 for long time contracts or where an ad- 
 
 vertiser agreed to use say, a thousand 
 inches in one year. In order to get a 
 reasonable rate, advertisers had to con- 
 tract for a large amount of space. This 
 arrangement proved unsatisfactory, as 
 some advertisers were led to use more 
 space than they could use with profit, 
 while small advertisers were placed at a 
 disadvantage. 
 
 A "Flat Rate" saves ever so much fig- 
 uring ; it puts all advertisers on an equal 
 footing and enables them to buy just 
 so much space as they need at the low- 
 est price. 
 
 CLASSIFIED ADS. 
 
 Classified advertisements are those 
 which are set without display type and 
 are grouped under proper headings in 
 some special section of the publication. 
 They are carried by all daily publica- 
 tions, most of the large weeklies and 
 trade papers and some of the maga- 
 zines. The rate is generally slightly less 
 than for display space in the same publi- 
 cation. 
 
 As classified ads are mostly small and 
 inserted by people who know nothing 
 about space rate, it is more convenient 
 to charge so much per word and this is 
 done by nearly all papers. 
 
 POSITION. 
 
 Naturally every advertiser desires to 
 have his advertisement placed in a po- 
 sition where it cannot fail to be noticed 
 by the reader. Position alongside of 
 reading matter is very desirable.^ Full 
 position, meaning top of columfT""and 
 nexfto reading matter or first ad in 
 broken column next to reading, is bet- 
 ter yet. But since the number of "full 
 positions" possible in a paper are lim- 
 ited and by no means equal to the de- 
 mand, they generally command an extra 
 charge of from 25 to 50 per cent and 
 cannot always be granted even at that 
 price. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 75 
 
 HOW TO SEND COPY. 
 
 "Copy" is a term used to describe the 
 .naterial for an advertisement in the 
 form it is given the publisher. This 
 may be in a complete printing plate, or 
 simply the text matter and cuts (if any 
 are used), with specifications for proper 
 arrangement of the same. 
 
 Send the text matter of the ad plainly 
 
 written on one side of the paper. Do 
 not attempt to make it look as it will in 
 print. Simply indicate by marginal ref- 
 erence what are to be the principal dis- 
 play lines and write any further instruc- 
 tions on a separate sheet. Where it is 
 important and time allows, the paper 
 will submit a proof of the advertisement 
 after it has been put in type. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Postal Pointers. 
 
 Do not enclose with catalogues or 
 merchandise, letters or other writing, as 
 by so doing you will subject the entire 
 package to letter rates of postage. Third 
 and fourth-class matter is inspected and 
 detained for improper enclosures. 
 
 Matter sealed against inspection is 
 charged letter rates of postage. Do not 
 seal up packages of merchandise, cata- 
 logues, etc. The government is not re- 
 sponsible for mail matter placed on a 
 mail box. It must be dropped into the 
 box. 
 
 The objection to abbreviations, ex- 
 cept those generally understood, is 
 rooted in the postal service, and the in- 
 dividual who spends valuable time in 
 sending new and curious ways of abbre- 
 viating is looked upon as an enemy. So 
 it is that the postal service expects that 
 all names shall be written out fully and 
 plainly, without flourishes or attempts at 
 condensation. If your friend's name is 
 John, do not write it "J.," for this 
 stands for James, Jeremiah and Jane, 
 and 'in case he has moved to another lo- 
 cality you place it out of the power of 
 the post office to get a letter to him. If 
 you feel tempted to abbreviate a long- 
 name, whether individual or corporate, 
 remember that you are likely to repent 
 it later. 
 
 Mail matter may be delivered through 
 a lock box when addressed to the lessee 
 of such box, or in his care, to his em- 
 ployes, to any member of his family, or 
 to his temporary visitors or guests. 
 Boxes will not be rented to persons 
 using fictitious names, nor to persons 
 engaged in unlawful pursuits. 
 
 Separate firms, or two or more per- 
 
 sons not associated in business, can not 
 secure mail through the same box. 
 
 The rent of lock boxes and drawers 
 at the Chicago post office is three dollars 
 per quarter for lock boxes, and four 
 dollars per quarter for drawers. 
 
 Twenty cents additional will be re- 
 quired as a deposit for each key. 
 
 Where boxes or drawers will not ac- 
 commodate all mail received by individ- 
 uals or firms, they must rent another. 
 
 The Post Office Department offers to 
 the public the Registry System as the 
 safest method of transporting valuable 
 matter in the mails. With little regard 
 for the labor and cost involved, it has 
 placed about the registered mails numer- 
 ous safeguards that assure to the valu- 
 able matter contained in said mails the 
 greatest security within " its province.' 
 Registered mail is kept in the special 
 custody of sworn agents of the Post 
 Office Department and no unauthorized 
 person is permitted to have access to it. 
 
 The Sawyer Pub. Co. of Waterville, 
 Maine, have established a legal bureau 
 and at great expense retained one of 
 the foremost postal lawyers in the coun- 
 try to conduct this department of its 
 business. 
 
 The services of this counsel are al- 
 ways at the disposal of the patrons of 
 The Sawyer Pub. Co. without charge of 
 any kind. The Sawyer Pub. Co. will 
 foot the entire cost of this enterprise, in 
 order to remove all doubt and uncer- 
 tainly as to the legal rights and privil- 
 eges of mail order dealers and adver- 
 tisers and to establish and maintain 
 amicable relations between its patrons 
 and officials of the Post Office Depart- 
 ment. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 77 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Growth of the Mail Order Business. 
 
 Comparatively few years ago the mail 
 order business was almost unknown. It 
 began with the selling of small trifles 
 which could be sent by mail, and gradu- 
 ally developed till the selling of small 
 novelties in this way became a more or 
 less important business. There followed 
 a period in which the grafter flourished. 
 All sorts of fake schemes were exploited 
 by mail, as, for instance, the man who 
 offered to tell how "To Double Your 
 Money Quickly," and who, on receipt of 
 a dollar for this information, told the 
 victim to "fold it." Another fake of 
 this kind which coined money for its 
 originator was, "How to Write Letters 
 Without Pen or Ink." This information 
 also cost one dollar and the victim was 
 told "Use a lead pencil." Another in- 
 genious fake was the offer of "A High 
 Grade Steel Engraving of the Father of ' 
 Our Country George Washington for 
 50 Cents." This proved to be an ordin- 
 ary 2 cent postage stamp. Another of 
 this kind was the offer of "A Suburban 
 Lot, $15." This was ingeniously adver- 
 tised with photographs of a suburban 
 town with attractive looking homes, 
 lawns, streets, etc., but the advertising 
 omitted to state the size of the lot and 
 the victim, when he investigated, found 
 that his lot was about 3 ft. by 4 ft. in 
 size, and the houses shown were simply 
 toy houses. 
 
 All sorts of dishonest schemes of this 
 kind sprang up and, for a long time, cast 
 discredit upon the entire mail order busi- 
 ness. Gradually, however, the tide 
 turned. It was found that essentially 
 the same methods which were so suc- 
 cessful for these schemes were even 
 more successful when the proposition 
 was an honest one, and as more and 
 more honest, reputable concerns engaged 
 in mail order merchandising the way of 
 the mail order transgressor became 
 harder and harder. The public gradu- 
 ally became educated and capable of 
 discriminating between good and bad 
 propositions. Meanwhile, the United 
 
 States Post Office Department became 
 more and more active in tracking the 
 dishonest mail order operator to his lair 
 and suppressing him, until during the 
 last five years their methods have be- 
 come so rigid and their ubiquity so com- 
 plete that it is as much as one's business 
 life is worth nowadays to attempt the 
 perpetration of a fraud through the mail. 
 
 It would be safe to say that 99 per 
 cent of the propositions one sees now- 
 adays advertised are absolutely on the 
 square and beyond reproach. Working 
 in connection with the Postal Depart- 
 ment, publishers of all sorts of period- 
 icals which carry mail order copy, have 
 been active in suppressing questionable 
 advertising and the publicity of proposi- 
 tions which cannot bear the most search- 
 ing scrutiny. Many publications have 
 gone further and refused to accept liquor 
 and cigarette advertising, as well as the 
 advertising of some medical proposi- 
 tions considered objectionable by publi- 
 cations going into the homes of the peo- 
 ple. As a further precaution against 
 having their readers swindled by un- 
 scrupulous advertisers nearly all of the 
 better grade of periodicals now make a 
 definite offer to reimburse any subscrib- 
 er for loss accruing through the dishon- 
 esty or misrepresentation of any of their 
 advertisers. 
 
 Co-incident with this campaign of 
 purification, the mail order business has 
 grown at a phenomenal rate, spreading 
 out and expanding more rapidly than 
 the proverbial green bay tree. Unlike 
 many kinds of business, the mail order 
 business offers exceptional advantages 
 to the man or concern operating on 
 small capital, and holds out splendid in- 
 ducements to the man or concern who 
 can command large capital. Partly for 
 this reason, perhaps, mail order concerns 
 have sprung up by the hundreds every- 
 where in large towns and small even 
 in remote rural communities and in 
 many instances their rise, growth and 
 development has been truly marvelous. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 With just a few notable exceptions, the 
 largest and most prominent and success- 
 ful mail order concerns date their begin- 
 ning no further back than fifteen or 
 twenty years. The progress made by the 
 art of advertising has paralleled the 
 progress of mail order business, because 
 advertising is the very backbone of mail 
 order business and is the vital force 
 upon which it is dependent for success. 
 
 If I may consider mail. order business 
 as an "industry," it may be safely assert- 
 ed that no other one industry has kept 
 pace with it during the past ten years. 
 Statistics are not available as to the 
 aggregate amount of mail order business 
 done per year in the United States, but 
 statistics show that for the past four or 
 five years there has been spent in the 
 United States alone an annual average 
 of more than $500,000,000 for advertising. 
 It is entirely conservative to state that 
 one-half this sum has been expended for 
 mail order advertising as distinct from 
 retail advertising and that sort known 
 as "general publicity" advertising. It 
 can be readily seen from these figures 
 what a tremendous enterprise mail or- 
 der business is at this time. The two 
 largest mail order concerns each do an 
 annual gross business close to the $50,- 
 000,000 mark. There are some hundreds 
 of other concerns whose annual business 
 is known to aggregate from $10,000,000 
 to $25,000,000. Those concerns which do 
 an annual business of from $100,000 to 
 $500,000 can be counted by the thousand, 
 while the "lesser lights" are almost in- 
 numerable. 
 
 At the time this chapter is written, 
 the country has just passed through a 
 "panicky" period of severe money strin- 
 gency and disorganization of financial 
 and business conditions generally. It is 
 a notable fact that, with comparatively 
 few exceptions, mail order concerns suf- 
 fered less than almost any class of busi- 
 ness concerns, and there were fewer fail- 
 ures in this line than in almost any oth- 
 er. Advertising expenditures and ship- 
 ments of goods continued throughout the 
 stringent period at almost a normal 
 point. Perhaps the most potent reason 
 for this is that more than 90 per cent 
 of mail order business is done with peo- 
 ple who live on farms and in the smaller 
 towns and villages. Sixty-nine per cent 
 of the population of the United States 
 live outside of towns or cities of 10,000 
 or more inhabitants. This large class, 
 
 usually termed "the rural population," 
 form the mainstay of all mail order busi- 
 ness, and it has been convincingly dem- 
 onstrated that though Wall Street may 
 be in a turmoil of agonized shortness of 
 cash, and the financial institutions of 
 the country going to smash on every 
 hand, this "rural population" has plenty 
 of money and spends it. 
 
 This factor of stability and safety in 
 the mail order business has attracted to 
 it a large number of conservative busi- 
 ness men, and has been another import- 
 ant factor in the rapid growth of the 
 business. Further, there is what mail 
 order operators term, "the mail order 
 habit," which, as its name implies, is 
 simply the habit of buying by mail. This 
 mail order habit has grown and spread 
 and taken root in new territory, and 
 flourished to a point where it may now 
 be reckoned with as a definite, success- 
 making force. We are almost a nation 
 of mail order customers and this is rec- 
 ognized by the business world, and again 
 accounts in part for the rapid rise 
 of mail order business. Certainly, the 
 mail order business is a promising field 
 which is not found wanting when 
 weighed in the balance of cold facts and 
 searching investigation. It has devel- 
 oped into a business which a man seek- 
 ing safe and profitable investment of his 
 money can have every reasonable cer- 
 tainty of safety and practically the as- 
 surance of large profits. The develop- 
 ment of the business has produced a 
 large number of people who devote their 
 time and talents to the various phases 
 of the business. For example : There 
 are advertising agents who make a spe- 
 cialty of mail order advertising some 
 do not handle any other sort of adver- 
 tising. There are writers of copy, illus- 
 trators, printers, etc., who know from 
 experience the peculiar needs and re- 
 quirements of mail order business, and 
 who, each in his special line, is capable 
 of rendering services which return the 
 maximum results to the mail order oper- 
 ator. I, myself, make a specialty of 
 writing, illustrating and placing mail 
 order copy so that returns to the adver- 
 tiser will be a matter of cold calculation 
 based on experience, instead of being a 
 haphazard gamble with the chances 
 largely against the advertiser. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER .BUSINESS. 
 
 79 
 
 SCHEME CONCEIVED IN 1872. 
 
 This manner of reaching the con- 
 sumers of the goods and actually com- 
 peting with and defeating in his own 
 locality the country merchant is said to 
 have been conceived by the head of one 
 of- the large Chicago firms abo.ut the 
 year 1872. He took advantage then of 
 the farmers' grange organization and 
 sold through its channels, dealing at 
 first only in dry goods. The success of 
 the venture soon made its wider possi- 
 bilities apparent and the scope of the 
 business was broadened accordingly as 
 rapidly as it could be done systematic- 
 ally. 
 
 Rivals invaded the field, but only in 
 Chicago. The geographical location of 
 the city made it a distributing point that 
 cities in the eastern and far western 
 parts of the country could not compete 
 with. ? 
 
 HAS REACHED GIGANTIC PRO- 
 PORTIONS. 
 
 Now the mail order retail business 
 has reached such gigantic proportions 
 that the volume of daily shipments of 
 merchandise sent out is surprising. 
 From one house alone, that of Sears, 
 Roebuck & Co., which has been in exist- 
 ence since 1894, and which rates its 
 annual sales as the largest in that line in 
 the city, the following figures were sup- 
 plied for the volume of affairs trans- 
 acted in just one day of a week: 
 
 First delivery of incoming first-class 
 mail received weighed 655 pounds and 
 included more than 11,000 cash orders 
 for merchandise, varying from a few 
 cents to several hundreds of dollars 
 each. 
 
 Shipments of freight for filling orders 
 amounted in the day, in actual figures, 
 to thirty-six carloads, which included 
 shipments made direct from factories as 
 well as from the Chicago warehouses. 
 
 Postage on shipments by mail for one 
 day nearly $800, indicating that more 
 than two tons of merchandise were sent 
 by mail. 
 
 Following an order received by one 
 of the large houses as it goes through 
 the hands of various employes until the 
 goods are sent to the customer, the ob- 
 server first sees letters being opened in 
 bunches of fifty or more a second by 
 machinery. The opening machine con- 
 
 sists principally of a roller covered with 
 sandpaper, revolving like a buzzsaw, and 
 on the surface of which a bunch of 
 sealed envelopes is pressed for a second 
 while the roller revolves and the sand- 
 paper wears through the edges of all the 
 envelopes at once. 
 
 AUDITING FORCE READS 
 LETTERS. 
 
 Stamping the hour and date of receiv- 
 ing is done by a machine. An auditing 
 force reads the letters and another force 
 enters the orders on tickets made out 
 suitably for the various demands of cus- 
 tomers. Routing through the proper 
 channels of the establishment is done 
 by another set of clerks, after which a 
 distributing force delivers the orders to 
 the proper departments, where the or- 
 ders are filled from the stocks of mer- 
 chandise. After the articles are selected 
 for sending out they are assembled in 
 the shipping room, where the packers do 
 their part of the work. The shipping 
 clerks are the last to get the goods be- 
 fore they are delivered to the teamsters, 
 who take them to the post office or to 
 the railway companies. 
 
 Addresses of country buyers are kept 
 in indexed drawers filled with cards 
 filed by state, town and county. Lists 
 of hundreds of thousands are to be 
 found in the mail order houses of the 
 city, kept corrected daily so far as the 
 town names are concerned by reports 
 from the postal department at Washing- 
 ton. All of the houses do their own 
 manufacturing in small lines and con- 
 trol the outputs of factories in many 
 other lines. 
 
 HOW THE BUSINESS IS CON- 
 DUCTED. 
 
 How rapid has been the growth of 
 the business is illustrated fairly in the 
 mail order department of the John M. 
 Smyth Company, which is a separate 
 concern from the local retail trade. It 
 occupies buildings by itself and is con- 
 ducted as an independent project. 
 
 "Push has been the watchword from 
 the start," said Maurice D. Lynch, office 
 manager for the firm, in commenting on 
 the manner of doing business there. 
 "This house opened four years ago and 
 already requires a force of 1,000 em- 
 ployes. 
 
8o 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 "There is one word that explains the 
 growth of the mail order business. That 
 word is 'advertising,' " explained Mr. 
 Lynch. "The first thing to do is to se- 
 lect the proper mediums for advertising. 
 That will attract people so that they will 
 send for your catalogue. Once you hear 
 from then, you have to keep at them 
 with 'follow-up* letters until they buy; 
 Once they buy, it's the same as in any 
 other business. If you treat them bet- 
 ter than they ever have been treated be- 
 fore they will come again. Any house 
 that sells to a customer only once will 
 not stay in this business very long. Haste 
 in delivery is as important as low prices, 
 and sometimes more. The house that' 
 can ship the most promptly to fill its 
 orders is the house that is going to get 
 the orders. 
 
 "Liberality of treatment given to cus- 
 tomers is one of the secrets of success. 
 That applies to all of the Chicago 
 houses. No trouble is too great for any 
 of them to take time to 'square' a 'kick/ 
 We take back goods or exchange them 
 or give the customer's money back if the 
 goods are not satisfactory." 
 
 CIRCULARS. 
 
 There are cumulative results of circu- 
 lar advertising as well as in general ad- 
 vertising. In order to get the best re- 
 sults from your circulars you must send 
 them out in a systematic way. A list of 
 a thousand names of people who might 
 buy your goods, if well cultivated, will 
 bring better returns than a list of five 
 times that number that are circularized 
 but once. 
 
 A man may read your circular, cata- 
 logue or booklet, when it is sent him and 
 he may be favorably impressed with it, 
 but he may not need your goods just at 
 that time or he may not happen to have 
 the money. It is only by reaching him 
 persistently and continuously that you 
 finally strike him when he is in a buying 
 mood. It would be money thrown away, 
 however, to circularize a haphazard list 
 in this way. But if every person on 
 your list is known to be a possible pur- 
 chaser of your goods, or needs your 
 goods, then your circular advertising is 
 bound to yield results. Every circular 
 that you send to the same person will 
 add to the force of those you sent be- 
 fore. 
 
 KEYING ADS. 
 
 Experienced advertisers key their ads. 
 This is one of the most important fea- 
 tures of the business, as it enables them 
 to judge the relative value of the dif- 
 ferent mediums for their purposes and 
 to restrict their advertising to papers 
 bringing profitable business. 
 
 A keying system, to be satisfactory, 
 must possess the elements of simplicity 
 and accuracy. A method that seems to 
 have these features is that of simply 
 placing a signifying letter before the 
 street number. If, for example, the 
 address of the advertiser is 318 River 
 street, he could vary it by running it in 
 one publication as A 318 River St., in 
 another B 318 River st., etc., giving a 
 different letter for each publication. 
 Then by keeping a record of the sources 
 from which his replies come he can in- 
 variably tell exactly what results each 
 paper is producing. This is the essence 
 of simplicity. 
 
 Where the street address is not given 
 in an advertisement, place the key let- 
 ter ahead of the post office box number 
 example, Box H 126. If the boxes are 
 not numbered, as is the case in the small- 
 er post offices, and simply the town 
 address is printed, a fictitious box num- 
 ber can be adopted without causing con- 
 fusion or miscarriage of mail. 
 
 If the advertiser finds by these meth- 
 ods that a certain paper is paying, he 
 should stick to that paper so long as it 
 continues to pay. 
 
 If the paper is a poor one, he should 
 get out of it and concentrate all energy 
 in paying papers ; or, if he is working 
 them to the limit, try new ones. 
 
 If the returns from even his best pa- 
 pers are not satisfactory, there is prob- 
 ably something wrong with the ad or the 
 methods. His prices may be either 'too 
 high or too low. If he cannot locate the 
 trouble himself, he should call on the 
 papers he has been using, for sugges- 
 tions. 
 
 THE VALUE OF GOOD COPY. 
 
 Mail order men know the worth of 
 advertising. They realize the import- 
 ance of using good copy as is obtain- 
 able, though they are not always able to 
 judge where to get the best copy, nor 
 to know the best copy when they see it. 
 But their business depends upon their 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 Si 
 
 advertising being effective. They can 
 see the returns roll in ; -they know that 
 all the business done comes directly or 
 indirectly from the advertising put out. 
 
 With the retailer, the jobber and the 
 manufacturer it is somewhat different. 
 The largest and best managed of such 
 concerns give the same careful attention 
 to the matter of securing value received 
 for the advertising appropriation that 
 they do to getting just return for other 
 money expended. But other concerns do 
 not give the advertising department 
 such careful supervision. It cannot be 
 exactly ascertained how much business 
 the advertising brings ; they cannot be 
 certain that better advertising would 
 bring perceptible increase, and if it did 
 bring such increase no one could prove 
 that the advertising did it. So things 
 are allowed to drift. The same ad is 
 used. The literature is prepared with : 
 out expert direction. 
 
 One reason that people consider writ- 
 ing advertising matter comparatively 
 unimportant work is the fact that it con- 
 sists of just words words. Everyone 
 uses words. Everyone can talk and 
 write a bit. To the uninitiated words are 
 very much alike. There seems little 
 difference between the words that sell 
 the goods and those that make no im- 
 pression. 
 
 A man sees the necessity of going to 
 a good engraver in order to have the 
 illustrations made. He sees the import- 
 ance of going to a good printer to have 
 the booklet gotten out. He knows noth- 
 ing about engraving, nothing about 
 printing, and he knows that he does not. 
 But he can write a letter, he uses words, 
 therefore he considers himself a judge 
 of advertising matter, and thinks that 
 he can write it. Perhaps he can, but 
 that remains to be proven. There, in 
 your dictionary are more words than 
 Shakespeare ever used. We have all 
 the words at our command, but we are 
 not Shakespeare. The chances are that 
 the advertiser isn't a good writer or ad 
 writer, either. He would better spend 
 his time in doing something that he is 
 sure he knows how to do than to go up 
 against an uncertainty. He can make 
 the money to pay an experienced ad 
 writer, and have something left. 
 
 Advertising is but words ; but how 
 important that every word should be 
 weighed, and exactly the right one used. 
 Not a word, not a sentence should ap- 
 
 pear which is not essential to making the 
 argument convincing; neither should a 
 word, sentence or argument be omitted 
 which will add to the strength of the 
 whole. 
 
 MAIL. ORDER BARGAIN SALES. 
 
 The enterprising mail dealer of the 
 future will give more attention to spe- 
 cial bargain offers, than is at present 
 being done. It is understood that much 
 in the way of bafgain advertising, of one 
 kind or another, is now being put out by 
 the mail order fraternity. Many of the 
 leaders advertised by the big mail order 
 concerns are sold at or near cost, in 
 order to make an impression on readers 
 and buyers. The regular line, of course, 
 pays a fair percentage of profit. 
 
 Then the advertiser who cuts his reg- 
 ular price in his follow-up letters, if he 
 finds he cannot land the order at the 
 full price, is something of a bargain 
 advertiser. In the case of medical prop- 
 ositions the price is often cut down 
 one-half or more. Unless the special 
 offer is made in a very plausible way 
 only the more credulous would have 
 anything to do with a concern that 
 adopted such tactics. 
 
 But the kind of bargain advertising 
 that the writer has in mind is the* 
 straightforward, special sale advertising 
 such as is used with great effect by the 
 department stores, and many other re- 
 tailers. 
 
 The special bargain sale of a limited 
 stock, or a sale that lasts a limited time, 
 has the merit of making people act at 
 once. The regular lines, advertised in 
 the catalogue, can be obtained any time 
 during the year people therefore put 
 off buying, unless they are in urgent 
 need of the goods. 
 
 When people can obtain desirable 
 goods at less than the regular price, 
 they are willing to purchase immediately. 
 They see how profitable it will be for 
 them to obtain a concession of twenty 
 to thirty per cent on goods that they 
 must buy some day. The fact that this 
 is so is shown in the packed isles of 
 the department stores at the seasons 
 when special or clearance sales are being 
 advertised. 
 
 Now, there is no more economically 
 minded class of citizens in this country 
 than the farmers. Money does not come 
 to them easily; they have to earn every 
 
82 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 dollar of it in the sweat of their brow. 
 They know its worth, and they want to 
 get full value when they let it go. 
 Farmers' children are brought up on 
 the ''Poor Richard" maxims. 
 
 What more desirable class than this, 
 to obtain returns from, in reply to bar- 
 gain advertising? Many dealers in the 
 smaller cities and towns have found it 
 paid them exceedingly well to advertise 
 their special clearances to the farmers 
 in the territory surrounding the city. 
 Those close enough, drive in to attend 
 the sale. Many of those living at some 
 distance send their orders by mail. 
 
 Macey's and Wanamaker's have both, 
 during the present season, sent out cir- 
 culars to those on their mailing list, 
 offering special bargains for prompt ac- 
 ceptance. The large mail trade done by 
 these firms, however, is probably to a 
 great extent with villagers, rather than 
 with farmers. 
 
 But the Cash Buyers' Union does a 
 large trade with farmers, and this con- 
 cern has put out two special cut price 
 catalogues, offers in which could only 
 be accepted for a limited time. Like 
 regular department store advertising, 
 these catalogues gave former prices, as 
 well as cut prices. The regular five per 
 cent discount to shareholders was not 
 allowed on these special offers. The 
 special offer has a great future before 
 it in the mail trade. 
 
 SELLING BOOKS. 
 
 When selling one book, it is requisite 
 that it should allow a large margin of 
 profit in order to make a net profit for 
 the advertiser. In order to obtain a 
 price that will allow such a profit, it is 
 necessary that the book should be ex- 
 clusive, and be of such a character that 
 the advertiser will have a chance to 
 persuade the mail order buyer that it is 
 a desirable purchase at the price. 
 
 If you cannot get such a book, and 
 still wish to handle books, you should 
 handle a line, so that you can make 
 many sales to the same person. 
 
 Among the best sellers for a mail or- 
 der man mray be mentioned books for 
 self -instruction in practical subjects, and 
 books which will inform the purchaser 
 how to make money. Marriage guides 
 and similar medical books, written in a 
 popular manner, and fully covering the 
 
 subjects, also interests a large class of 
 people, especially young people. Song 
 books are good sellers, and the cheap 
 ten-cent editions have been found among 
 the very best leaders to advertise a popu- 
 lar line of books and novelties. 
 
 Sensational books, which are adver- 
 tised in such a way that young people 
 think they are going to read something 
 they ought not, have had a large sale. 
 The books themselves are much milder 
 than the advertising would lead one to 
 think, and, indeed, they must be mild or 
 they will not be allowed to go through 
 the mails. The authorities, however, do 
 not put the ban on the classical authors, 
 even though they go much farther than 
 the novelty books used by the mail order 
 trade will be permitted to go. 
 
 Zola's earlier novels, Daudet's Sappho, 
 Camille, Balzac's novels, and Fielding's 
 Tom Jones, though containing decidedly 
 risque situations, are all mailable. 
 
 Selling standard books is not, as a 
 rule, very remunerative, because so lit- 
 tle profit can be realized on them. Still, 
 it is a clean, straightforward business, 
 and if satisfaction is given you can deal 
 with the same people year after year. 
 Since the new ruling concerning the 
 mailing of paper-bound novels has gone 
 into operation, there is little difference 
 in postage whether one sells a paper- 
 bound book or one in cloth, and cheap 
 cloth books can be purchased nearly as 
 cheaply as the paper issues. 
 
 Therefore, it is advisable to push the 
 cloth-bound books. A good location for 
 a mail order book business would be in 
 a suburban town near a publishing cen- 
 ter. This would enable the dealer to 
 save on rents and still get his books 
 without paying freight charges. 
 
 Several firms have made good money 
 out of the newspaper subscription busi- 
 ness, but here, too, the margin of profit 
 is very small, and the subscription agent 
 must depend upon a vast amount of 
 business for his profit. Most of the 
 successful subscription agents are doing 
 business in villages or small cities where 
 the cost of rent and help is less. 
 
 In the books the same principles apply 
 as in other branches of the mail order 
 business have goo'd literature, a good 
 follow-up system and give good values, 
 so that your customers will buy from 
 you whenever they want anything in 
 your line. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 PRIZE OFFERS. 
 
 You should not attempt to offer prizes 
 for guessing or counting or solving rid- 
 dles or making large sales, unless you 
 are prepared to advertise largely. These 
 methods only attract a large number of 
 inquiries when large space is used in a 
 large number of papers. 
 
 There was once a beginner who 
 thought that this was a winning method 
 of advertising, so he took an inch space 
 in a paper of ten thousand circulation, 
 and advertised a ten-cent leader, offer- 
 ing a prize of five dollars to the person 
 who guessed nearest to .the number of 
 replies he received to the ad, it being 
 a condition that each person who 
 guessed should buy the ten-cent leader. 
 He got one reply. He actually thought 
 he was going to get enough replies to 
 net him a profit on the transaction. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS. 
 
 Instruction by correspondence in the 
 various branches of arts and sciences is 
 one of the achievements of the past cen- 
 tury, made possible by advertising. The 
 advantages of this new system of edu- 
 cation are not even now fully realized 
 by those for whom it was primarily cre- 
 ated. Young men and women who are 
 
 ambitious, yet whose means and circum- 
 stances do not permit them to take up a 
 regular college course, can qualify them- 
 selves for the professions at home. 
 
 About everything is now being taught 
 through the correspondence system, 
 from civil engineering to the writing of 
 advertisements. Although there have 
 been many branches essayed, the teach- 
 ing of which is impracticable, there is 
 no doubt of the fact that the correspond- 
 ence schools in general are a source of 
 great good, stimulating ambition and 
 raising the standard of knowledge and 
 mental equipment among those who do 
 not possess the educational advantages 
 of a course in high school or college. 
 
 The opening of a correspondence 
 school offers a rare opportunity for a 
 man of education and ability, with a 
 few hundred dollars to appropriate for 
 advertising. The advertising of such 
 schools is constantly on the increase, 
 and people have come to have confidence 
 in their honesty of purpose to furnish 
 them the education desireM We would 
 not advise anyone to start a school for 
 the teaching of any subject unless he 
 understood that subject thoroughly, or 
 could employ someone who did, to pre- 
 pare his course and take care of the 
 students. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Financial and Investment Advertising. 
 
 Many promoters, brokers and real 
 estate agents are doing a large and pay- 
 ing business by mail. This field offers 
 rich returns, because it is not so largely 
 worked as some other branches of the 
 mail order business. The whole coun- 
 try is prosperous, and the prosperity of 
 the rural population is the foundation of 
 all the other prosperity, so that many 
 financial propositions could profitably be 
 set forth to rural residents. 
 
 If you have stocks or bonds of a 
 good company for sale, you can sell 
 them all over the country at a compara- 
 tively small cost if you will tell the peo- 
 ple who have money to invest about 
 your proposition, and give them conclu- 
 sive reasons why they should put their 
 money with you. 
 
 LITERATURE AND METHODS. 
 A good booklet is necessary in' setting 
 forth a financial proposition of any kind. 
 The financial advertiser must explain the 
 whole matter at length. People in the 
 . first place are much concerned as to the 
 ' safety of their money they must be 
 "convinced that it will be just as safe in 
 * proposition under consideration as in 
 lany other business. It should be ac- 
 ;knowledged that there are some slight 
 risks perhaps, but it should also be 
 shown that there are risks in every in- 
 vestment. Banks fail, real estate depre- 
 ciates in value, etc. It may be shown 
 also that "there are large risks in going 
 into business and handling one's own 
 money a large proportion of those go- 
 ing into business fail. Go on to prove 
 that the business being exploited is in 
 fact less risky than most conservative in- 
 vestments which pay a small rate of in- 
 terest, and the dividends are sure to be 
 several times what may be hoped for in 
 any so-called conservative proposition. 
 The arguments to be used, of course, 
 depend' upon what the proposition is. 
 Different arguments would have to be 
 used to sell a gold mine than in a brok- 
 er's advertisement of a discretionary 
 pool. But these foundations could be 
 
 used in both cases ; in fact, in all finan- 
 cial advertising safety__and large profits. 
 
 It is often wise to sell securities by 
 the installment plan, as this will allow 
 many"to invest who would not be able 
 to do so otherwise. An argument as to 
 the wisdom of saving a small amount 
 monthly and investing it where it will 
 grow into something big may be urged 
 with good effect. 
 
 Prove to the reader that the few dol- 
 lars per month the stock costs will de- 
 prive him of nothing that makes for his 
 real happiness. That it is merely a ques- 
 tion of doing without certain frivolities 
 which he would do just as well to drop. 
 Then appeal to the gambling instinct 
 which exists in most people show the 
 fortunes that have been made by those 
 who have purchased similar securities 
 at ground floor prices and held on till 
 the raise. It is easy to do this in min- 
 ing, oil or most other investments. 
 
 BROKERS. 
 
 A broker who is asking for orders to 
 buy on a margin can adduce many in- 
 stances of those who have doubled and 
 quadrupled their money in a very short 
 time. A broker's booklet should show 
 the whole plan of buying and selling on 
 margin so plainly that one who knows 
 nothing of the business can have no 
 difficulty in understanding the whole 
 mode of operation. 
 
 Some brokers have put out the dis- 
 cretionary pool scheme by which they 
 are given the right to use the money to 
 buy such stocks as they consider best 
 and to sell when they please in other 
 words to use their own discretion. There 
 have been undoubtedly many disnonest 
 schemes of this kind, but that is not to 
 say that all brokers who run them are 
 dishonest it depends on how the busi- 
 ness is managed. The famous Franklin 
 syndicate of New York, which agreed 
 to pay ten per cent weekly, made no win- 
 nings on the exchange, for they did no 
 buying ; they merely paid dividends out 
 of the capital. But no one need seri- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ously consider running another pool on 
 those lines the postal authorities are on 
 the lookout for that kind of schemes, 
 and they will be nipped in the bud be- 
 fore they have a chance to make a start. 
 An investment proposition should be run 
 on honest lines and have enough solid 
 foundation to give the investor a chance 
 to win out as promised. 
 
 MEDIUMS. 
 
 Most of the mail order monthlies do 
 not offer particularly well for financial 
 advertising. The dailies are good to 
 reach a portion of the investing public 
 particularly those residing in urban or 
 suburban communities. A considerable 
 portion of the kind of people who have 
 money to invest, and who live in small 
 villages and on farms get the dailies 
 also. The others, semi-weekly and tri- 
 weekly newspapers, issued from the of- 
 fice of the dailies. 
 
 The agricultural weeklies, semi-month- 
 lies and monthlies can also be profitably 
 used. Many of the agricultural papers, 
 however, refuse to accept this class of 
 advertising. 
 
 REAL ESTATE. 
 
 Real estate as well as stocks can be 
 exploited as an investment if it is lo- 
 cated in a section that gives the adver- 
 tising man a chance to show that it is 
 likely to appreciate in value. Real es- 
 tate near large and growing cities offers 
 such a chance. If the city is small and 
 yet is growing fast and there are reasons 
 which can be adduced why it is likely to 
 be a future industrial center, the argu- 
 ment can be made as convincing as 
 though the realty were located near a 
 metropolis. Examples can be shown of 
 the fortunes made in well chosen real 
 estate that equal those made in gold 
 mines or on the stock exchange. 
 
 There are several real estate agents 
 advertising certain blocks of lots as be- 
 ing good investments, but the agents 
 who are doing a general real estate busi- 
 ness have not put forward this feature 
 of their business prominently. That is, 
 they have not appealed to investors look- 
 ing for a chance to place their money 
 profitably, but who have not yet decid- 
 ed where they will place it. The real 
 estate agents usually make their talk to 
 those who are already looking for desir- 
 able real property. 
 
 Many financial advertisers, instead of 
 using periodical advertising, are sending 
 out their literature to lists of investors. 
 This will do very well in some instances, 
 but the names should be well selected, 
 and some consideration given as to 
 where the names were obtained. For in- 
 stance, if you are desirous of floating 
 some gold mining stock, it is not likely 
 to pay you to send your literature to a 
 list of stockholders in another similar 
 mine which proved worthless. Better to 
 send it to the names of those who made 
 inquiries, but did not invest in the de- 
 funct mine. 
 
 There are many other financial propo- 
 sitions which can be profitably exploited 
 by the means of booklets and form let- 
 ters. Building and loan societies can get 
 new members in this way, and one new 
 member in a community may be the 
 nucleus around which will be eventu- 
 ally gathered a large local association. 
 
 Even savings banks are now going out 
 after savings by the mail order meth- 
 ods, so there are few financial openings 
 which it will not be found profitable in 
 this way. 
 
 If you have any investment proposi- 
 tion which you wish to exploit, I can 
 write the literature which will convince 
 prospective investors of the safety and 
 large profits which your business offers. 
 The financial booklets that I write are 
 informing, interesting, convincing. 
 
 They make investors of a large pro- 
 portion of those who read them. I also 
 write form letters, to go to those who 
 fail to respond to the booklet and first 
 letter. A good follow-up system is nec- 
 essary in financial as well as other mail 
 order advertising. The follow-up let- 
 ters that I write will secure an invest- 
 ment from every person whom it is pos- 
 sible to influence in this direction. 
 
 Do not fail to write for estimates if 
 you intend to start a financial campaign. 
 
 It may be said that good references as 
 to the character and business ability of 
 the officers and management of any en- 
 terprise will help sell the stock. For 
 instance, if you are trying to sell stock 
 of a gold mine, it will avail much to 
 be able to print in your booklet a letter 
 of indorsement from banks, state and 
 city officials, leading business men, etc., 
 saying that they are acquainted with the 
 officials of the company and believe them 
 to be honest and efficient. It would be 
 well also to have references as to the 
 
86 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ability of the manager who has. charge 
 of the mining operations. 
 
 Below are three letters which are to 
 be sent out in answer to a request for 
 information concerning a gold mine. 
 They will show you how literature of 
 this kind should be written. 
 
 FIRST LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir : We have your valued fa- 
 vor of recent date, asking us for infor- 
 mation concerning the value of the 
 Snake River Gold Mine stock as an in- 
 vestment. We accordingly take pleasure 
 in sending you under separate cover a 
 booklet which should prove conclusively 
 to you that this mine is bound to pay 
 large dividends on the par value of the 
 stock just as soon as the mine is de- 
 veloped. 
 
 We are selling stock merely for the 
 purpose of development. Tunnels must 
 be dug in order to get at the ore. Mills 
 must be built to reduce the ore and to 
 extract the gold which exists in paying 
 quantities throughout this vein. Costly 
 machinery must be installed and all 
 this costs money. 
 
 This Snake River mine consists of six 
 mining claims in the rich Cripple Creek 
 district of Colorado. The present stock- 
 holders have put in the venture all that 
 their means will warrant, otherwise we 
 should not sell a share of the stock. On 
 both sides of us are mines producing ore 
 which is milling twenty to thirty dollars 
 per ton, and the stock in these mines is 
 held at five times the par. value. We 
 have expert authority for the statement 
 that the Snake River mine is richer than 
 either of these, and contains a deeper 
 body of ore. 
 
 Read our booklet carefully, notice the 
 diagrams showing the location of our 
 rich gold-producing neighbors note that 
 the vein runs directly across our prop- 
 erty. Also read the statement of Mr. C. 
 A. Jones, an expert mining engineer, 
 who gives it as his deliberate opinion 
 that the vein runs deepest on our prop- 
 erty and is undoubtedly richest there. 
 
 We are offering the stock at sixty 
 cents per share as soon as enough is 
 sold to put the requisite money in the 
 treasury for developing the property, so 
 that it will be on a producing basis, the 
 stock will be withdrawn from the mar- 
 ket. We are offering you an unequaled 
 opportunity to get in on the ground floor 
 of a mine which we confidently expect 
 
 will be among the richest producers in 
 the country. 
 
 We inclose blanks which will permit 
 you to order at the cash price or to re- 
 mit by monthly installments, as you see 
 fit. The stock on the installment plan 
 costs 62 l / 2 cents per share. Orders will 
 not be accepted for less than one hun- 
 dred shares. Trusting that you will be 
 with us in the development of this mine, 
 and share in the rich dividends, we re- 
 
 main, 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir: We want to call your at- 
 tention to the fact that a legitimate gold 
 mining proposition is not a gamble. Aft- 
 er the mine is once located and it is 
 proven that gold-bearing ore in paying 
 quantities exists on it, gold mining be- 
 comes simply an industrial enterprise. It 
 is simply a matter of machinery, labor 
 and business management, to get the ore 
 out of the earth, crush it and extract the 
 precious metal. 
 
 We know we have the gold-bearing 
 ore, and we hope our booklet has given 
 you convincing evidence of that fact. 
 Not only is the ore here, but it is rich 
 and easily treated. It has been estimated 
 by our manager, an expert of year's ex- 
 perience, that the ore can be mined am" 
 the gold taken from the ore at a cost 
 less than six dollars per ton. When 
 is taken into consideration that the 01 
 assays at from fifteen to thirty dollai 
 per ton, and that the vein is so wid< 
 and deep that it will not be exhaustec 
 for years, some little idea can be hac 
 even by one not acquainted with mining 
 operations of the value of this propert: 
 
 The next question is : Are the rm 
 at the head of the corporation, such as 
 will manage the property economically 
 and to the advantage of all the stock- 
 holders? Our answer to this questior 
 must be that the officers are busine^ 
 men who are well known in their owi 
 community, and are willing that yoi 
 should write to or ask anyone acquainte( 
 with them concerning their integrity and 
 business ability. References are given 
 in the booklet. They believe in the 
 mine, and have backed their judgment 
 by putting in it all the money they could 
 raise, they intend to get this money out 
 of the mine several times over; that \ 
 putting it very conservatively if we 
 were to tell you what some of these 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 hard-headed business men really expect 
 the mine to do, you would think they 
 were dreamers. 
 
 What they get out of it, you will share 
 in pro rata if you become a stockholder. 
 
 Can you afford to miss this chance? 
 If you have money to invest you cannot 
 put it in an enterprise which is safer. 
 No speculation or gamble promises such 
 large returns as a conservative estimate 
 shows this mine is sure to give. If you 
 are a salaried employe, our installment 
 plan of payment offers you the chance 
 to save the money without feeling it. 
 You will only need to go without a few 
 luxuries or amusements in order to pur- 
 chase enough stock to give you a start 
 in life, and perhaps to make you inde- 
 pendent. Had you not better join us 
 in this? 
 
 Subscription blanks enclosed. 
 Yours very truly. 
 
 THIRD LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir : The men who succeed are 
 those who have the discernment to real- 
 ize a good opportunity when they come 
 across it, and nerve enough to act im- 
 mediately on their judgment. The man 
 who deliberates too long will lose his op- 
 portunity. 
 
 You will meet scores of men who will 
 tell you of the opportunities they once 
 had to buy certain stocks cheap which 
 are now worth phenomenal prices ; you 
 will meet others who will tell you of the 
 chance they had to buy, perhaps for one 
 .hundred dollars, land on which great 
 office buildings are now located. If 
 these men had possessed the insight to 
 look into the future, they would now be 
 millionaires instead of that they are 
 poor men. We have offered you the 
 chance the question is, will you believe 
 and act. Snake River stock is selling 
 rapidly, and the largest blocks have been 
 purchased by those who have made a 
 personal examination of the property. 
 We shall' soon have money enough to be- 
 gin operations, and then the chance to 
 buy stock from us will be closed. The 
 only way you can buy stock then will be 
 from the individual stockholders, and as 
 soon as we begin paying dividends the 
 stock will sell for many times its pres- 
 ent price. Only those who must have 
 the money will sell at any price. 
 
 Can you afford to invest your money 
 in real estate mortgages, paying five or 
 six per cent? Can you afford to leave 
 
 your money in a savings bank and draw 
 three or four per cent ? Only those who 
 are rich can realize any considerable in- 
 come from this rate of interest. 
 
 The man of small savings only draws 
 interest enough in the course of a year 
 to buy a suit of clothes. You can never 
 make any headway towards wealth by 
 such means. The men who are million- 
 aires put their money where it would 
 increase rapidly in value. The late Sen- 
 ator Hearst made his in gold mines, 
 William A. Clarke made his in copper 
 mines, John D. Rockefeller made his in 
 oil wells, the Astors made theirs by buy- 
 ing real estate and holding it while a 
 city grew around it. No man ever made 
 or saved any great amount of money by 
 merely putting it out at interest. Money 
 breeds money only when it is invested in 
 something that offers a large increase. 
 
 There is nothing surer, nothing safer, 
 nothing that offers larger returns than 
 an investment in a good gold mine, if 
 the stock is purchased at ground floor 
 prices before the mine has reached the 
 producing stage. If the gold is there, 
 and can be profitably mined, the invest- 
 ment is as safe as government bonds 
 it is safer than any bank. The product 
 of a gold mine does not have to be sold 
 it is legal tender anywhere in the 
 world. It is only necessary to take it to 
 a mint in order to receive coined gold 
 or government paper in return. 
 
 As soon as we get our mill built and 
 machinery installed, the Snake River 
 mine will begin to produce gold for the 
 stockholders. If you want a share in 
 this product you must speak soon. We 
 shall not write again, and this offer will 
 not be held open. We reserve the right 
 to return the money sent, if your remit- 
 tance arrives after we receive the 
 amount estimated by our directors as be- 
 ing sufficient. But if you send at once, 
 either cash or first payment on the in- 
 stallment plan, you will doubtless be in 
 time. Hoping to hear from you, we re- 
 main, 
 
 Yours very truly. 
 
 Of course, it is often advisable to use 
 more than two follow-up letters in the 
 case of an investment proposition. A 
 half dozen or more are usually used, and 
 where so many are used each letter can 
 be limited to arguing one phase of the 
 question, and they can be made some- 
 what shorter than the samples I have 
 given. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Entertaining and Instructive Miscellany. 
 
 This chapter is the most important of the 
 whole boofy, and you should not miss a word 
 of it. In it I have collected various ideas, 
 suggestions and information that do not seem 
 to come under any particular head, but which 
 if absorbed by the mail order advertiser will 
 give him a great many ideas that may be of 
 service in gaining success in the mail order 
 field. 
 
 RULE FOR ESTIMATING THE RE- 
 DUCTION OF ENGRAVING. 
 
 To many advertisers the process of 
 estimating what the dimensions of a 
 given piece of engraving copy will be 
 after it is reduced is a profound mys- 
 tery. In reality, few things are simpler. 
 
 Dimensions are all based on a simple 
 diagonal line, drawn from the upper 
 left-hand corner of the photograph or 
 picture to be reduced, to the lower 
 right-hand corner. In ordering an en- 
 graving to fit a standard newspaper col- 
 umn of two and a quarter inches, for 
 instance, the advertiser knows the width 
 of the engraving that will result. But 
 sometimes he is at sea to the depth 
 a given piece of engraving copy will give. 
 
 This diagram shows how to find the 
 depth of the finished engraving by meas- 
 uring off its width : 
 
 
 j 
 
 A -N 
 
 
 \ 1 
 
 
 Si** of \ | 
 
 
 ****** V% ^ 
 
 
 i \ 
 
 By laying a ruler across the copy, 
 horizontally, or east to west, after draw- 
 ing this light diagonal line from the two 
 corners, he can move it up and down 
 until he has found the point at which 
 there is just two and a quarter inches 
 between the diagonal line and the left- 
 hand margin of the copy. The distance 
 from this line, then, to the top of the 
 copy is the depth the plate will be when 
 reduced. 
 
 This diagram shows how the line 
 should be drawn through copy it may, 
 of course, be just an imaginary line, in- 
 dicated by a taut string or ruler : 
 
 The principle, once committed to 
 memory is about as likely to be for- 
 gotten as the fact that two times two 
 makes four. It is a piece of printing 
 knowledge that will be useful every 
 week in the work of an advertising man. 
 
 The same rule applies to preparation 
 of engraving copy to fit a given space. 
 For example, an advertising man finds 
 it desirable to make up a group of news- 
 paper clippings to fit a space the size 
 of a page of this book. Trimming the 
 margins off a solid type page of ad- 
 vertising carefully, to get the exact size 
 of the printed matter on the page, he 
 lays it at the upper left-hand corner 
 of a large sheet of white card-board. 
 Care must be taken to have the margins 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 of cardboard and printed matter exactly 
 even. Then a ruler is laid on the print- 
 ed page from upper left-hand corner to 
 lower right, and a diagonal line drawn 
 through the printed matter and straight 
 on down the big sheet of white card- 
 board as before. 
 
 Intersect this diagonal line at any 
 point and mark out an oblong from the 
 point of intersection, and you have the 
 proportions for a piece of copy the size 
 of the printed page you want to fit. Paste 
 the newspaper clippings, ads, or what- 
 ever is to be reproduced, onto this ob- 
 long, letting them come up to the very 
 edge of the cardboard. When done, 
 send the copy to the engraver, with di- 
 rections to reduce to the width of the 
 printed page. You don't have to worry 
 about depth. It will come out all right 
 in the engraving. 
 
 This, by the way, is one of the things 
 taught in the course of the Chicago Col- 
 lege of Advertising. They teach possibly 
 1,000 other valuable points of equal im- 
 portance points that would come in 
 mighty handy at some time or another. 
 
 FOLLOW-UP SYSTEMS THAT 
 
 WORK ON THE "MARKED 
 
 DOWN" IDEA. 
 
 One summer a Chicago woman stopped 
 at an obscure New England village and 
 was attracted by an advertisement in 
 a prominent household monthly, offer- 
 ing a correspondence course in cook- 
 ing and domestic' science for $30, the 
 fee which seems to be a standard price 
 for every kind of mail tuition. An in- 
 quiry brought explanatory booklets, with 
 a dignified personal letter, and these 
 were followed by another letter ten days 
 later. The inquirer in this case did not 
 reply. Ten days after the second letter 
 a third was received, offering a special 
 "summer course" in cooking at the re- 
 duced price of $18. This was ignored, 
 likewise, and then the matter dropped. 
 Before Christmas, however, the inquirer 
 received a fourth letter, informing her 
 that she was one of fifty fortunate per- 
 sons who had been selected to take a 
 course free, as a means of advertising, 
 and that she would be enrolled on re- 
 ceipt of $4.50 to pay for lesson papers, 
 postage and text-books. 
 
 This "marked down" plan of follow- 
 up work seems to be greatly favored by 
 
 certain classes of mail order advertis- 
 ers. Many of the correspondence schools 
 find it a grand old standby. In other 
 lines the "marked down" plan is in fa- 
 vor. 
 
 A very little thought on the subject 
 will show that this is distinctly a de- 
 moralizing influence on mail order busi- 
 ness. The correspondence school may 
 make money by bringing the public in 
 on such special offers and reductions, but 
 where one person is caught by such a 
 transparent scheme there are fifty who 
 see that somebody must hold the bag. 
 These fifty skeptical persons will tell 
 friends, and within a very short time 
 the advertising of that correspondence 
 school will be discontinued in the maga- 
 zine. 
 
 If this were all, it wouldn't matter. 
 But the evil goes further. The adver- 
 tising of all correspondence schools will 
 be discounted, and then the public will 
 easily and quickly learn to discount oth- 
 er mail advertising. By careful, honest 
 dealing, the best firms in the mail trad- 
 ing field have built up a good name for 
 mail order business, rescuing it from 
 the fakirs who operated in a small way 
 twenty years ago. A mail price is now 
 looked upon by the average man or 
 woman as a low price, and therefore a 
 fixed one, and honest, "Marked down" 
 advertising will lead to 'distrust, and the 
 public will hesitate to send its money 
 for anything until it is sure that nobody 
 can get the goods cheaper. 
 
 The "marked down" method of work- 
 ing inquiries is really an attempt to do 
 what has been found impossible in mail 
 order operations. There is a certain 
 point at which follow-up work must 
 stop, and stop with great abruptness. 
 The first letter will bring a certain per- 
 centage of cash orders. The second let- 
 ter will bring another certain percentage. 
 A third and fourth letter may bring re- 
 sults, depending on the commodity and 
 its price. But there is a point at which 
 wise mail order advertisers stop follow- 
 ing up. Profit ceases beyond it. The 
 "marked down" advertisers evidently do 
 not know where to stop, but offer the 
 demoralizing bait of reduced prices, 
 thinly veiled under plausible pretexts, 
 until they run their proposition into the 
 ground. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CERTAIN ADVERTISING ILLUS- 
 TRATIONS MAY BE COPY- 
 RIGHTED. 
 
 In the circular sent to applicants for 
 copyright by the Librarian of Congress 
 are mentioned things that are not pro- 
 tected by copyright. This includes ad- 
 vertisements. But decisions of the courts 
 within the past few .years furnish a 
 warning to advertisers who are in the 
 habit of appropriating other advertisers' 
 ideas for their own announcements. The 
 text of an advertisement has never been 
 considered in an infringement suit, but 
 illustrations have, and the courts hold 
 that when advertising pictures are of 
 sufficient artistic merit to be classed as 
 works of art they may be protected, ir- 
 respective of their use as advertisements. 
 The standard of advertising art is be- 
 ing raised so steadily and rapidly that 
 the plagiarist runs considerable risk in 
 picking and choosing ideas suitable to 
 appropriate. 
 
 WISE ECONOMY. 
 
 The mail order dealer should practice 
 economical business methods. Even if 
 one has a very profitable proposition 
 one which will allow carelessness, and. 
 still pay a good margin of profit, it is 
 not advisable to take advantage of that 
 fact. There will likely be competition 
 some day. See that you get good value 
 for every cent you spend, from the be- 
 ginning, and you will be the better able 
 to meet competition when it comes. 
 
 Much has been said about the value 
 of good stationery, and well-printed lit- 
 erature, yet this sort of thing can be 
 over-done. It doesn't require heavy 
 plate paper and lithographic illustrations 
 to sell a washing machine. A neatly 
 printed booklet, on paper of medium 
 weight, with illustrations that show the 
 machine, and how it works, is all that is 
 required. The kind of advertising talk 
 is of more importance than ornate cov- 
 ers. 
 
 Not only will the more modest book- 
 let cost less for printing and paper, but 
 it will permit one to save on the postage 
 bill. An effective little booklet can be 
 sent out under a one-cent stamp. Make 
 the booklet a trifle heavier, so that it 
 and the envelope weighs slightly over 
 two ounces, and it will cost two cents to 
 
 mail. You have doubled the amount of 
 the postage account. 
 
 If one does print a heavy expensive 
 catalogue, it is not wise to send it out 
 promiscuously. Better get up a smaller 
 booklet or circular to send to a list of 
 people that you are not sure will be in- 
 terested in your proposition. Those 
 who want to know more concerning the 
 matter will write for the large catalogue, 
 if attention is called to the matter in 
 the booklet. 
 
 NEW MAIL REGULATIONS. 
 
 By a new arrangement of the Post- 
 office Department any person may mail 
 circulars, catalogues, samples, etc., in 
 lots of 2,000 or more, without stamps. 
 Anything mailable as third or fourth 
 class matter is included in the new 
 regulation, but the number of pieces 
 must be not less than 2,000, and all must 
 be alike. Certain requirements as to 
 printing of the sender's name and ad- 
 dress on envelopes and wrappers are 
 imposed, and the mailing can only be 
 done by means of blanks furnished by 
 local postmasters, who can give direc- 
 tions to advertisers who wish to take 
 advantage of the convenience. 
 
 SIMPLICITY. 
 
 Plain speaking in the advertisement 
 little words and not too many of them- 
 is one kind of simplicity. Another 
 kind has to do with the proposition it- 
 self. When the proposition has been 
 simplified the man who writes the ad 
 thinks simply and writes that way. 
 
 Intricacy in advertising comes from 
 trying to tell too much. Some men can 
 say "Royal Baking Powder is absolutely 
 pure," and say it so earnestly, force- 
 fully, that people believe. Other men 
 think it necessary to give the history of 
 cream of tartar and tell how the word 
 "pure" came originally from the San- 
 skrit "pu," meaning "undefiled." Such 
 writing is frequently interesting. But 
 it's seldom advertising. 
 
 All the physiology, pharmacy and ma- 
 teria medica of a complex subject have 
 been compressed in the phrase, "Hood's 
 cures." Whole volumes of photographic 
 and refraction problems are embodied in 
 "It's in the lens." Advertising must de- 
 liver the finished product not perplex 
 readers with raw material and processes. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CATCHING ON IN THE EAST. 
 
 The mail order trade is an old story 
 with Chicago and other western de- 
 partment stores, many of which have 
 built up large business by energetic ad- 
 vertising in general mediums. But New 
 York department stores have always 
 been skeptical of this side line, so far as 
 its application to their own traffic was 
 concerned, holding that in the populous 
 East everybody is in reach of large mar- 
 kets and no necessity exists for mail- 
 buying. 
 
 Now, however, the success of the idea 
 in the West has drawn the eastern stores 
 into general magazine advertising. The 
 metropolitan suburban trade alone _ is 
 somewhat stupendous, for within deliv- 
 ering distance of New York live more 
 than 7,500,000 people. The suburbanite 
 no longer carries bundles, ' as per the 
 comic paper joke, but orders today 
 through a catalogue the merchandise 
 that will be delivered tomorrow by the 
 big stores' wagons. Beyond the wagon 
 radius lives a public three or four times 
 as large, that receives its goods almost 
 as quickly by express, and beyond this 
 clientele there is still another that at- 
 taches enough prestige to the trademark, 
 "New York," to buy from the metropo- 
 lis. 
 
 New York's mail trade, in fact, is 
 based on its reputation, whereas that of 
 the West is largely a matter of cheap- 
 ness and convenience. The staid old 
 house of Tiffany, for instance, finds it 
 profitable to advertise prices in general 
 magazines and the ten-cent monthlies 
 bring as good returns as the higher- 
 priced publications. In answer to each 
 inquiry a leather-bound catalogue cost- 
 ing fifty cents is mailed, and the in- 
 quiries received are so uniformly good 
 that 90 per cent of the patrons thus at- 
 tracted have a sound rating in Dunn or 
 Bradstreet's. 
 
 Where will the mail trade stop in the 
 East? This business built up by the 
 department stores is scarcely a year old. 
 Already the volume of such advertising 
 is increasing in the more popular maga- 
 zines, and is running over into the re- 
 ligious press, the farm papers and mail 
 order journals. If eastern people buy 
 by mail from the big stores as a side 
 issue, they will also buy from houses 
 that cater to nothing else but the mail 
 trade. 
 
 Will New York eventually have its 
 
 Montgomery Ward & Co. and Sears, 
 Roebuck & Co.? 
 
 KEEP UP STEAM. 
 
 Many men who start in business push 
 their work with enthusiasm, so that they 
 make an immediate success. But as the 
 business grows, their interest and energy 
 wane. They give less time to business 
 affairs, and more to pleasure. 
 
 This is all right, if it is possible to 
 hire men who will do as good .work, 
 and who will take as much interest in 
 pushing it, as did the proprietor of the 
 business at the start. But such men are 
 not easy to find they are usually in 
 business for themselves or are going 
 to be. 
 
 It is all right for the proprietor to 
 delegate some of the detail work that 
 he formerly did, to subordinates, but he 
 should keep his hand on the throttle. 
 He should see that the work is being 
 done right. He should see that the busi- 
 ness is being pushed with the maximum 
 of energy. He should see that the firm 
 goes out after business with as much 
 vim as it did in the days when he was 
 doing three men's work himself ; he 
 should see that just as much atten- 
 tion and care are devoted to holding 
 customers of the house. 
 
 Another thing, in many cases, it will 
 not do for the proprietor to turn over 
 the task of meeting customers, and 
 discussing business offairs, to subordin- 
 ates. It is desirable that the head of the 
 business should be known to the cus- 
 tomers of the house. It should be un- 
 derstood that he is no figurehead, but 
 really at the head of the concern the 
 man who makes the plans. If customers 
 come to identify the business with an 
 employe, that employe can carry away 
 a large share of the business, when he 
 wishes to start up for himself. 
 
 The proprietor can turn over the de- 
 tail work to employes, but as the busi- 
 ness grows, there will be more execu- 
 tive work for him to attend to, and this 
 is work that he cannot profitably trust 
 to others. A business cannot run it- 
 self. No matter how well established 
 it may be, nor how well systematized, 
 it must have a man at its head to decide 
 things and to keep things running. 
 
 The Stewart store was at one time 
 the greatest retail establishment in New 
 York. Hilton & Co. had the organiza- 
 tion and the prestige that A. T. Stewart 
 
PRINCIPLES OF TUB MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 had built up, when they took over the 
 store at Stewart's death. But the store's 
 trade dwindled ; instead of making prof- 
 its on the capital invested they ran mil- 
 lions to the bad during the few years 
 they had the store. It was a manager 
 that store wanted, and found when 
 John Wanamaker bought the business. 
 
 Don't lose interest in your business, 
 or you will lose the business itself. 
 Every business must have brains and 
 energy at its center, or the wheels will 
 stop turning. 
 
 A MAIL ORDER INSTALLMENT 
 HOUSE. 
 
 Installment firms in the large cities 
 are able to do a large business, and there 
 is no doubt that such a trade can be 
 worked up in the country districts. The 
 only trouble will be the expense and 
 difficulty in making collections. 
 
 It may be said that the farmer likes 
 to get things on credit from his home 
 merchant and this is true. He likes 
 to run a bill for groceries and other 
 necessities until he makes a crop. 
 
 But when the farmer is ready to buy 
 a sewing machine, an organ or a stove 
 he usually has the money on hand. 
 
 The installment plan appeals more 
 strongly to people who are working on 
 salary, and who spend all they receive 
 as they go along. By paying a certain 
 amount weekly they obtain goods they 
 would never be able to acquire in any 
 other way, for they would never save 
 a large enough sum to pay cash down. 
 
 SPECIALIZE. 
 
 Don't try to do everything yourself 
 don't have any one employe working at 
 too many different things if you wish 
 any one of those things accomplished in 
 a satisfactory manner. It takes a long 
 time to learn to do a thing with facility. 
 The time of a man who knows how to 
 do a thing is too valuable to be wasted 
 in other work that he does not thor- 
 oughly understand. No man has the 
 time to learn everything thoroughly. 
 Better find out what you are best fitted 
 for and then specialize on that. Devote 
 your whole attention to it. If you can 
 do a thing better than the average man 
 can do it you will find no difficulty in 
 obtaining business or a position. 
 
 It makes no difference whether the 
 thing you know how to do is writing 
 
 advertising or hammering iron, whether 
 you are an adsmith or a blacksmith. 
 Learn to do it well, learn to accomplish 
 results, and the world is willing to hand 
 out good money in return for your 
 work. 
 
 There is a story being told of the pro- 
 prietor of a small business who consid- 
 ered himself somewhat of a mechanic. 
 The office typewriter got out of order 
 and he undertook to fix it. He tinkered 
 at it for a week, neglected far more 
 important work, and finally called in a 
 mechanic, who fixed it up in an hour at 
 a cost of $2. While the typewriter was 
 out of order the stenographer had been 
 answering letters with pen and ink, and 
 had got far behind in her work. The 
 manager of the business was behind in 
 his work, and he was, a man who could 
 command fifty a week if he were not 
 running a business of his own. He 
 couldn't get that sum through fixing 
 typewriters. 
 
 Many men who, though not likely to 
 waste time in this way, do trifling tasks 
 about the office that could be as well 
 done by a low-salaried employe. The 
 man who can plan and manage should 
 put in his time doing those things. 
 
 SOME LEGAL POINTS. 
 
 A cash sale is a conditional sale, and 
 the title of the goods remains with the 
 seller until the conditions are fulfilled, 
 or the conditions waived. Delivery with- 
 out payment does not vest the title with 
 the purchaser, unless such, waiver can be 
 shown. 
 
 The validity of a signature depends 
 not only upon how it was made, but 
 also upon the intention of the signer. 
 Even if the paper is signed otherwise 
 than in the customary manner, or in 
 the customary place, if it can be" shown 
 that the party so signing it intended to 
 enter into the implied contract, or in- 
 tended to bind himself by the instru- 
 ment so signed, the signature is binding. 
 
 An instrument does not even need to 
 be signed by the manual act of the per- 
 son who is making the contract. In 
 signing important papers, it is customary 
 to have another *write the name of a 
 person not able to write his own . sig- 
 nature, and to have the party making 
 the contract write his "mark" between 
 his Christian and surnames. But, if an- 
 other signs the instrument at the direc- 
 tion of the party who should sign the 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 93 
 
 instrument, it answers the same pur- 
 pose. For instance, if a party were to 
 . make a note, and ask his wife, child or 
 an employe to sign same, such signature 
 would be binding as his own. 
 
 In the same way, a rubber stamp 
 signature is valid, if made by a person 
 having authority to act for the principal. 
 This rule comes from the principle of 
 the agency, which holds one person for 
 the acts of another, if the former has 
 given the latter authority to act for him. 
 
 The above is the common law rule. 
 In some cases, however, the statute law 
 requires that certain papers should be 
 signed in special ways. Such papers 
 must therefore be so signed in order 
 to meet the acceptance of the authori- 
 ties. 
 
 A partner is responsible for the entire 
 indebtedness of the firm in which he 
 has an interest. When all the partners 
 can be reached, they are held pro rata 
 for the interest each had in the concern, 
 but if property of one or more of the 
 partners is insufficient to meet the pro 
 rata share of the indebtedness, other 
 partners must make it good, if they 
 have the assets to do so. All partners 
 are held for the acts of the one, if he 
 acts in good faith, with the interests of 
 the firm in view, and without culpable 
 negligence. They must stand their pro 
 rata share of losses made through an 
 error of judgment. 
 
 LARGE AND SMALL PROFITS. 
 
 Large sales at a small percentage of 
 profit is the modern business method. 
 But on an exclusive specialty it is some- 
 times advisable to take a large profit. 
 This is especially so if the specialty sells 
 to a limited class. 
 
 It may be noted that because a manu- 
 facturer or dealer makes a large profit 
 he is not necessarily giving poor value 
 for the money. As an illustration of 
 this, take a new machine which enables 
 an operator to do five times as much 
 work as "he could formerly do. Even 
 though the manufacturer makes 500 per 
 cent profit it may be an extremely profit- 
 able investment for the people for whom 
 it was invented. 
 
 But large profits do not usually last 
 long. Competing goods soon come into 
 the field and prices speedily tumble. It 
 is rarely that a manufacturer can have 
 the field without competition. This is a 
 good thing for the general public, even 
 
 though it may not suit inventors and 
 promoters. 
 
 Many goods that sell at several times 
 their manufacturing cost still do not pay 
 the immense profits that one might think 
 they should. There is generally lots of 
 competition in the field, and the selling 
 expenses are large. 
 
 MAGAZINE PUBLICITY. 
 
 In recent issues of Profitable Adver- 
 tising there has been a rather heated 
 discussion of the respective merits of 
 magazines and newspapers, as general 
 publicity mediums. Frank G. Macomber 
 holding that the advertiser with an an- 
 nual appropriation of $10,000 a year 
 would better use the dailies, while T. 
 Balmer and W. C. Rowland contend 
 that the $10,000 advertiser would better 
 use the magazines, and not to use mag- 
 azine until his appropriation reached the 
 hundred thousand mark. 
 
 But does not something depend upon 
 the class of goods that are to be mar- 
 keted? For instance, with goods that 
 appeal to the masses, the advertiser 
 would better get his goods on sale in a 
 limited territory, and then use the dail- 
 ies to create a demand. Of course, it is 
 the contention of Messrs. Howland and 
 Balmer that the magazine advertising 
 will create such a demand for the adver- 
 tiser's goods that dealers will be forced 
 to put them in, to meet this demand. 
 But the advertiser who acts upon this 
 idea must have a large bank account 
 and a larger store of patience if he is 
 ever to see results. 
 
 Let us show why this is so. Suppose 
 we are advertising a new biscuit or 
 breakfast food. Each grocer in town 
 we will say caters to about 225 families. 
 One family in fifteen purchases one of 
 the magazines in which the advertising 
 appears. Two out of fifteen are in- 
 terested enough to inquire of the grocer 
 if he keeps the biscuit. Will he stock 
 up with new bisciut in order to meet 
 this limited demand? Even the two 
 who ask will in most cases be satisfied 
 with "something just as good." 
 
 It may be said that these figures are 
 too low, that more than one family in 
 fifteen buys a magazine. Perhaps, but 
 Messrs. Balmer and Howland say that 
 the advertiser should use only a few of 
 the strongest magazines. It is a ques- 
 tion if one family in fifteen would see 
 the ad. Certainly it would have to be 
 
94 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 a strong ad and it must appear many 
 times before two out of fifteen would 
 ask for the goods. 
 
 Suppose you stock up the grocers in 
 this territory, and then use the news- 
 papers. You can bring tne goods to the 
 attention of practically every family in 
 town. You can do it daily. The adver- 
 tising in the newspapers is backed up 
 by signs and display of the goods in the 
 stores. The advertising is making sales, 
 not creating a languid interest, by a 
 long, slow process. 
 
 To be. sure, there are some classes of 
 specialties which can be sold by direct 
 mail order methods, in places where 
 dealers do not handle them, and in such 
 cases the right kind of magazine adver- 
 tising can be made to pay well. Dealers 
 can be forced to stock up by showing 
 them the amount of trade they are los- 
 ing by not handling the goods. Every 
 consumer who orders may be required 
 to send the name of his dealer, and a 
 few orders will be leverage enough to 
 move the retailer. This is a different 
 matter from asking for the goods, and 
 then taking something else, when they 
 are not in stock. 
 
 The general publicity advertiser should 
 not wait for the advertising to make his 
 market. If he advertises wisely and 
 well it will be of great assistance, but 
 to rely upon it absolutely is to invite 
 failure. 
 
 He should in the meantime attempt 
 to make a wholesale market for the 
 goods. He should secure the co-opera- 
 tion of retailers, or should have a sell- 
 ing plan that will secure their interest in 
 the success of his campaign. It is hard 
 to fight against the indifference or ani- 
 mosity of the retail dealer. Magazine 
 advertising is all right in its place, but 
 the advertiser must not think his page 
 ad is going to create such a wild desire 
 for the goods that people all over the 
 country are going to rise up and mob 
 the retailers in order to secure the kind 
 that's advertised. 
 
 DISTRIBUTING ADVERTISING. 
 
 The placing of advertising directly 
 into the homes of the people by the 
 means of distributors has its place in 
 the field of modern publicity. But it 
 cannot displace other forms of advertis- 
 ing, nor is it equally valuable for all 
 advertisers. 
 
 There are two principal classes of 
 
 advertisers who can use the distributor's 
 services, who has his goods placed with 
 retailers in the section to be covered, 
 and the retailer, to fully cover the terri- 
 tory in which he can hope to make sales. 
 
 Among general advertisers, the medi- 
 cine men find distribution particularly 
 profitable. Their sales are made to 
 practically every family among the 
 masses of the people. When a calen- 
 dar, an almanac, a cook book or other 
 literature is handed out to a person, it 
 can be depended upon that in most cases 
 he is a possible customer. He is likely 
 to have some, complaint, and the thances 
 are he will be willing to try a proprie- 
 tary medicine, if the advertising mat- 
 ter is sufficiently convincing. 
 
 A well-gotten-up almanac or other 
 booklet is kept and read in the ordinary 
 family. Literature of this kind gives 
 the advertiser the opportunity of telling 
 his story at greater length than he can 
 in the newspaper or magazine ad. The 
 value of this class of advertising can 
 no longer be questioned. Ayer's Al- 
 manac is the best advertising put out 
 by the firm. That fact was proven one 
 year when the appropriation was much 
 reduced. Hood's calendar and the lit- 
 erature that goes in the green envelope 
 with it is one of the most effective 
 forms of Hood advertising. These cal- 
 endars are placed by distributors in the 
 larger places, by the dealer in the small- 
 er towns. In many cases it is well to 
 distribute samples of the advertised ar- 
 ticle along with the advertising matter. 
 The sample, if good, clinches the argu- 
 ment. 
 
 The retailer can profitably use circu- 
 lars to advertise his special bargain 
 offers, especially mid-winter and mid- 
 summer clearances. Many people do not 
 see the ads published in the local dailies. 
 This is true of those who live in the 
 advertiser's home town. Many people 
 prefer the papers published in the near- 
 est metropolitan city, and only purchase 
 the local sheet occasionally. Then, the 
 nearby small towns can be distributed ; 
 there is * only a comparative small cir- 
 culation of the local paper in these usu- 
 ally. Circulars can be thrown in the 
 farmers' dooryards by the distributors 
 as they pass in wagon from one village 
 to another. 
 
 The special bargain offering will bring 
 many new patrons to the store, and a 
 fair proportion of them will become reg- 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 95 
 
 ular customers, if they are given fair 
 treatment. It will be wise to take the 
 address of those from out of town, and 
 put their names on the mailing list. 
 
 Circular distributing is not a satis- 
 factory method for most mail dealers. 
 Too large a proportion of the people 
 circulated will not take the trouble to 
 order goods by mail. In spite of the 
 immense mail trade throughout the 
 country, many people have not contract- 
 ed the mail buying habit. 
 
 It is better for the mail dealer to buy 
 or rent late letters from a class of peo- 
 ple who have shown that they would 
 be interested in the advertiser's goods, 
 and that they would send for them, if 
 prices and values were right. It will 
 cost little more than to have the matter 
 distributed, and the returns will be far 
 larger. 
 
 Few mail dealers appeal to everyone, 
 and experiments in distributing by those 
 firms whose goods do appeal to prac- 
 tically every family have been far from 
 satisfactory. 
 
 GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS 
 ATTENTION. 
 
 The mail dealer is likely to be both- 
 ered with fool questions, even though he 
 tells all about his proposition, plamly 
 and clearly in the advertising matter. 
 Some people will not read carefully, and 
 even if they see the information cannot 
 adapt it to their own use, unless it is 
 applied specially to them. 
 
 But these cheerful idiots often have 
 money to spend, and it is not profitable 
 for the dealer to yield to his feeling of 
 irritation. In fact, there is no excuse 
 for his so doing. When one is dealing 
 with customers face to face there is far 
 more excuse for letting their idiosyncra- 
 sies get on one's nerves. The mail deal- 
 er has time to think before replying, and 
 if he is cut out for a mail order man he 
 will reply courteously and fully, answer- 
 ing all questions. 
 
 People who are enough interested in 
 one's proposition to go to the trouble 
 and expense of making inquiries will 
 commonly order the goods if their 
 queries are answered satisfactorily. 
 And leave out the sarcasm, even though 
 you think they are too dull to see 
 through it. Leave it out. 
 
 But in order to reduce questions to the 
 minimum, the advertiser should strive 
 
 to answer all possible inquiries in ad- 
 vance. 
 
 DO NOT SELL TRASH. 
 
 Advertisers should not sell trash, even 
 if they sell it at a low price. Goods 
 that do not wear and give satisfactory 
 service are dear at any price. Low price 
 is not the first consideration, but the 
 goods. Good values is a better watch- 
 word than low prices. If a customer 
 buys trashy goods, no matter how cheap 
 he gets them, he will set the dealer down 
 as a "cheap John" and will pass him by 
 when he wants goods for quality. This 
 is as true in the case of the mail dealer 
 as in retail advertising. Confidence is 
 at the very heart of the mail trade. If 
 a person sends money in advance for 
 goods he has never seen it is because 
 he believes in the advertiser's honesty 
 and good faith. If the mail dealer 
 makes good, if he gives such satisfactory 
 values as to retain the buyer's confi- 
 dence, he can hold the trade. He will 
 receive other orders. If he violates the 
 confidence reposed in him he will not 
 get the second chance to prove the 
 worth of his goods. Sell meritorious 
 goods at a reasonable price. 
 
 HOW MUCH CAPITAL. 
 
 Thousands of times the question has 
 been asked, "How much capital will I 
 have to have to start a mail order busi- 
 ness ?" So many things enter into such 
 a question that to give one set figure is 
 impossible. 
 
 It depends a great deal on who is go- 
 -ing to use the capital, their capabilities 
 to rightly use it, and the kind of mail 
 order business one desires to start. The 
 nature of the business to be carried on 
 has a great deal to do with the amount 
 of capital that is required. In every 
 case the more capital one can command 
 the better one is prepared, of course. 
 Again, one particular kind of mail busi- 
 ness will not require the amount of 
 money to start it as will another. 
 
 The line of articles one wants to ad- 
 vertise and carry may be of such a na- 
 ture as to require an investment of quite 
 a sum ; but another may be one requir- 
 ing hardly no investment whatever. On 
 the other hand, when there is a head 
 full of .brains in the deal a head that 
 has thoughts in it that are as good as 
 money, then small capital is not much 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 of a barrier to success in the mail order 
 business. 
 
 Many instances are on record where 
 great big successes have been made on 
 surprisingly small capital ; but make a 
 note of it, each case was backed up either 
 by articles that happened to be "whirl- 
 wind" sellers or men with brains. 
 
 If "starting" were the end of it, a few 
 dollars might do, but as "continuing aft- 
 er starting" is the slogan, a few dollars 
 more than a "few" dollars should be 
 easy of access. Someone has said that 
 "nothing is impossible to the deter- 
 mined," which may be applied to a man 
 seeking success in mail trading as well 
 as to a man having any other ambition. 
 
 ALMANACS AND ANNUALS. 
 
 Many concerns which indulge in no 
 spectacular newspaper campaigns are 
 yet able to hold or increase their busi- 
 ness from year to year. They are ad- 
 vertising, even though those interested 
 in the usual for.ms of advertising are not 
 aware of that fact. Many such concerns 
 put out millions of almanacs or annuals 
 each year, and a large proportion of 
 these annuals go into homes where they 
 are kept and referred to for a year or 
 more. 
 
 Among the oldest and most familiar 
 of the almanacs is Hostetter's, with its 
 blue cover. Beside the almanac proper 
 with its calendar, moon's phases, infor- 
 mation concerning coming eclipses, etc., 
 the booklet is made up of a melange of 
 Hostetter advertising, wise and philo- 
 sophical sayings, useful information, 
 jokes and humorous illustrations. 
 
 Hostetter does little or no newspaper 
 advertising in these days, and yet there 
 is still a large call for it in country dis- 
 tricts, owing to this little blue almanac. 
 
 Ayer also issues an old-fashioned al- 
 manac, along much the same lines as 
 they have done for years. The news- 
 papers carry little Ayer advertising in 
 these days, and the magazines none at 
 all, the annual is relied upon to keep 
 Ayer's customers in mind of their favor- 
 ite remedies. Some years ago an experi- 
 men was made by this firm of decreas- 
 ing the almanac appropriation and in- 
 creasing the newspaper advertising, but 
 the result was that they went back to 
 almanacs. 
 
 C. I. Hood & Co. do not get out an 
 almanac, but instead they put out the 
 
 most popular and widely circulated cal- 
 endar produced in America. They aim 
 to put this calendar in practically every 
 American home, and they very nearly 
 succeed. The calendar is enclosed in a 
 blue envelope, and booklets and other 
 literature is enclosed with it. But this 
 concern also aims to make the calendar 
 valuable aside from its beauty and in- 
 -trinsic worth. On the back of each leaf 
 containing the dates is weather fore- 
 casts, between the calendar leaves are 
 other leaves, some of which contain 
 coupons entitling the holder to a collec- 
 tion of flower or vegetable seeds, others 
 contain coupons entitling him to enter a 
 prize puzzle contest, etc. A nominal 
 amount in stamps, or a trade mark from 
 the Hood products is required in addi- 
 tion to the coupon. 
 
 Dr. Pierce gets out two annuals in the 
 way of memorandum books, one for 
 ladies and one for men. Each book con- 
 tains a great deal of advertising matter, 
 as well as the blank pages for accounts. 
 The book for ladies, of course, is largely 
 devoted to advertising the Favorite Pre- 
 scription, which Mr. Bok had his little 
 knock at last summer. 
 
 Many advertisers would take the 
 ground that the palmy days for this 
 class of advertising were numbered. It 
 would doubtless seem that with the in- 
 crease in the number of periodicals sent 
 out, country people would find no time 
 to read an almanac or other annual. But 
 they should remember that every one in 
 the country districts does not take the 
 dailies. Comparatively few buy enough 
 reading matter to fully occupy their 
 time during the winter months. _ Even 
 if they did have enough reading of 
 other kinds to keep them busy, there are 
 lots of country people who would turn 
 to the almanac or annual instead. These 
 men who get up the almanacs under- 
 stand pretty well what the average coun- 
 try person likes to read. The day of the 
 annual has not passed by any means. It 
 will not pass until every farmer and 
 farm hand has a college degree. 
 
 IDEAS. 
 
 The mail order business holds vast 
 opportunities for men with ideas. A 
 few years ago a druggist living in Rav- 
 enswood, 111., thought that there was a 
 good field open in selling country doc- 
 tors the -medicines that they prescribed 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 97 
 
 for their patients, so that they could 
 handle their own drugs instead of send- 
 ing their patients to a drug store. This 
 was the origin of the country doctors 
 handling the medicines they prescribed 
 and has in a few years grown into one 
 of the largest mail order enterprises in 
 the country, having over 20,000 steady 
 customers. At about this same time 
 another man discovered that surgical 
 instruments supplied to doctors^ were 
 charged for at several times their real 
 value in fact, most of them were com- 
 mon hardware, with the name "surg- 
 ical" attached. He started to furnish 
 surgical instruments at a fair margin 
 of profit, first taking up a few simple 
 articles that his capital would allow 
 him to handle, and gradually increas- 
 ing. Today he has the bulk of the 
 trade among country doctors in this 
 line, built up by liberal advertising with 
 catalogues and circulars and space in 
 medical and surgical journals reaching 
 country doctors. 
 
 STARTING RIGHT IN THE MAIL 
 ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 The beginner who proposes to start 
 a mail order business is beset with a 
 thousand handicaps, doubts and per- 
 plexities. The greatest of these is of 
 course, his own inexperience. Many 
 people see others make a success of 
 mail order business and get a notion 
 that they may just as well participate in 
 the enormous profits they see others 
 making. But as to how, when, where, 
 with what and with whom to start they 
 are totally ignorant. 
 
 First of all the beginner must get 
 some money. The idea that five or ten 
 dollars will start a business which will 
 soon be bringing in millions is the 
 merest foolishness. Without some cap- 
 ital, the beginner had best leave the 
 mail order business alone and work at 
 something he knows something about. 
 Just how much capital is necessary can- 
 not be definitely determined. Differ- 
 ent propositions require different 
 amounts to start with. Some kinds of 
 schemes could be started with fifty dol- 
 lars, but that sum would be wholly in- 
 adequate for others. But some money 
 must be raised from somewhere be- 
 fore a start is made. Suppose a per- 
 son undertakes to start a mail order 
 business with ten dollars. Away goes 
 all his money for one ad, one time, in 
 
 one medium. If he gets no immediate 
 cash returns from that ad his mail 
 order business is bankrupt it "died 
 a-bornin'." 
 
 The money raised in sufficient quan- 
 tity to make a start, the next step is to 
 determine what will be sold. Too many 
 beginners hope to reap a rich harvest 
 from the sale of one small article. It 
 probably looks to them like a good sell- 
 er because they wanted it and bought 
 one or because it happens to be an arti- 
 cle that appeals to their individual de- 
 sire. The instances in which a notable 
 success have been made from the sale 
 of one article by mail are very rare. 
 True, it has been done, but for a begin- 
 ner it is a risky proposition. Better se- 
 lect a good, clean, fast selling line of 
 goods and sell all of them. Some 
 things can be sold to one class of peo- 
 ple and other things to others, but 
 within reasonable limits the mail dealer 
 should be prepared to meet the de- 
 mands of all classes. 
 
 The articles selected, the next step is 
 the follow-up literature. The beginner 
 would naturally imagine that the first 
 thing to do would be to advertise his 
 line. That is just one of the thousand 
 mistakes he is liable to make. Before 
 a line of advertising is placed, his fol- 
 low-up system should be just as perfect 
 as he can make it, and indeed, a begin- 
 ner would far better pay an expert his 
 fee to prepare this follow-up literature 
 right than to get it up himself "any old 
 way" and trust to experience to get it 
 in some sort of shape that will bring 
 business. The day has gone by when 
 follow-up matter of just any kind will 
 command the attention of people to 
 whom it is sent or that will get the or- 
 ders even if it succeeds in getting itself 
 read. 
 
 The fojlow-up system properly ar- 
 ranged, written, printed and ready to 
 send out, the next step is the advertis- 
 ing. Here again too many beginners 
 fall down. In many sections of the 
 country a beginner will get the notion 
 that the way to do his advertising is to 
 use first his local paper, then the local 
 papers in neighboring towns and possi- 
 bly a want ad in his nearest city paper, 
 the idea being to gradually branch out 
 from a small beginning. 
 
 This is wrong. In ninety-nine cases 
 out of a hundred he never gets beyond 
 the third or fourth local paper. The 
 
98 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 advertising agent is a twentieth century 
 fixture. He is of the same value to the 
 advertiser that a lawyer is to a litigant. 
 Better the beginner entrust the steering 
 of his advertising ship to a competent 
 navigator, who understands the shoals 
 and rocks of the mail order channel, 
 than to attempt to feel his way along 
 unaided. The thing necessary for the 
 beginner to do is to raise all the money 
 he can fop the purpose and turn it over 
 to a recognized and successful mail or- 
 der advertising agent to spend for him. 
 That agent knows how to make it get 
 the maximum amount of orders for the 
 minimum amount of money per order. 
 Some beginners who mi*rht write to a 
 prominent mail order monthly for their 
 rate would feel the need of smelling 
 salts when told that it was eight dollars 
 an agate line. His county paper charges 
 probably ten cents an inch, and the in- 
 experienced beginner oftentimes can 
 see no difference between the two medi- 
 ums. The advertising agent is invalu- 
 able to the beginner. 
 
 The advertising properly attended to, 
 the next step is to handle the orders 
 that do come in. Woe unto the begin- 
 m?r who is careless at this stage of the 
 game! His business is just as sure to 
 meet with disaster as the sun is to rise 
 in the east. Too* much care cannot be 
 exercised in the prompt, careful filling 
 of orders. Whether carefulness or 
 promptness is the more important is 
 hard to determine. But there can be 
 no question that these t\Vo points are 
 quite the most important things to con- 
 sider in building up a successful mail 
 order business. 
 
 Some correspondence is going to be 
 necessary between customer and dealer, 
 and the better that correspondence can 
 be made, on the dealer's end of the line, 
 the better are his chances for success. 
 "Success" in this instance means mak* 
 ing a. regular customer out of the per- 
 son who for one reason and -another, 
 orders one time. It is the repeat orders 
 the dealer has to depend on for his 
 money his ultimate profit. The first 
 order is doubly important, because if 
 satisfactorily filled and the customer is 
 pleased, he at once becomes a walking 
 advertisement among his friends for 
 the dealer; but if dissatisfied, not 
 pleased, and he considers himself beat 
 or swindled, he will tell his friends not 
 to order from that particular dealer. 
 
 The influence of a pleased customer 
 reaches farther than merely his own 
 orders. 
 
 Many concerns offer mail dealers sta- 
 tionery either free or so nearly free 
 that the inexperienced beginner thinks 
 he has struck a good thing and gets 
 some of it. It is, in the very nature of 
 the case, cheap and shoddy. The mail 
 dealer who uses it is stamping his busi- 
 ness w"Lth the impress of cheap business 
 methods, and creating a bad impression 
 among the more intelligent of his cus- 
 tomers. Some of the flowery art (?) 
 studies used on mail dealers' letter- 
 heads and envelopes would turn your 
 hair gray* A mail dealer's stationery 
 should be of good quality, neatly and 
 tastefully printed, with no attempt to 
 show off a lot of worthless and worn 
 out stock cuts. If your local printer is 
 unable to supply good printing, there 
 are a multitude of printers in the cities 
 whose charges are moderate, and whose 
 work is wprth \vhat they charge for it. 
 
 The use of a typewriter is of great 
 value to a mail dealer. It cannot be 
 called an absolute necessity, but type- 
 written correspondence nowadays is 
 taken to mean business of some kind. 
 Business people have set the seal of 
 their approval upon the typewriter as 
 an adjunct to business, and when ma- 
 chines are comparatively so inexpen- 
 sive and their use is such a simple mat- 
 ter, a mail dealer would best possess 
 himself of a typewriter and learn to 
 use it himself. Here again comes in an 
 opportunity for a beginner to exercise 
 good or bad judgment. Purchasing an 
 old, worn out, run down typewriter is 
 the poorest investment a man can make. 
 The appearance of some typewriting is 
 about as bad as the old fashioned pen 
 writing. Get a machine that will write 
 clearly and legibly, or don't get any. If 
 you cannot afford to buy one of the 
 $100 standard makes, there are several 
 cheaper ones which answer the pur- 
 pose in all things but speed. 
 
 Few mail order beginners are good 
 letter writers. The writing of good 
 business-bringing, convincing letters, 
 with sufficient selling force to bring the 
 order every time is an accomplishment 
 of which anyone may well be proud. It 
 could not be expected that the beginner 
 would be expert in even his own cor- 
 respondence. His follow-up letters and 
 other form letters had best be written 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 99 
 
 by an expert who understands the prin- 
 ciples of correct letter writing and can 
 put them into practice. BUT, the mail 
 dealer can TELL THE TRUTH in the 
 letters he does write. If he undertakes 
 to deceive his customers he had better 
 not write at all. Attend to all the little 
 kicks that come in. It may seem trivial, 
 but to the person who writes in to have 
 it adjusted it is exceedingly important. 
 The proper handling or improper hand- 
 ling of just one little "kick" might 
 mean the loss or retention of a mail or- 
 der customer who in the course of Sv- 
 eral years might spend hundreds OP 
 even thousands of dollars with one mail 
 dealer. . 
 
 ABOUT THE ADVERTISING OF 
 CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS. 
 
 The newspaper paragraphers indulged 
 in many a witty fling at the correspond- 
 ence school product, very probably with 
 a large element of truth underneath 
 their wit. But these same newspapers 
 profit more by the advertising of cor- 
 respondence schools than perhaps any 
 other class of people concerned. Wfieth- 
 er instruction by correspondence is or 
 is not a good thing for the student who 
 pays for it is a question debatable and 
 hard to determine. But there can be 
 no doubt that as a mail order proposi- 
 tion instruction by correspondence pays 
 and that's the point with any mail 
 order proposition. 
 
 Ten years ago the writer would pause 
 in the perusal of magazines to read 
 over and over again a little advertise- 
 ment containing a picture of Cupid or 
 one of his brothers whispering the se- 
 crets of the law into the ear of a pros- 
 perous-looking young fellow who ap- 
 parently enjoyed the proceeding. The 
 writer at that time had a sort of a 
 vague notion that he would like to be 
 a lawyer, but for various reasons at- 
 tendance at a law school was out of the 
 question. But the idea presented in 
 that little -one-inch ad STUCK. It 
 went home and although it did not se- 
 cure a student for the correspondence 
 school in question, it implanted an idea 
 which has since resulted in payment 
 in advance, for at least four corre- 
 spondence courses in different branches 
 of learning. 
 
 Passing over those same ten years 
 we see advertisements galore of every- 
 thing from real estate business, nursing 
 
 and dancing to engineering, navigation 
 and school teaching showing that, what- 
 evef else "may have happened in the cor- 
 respondence instruction field, the num- 
 ber of institutions devoted to this class 
 of work and spending millions of dol- 
 lars annually for Advertising and mul- 
 tiplied with a rapidity scarcely equalled 
 by any other mail order proposition. 
 
 The question at issue, is would this 
 be the case if. it did not pay ? Assured- 
 ly not. Correspondence instruction 
 might be classed as one of the prom- 
 inent steps in 2Oth century advance- 
 ment. People would not continue to 
 pay out, good money for advertising this 
 class of propositions if it did not pay. 
 And, indeed, any observing person who 
 follows current advertising cannot fail 
 to note the advancement of many new 
 schools by their advertising. Time and 
 again a school has started, doubtless 
 with small capital, using small space 
 and its advertising has grown and 
 grown with the growth of the school 
 until now whole pages and double pages 
 are used in the most costly mediums of 
 the country. The correspondence school 
 has come to stay, and as an advertising 
 proposition has to be reckoned with. 
 
 There are hundreds of thousands of 
 persons in the United States to whom 
 a course in a correspondence school 
 can be sold through advertising to 
 whom most other things could not .be 
 sold. The American people want to 
 learn things. That is- one thing that 
 has made them great. Almost every 
 young man and woman and many old 
 ones, too, have in their heart a longing 
 to take up the study of something. To 
 many of these attendance in person at a 
 college is impossible, because of the 
 cost, because they are making a living, 
 and can't stop, because they are mar- 
 ried and cannot leave their families 
 and for a thousand other reasons 
 equally as good. 
 
 To some others the opportunity to 
 remain at home while learning is at- 
 tractive, although they miglit be finan- 
 cially able to attend a cbllege, or might 
 have practically nothing to prevent their 
 attendance. 
 
 When all of these people and others 
 besides are taken into account, one is 
 led to believe that the field for corre- 
 spondence school advertising and its 
 opportunity to "make good" bring 
 business is as itearly unlimited as it 
 could be for any proposition. 
 
100 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Experiences of a Mail Order Man. 
 
 Has it ever occurred to you to place 
 yourself in the position of a novice who 
 for the first time receives a catalogue ? 
 Let me tell you that the man who 
 writes a novel is not in it with a cata- 
 logue writer. I think I see myself as 
 I read page after page, not consecu- 
 tively, but dipping here and there, 
 catching on to the headlines in bold face 
 type just where the writer wanted me 
 to read "One agent made $46 in a 
 single day." "Another made $5.80 in 
 one hour." "You can sell from two to 
 six in every house." "You only have 
 to show the goods and they sell them- 
 selves." Talk about novels being excit- 
 ing. This was the most exciting litera- 
 ture I ever read. Did I believe it? Of 
 course not but the funny part of the 
 matter is, I believed just half of it and 
 that is what I never could understand 
 about the average reader of advertise- 
 ments or catalogues. If you say "An 
 agent made $5.80 in one hour/' he will 
 exclaim, Well, I don't believe that, but 
 if he made half that he did pretty well. 
 Explain it if you can. I give it up. 
 
 Well, I got excited, as most people 
 do who read such literature for the first 
 time. In those days circulars and cata- 
 logues were not as common as they are 
 now, and remember, I was but twenty 
 years of age, with a family of brothers 
 and sisters depending on me for sup- 
 port. 
 
 I did not allow myself to be carried 
 away, but will admit the glowing testi- 
 monials written (presumably) by agents, 
 the flat-footed statements of big profits 
 made with but little exertion, and the 
 impossibility of getting anything else, to 
 do, all seemed arguments in favor of my 
 taking up the work. I even made up 
 my mind that if I was unable to get any- 
 thing to do by a certain date I would 
 make the attempt. I had settled in my 
 own mind just what goods I would sell 
 where I would go and when I would 
 start when something happened which 
 possibly altered the whole course of my 
 life. 
 
 It is reasonably 'safe to assume if I 
 had gone on the road I should not have 
 made a success of the business. I am 
 not a good canvasser and while I have 
 done a little canvassing in my day it 
 has not been agreeable to me and I al- 
 ways avoid it if I can. 
 
 MY FIRST EMPLOYERS. 
 
 The members of the firm by whom I 
 was employed were as different in every 
 way as you could possibly imagine. ' One 
 started with nothing. I .suppose in the 
 past twenty-five years he must have 
 made nearly a million dollars. At any 
 rate he has had diamonds, fast horses, 
 yachts, etc., and if he is not a million- 
 aire today it is his own fault. I never 
 knew any one who could make money 
 faster and more easily. He told me his 
 first experience was taking order for a 
 book a very expensive volume which 
 retailed at $10. I think I remember his 
 telling me he made $27 the first day. 
 Another time at the beginning of his 
 career he took out some cheap jewelry 
 to a champion boat race where the 
 crowds were enormous. He made $67 
 that day. Still he was no sluggard a 
 man who talked little and made every 
 move count. I remember one man say- 
 ing he was the hardest nut to crack 
 from a salesman's standpoint he had 
 ever met. Why ! he said, the fellow 
 lets you talk and says nothing himself 
 and no man can keen on talking with- 
 out giving himself away some time. 
 Perhaps there is a lesson in this for us 
 all. A still tongue makes a wise head. 
 Many a fool has gained credit for great 
 wisdom by keeping his mouth shut. 
 
 The other partner started life with 
 a considerable sum , of money. His 
 father gave him additional sums amount- 
 ing to nearly $100,000 in all. The last I 
 heard of him several years ago was that 
 he was hard up. As I never saw him 
 anything else, but hard up I was not 
 surprised. It seems strange that such 
 a man with a splendid education backed 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 101 
 
 up by opportunities such as seldom fall 
 to the lot of man and still further aided 
 by the gifts of large sums of money 
 should not have succeeded at least as 
 well as the other. He was one of the 
 hardest working men I ever saw, with 
 strictly temperate habits. Any one who 
 tried to get ahead of him would speedily 
 find he had run up against the wrong 
 man, yet in spite of it all he frittered 
 away his money. I think the trouble was 
 that his ideas were bigger than his ability 
 was to handle. Many men get an idea 
 into their heads that because they can 
 run a $10,000 business successfully they 
 can run a $1,000,000 business with equal 
 success. My young friend, get that idea 
 out of your head quick. I say, my 
 young friend, because the old fellows 
 have found their place by the time they 
 have been in the business long enough 
 to grow old either at the top of the lad- 
 der or on the rubbish heap. You and I 
 may as well realize that such men as Jay 
 Gould, Rockefeller and Carnegie are 
 smarter men than we will ever be. Not 
 that I would throw cold water on a 
 laudable ambition to rise in the world; 
 far from it, but every man has his limit 
 and he who "bites off more than he can 
 chew" will soon find his proper level. 
 
 EXPERIENCES WITH AGENTS. 
 
 At this time the business in which 
 I was engaged was mostly with agents. 
 Many of these agents made trips to 
 town to select their stock of goods and 
 many an interesting chat I had with 
 agents whom I had first got in touch 
 with through my advertisements and by 
 letter. 
 
 There was one curious character 
 called Old Tobin. His specialty was the 
 magic tobacco box and many a gross he 
 bought from me. Wherever there was 
 a crowd you might expect to find Old 
 Tobin. 
 
 Old Tobin came and went for many 
 years. The last I heard of him he was 
 seen walking up and down outside of a 
 side show to a circus, repeating the fol- 
 lowing. "Stej- in ladies and gentlemen. 
 Don't pass this great show. Come in- 
 side and see a man get his head cut off. 
 Try your luck shooting the dolly. Try 
 your luck, three shots for five. If you 
 hit him once you get one cigar. If you 
 hit him twice you get two cigars. If 
 you hit him three times you get half a 
 dollar," and so on. 
 
 Old Cholette, another of my agents, 
 used to trade cheap jewelry, photo 
 frames and such things for chickens, 
 butter, eggs, etc., and then peddle the 
 produce he had thus collected. He was 
 an honest old Frenchman and for all I 
 know may be still in' the poultry busi- 
 ness. 
 
 "18 K" BRASS RINGS. 
 
 One day a half tipsy man came in and 
 after a good deal of haggling bought a 
 cheap watch for which he paid $4.50. In 
 two hours he came back and got another 
 said he sold the first for $10 and ex- 
 pected to trade off the second for a 
 horse. 
 
 Another agent was very anxious to 
 get plated rings stamped solid gold i8k 
 and seemed quite annoyed that I would 
 not have this done. The rings cost me 
 8oc gross and I sold them at 2oc per 
 dozen, but my agent was not satisfied 
 with such meager profits he got SQC 
 each for them. 
 
 An experience I had with a customer 
 coming in to town to hunt me up shows 
 how very unreasonable some people are. 
 
 A SIX-STORY BUILDING. 
 
 How well I remember this man com- 
 ing in one day and looking around with 
 a vacant expression such as one often 
 sees on the face of a stranger from 
 country districts. 
 
 'Tm looking for a man by the name 
 of Lee James Lee. Ever heard of him ?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, this is the place." 
 
 "Eh. What?" 
 
 "This is the place and I am the man." 
 
 "Oh, no," with a wise shake of the 
 head." 
 
 "The man I want to see is an old man 
 has a big six-story building. You 
 ain't the man I want to see." 
 
 "Well, what do you want with him 
 anyhow ?" 
 
 "Oh, I just want to see him bought 
 some goods of him you know he puts 
 out big advertisements in the papers 
 and I kind of thought I'd like to call in 
 and see what he'd got." 
 
 "Did a mail order business, did he?" 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "Well, I guess this is the place." 
 
 "Say, you mean to tell me you're the 
 man that puts out all them big ads?" 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "Well," a pause. "Well," another 
 
102 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 pause. "Well, I guess that's all. I don't 
 see what any man wants to go and get 
 up them ads and humbug the people for, 
 anyhow. Make them think you got a big 
 six-story building." 
 
 Then I got my Irish up. "Look here, 
 my friend," I said, "did you ever send 
 me any money for goods?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, lots of times." 
 
 "Did you get the goods all right?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, every time." 
 
 "Did I ever say in any of my letters, 
 advertisements or circulars that J oc- 
 cupied a six-story building?" 
 
 "Well, no don't know that you did." 
 
 "Well, what's the matter with you 
 what are you kicking about anyhow?" 
 
 "Well you got no business to deceive 
 people anyhow," and the old man turned 
 on his heel and went off grumbling in 
 an undertone in which I could distin- 
 guish such words as fake, swindle, de- 
 ception, etc. Kind reader, think of it. Is 
 a man obliged to say in every advertise- 
 ment what he is not. 
 
 SOME PULLING ADVERTISE- 
 MENTS. 
 
 Years ago it was possible for almost 
 any one of moderate ability to write 
 out an advertisement which would draw- 
 replies and if followed up properly, pull 
 out even or pay a good profit. Times 
 have changed and it now takes an ex- 
 pert to do the work well enough to 
 produce this result and sometimes even 
 the expert will fall short. 
 
 For several years I used to spend the 
 best part of every Friday in drawing up 
 ads, checking returns, etc., etc. Any- 
 thing more tiresome I can hardly im- 
 agine. Some people may enjoy writing 
 out ads^-to me it is the hardest kind of 
 work. 
 
 My usual plan was first to consider 
 carefully in a general way whether it 
 was best to advertise the goods out and 
 out. In other words call for money at 
 the start or instead of this to write a 
 short catchy ad for names and follow 
 this up with printed matter letters, 
 prods, etc. It is impossible to make a 
 cast-iron rule which will apply to every 
 case. For my own part I have had some 
 little success in both ways, and sad to 
 relate, I have frequently "got it where 
 the chickens got the axe" i. e., in the 
 back of the neck. Some schemes which 
 
 offer apparently big value for small 
 sums, say 10 to 25 cents, will pay by 
 direct advertising others which call for 
 $1.00 or more worded in the same way 
 will fall flat. 
 
 A BLIND ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 Many advertisers offer something free 
 and when sending out the gift send 
 their circulars at the same time. There 
 can be no doubt that such ads bring in 
 an enormous number of replies, but it 
 is a question in my mind if there is any 
 money in it. Yet I know of two firms 
 who are both making money with this 
 kind of an advertisement for their draw- 
 ing card. They both have a fine large 
 ling of goods to follow up with and I 
 think in this is the secret of their success. 
 Yet even here I can remember that some 
 one told me not long ago how one of 
 these firms was on the brink of failure 
 and was only saved by a legacy which 
 came to him most opportunely. 
 
 I once got out an ad something like 
 the enclosed. It occupied one inch and 
 had a heavy black border all around. 
 
 A FORTUNE. 
 
 Return this slip with 50 cents and 
 we will send you a package of goods 
 worth marty times 50 cents, which may 
 start you in a business that will estab- 
 lish you for life and may possibly make 
 your fortune. Money returned to any 
 one not satisfied. 
 
 This is called a "blind adv." and I 
 do not think is now looked upon with 
 favor by the postal authorities. Not- 
 withstanding this fact, it was perfectly 
 legal at that time and pulled me in over 
 5,000 replies. Every one seemed satis- 
 fied with one exception, and I don't 
 think that was bad out of 5,000 replies. 
 Many reordered several times, some get- 
 ting 'as much as $50 worth of goods. 
 
 A FAST SELLING BOOK. 
 
 Another advertisement which did good 
 service and which may be seen today, 
 was the following: 
 
PRINCIPLES OP THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 103 
 
 LIFE IN THE WOODS. 
 
 This is a very useful book, being a 
 guide to the successful Hunting and 
 Trapping of all kinds of animals; tells 
 how to fish. It gives the right season 
 for trapping; how to make, set and bait 
 traps for minks, weasels, skunks, hawks, 
 owls, gophers, birds, squirrels, muskrats, 
 foxes, rabbits, raccoons, etc. ; how to 
 make and use bird lime. How to catch 
 live all kinds of birds, how to tell the . 
 true value of skins; how to skin all ani- 
 mals, deodorize, stretch and cure them ; 
 how to dress and tan skins, furs and 
 leather; to tan with or without wool or 
 hair; to skin or- stuff birds; baits and 
 hooks for fishing, how to fish successfully 
 without nets, spears, snares, "bobs" or 
 bait (a great secret) ; how to choose and 
 clean guns; how to breed minks for 
 skins. We have a limited number of 
 these valuable little books on hand and 
 as long as the supply lasts we will sell 
 them for 15 cents each, sent postpaid. 
 Send stamps or silver. 
 
 This is a good little book and well 
 worth the money asked. I do not know 
 how many thousands I have sold. 
 
 "FUN AND MYSTERY PACKAGES." 
 
 One of the greatest winners I ever 
 handled was the 3 cent Library got out 
 some years ago by F. M. Lupton, New 
 York. (A man who, by the way, I have 
 always admired for the upright, honor- 
 able methods he has used to build up his 
 enormous business.) I was one of the 
 first to use them. The books cost me, I 
 think, i cent each, mailed and sold for 3 
 cents. The quantity I sold was enor- 
 mous and others must have used vastly 
 more than I did. 
 
 Another strong puller was the Fun 
 and Mystery package, originally got up 
 I believe by F. M. Porter, now publisher 
 of the Hearthstone, New York. This is 
 a collection of cards, games, autograph 
 albums, verses, jokes, etc., etc. It sold 
 at that time for 30 cents, and every one 
 was pleased. Now there are dozens of 
 such packages selling all the way from 
 10 cents to $i and giving but doubtful 
 satisfaction. 
 
 SOLID GOLD BAND RING FOR A 
 DOLLAR. 
 
 A good puller and a most satisfactory 
 article to handle, was the Solid Gold 
 
 Band Ring for $1.00. They cost me 
 at that time $6.50 to $7.00 per dozen- 
 and sold like wildfire. Any one who 
 could get a gold ring for $1.00 thought 
 it a snap, and so it was. I have one at 
 home which has been in use for 15 years 
 and is as good as ever. There are so 
 many gold-plated, gold-filled, gold-laid, 
 imitation gold, Borneo gold, etc., etc., 
 rings sold now that a. man with a good 
 old-fashioned solid gold gk ring for one 
 dollar has no show. 
 
 SPY GLASSES AND QUASSIA 
 CUPS. 
 
 One day I took a fancy to try this ad : 
 SPY GLASSES. 
 
 "With this glass you can see horses in 
 a distant field. You can find squirrels 
 in the trees. You can distinguish peo- 
 ple at a long distance. It is invaluable 
 to every farmer as it brings his furthest 
 field as close to him as though it were 
 at his feet. Price only one dollar." 
 
 I started with six dozen spy glasses 
 and in a short time I had bought up 
 every spy glass in the city and was im- 
 porting them from Germany. 
 
 Another strong puller was a violin 
 for $3.50. Bow, $1.25; case, 75 cents. 
 All these goods gave splendid satisfac- 
 tion and it was a pleasure to handle 
 them. 
 
 Another fine seller was the "Oilo- 
 graph," so-called. It was a departure 
 from the ordinary crayon, and I believe 
 is sold now under a variety of names. 
 The Oilograph was a tin type, slightly 
 enlarged and touched up in color, then 
 framed in a black walnut frame. 
 
 An article which had a great run was 
 the Quassia cup made from Quassia 
 wood. When filled with water it gave 
 the water a bitter taste which was sup- 
 posed to act as a tonic. When the supply 
 of genuine Quassia wood ran low some 
 firms had cups made out of ordinary 
 wood and steeped in a bitter solution of 
 some kind. 
 
 Another good seller was the American 
 Prize Paste Stove Polish. The demand 
 for this is now largely filled with Enam- 
 eline, a similar preparation. It cost me" 
 $20 for the recipe after I had wasted 
 $200 in experimenting. If any man 
 thinks he knows how to make the Amer- 
 ican Prize Paste Stove Polish I would 
 suggest that he first try it in a small 
 
104 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 way and allow his product to stand for 
 three months. He will save money by 
 going slow. 
 
 PRIZE STATIONERY PACKAGE. 
 
 I must not forget the old reliable 
 Stationery package. Here you are, gen- 
 tlemen, 24 sheets of excellent note pa- 
 per, 25 splendid cream-laid envelopes, 
 one best American lead pencil, one 
 beautiful Colorado Golden pen, one ac- 
 commodation penholder, one convenient 
 key ring, one glove buttoner, one shoe 
 fastener, and one to three elegant pieces 
 of jewelry all for 25 cents. Remember 
 you have a large assortment to choose 
 from. Ear rings, watches, chains, scarf 
 pins, stick pins, brooches, rings, etc., 
 etc.- A watch positively guaranteed with 
 every 144 packages. Agents can sell 
 them as fast as they can .hand them out, 
 only 25 cents each. Price to agents, 
 $1.75 per dozen packages, or $18 per 
 gross, 500 packages, and an extra watch 
 for only $60. Did they sell? Well I 
 should say they did. I often wonder 
 why these goods are not put up any 
 more. They were as staple as flour and 
 being good goods the agents would 
 come again and again for them. 
 
 A line which took well in the right 
 season was revolvers. At that time it 
 was considered a great thing to buy a 
 22 caliber, 7-shot revolver for $1.75, yet 
 there was nearly a whole dollar profit 
 in them. There is a chance here for 
 some bright advertiser to get up a nice, 
 attractive revolver ad, say about August 
 or September. I think it would pay if 
 properly handled. 
 
 Another thing that is lost sight of is 
 notions or small wares. Pins, needles, 
 
 shoe laces, hair pins, knitting needles, 
 cheap pocket handkerchiefs, and all the 
 little jim cracks usually kept in the no- 
 tion department of a large store. The 
 orders are small, but the percentage of 
 profit is large and the orders keep com- 
 ing, coming, all the time. 
 
 The foregoing matter is quoted from 
 "25 Years in the Mail Order Business," 
 or "The Experiences of a Mail Order 
 Man," written by James Lee, the veteran 
 mail dealer, and published by Arthur E. 
 Swett. 
 
 Whatever there is of romance, fas- 
 cination and excitement in the mail or- 
 der business is embodied in the book of 
 the above title. A mail order man who 
 has been in the business twenty-five 
 years, has been induced to put his ex- 
 periences into book form and has writ- 
 ten them up with a charm and style 
 that holds the reader spell-bound from 
 .the first page to the last. 
 
 The book is in the half narrative, half 
 reminiscent style. It is not a book for 
 the general public, but just a plain, 
 unvarnished tale of every day happen- 
 ings in the mail order business. Those 
 who are in the mail order business will 
 read this book and find in every page 
 some incident or experience that will 
 strike a responsive cord, while a large 
 and numerous class who are not yet in 
 the mail order business but are anxious 
 to learn all they can about it, will find 
 in this book many of the lessons taught 
 in the hard school of experience, which 
 they can learn without the expenditure 
 of the large sums they cost the author. 
 
 Several thousand copies of this book 
 have been sold. The price is $1.00, cloth 
 binding; 50 cents in paper; 176 pages. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 105 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Chicago Mail Order Business Today. 
 
 Interviews with Successful Mail Order Men Their Ideas as to the Essential Qualifications 
 
 to Attain Success Advertising as a Factor Today Lessons 
 
 from the Life Book of Hard Experience. 
 
 The business of the Chicago mail or- 
 der houses grows apace. It is now al- 
 most two million dollars per week, and 
 there is every indication that before 
 many years pass it will be one million 
 dollars per day. 
 
 Here are the figures for the last three 
 years from the Chicago Tribune: 
 
 1904 $60,000,000 
 
 1905 78,000,000 
 
 1906 97,000,000 
 
 This estimate for 1906 includes only 
 
 houses which do a business with the in- 
 dividual consumer, such as Sears, Roe- 
 buck & Co., Montgomery Ward & Co., 
 Jno. M. Smyth & Co., Albaugh Bros., 
 Dover & Co., etc. , 
 
 In reality Butler Bros., Lyon Bros., 
 The Chicago Mercantile Co., and many 
 other big firms relying solely on their 
 catalogs to bring them business are mail 
 order houses. The only difference be- 
 tween Ward and Butler is that one sells 
 direct to the consumer and the other to 
 the dealer. Both rely on the U. S. mails 
 alone for orders. 
 
 One branch of business in Chicago 
 which should really be classified under 
 the head of mail order trade is that of 
 tailoring to the trade. It is true that 
 tailors to the trade employ agents ; but 
 the agent has very little individuality. 
 The orders are gathered on the strength 
 of the big tailor-to-the-trade firms in 
 Chicago. A form is filled up very simi- 
 lar indeed to that used by country buy- 
 ers from the large mail order houses. 
 One agent is appointed in each town ; 
 he does not travel about getting orders, 
 but usually stays on the spot and ad- 
 vertises the merit of the clothing his 
 firm makes. 
 
 This business has grown to enormous 
 proportions. Last year it amounted to 
 $26,000,000, or half a million dollars per 
 week. It is computed that Chicago does 
 
 seventy-five per cent of the tailoring to 
 the trade in the country. 
 
 The huge house of Butler Bros, last 
 year took over the old warehouse of 
 Sears, Roebuck & Co., at Fulton and 
 Desplaines streets. Other wholesale cat- 
 alog houses report progress, and alto- 
 gether the outlook for many firms who 
 are competing against the mail order 
 business is not a bright one. Salesmen 
 on the road find it vastly harder to sell 
 today than they did even five years ago. 
 They have to cover much more territory 
 to make a fair average of sales. The 
 dealer is growing more independent. In- 
 stead of going up to the sample room of 
 the hotel to see the drummer's goods, 
 the salesman not infrequently is now 
 obliged to carry his samples down to 
 the merchant. 
 
 Chicago is the natural center of the 
 mail order field. Strenuous attempts on 
 the part of eastern houses to capture a 
 portion of the business of the country 
 are not meeting with success. One rea- 
 son for the failure of New York City to 
 successfully "break" into the mail order 
 business is that there are too many small 
 towns and cities in the eastern states to 
 make mail order houses necessary. The 
 people evidently prefer to deal at the 
 stores in the small town city. Then 
 if the easterner tries to get mail orders 
 from states in the middle west he finds 
 he is handicapped by the question of 
 higher freight rates. 
 
 STATE STREET STORES FAIL. 
 
 That it is impossible to serve two mas- 
 ters is evidenced by the failure of most 
 of the big State street stores to enter the 
 mail order business successfully. Sev- 
 eral houses have abandoned the attempt 
 to go into the mail order trade after los- 
 ing a considerable amount of money in 
 the experiment. 
 
io6 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 One reason why State street stores fail 
 is because they try to sell the same goods 
 to town and country customers alike. 
 Chicagoans get the first pick of bargains, 
 and often when the country customer 
 sends in an order he is often too late 
 to secure a really profitable bargain. 
 Then, too, merchandise gets worn and 
 shop-spoiled, and the country customer 
 obviously dislikes such goods. Further 
 the State street stores found the utmost 
 difficulty in selling according to cata- 
 log through various reasons, and had 
 to resort to a great deal of substituting 
 with attendant dissatisfaction on the part 
 of the country customer. 
 
 DEMANDS ALL A MAN'S TIME. 
 
 These are the reasons on the surface. 
 The real reason why the State street 
 stores failed is because most of them 
 tried to make the mail order business a 
 side issue. Now the mail order business 
 demands all of a man's brain power, not 
 a part of it. The problems of the mail 
 order trade do not form a fascinating 
 pastime to be studied late in the after- 
 noon or at night. It is safe to say that 
 a firm invites failure when it attempts to 
 run any other business if it is engaged in 
 a mail order trade. 
 
 FOUNDATION OF THE MAIL 
 ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 All mail order men agree that the real 
 foundation of the success of the mail 
 order business is the ability to sell at a 
 lower price than competitors. Advertis- 
 ing or printers' ink of any kind is the 
 only salesman. Most any advertisement 
 will bring inquiries and some of these 
 will develop into orders. But to get re- 
 peat orders, the customer must be satis- 
 fied. He must use the goods, test them, 
 compare them and be sure in his own 
 mind that he has gotten a bargain, be- 
 fore a mail order firm can fully count 
 on him as a custome All concerns who 
 do business solely by mail agree that 
 getting new clients is a costly thing, and 
 that if a concern continually loses its 
 customers through bad service, too high 
 prices or telling lies, it will not be long 
 before that firm goes to the wall. 
 
 In an interview with Mr. R. W. Sears 
 last year, the head of the big mail order 
 house gave utterance to the following 
 statement: "I think a lot of people 
 
 waste good money on advertising be- 
 cause they say things in their copy which 
 are not just so." 
 
 At the same time, however good a 
 firm's intentions may be, it takes time 
 and money to learn the mail order busi- 
 ness. This is the belief of Mr. Albaugh, 
 of Albaugh Bros., Dover & Co. This 
 firm is credited with doing a business of 
 over five million dollars per year. In the 
 course of an interview Mr. Albaugh 
 said : 
 
 "It takes lots of experimenting to 
 make a success in the mail order busi- 
 ness. Experience may be said to be the 
 only really safe guide to success; but 
 when success does come it repays all the 
 previous labor, effort and anxiety a hun- 
 dredfold. 
 
 "It takes time and money to build up 
 a good catalogue ; for instance, we con- 
 sider it impossible to build up a catalog 
 of about a thousand pages similar to 
 ours under the expenditure of a million 
 dollars. 
 
 "Every page, every illustration, every 
 word costs good money to print. Goods 
 in a catalog which it does not pay to sell 
 must not be offered. Merchandise which 
 experience shows the country wants and 
 will pay a fair profit on, must be pushed 
 hard. 
 
 "The departments must be organized 
 so that it is known exactly how much 
 each one makes and how much each one 
 loses. We have gotten things down to 
 that stage now that we can tell just 
 what profit each department is making, 
 what its expenses are, what its income is, 
 etc. 
 
 GOOD MEN NECESSARY. 
 
 "Into the question of running a suc- 
 cessful mail order business enters the 
 vital question of good assistants. Poor 
 men, we have found, are dear at any 
 figure. Men who can achieve results and 
 make money are worthy of high salaries. 
 
 "Do I consider it pays to sell a spec- 
 ialty in the mail order business or carry 
 a large assortment of goods ? Frankly 
 I believe that the more varied the lines 
 sold the greater the chance for success. 
 The same buying organization can handle 
 the purchasing of a number of lines. 
 The same amount of postage will ofter 
 cover the offering of a number of ar- 
 ticles for sale as if a specialty were of- 
 fered. The chances of making a sal< 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 107 
 
 are largely increased when a variety of 
 things are offered for sale. 
 
 "What about the future of the mail 
 order business? Do I consider the field 
 crowded? By no means. I think there 
 is room for at least ten large concerns 
 like Sears, Roebuck, Montgomery Ward 
 & Co., John M. Smyth & Co. 
 
 "Speaking for ourselves we may say 
 that our business doubled in volume last 
 year. This fact in itself is a good proof 
 of the rapid growth of mail order trade 
 in Chicago." 
 
 FIELD NOT CROWDED. 
 
 The opinion of Mr. Albaugh that the 
 mail order business is even yet in its 
 infancy was corroborated by other mail 
 order men. The manager of one of the 
 biggest concerns in Chicago a man who 
 has spent the better part of his life in 
 studying mail order problems said: 
 "There never was such a good chance 
 for enterprising men to make good in 
 the mail order field ; because the seed 
 has been sown. A vast amount of edu- 
 cational work has been done by the big 
 mail order houses and the country peo- 
 ple have been educated into buying 
 through the mails. They make less mis- 
 takes in ordering than previously. They 
 are less impatient if a delay occurs now 
 and then. The people know they can 
 buy more cheaply but at the same time 
 they are always on the lookout for new 
 firms and new offers. 
 
 "On the other hand, the country trade 
 will not stand for glittering promises 
 which are not fulfilled. 1 he people 
 know the purchasing power of money, 
 and will not be satisfied unless good 
 value is given. 
 
 "Beginners in the mail order business 
 must take full note of conditions in the 
 mail order field today. The pace has 
 been set by several large, responsible 
 firms, and a slower gait will not be tol- 
 erated. The firm which can 'go com- 
 petitors one better' either in delivering 
 goods more quickly or in selling more 
 cheaply is the one that will succeed. 
 
 GOOD MANAGEMENT 
 "SUCCESSFUL. 
 
 "Of course, it is necessary to know 
 how to handle business expeditiously 
 when it comes. Many mail order men 
 have nerved themselves to face disap- 
 
 pointment, hard luck and slow upbuild- 
 ing of a business, but in many cases 
 they have not prepared for an enormous 
 success. 
 
 "When I came in here, my firm was 
 simply 'rushed to death' with orders. 
 They had more business to handle than 
 they could get out quickly." 
 
 Nearly all mail order men agree that 
 the hardest part in a mail order firm's 
 career is the start. But when success 
 does come, it arrives in large measure. 
 There is nothing paltry or half-hearted 
 about it. One mail order man told the 
 writer that he had done 50 per cent 
 more business last year than he antici- 
 pated, and in consequence has .moved 
 into much larger premises. 
 
 One lucky man on the south side was 
 discovered who has been in the mail 
 order business but a little over two 
 years. He started with a capital of but 
 $2,000 and now claims to have an in- 
 come of $5,ooo per year. 
 
 By all accounts December, 1906, was 
 an exceptionally good month for people 
 in the mail order business. The two 
 largest mail order houses in Chicago 
 have been employing an entire night 
 force in addition to the day staff. The 
 Chicago Tribune stated : "The success 
 of these two large concerns has not 
 passed unnoticed, and there are a large 
 number of others in the mail order line. 
 The eager buying of goods in this way 
 has not been checked by high prices of 
 manufactured articles." 
 
 MAIL ORDER TRADE LITTLE 
 KNOWN. 
 
 There is no saying just how many 
 firms there are in the mail order busi- 
 ness in Chicago. It is safe to say that 
 Chicagoans know next to nothing about 
 the business. Everyone knows of Sears, 
 Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward 
 & Co., and yet many people are not 
 aware that John M. Smyth Co. and 
 Albaugh Bros., Dover & Co. dp a very 
 large mail order trade, running into very 
 many millions of dollars yearly. 
 
 There are scores of medical mail or- 
 der firms doing a very successful busi- 
 ness. These concerns are scattered all 
 over the city. There are a number of 
 mail order jewelry firms, quite a few 
 clothing concerns. There are a very 
 large number of mail order firms en- 
 gaged in miscellaneous businesses. Some 
 
io8 PRINCIPLES OF 77/E MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 small firms 'do a profitable business in Some pessimists say the mail order 
 
 one room; others are on the top floors business has reached its limit and it will 
 
 in out of the way buildings in the loop not expand any further. This appears 
 
 district. The public knows and hears to be arrant nonsense. The same thing 
 
 nothing about them unless they fail, was said fifteen years ago, and it will 
 
 which is seldom, or unless they attain doubtless be said fifteen years hence 
 
 a gigantic success like Sears, Roebuck when the mail order business of Chi- 
 
 & Co. or Montgomery Ward & Co., cago will doubtless have become two or 
 
 which takes time. three times as big as it is today. 
 
List of Manufacturers, Mail Order Supply 
 
 Houses, Etc. 
 
 PICTURE CATALOGUES AND CIRCULARS. 
 The James Lee Co., 134 Van Buren st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 NOVELTY CATALOGUES AND CIRCULARS. 
 I. Whiteson, 240 E. Madison st., Chit-ago. 
 Smith & Smith, Fifth ave., Chicago. 
 Chi. -ago Specialty Co., 70 Dearborn st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 Eureka Trick & Novelty Co., 87 Warren 
 
 st., New York City. 
 Rex Trade Supply House, 108 Fulton St., 
 
 New York City. 
 
 Cunningham & Co., Stamford, Conn. 
 Murphy Mfg. Co., Stamford, Conn. 
 Central Supply Co., Kansas City, Mo. 
 International Co-operative Co., New York 
 
 City. 
 
 FURNITURE CATALOGUES. 
 Western Business Agency. Chester, 111. 
 
 HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS CATALOGUES. 
 Pease Mfg. Co., Seneca st., Buffalo, N. Y. 
 American Consumers' Alliance, 60 Wabash 
 
 ave., Chicago. 
 
 MEDICINE CATALOGUES. 
 The Mixers' Guide, Fort Madison, Io\va. 
 Stearns & White Co., 181 Chestnut st., 
 Chicago. 
 
 FANCY WORK CATALOGUE. 
 De Celle Stamping Co., Portland, Conn. 
 Saratoga Stamping Co., Victory Mills, X. Y. 
 
 BOOK CATALOGUES AND CIRCULARS. 
 F. J. Drake & Co., 211 E. Madison St., 
 Chicago. 
 
 Will Rossiter. in Washington St., Chicago. 
 Ken- & Co., 56 Fifth ave., Chicago. 
 Thompson & Thomas, 338 Wabash ave., 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 J. Regan & Co., 415 Dearborn St., Chicago. 
 Manhattan Supply Co., 415 Dearborn st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 F. M. Lupton, City Hall place, New York 
 
 City. 
 
 C. E. Curtis,. Lehigh. N. Y. 
 Thompson News Co., 415 Dearborn st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 i:\rdsior Pub. Co., City Hall place, New 
 
 York City. 
 
 LADIES' AND CHILDREN'S GOODS 
 CATALOGUE. 
 
 Venus Mfg. Co., 134 Van Buren st., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 COMBINATION CATALOGUE. 
 F. W. Smith, Alliance, O. 
 
 Note. -The above list should be conclu- 
 sive proof that you can get a ready-printed 
 catalogue on most any line you 'want to 
 handle. Any and all of the firms listed 
 above supply catalogues and other printed 
 matter to mail order dealers. 
 
 LAMPS, DISHES AND CHINA CATALOGUE. 
 W. E. Cummings & Co., 160 State st., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 MUSIC CATALOGUES. 
 National Music Co., 266 Wabash ave., 
 
 Chicago. 
 McKinley Music Co., 355 Wabash ave., 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 AGENTS' SUPPLIES. 
 
 Andover Stamping Co., Andover, N. Y. 
 Richardson Mfg. Co., Bath, N. Y. 
 Godoy & Co., 34 Park Row, New York 
 
 City. 
 National Novelty Works, 60 Wabash ave., 
 
 Chicago. 
 Household Novelty Works, 23 Randolph 
 
 st., Chicago. 
 
 Chelsea Mfg. Co., Chelsea, Mich. 
 Handy Things Co., Ludington, Mich. 
 Foote Foundry Co., Frederickstown, O. 
 Paxton I-Idw. Mfg. Co., Paxton, 111. 
 Agents' Goods Co., 2 Elm st., New York 
 
 City. 
 Krueger Mfg. Co., 155 Washington St., 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 MEDICAL, TOILET AND HOUSEHOLD FOR- 
 MULAS PUT UP WITH YOUR LABEL. 
 C. W. Howe & Co., Boylston bldg., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 NOVELTIES, GENERAL MERCHANDISE, 
 
 SUPPLIES, TOYS, ETC. 
 A. Coulter & Co., Fifth ave. and Madison 
 
 st., Chicago. 
 
 Lyon Bros., 250 E. Madison st., Chicago. 
 Butler Bros., Randolph bridge, Chicago. 
 N. Shure & Co., Madison and Market sts., 
 
 Chicago. 
 Western Bargain House, 272 Madison st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 Marshall Field & Co., Adams and Fifth 
 
 ave., Chicago. 
 Coe, Younge & Co., 612 St. Charles st., 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 Singer Bros., on the Bowery, New York 
 
 City. 
 Levin Bros., 30 N. 6th st., Terre Haute, 
 
 Ind. 
 
 I. Eisenstein, 44 Ann st., New York City. 
 W. F. Miller, 134 Park Row, New i'ork 
 
 City. 
 A. Guggenheim, 529 Broadway, New Y'ork 
 
 City. 
 Wm. Beck & Sons Co., 10 Gavfield place, 
 
 Cincinnati. O. 
 Am. Toy & Novelty Co., 959 W. 21st place, 
 
 Chicago. 
 Selchow & Righter, 265 Canal st., New 
 
 York City. 
 M. Gerber, 326 South st., Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 SILK REMNANTS. 
 H. C. Buchanan & Co., Box 1528, New 
 
 York City. 
 
 109 
 
no 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL- ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 ADVERTISING NOVELTIES. 
 Meek & Beach Co., Coshoeton, O. 
 
 GLASS NOVELTIES. 
 
 Chicago Vial & Mfg. Co., 1533 W. Lake st., 
 Chicago. 
 
 NOVELTY MIRRORS AND CELLULOID 
 SPECIALTIES. 
 
 Parisian Novelty Co., 163 Canal St., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 CHEWING GUM. 
 Allen Mfg. Co., 165 Canal st., Chicago. 
 
 SEA SHELLS. 
 
 Mrs. Susan M. Mohr, Leal man, Fla. 
 W. O. Penny, Nathan, Fla. 
 J. F. Powell, Waukegan, 111. 
 
 TIN BOXES. 
 
 Gill & Co., Columbus. O. 
 Economy Can Co., Dickey bldg., Chicago. 
 
 PAPER BOXES, CARTONS, LABELS, ETC. 
 H. S. McCrackcn Box & Label Co., 52 W. 
 Van Buren st., Chicago. 
 
 FOUNTAIN PENS. 
 
 Diamond Point Pen Co., 102 Beekman st., 
 New York. 
 
 0. E. Weidlich, Cincinnati, O. 
 
 JEWELRY. 
 
 Holsman & Alter, 180 Madison st., Chicago. 
 Jos. Brown & Co., Fifth ave. and Madison 
 
 st., Chicago. 
 
 C. H. Eden & Co., Attleboro. Mass. 
 A. C. Messier & Co., Providence, R. I. 
 Smith Bros., Providence, R. I. 
 Geo. N. Babington, Edy St., Providence, 
 
 R. I. 
 
 WATCHES AND TRUST SCHEME JEWELRY. 
 
 1. M. Bach, 109 Randolph st., Chicago. 
 
 ENVELOPES AND TAGS. 
 
 Denny Envelope & Tag Co., 18 Michigan 
 st., Chicago. 
 
 RINGS. 
 Clarke & Coombs, Providence, R. I. 
 
 PRINTED NOVELTIES. 
 G. S. Vibbert Co., Clintonville, Conn. 
 W. S. Everett & Co., Lynn, Mass. 
 Danihy, Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 KEY CHECK OUTFITS. 
 S. H. Quint & Sons, 15 S. 4th st., New 
 
 York City. 
 Geo. W. Jopson, Meriden, Conn. 
 
 PLATING OUTFITS. 
 Gray & Co., Cincinnati, O. 
 
 SOAP FOR AGENTS. 
 W. W. Soap Mfjr. Co., McCarty and West 
 
 sts., Indianapolis, Ind. 
 Parker Chemical Co., Madison and Market 
 
 sts., Chicago. 
 Davis Soap Co., 356 Dearborn st., Chicago. 
 
 ALUMINUM NOVELTIES. 
 Aluminum Mfg. Co., Two Rivers. Mass. 
 Florence Mfg. Co., Florence, Mass. 
 
 ALUMINUM HOUSEHOLD GOODS. 
 
 Wagner Mfg. Co., Sidney, O. 
 
 FLAVORING TABLETS, SHEET "BLUING 
 POLISHING CLOTHS, 
 
 Francis Chemical Co., 507 Elm st., Cincin- 
 nati, O. 
 
 FORMULAE EXPERT. 
 Dr. R. P. Brook, Jamaica, N. Y. 
 
 TOY BALLOONS. 
 
 F. Patural & Co., 16 Warren st., New York 
 City. 
 
 ELECTRIC BELTS, INSOLES, ETC. 
 Electric Appliance Co., Burlington, Kas. 
 
 WIRE WORKERS AND SEA SHELL 
 NOVELTIES. 
 
 Geo. II. Fuller & Son Co., 103 State st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 Theo. J. Mott, 415 Dearborn st.. Chicago. 
 Joyce Bros., 354 Dearborn st., Chicago. 
 Rogers, Thurman & Co., Powers bidg., 
 Chicago. 
 
 5 AND 10-CENT GOODS. 
 
 5 and 10c Syndicate Co., 440 Broadway, 
 New York City. 
 
 U. S. STAMPS PURCHASED. 
 Arthur F,. Swett, Royal Insurance bldg., 
 Chicago. 
 
 MAIL ORDER PRINTING. 
 Curtis Printing House, Lehigh, N. Y. 
 A. \V. Aurand. Beaver, Springs, Pa. 
 Sentinel Pub. Co., Seymour, Mo. 
 Chas. D. Meyes, Berrien Springs, Mich. 
 
 LETTERS FOR RENT. 
 
 G. C. Aldrich Co., :526 Dearborn st., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 C. A. Davis, 1634 Ohio st., Chicago. 
 
 IMITATION TYPEWRITTEN LETTERS. 
 M. M. Rothschild, 96 Fifth ave., Chicago. 
 
 CUTS FOR ILLUSTRATING. 
 Standard Electrotype Co., Wilmington, Del. 
 Spatula Pub. Co., Boston, Mass. , 
 
 ADS SET AND ELECTROTYPED. 
 Chicago Ad-Setting Co., 130 Dearborn st., 
 
 Chicago. 
 H. E. Becker, 308 Dearborn st., Chicago. 
 
 HANDY HAT FASTENER. 
 Fair Mfg. Co., Uaciue, Wis. 
 
 HOUSEHOLD AND OFFICE WIRE GOODS 
 
 OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. 
 Western Wire Goods Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
 .!. K. Dawson Mfg. Co., 1520 Palethorp st., 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 Kill.onrne Mfg. Co., Troy, N. Y. 
 National Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass. 
 
 DRUG IMPORTERS AND MILLERS. 
 Murray & Nickell Mfg. Co., Chicago. 
 
 TISSUE PAPER SPECIALTIES. 
 Dennison Mfg. Co., 128 Franklin st., Chi- 
 cago. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. in 
 
 Idea Stimulators 
 
 - FOR MAIL ORDER MEN -i 
 
 These three books contain nearly 200 pages of ideas, 
 suggestions, etc., that can be selected and "warmed over" 
 into a good paying mail order scheme. The three books 
 will be sent on receipt of only $1.00 or your choice for 50c. 
 
 JUST MONEY MAKERS 
 
 Is a collection of formulas, schemes and plans for the use of mail order 
 dealers and canvassing agents. Complete directions with each formula and 
 plan as to where to buy the ingredients, and cost of same. By Chas. W. Howe. 
 
 MY SILENT PARTNER 
 
 The information given in this book is worth a fortune to any man or woman 
 of sufficient energy to start and persevere in any one or more of the business 
 opportunities herein set forth. We have made everything so clear and used 
 such plain language that any person who can read will easily understand it. 
 
 In the back of this book will be found a number of Trade Secrets, which 
 alone are worth many times its price. 
 
 SCHEMES FROM SMITH'S PARTNER 
 
 Being a choice collection of mail order schemes with instructions how to 
 advertise them. The advertisement, circulars, etc., are all written out. Many 
 good ideas easy to follow. 
 
 The above three books for $1.OO or your choice for 50c. 
 
 A. E. SWETT 
 
 Royal Insurance Building 
 CHICAGO 
 
H2 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 A Course of Eight Lessons in 
 Mail Order Advertising $3.00 
 
 To those who want to study the technicalities of mail order 
 advertising, the following announcement of the Chicago College of 
 Advertising, of which I am manager, will be of interest. 
 
 They are now offering a separate course in this branch of 
 advertising. This course consists of eight lessons on mail order 
 advertising, taken from the regular, complete course of the Chicago 
 College of Advertising, which covers all branches of advertising. 
 
 The course in mail order advertising will instruct you fully in 
 the preparation of all kinds of mail order literature. It will teach 
 you to write ads, booklets, circulars, form letters, etc., that pull. 
 It will teach you how to follow up inquiries in a way to land the 
 largest possible percentage of orders. It covers every phase of 
 the subject from writing and designing the ad to keeping records 
 by the card system. 
 
 The lessons have been prepared by some of the most success- 
 ful mail order advertisers in the country. You will have the per- 
 sonal instruction and criticism of the manager of this college, who 
 is well known as an advertising agent and advertising writer who 
 makes a specialty of mail order advertising. 
 
 No other branch of advertising has such a bright future before 
 it as has mail order advertising. There is no other branch of the 
 advertising business that offers larger salaries to the competent 
 advertising writer and manager. The young man or woman who 
 can produce results is always in demand by the big mail order con- 
 cerns, and is paid a generous salary. Or, you can use this knowl- 
 edge in a mail order business of your own. In this way you receive 
 all the profits that come from your knowledge and skill. 
 
 If you intend to go in the mail order business, or to start a 
 mail order department of your regular business, this course will 
 teach you how to shape up the proposition in order to get a profit- 
 able volume of orders. By taking this course you will .save many 
 times its cost. You can write your own literature, instead of pay- 
 ing a large fee to an expert you will be an expert yourself. 
 
 They send the complete course of eight lessons on mail order 
 advertising, including personal instruction and criticism, for $3.00. 
 The price of the forty lessons in a complete advertising course is 
 $40.00, so you see this is a bargain offer. 
 
 If you mean to go in the mail order business, you should take 
 advantage of this chance. Not only wilt the course make you a 
 good ad writer, but it will make you a good correspondent as well. 
 Good correspondence is one of the most important features of the 
 mail order business. 
 
PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 113 
 
 Here is a Synopsis of the Eight 
 Lessons Comprising the Course: 
 
 Lesson No. I. How to lay out an advertisement. The careful 
 use of costly space. How to save time. Diagrammatic method. 
 Examples in successful use. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 2. Mail order advertising. Importance of the mail 
 order business. Success particularly depends on the advertising 
 manager. No chance for display of goods, advertising must take 
 its place. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 3. On preparation of booklets. Application for a 
 booklet by advertiser a positive asset. The bait that lands the fish. 
 How to collect material. Proportions. Characteristics, etc. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 4. The follow-up system. A most powerful fac- 
 tor. What it includes. Methods to be pursued. Material to be 
 used, etc. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 5. The inquiry bringer. What causes merchant to 
 advertise. Audience to be reached. Human curiosity always fresh. 
 Inducements that will bring inquiry, etc. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 6. Card system and tracing results. No hap- 
 hazard methods. Card system at your elbow every moment. Results 
 must be only test of success. Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 7. Keeping records and statistics. Absolute infor- 
 mation, not guesswork, the only way. Hard work and careful 
 planning certain to win out. Methods of handling facts, etc. 
 Problem. 
 
 Lesson No. 8. The placing of advertising contracts with publi- 
 cations of general circulation. How to secure best rates. Two 
 distinct classes. Kind of letters to write publishers, etc. Problem. 
 
 Send $3.00 any safe way, and the lessons will begin at once. 
 
 CHICAGO COLLEGE OF ADVERTISING 
 
 ARTHUR SWETT, MANAGER . 
 Royal Insurance Building . CHICAGO 
 
ii 4 PRINCIPLES OF THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. 
 
 Four Big Bargains 
 
 Retail Advertising Course $1.00 
 
 Test book of Advertising school tells 
 how to write retail advertisements from 
 the ground up. Will teach merchants 
 and business men to write their own 
 advertisements. No teacher necessary. 
 Fully illustrated, over 100 pages. Send 
 $1.00 today. 
 
 Learn Shorthand in 30 Days for $1.00 
 
 Boyd's Syllabic Shorthand can be 
 learned at home. Great thing for busi- 
 ness men, lawyers and other profession- 
 al men. Use it in your business. No 
 teacher needed. Oblleges charge $10.00 
 to $20.00. I charge only $1.00 for great 
 book that enables you to learn it at 
 home. Money back if not satisfied. 
 Only a few copies left. 
 
 25 Years in the Mail-Order Business 
 
 or the Experiences of a Mail-Order Man 
 
 Over 150 pages, intensely interesting 
 and instructive. Tells what schemes he 
 ran, what success he had and tells the 
 ups and downs in this fascinating, in- 
 teresting business. Written by James 
 Lee, the veteran mail-order man. A 
 book for the beginner as well as the old 
 timer. Price 50 cents. 
 
 Learn Newspaper and Story Writing 
 
 I have a few courses of the N. W. 
 School of Journalism. Teaching, re- 
 porting, writing of special articles, 
 short stories, etc. 17 complete lessons 
 and full instructions how to get and 
 hold positions on newspapers, how and 
 where to sell your manuscripts, etc. 
 All for $1.00. Big bargain. 
 
 Any of the above will be sent on receipt of price or the 
 entire collection for $3.00. 
 
 Extra Bargain. Send $6.00 and I will send you all of 
 the above books, also all books mentioned on page in and 
 also the mail order course of the Chicago College of 
 Advertising. 
 
 ARTHUR E. SWETT 
 
 518 Royal Insurance Building * CHICAGO 
 

 FORM NO. DD6 
 
U. C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
 442711 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY