Books:

Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

Hidden Dollars

How to Make
Money at Home

Small Business
of Your Own

You Can Own
a Business

There's the Minnesota man who owned a small plot of land and did not know what to do with it, until he thought of establishing a dog and pet cemetery. By contacting all the veterinary surgeons and small animal hospitals he could find in the classified telephone directory, he made a business contact worth while. To the latter he offered a commission for every lot they could sell to dog and pet owners. The plots sold for $10 each. At this writing the man sold over 500 plots. That's $5,000 from a hitherto "useless" plot of ground.

No doubt many readers own a piece of land. Taxes are being paid on it and no income being derived. A little concentrated action on a dog cemetery should make the land start paying. Hundreds of pet owners, and children especially, would be willing to give their dog, cat, etc., a proper burial. A small dignified burial could either be an extra charge or included in the sale of the plot.

One could easily find out exactly how many pet lovers would be interested in a final resting place for that pet of theirs. A small newspaper advertisement would be worth the test.

On the other hand a woman derives a very nice income every year decorating and keeping graves in proper shape. Many people haven't the time to take care of the grave of a deceased relative. The woman's services include a variety of things to be done on the grave. She charges accordingly, itemizing a bill which is presented monthly.

Then there's the man who makes the little holders, masts, and white flags that are used on the cars in funeral processions. This business is carried on by mail and reaches over the 48 states. Many people are employed in his work-shop.

Finally, if there are any readers who are likely to make a trip abroad, why not take pictures of the graves of the boys who died for their country? Many families of these boys will never make that trip. That photo would be their most priceless possession.

If such a trip is being planned, readers ought to insert an advertisement advising parents, widows, etc. that they are going abroad and will try to get a photo of the deceased's grave. In this manner the orders could be received beforehand, payable upon receipt of photo. Usually families know exactly where the soldier is buried. Learning these facts beforehand would save a lot of time and unnecessary expenditure.

USED MAGAZINE STANDS FOR GROCERY STORE—151-152
There's a wide-open market for back-number issues of various publications. They are only sold in a few of the large metropolitan places. There are many stores in high-rent locations in New York handling used magazines. These are obtained mainly from scrap paper dealers, and usually at about 1¢ each, as an average price, and these magazines bring, retail, 5¢ each. That's a high margin of profit on low investment. A large chain of used-magazine stands could be established in grocery stores, confectionary parlors, drug-stores and other suitable places. They could be run on a commission plan similar to rental libraries placed in such locations. A chain of 50, 100 or even 1000 stands, each bringing in only $1 a week, runs up into important figures.

This set-up could be handled in this way: A supply of publications displayed on an attractive stand could be placed with some merchant, who would keep 33-1/3 per cent of the gross receipts. Weekly replacements and collections could be made. It is just the problem of making these back-issues available to the public, as the demand for them already exists. This commission basis idea is advantageous as it does away with practically all the overhead expense.

Experiments with circulating libraries set up in grocery stores have shown that a profitable percentage of the women shoppers will rent books. It seems that many women want to read but never have the time to get to the library or book store. This survey further proves that the "Used Magazine Plan" can be operated successfully!

PROFITS IN LISTING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS—153-155
In large counties many business people would pay plenty for a list of all school teachers, students and trustees. To compile an individual list for their own use would entail a lot of time, work and money.

A County School Yearbook was the profitable answer to this problem. The man who profited from this Yearbook went about his job in this manner:

His first contact was the county superintendent of schools. Right from this one source he received enough information to be able to set a "dummy" up of the proposed County Yearbook. His data included personnel of County Parent-Teacher Associations, a listing of state and district teachers associations personnel, when and where they met, and other data of a like nature. There were also short subjects written by important men in the educational field. Finally, of course, he listed the teachers, their names and addresses, of the county.

After getting an estimate as to what it would cost to print the Yearbook, the promoter set out after the businessmen for the purchase of ad space in the book. Practically every business man in the county was a prospect. Among other contacts made were stock brokers, book publishing houses, real estate and insurance companies, etc.,—business people who had something to sell to the teachers. It was only natural of them to co-operate with the promoter of this yearbook. They wanted the finished product so they could have the teachers' names and addresses for ready reference. He had no trouble at all selling ad space.

When the book was printed he sold them for 25¢ to 50¢ each. Each advertiser received a free copy of the yearbook. Taking everything into consideration, a County Yearbook is something that's new and something that will receive co-operation from teachers and businessmen alike.

A college student made over $300 in a very short time working a similar publishing scheme. College officials allowed him to work up an alphabetical list of all students and teachers in the college together with their correct names, addresses and telephone numbers. After the list was completed he took it to a printer for an estimate on the printing job. After that it was merely a matter of salesmanship which required very little effort.

The booklet proved invaluable to the business men who used it for their direct mail selling. There was also additional profit for the young man. He sold the books for 25¢ to $1 each to the public.

Teacher and student names seem to be most desirable direct mail listings. Business men would gladly subscribe to a service that would compile a fresh list each year. This can be done inexpensively with a mimeograph machine. In fact both these publications can be turned out on a mimeograph machine. No need for going into heavy printing expenses. Also, a multigraph machine with a printing attachment could do a very attractive job.

An invalid woman realized that these names would be of value to many stores and trade schools so she contacted high school principals and obtained the names of coming graduates. She typed up a large number of lists and sold them for $12.50 a thousand. She reached her prospects by typing personal letters to each store in town. For an extra fee she would handle the addressing and mailing work in connection with the plan of mailing literature to the graduates. Every semester she compiles a new list. The compilation of such lists and the sale of them could be done on a state-wide basis.

HOME EXHIBIT—156-157
Cakes, pies, home-made rolls and other baked products, and home preserves, all made by her neighbors and exhibited in a showroom in her own home, contributed to this enterprising farmer's wife's household income. To contact her prospective suppliers, she personally visited them or sent them typewritten letters. All products to be sold that she received were nicely displayed in her attractive home showroom. To advertise these edibles, sales letters were mailed, describing the products available, to a list of prospects. It soon became an established custom for the townspeople to flock to her home with their delicious foodstuffs for her to sell, and thus a permanent business was created.

Better than $8 a week was netted through a 15 per cent commission on proceeds of all the items. This, in her spare time. A grocery store supplied with home-made canned goods, bakery goods, candies, jams, jellies, delicatessen goods, at popular prices would attract the crowds. Hundreds of women could turn out the articles in their homes and sell to such a store and provide themselves with a spare-time income.

Handiwork could also be sold in much the same way. An operator out west conducts such a service. He'll accept bedspreads, sachets, table cloths, quilts, crocheted pieces, etc. Women from every part of the state send him their handiwork specialties for sale in his shop on a commission basis. When the item has been sold at a fair price, a check is mailed to the maker.

"WHOLESALE" IS A MAGIC WORD TO CONSUMERS—158
A Mother learned that her neighbor was buying clothes wholesale and because the neighbor's child was, as a result, dressed much prettier and more expensively than her own daughter, she decided to do likewise. At the same time she was quick to realize that thousands of other mothers would be interested in such "Wholesale Information." So she managed to compile a comprehensive list of wholesale firms who would sell to the consumer (on a small scale). She secured most of this data by writing scores of letters to every trade.

She typed up all of these names and addresses in proper classified order on stencils and had it mimeographed. The booklet totalled some forty pages and cost very little to produce because she had rented the mimeograph machine so that she could do the work herself! Advertisements in various newspapers brought in many customers for the booklet which sold for 15¢. Some of the listed firms paid for inserting their names and addresses and other information in the directory. The charge for this was usually $10.

10,000 MAIL ORDERS FROM SPORTSMEN—159-163
In a single year, one firm in Massachusetts, has received as high as 10,000 orders from that many sportsmen. Hunters and anglers constitute a lucrative market for those who have something to sell that fit in with the needs for this group of sportsmen. Sportsmen run into the millions in the United States alone, and general interest in hunting and fishing is increasing each year. It has been said that fishing is the most popular sport in these United States.

Getting back to our little Massachusetts firm owned by a single individual. He sells a "Magic Fish Bait Lure" and runs small classified ads in the various Sportsmen's magazines. This bait sells for $1, and his combination offer seems to appeal to those interested in fishing. He offers four casting lures for Bass, Pickerel, Salmon, Trout and other game fish for about half the customary price. In other words, he sells two casting lures for the regular price of $2.50 and furnishes "free" the other two. Actually the customer gets a total of four lures for about the price of two.

Aside from the fact that 10,000 letters contain $1, or $2.50 or more he receives also repeat business from them, or at least from some of them, regularly. In addition to the bait lures, he has a Sports Manual that is purchased by many customers, with a premium (fishing booklet) thrown in for good measure.

In West Yellowstone, Montana (entrance to the famous Yellowstone Park) there are three fishing-tackle stores. They do a profitable business among the tourists and in addition a big mail order business throughout the western states.

Over in Pasadena, California, a progressive firm operated by Charles does a national mail order business specializing in leaders bearing the trade name of "Phantom." The leaders are made for all types of fishing. Through the use of clever and human sales letters, this man has built up a splendid business, selling wholesale to retail outlets and also selling retail directly to fishermen. Fishermen from about every walk of life are on his huge mailing list.

There are a number of small and large firms selling tackle to anglers and various items to hunters throughout the country mainly by mail order. A business along these lines can start small and grow big. Lists of sportsmen are always available from List Bureaus and they can also be approached through general advertising especially in the fishing and hunting magazines subscribed to by hundreds of thousands of sportsmen.

If you like hunting or fishing, this kind of mail order business holds promise. Perhaps you know how to turn out a certain, effective "lure", or have developed a particular kind or kinds of artificial flies. You might start with them and gradually expand. Notwithstanding, most mail order firms catering to the needs of sportsmen usually buy their articles direct from manufacturers.

A 14 year old girl in Colorado designs and manufacturers trout flies and she is said to have grossed $2,500 from this unique little business. She now has eight persons on her payroll and the enterprise is growing bigger every day. She started in the play room of her home, which was located in the basement and in no time she was in business and the orders pouring in. Now the young bobbysox girl has her own workshop in a larger building. She sells the flies to sporting goods stores, general stores in the country, drug stores in the city and to many fishermen who order by mail. Her feathers come from many different sources. From ducks, peacocks and pheasants. The animal hair from muskrats, badgers, etc.

The public library books furnished her with all of the necessary working information for tying flies.

It isn't always necessary to offer an item that is strictly in the sporting goods line. One small businessman obtained a liquor dealer's license and rebottling permit and proceeded to put up popular brands of whiskey in miniature bottles. Each bottle contained approximately one "jigger."

He catered exclusively to sportsmen, resort proprietors, bars in mountain lodges, playground taverns and the like. No advertising was necessary because his telephone number was printed on his own tiny label and this was attached to each vial-like bottle. Miniature reproductions of the manufacturer's label were made and also attached to the bottle. Practically all of the orders received came in by phone.

The average hunter or fisherman likes these little vials. They are made of plastic and unbreakable. The sportsman knows that there will be no breakage and that the tubes can be slipped into any pocket. It is a simple matter to open the tube, have a "quick one" and throw the container away,

This dealer made up bundles of the tubes, each bundle to make up enough separate drinks to total one quart—or a pint. It is said that he clears about $300 each week!

The idea is well received by the many resort bars. They sometimes serve the vials to their bar customers and this practice usually results in the drinker taking home a bundle. The bar customer is quick to see the advantage of having a sealed drink served him. He knows that the liquor hasn't been diluted and he likes the idea because it is new and streamlined.

Some mountain lodges put in orders for special bottlings, using their own name label or advertisement which the promoter prints to order.

FIVE AND DIME "MASTERPIECES"—164-165
If you're an artist so much the better, if not you can still do a landslide business "creating" oil paintings and selling them to people who don't know anything like the following exists. One can even hire a corps of staff artists to do this type of work.

Cheap lithographed pictures can be purchased in dime stores and retouched with your own brushes and paints. This looks like the real thing in oil painting when the high-lights of the picture are brought out. A picture like this can be sold for many times its original price as many would-be collectors would like to own a reasonable facsimile of an oil painting. A western girl sells these "facsimile" paintings at good prices!

Mexican "feather pictures" find an exceedingly lucrative market. A Mexican source finds the United States a virgin field for this type of a picture.

A process which is not too difficult for a competent artist to do a satisfactory job "of", is that of painting portraits from photographs, and that is what is being done throughout the country. As yet, this process has received little publicity. At least a million persons in this country covet family portraits done in oils, but are not aware of the fact they can have this done at anything less than a prodigious price. This field is wide open to a promoter who would take care of the advertising necessary and would hire an art staff to turn out the portraits. Think about it. Here is a good-money-making proposition.

HOME MADE SOAP FOR HOME TOWN USERS—166-167
According to a small-town soap manufacturer there ARE opportunities in a small town despite many opinions to the contrary.

This man tells about his home-made soap business which was manufactured right from his home. The "promotion" was simple and very inexpensive. All he did was have printed labels which read "Home Town Hand Soap-Cuts Grease, Ink, Oil and Filth. Your home town soap. Price 15¢. Sold by______________________."

The plain tin cans that contained the soap were then placed on counters in all of the stores in the town. A small inexpensive cardboard sign appeared on the counter directly back of the tin cans which were left with the storekeepers on consignment. They sold so fast the man soon devoted all his time to manufacturing the soap.

Home made products have a habit of moving faster than nationally-advertised brands in towns of 3000, more or less, persons. In fact many national products received their start in just this manner. Every town does have a certain PRIDE in its own products. If the town is too small the name of the County could be used as a substitute and all the surrounding towns supplied. Or—the labels could be changed for each separate town—naming the product for the town, in each instance.

"RAISED GOLD" FAMILY RECORDS—168-169
Invalids can be a help instead of a burden. One wheel-chaired young man sold "Family Records" by mail and made a comfortable living not only for himself but for his family too.

His "Family Record," however, was a distinctive enterprise. The record was hand-written in imitation raised gold ink which was purchased for as little as 50¢ per ounce, and went a long way, according to the young man. The record included the name and date of birth, marriage, etc., of every member of the family written on a heavy card stock, 8 x 10" in size, ready for framing. The finished job cost no more than 5¢, while the record sold for $1.

The feature about this ink is that it produces beautiful handwriting from ordinary handwriting. There is matchless beauty to the embossed effect on the finished record. The record, sent on approval, very rarely didn't bring in the $1 this man asked for it.

And the entire sales promotion was worked by mail. Post card mailings pulled as high as 10 per cent in orders. The postcard stated he would make up a record named for them. All they had to do was send him a record of birth, marriage and so on. If they liked the gold embossed record, they were asked to send a $1. The records were sent on approval and the customer wasn't compelled to buy the record.

Marriage certificates are usually dull and drab printed forms. If one could get a hold of the daily list of marriage licenses in about 4 on 5 newspapers nearby, these names could be circularized with a form letter outlining a plan similar to the one mentioned here…a gold-embossed hand-sketched marriage record. The bridegroom would be very pleased to give his bride a different marriage certificate.

A dollar's worth of this ink is said to have produced as high as 1,000 impressions of a signature alone. Taking everything in consideration, this little plan is quite inexpensive yet it has a lucrative daily market.

PERFUMED WRITING—170
Among the many things that are yet to come, there has been talk about perfumed ink, and the following is one formula for making it. It is suggested, however, that a reliable chemist be consulted first with regard to the ingredients as by the time you read this book improvements may have been developed.

1 pint water. 2 drams glycerine. 15 grains Methylene Blue. Add any perfume scent strong enough to be noticeable. Add glycerine to water and then add the perfume to suit. The water may become cloudy and if so add one teaspoonful of magnesium carbonate. This will absorb the oils. Using a Filter Paper, run the liquid through several times. If still not clear add another teaspoonful of the carbonate and filter again. Dissolve the methylene blue in water. Put filter in a funnel together with a piece of cotton and run through several times to get out all of the solid particles.

Through some experimentation, especially with the aid of a chemist, a good perfumed ink might be developed, and if so there should be an excellent market for it. Women, especially, would find such ink of great appeal. Perfumed ink would bring romance to writing and would appeal particularly to the younger generation.

CHURCH "IMPRINTS"—171
One promoter induced the pastor of the church to let him publish a weekly announcing the many events and activities taking place. The pastor agreed to the plan. He went so far as to let the promoter use the church mimeograph machine.

The paper was given out free as the members of the congregation came out of the church on Sunday, and later on the promoter went to local shop-keepers and received advertisements from them. A whole page cost them $10. Half page $6 and $4 for a quarter of a page. The result of this was that the promoter averaged around $15 weekly, or better than $60 per month for a few days work.

This church newspaper or magazine plan could easily be expanded into the "imprint" practice of publication. Four, five or six churches of the same denomination could be grouped together in this one magazine. Each church would have its own cover, the rest of the news items and advertisements shared proportionately between the churches.

The "imprint" plan would, of course, mean more advertisements—and full time profits—and the magazine could be printed instead of mimeographed. Ad space would be solicited by member of the church and each space salesman given a generous commission on every ad he or she secured. The news items would also come from several members of the various churches who had a flair for writing.

Many churches would be in accord with an "imprint" plan as outlined here. The magazine would certainly be a publication looked forward to by all members of each church.

TASTE, BEFORE YOU BUY…BY MAIL—172-173
Women who can turn out a good home-made candy are wasting their talents. One young woman, spurred by the delight which her friends found in the kind of caramels she made, turned to selling her good candy by mail. Anyone who has a knowledge of mail order knows that a 20 to 30 per cent response in the sale of anything by mail is almost too good to be true. But that's exactly the kind of returns this girl received when she started selling her caramels by mail from her home. Here's how she worked it:

She made her caramels in seven different flavors. Clove, coffee, butterscotch, butterscotch with walnut, chocolate, chocolate with walnuts and chocolate with toasted almonds. The key to her success, however, was in the method used in selling them. Every prospect received a sample box of seven pieces. A neatly processed form letter asked them to taste the candy and if they liked it, would they send an order for a pound or two?

Customers liked her candy so well that today this girl turns out more than 100,000 pounds of her candy every year. 20 per cent returns simply means that out of every 1,000 samples mailed to prospects all over the country, 200 people sent in orders for candy! In mail order language that means profits and then some!

Women should be mindful of the fact that the success of a candy-selling venture by mail depends largely on the quality of the candy. If this girl's candy wasn't any good, the samples sent would be just so much waste of time and money. Samples should be limited to one or two pieces of candy.

In an eastern state a "Candy-of-the-month" club is being operated and the idea sounds like it could be adapted to many types of Candy mail-order businesses. The "Book-of-the-month" clubs have made millions. Perhaps it can be done with candy!

A FORTUNE FOR THE SUCCESSFUL BAMBOO PLANTER—174-175
Even our government offers a helping hand to those who want to succeed in some particular line of endeavor. The Department of Agriculture will go out of its way to help start a bamboo farm in the United States. They issue a great deal of information on the subject and even supply large, hardy bamboo plants for those wishing to experiment with a product that China supplies to us almost exclusively.

The bamboo is the most valuable grass in the world. The United States imports more than $2,000,000 worth of bamboo annually. That's one reason why the Department of Agriculture would like to see some successful bamboo farms in the States.

There are many uses for the bamboo. They make ornamental plants for windbreaks, hedges and gardens. Some varieties make excellent food. Bamboo sprouts, imported from China, are used for Chop Suey and other Chinese dishes. Bamboo shoots also make good food.

Several, yet much too few, farms in the south grow bamboo successfully. A Louisiana bamboo planter is known to have marketed a small quantity of bamboo shoots.

Bamboo can also be used to make paper. Here alone is a million dollar enterprise waiting for some planter who is determined to raise the bamboo in the United States. Fortunes are going to be made for the persons who aren't going to stop until the bamboo springs as high here as it does in China.

For the small backyard manufacturing business bamboo may play an important part in solving the problem of developing a salable product. A man with a garage work shop secured a large amount of bamboo and started to make such items as baby play pens, beach chairs, bed-room slippers, beach slippers, small "half-circle" bars for the home and the like.

The stuff met with so much approval on the part of the public in his state that in a month's time his profits were large enough to enable him to move out of his backyard garage into a larger vacant store. Here with the aid of four helpers his former hobby changed into a small yet highly profitable manufacturing enterprise! He claims that he made close to $20,000 during this starting year!

BROKER FOR HOBBYISTS—176
A handicraft exchange and sales bureau can be organized right in the town or city you live, if one were to follow the example set by a Wisconsin girl.

There were many hobbyists in her town producing such things as sculpturing, weaving, sewing, etc. Some of the things produced by the hobbyists were hard-to-get items and would certainly command a nice price to a waiting market of interested townsfolk. And as hobbyists are notoriously poor business people, this girl decided to act as a broker for all hobbyists she could contact.

It was an easy matter to type a list of the items hobbyists specialized in, have the bulletin mimeographed and either mailed or distributed to the people in the town. In many cases prices were mentioned for the particular item listed.

The result was that the people who received this bulletin came to the doors of hobbyists making the particular item they were interested in and made a purchase. The girl who originated the plan, meanwhile, received 15 per cent profits on the sales. She averaged as high as $200 per month and issued a new bulletin every month.

A LETTER WRITING SERVICE—177
This idea was born from a "favor". An unemployed engineer asked a man who could use a typewriter to write him a letter for a job he wished to apply for. The man did and the engineer got the job.

After this the letter writer decided to make his writing ability pay, and that's how he organized the "Employment Letter Service Bureau"…writing letters for unemployed people seeking jobs.

A small advertisement in the local newspapers brought many job-seekers to his mail box. He explained his service more fully in a personal letter to each prospect. To do a good job for the job-seeker, he asked the following information of him or her: age, experience, education, qualifications, marital status, etc. Then the final letter was composed and sent to the job-seeker.

The job-seeker paid $2.00 for the letter and $3.00 more if he got the job he was looking for. This was a fair arrangement and many people who have the ability to do one job but can't write a forceful letter came to this man with their letter problem.

This idea could be expanded into writing letters of all types. Many are willing to pay good money for the power of a forceful pen.

"STUFFER" BUSINESS STARTED BY A WOMAN—178-179
Noticing the many advertising circulars that were thrown upon her veranda and placed in automobiles in the downtown section of the Tennessee city where she resided, a middle-aged lady conceived an idea that paid worthwhile dividends and grew into a $50 a week (net) business for her. She possessed a little knowledge about printing and printing shops. Logically, she reasoned that each of the various circulars was printed by one of the city's twenty-three establishments and that each was a separate job handled individually by the owner of the store.

The circulars were from grocery, shoe, clothing and other types or stores. She saved every circular she could get while formulating her plans. She noticed that certain stores used the circular every week. So she called on several printing shops and got them to quote her prices on printing four, eight and 12 different 9 x 12 circulars in 500 and 1000 lots. She estimated how many each concern would use and attempted to plan the job so that the printer could print four of each quantity at one time. That is, there would be four concerns, perhaps, that would use only 500, four that would use 4,000; four that would use 2,000.

As all the printing would be given to one shop every week, the printing cost was lowered substantially and she compared it with the cost of printing the circular singly and discovered that even though the stores received a close price, she could still offer them lower prices with a small margin of profit for herself.

Equipped with the necessary information, she presented her proposition to the various stores. She promised to take care of their work, call for the "copy" (message to appear on circular) on a certain day, plan an attractive layout (arrangement) and have the circulars printed. She also suggested having a crew deliver the circulars house-to-house which she offered to supervise. The upshot of it all was that she not only obtained contracts from most of those who were already having their circulars printed, but obtained business from other stores. She maintained a successful little business right along, and this type of business-service might be profitably conducted in other communities.

We find another man working a similar plan with success. He published circulars and four page folders with, special recipes printed on the back of each. The inside pages contained the ads of the town's merchants. He published a different group each week and found that the average housewife stopped to read such "stuffers" Instead of throwing them away. By offering several prizes to the housewife each week for the best recipes submitted, he makes his medium even more valuable to the advertiser.

A BEAUTY SHOP THAT CAN BE "DIFFERENT"—180-181
There are approximately 70,000 beauty shops in the country, but if none has a "lending library", here's a chance for a beauty shop operator to be "different".

Beauty Parlors offer an excellent opportunity for reading. In fact many of them have the latest magazines for their customers to peruse while getting a permanent. Why not establish a Lending Library right in the shop?

The customer can choose a book to read while in the chair. If she doesn't finish the book, she can take it home and the shop could charge a small rental fee. The customer ought to be interested in the book by the time she is finished with her beauty treatment. This little sideline should make a neat profit from outside rentals of books.

This would make a beauty shop different from the others. Curiosity would be aroused. New customers would flock in to look the unusual service over. Originality and unusual showmanship will increase any business.

You may think that the above idea is just a lucky inspiration—that there aren't any more clever ideas for a Beauty Parlor to test out. Still, another shop gives foreign language lessons while the customer is in the chair and there are probably many more profit-increasing plans for the Beauty Shop if the person interested in this particular business will try to create them. But one has to do a lot of thinking to come up with the right bit of showmanship.

FAIRYLAND PLAQUES—182
A man in a small town in Minnesota turns out third dimension nature plaques or pictures. Some of his artistic work sells for as high as $73. Lately he has been selling novel fairyland scenes by mail for as low as $2.00 in order to secure volume business.

These plaques are made of natural materials…real trees, roads, fence, flowers, stones, grass, etc. The picture takes on an appearance of something that has actually grown in the frame. It's a novelty that can't be purchased anywhere. The average novelty shop doesn't have nature plaques of this type. One can readily see the amount of business that could be had with the proper promotional methods.

This man's nature plaques run 8 x 10 inches. They are guaranteed to last for 10 years. It can be hung on the wall or set upon a table or mantel. People who purchased these natural pictures write unsolicited letters of praise to this man.

Here is something that can be started as a hobby and eventually turned into a profitable business. Of course a person must possess natural talents to create these plaques. The materials are everywhere, and it doesn't cost a cent to get them.

Florists and novelty shops would be eager to buy them. In fact they can be left at the shops on consignment, the owner paying for only those he sells. Many could bring a high price.

Where flowers must be used to create one of these plaques, it would be expedient to use artificial materials.

SUCCESS FROM OVERCHARGES—183
A freight clerk, without a job, thought over the numerous occasions on which he had assisted patrons to get refunds on freight overcharges, made because of their own mistakes in picking the shipping class, or because of the clerk's mistakes.

He made himself a job pronto by contacting three firms with annual freight bills running in the thousand and selling them the idea of allowing him to check their freight bills for overcharges, payment to him to be 50 per cent of all overcharges. From the first firm's bills, the half-take was only $12 in overcharges. The second firm overpaid $36. But the third yielded refunds up to $102.00. The latter were so pleased over this unexpected revenue that they gave him an extra bonus of $30, knowing that in the future they would save lots of money in freight shipments.

Other clients were secured. The business thrived to the point that other cities soon had the services of this novel type refund collector. A knowledge of freight charges is all that's needed for a self-made job like this. The imagination could expand this business into a nationwide mail order "freight refund" service.

"BREAKING-IN" NEW SHOES—184
In New York City there is a service-business that will "break-in" your new shoes for you, and the demand for this service has grown by leaps and bounds. It has proven to be a highly profitable business. A corps of girls, all of whom wear different sizes of shoes, are employed and they limber up the new shoes for the customers of the enterprise. Women are served here.

A man in Maryland developed a way to break in new shoes without causing discomfort to the wearer. How could this be done? By breaking them in on mechanical forms. At first, he placed the offending shoe on a jack with holes punched in it. The jack was placed so that the part of the shoe that was pressing fitted over one of the holes and then the leather of the shoe was hammered in at this point until it was depressed. This method effectively afforded relief to the wearer without damaging the shoe. He later replaced the above method with a hydraulic press that automatically pressed a form into the too-tight part of the shoe. His shop was called "Shu-EEZ", and his charge was 25¢ to break in one pair of foot-wear.

Most people, both men and women, seem to have trouble after buying a pair of new shoes and dislike to put up with the discomfiture of breaking them in. This being so, a service similar to the one operated in New York or in Maryland could be promoted in any large town and especially in cities where there are many people.

WHAT'S THE "OTHER FELLOW" DOING?—185-186
A woman in a large Eastern city made up her own "business service" and found many willing buyers in the competitive business field. She served as consultant and investigator for restaurant owners with slumping businesses.

It was her job to find out what the "other fellow" was doing and HOW he was doing it. The "other fellow" was the successful restaurant owner who stood head and shoulders above his competitors in the same field. So it was this woman's job to pay visits to competitive restaurants in the same neighborhood, to see why they were getting more business than her client. The fact-finding information proved to be invaluable for her clients who readily subscribed to this woman's service.

It was her duty to get to the bottom of the restaurant problem, from poor buying to bad cooking, inefficient service, mediocre advertising, unpleasant atmosphere…anything and everything that would point the finger on the loss of business to her client or clients.

Similar "services" could be started in any city in the United States. It's a well-known fact that many business competitors send out their own employees in "scouting expeditions" to ascertain prices, methods, etc. which are employed by their rivals. However, not all business men have the time nor can they spare the help to do this.

A weekly mimeographed bulletin could be put out and offered as a yearly subscription to a list of storekeepers, restaurant owners and other business people. The bulletin could list the prices being asked, the foods being served, the type of extra service offered, or the special sales being held, the merchandise featured, the quality, the quantity offered, any improvements made, any new equipment added, the new sales methods used, new idea being tested, number of prospective customers entering during a given hour, etc.

A weekly bulletin along these lines would help the little fellow out who is trying to get a start in some small business or store. It would also help the established dealer who wanted to keep abreast of all the latest methods being used by his competitors. Subscribers to this service would be willing to pay any fair price you ask for the bulletin.

Business services are growing in leaps and bounds. Communities all over America are most receptive to services that help stimulate business. If the number of subscribers are limited to one particular service, a person could sell a number of services in the same city. A survey of the business establishments in the city ought to bring about a few likely services that have money-making possibilities in them.

UNUSUAL FOODS SOLD BY—187
Odd foods, unusual foods, foods that are different have a way of capturing the fancy of the public and often are "naturals" for mail order businesses. One mail order merchant who has achieved success selling such foods lists in his advertising such items as:

Spiced Artichokes Hearts. Pitted Cocktail Cherries. Roasted Cocktail Beans. Plantation Watermelon Rind Circles, Spiced. Spiced Baby Melons. Delhi Mustard Mayonnaise. French Dressing with Chutney. Chestnut Condiment. Burr Gherkins. Gooseberry Relish. Tiny Toast Shells. Nesselro (imported marrons, fruits with rum punch). Crepes Suzette. Melba Sauce. Brandied Peach Sauce. Prune Butter. Chocolate Peanut Butter. Hearts of Palms (the inside of the palm tree, a rare Brazilian salad). Artichoke Bottoms. And many other items.

These foods and many similar ones make dining a real pleasure. While some of the foods have a peculiar taste, notwithstanding, there's often the thrill of anticipation attached to them. The desire to try something that's different. There's a small business in Maine now canning ferns and selling to a limited market. It is claimed that ferns are a neglected delicacy, either raw as a salad or broiled. The edible portions are the fiddleheads, or young shoots as they begin to uncoil.

SELLING KITCHEN ART—188-189
An aged widow knew there was some one thing she could do best, and whatever it was she made up her mind there was money to be made with it. Her friends raved about the soup she made. That was her answer!

A few advertisements inserted in local dailies announced her special home-made soup. Pretty soon she had a regular list of customers who took her soups once, twice or three times a week on a regular schedule.

Women looking around for additional income should turn their "kitchen art" into a paying business. Many canned foods such as spiced peaches, peach preserves, preserves of pineapple etc., can't be found on the shelves of the local grocery store. These could be sold through church organizations and clubs via the form letter. Restaurants who specialize in good food are excellent prospects.

A Texas woman found a great deal of money in her canned vegetables. Several Texas colleges sent orders for 300 to 1000 cans of her peas. Members of this woman's family pitched in to make this home canning specialty a big family business.

MYSTERY WOMAN—190
Ideas never stop coming from the inner recesses of a fertile mind . . . and some of them are really brand new ideas, like the one thought up by a Chicago woman with her "Mystery Woman" advertising idea. This was worked in conjunction with a neighborhood newspaper and made around $325 for her. Here's how she worked it.

She bought a whole page from the newspaper for $155. The page was titled "The Mystery Woman's Page". The plan will be explained later, first the profits from purchasing a newspaper page ought to be explained. The page cost the woman $155. There are 180 column inches to an average newspaper page. She allowed 120 inches for advertisements at $4.00 an inch. Contracting for four issues this brought in a return of $480.

The idea back of the "Mystery Woman's Page" was to have an unknown woman appear at the stores of local merchants — only those who bought advertising space in her page — and give valuable prizes away to women who were in the store at the time the mystery woman appeared. To be eligible for the prize the women had to carry the newspaper in which the "Mystery Woman's" page appeared. Naturally, many women read the page, which contained some reading matter written by the woman, and flocked to the merchants who advertised in the page in hopes of getting one of the valuable prizes awarded by the woman.

Merchants were eager to co-operate with this novel advertising scheme. If she charged him a little more for ad space than the newspaper would ordinarily, it didn't matter. The merchants realized that this page brought three and four times more shoppers than ordinary advertisements.

She sold the ad space herself, ruling off a "dummy" sheet supplied by the newspaper. One fifth of the page was reserved for editorial comment, explaining the purpose of the page and announcing prize winners.

Try this idea with your local newspapers. Small-town newspapers would go for this idea in a big way. It could be worked state-wide or even nation-wide, thus the opportunity for travel would present itself.

A MAGAZINE WITH GUMMED PAGES—191
Something new and effective put out by a publication for the printing trade is the highly successful "Speedmail Inquiry Coupons". The magazine prints a complete page insert of gummed paper coupons for their advertisers. The sheet is perforated for easy separation. The advertiser's complete name and address is on the coupon, and requires only a penny postal card or the company's envelope to stick on and dropped in the mail. There is no addressing done. Much time is saved and it eliminates any possible errors.

Advertisers using the coupon report an enormous increase in inquiries. The success answer to that is what every mail order man knows…making the inquiry easy. A weekly newspaper desirous of increasing its subscriptions added the sticker coupon and the returns were overwhelming. The usual coupon copy was used, but was printed in red ink on a sheet of gummed paper size 3 x 3 inches. The edge was perforated and used for sticking the coupon in place in the lower right-hand corner of the advertisement. On the edge the printed words "Stick this coupon on your letter paper and mail today!" was a tempting and easy invitation. The special gummed page for small magazines is a wonderful idea in gummed paper advertising and worth a try.

BARNYARD FURNITURE MARKET—192
One would hardly expect to buy second hand furniture on the farm, but a Virginia farmer realized the very oddness of this unusual enterprise would bring many customers to his farm. He wasn't wrong, either!

Hundreds of city folks came to the farm to buy second-hand furniture. Not because they couldn't get this same furniture in the city, but because it was out on the farm and they simply had to see it. What was more surprising is the fact the furniture was outdoors! Used furniture, crockery and glassware sprawl out over the large barnyard. Some of the furniture is stocked inside the barn.

Those who weren't curious came to the barnyard furniture market to get better bargains. A farm doesn't have the overhead a city used-furniture dealer has. Anyhow, here's another illustration of the unusual being far more successful than the usual.

A THEATER FOR THOSE WHO WAIT—193
The vexing problem of what to do while waiting for the doctor was solved for patients by one New York City doctor. When you go to his office and have to wait for your turn, no longer is it necessary to thumb through a lot of old magazines to "kill" time, or remain uneasy while just waiting doing nothing. Now you are entertained! For in the waiting room one finds comfortable chairs to rest in while enjoying a moving picture show.

Yes, this wide-awake and thoughtful doctor actually sees to it that his patients are entertained and you can just imagine the good-will he has created. His motion-picture projector and screen is complete with sound equipment. Two reels of film are purchased weekly. The picture are run about an hour and the showings are continuous. At intervals when the reels are being changed, lights come on automatically and the radio plays. A patient, of course, may only see part of the play while he or she is waiting; however if visits are twice a week, part of a new bill is seen each time.

In many places of business it is often necessary for customers to wait and merchants could take a tip from this enterprising doctor. Not necessarily in providing motion-picture shows (although there are places where this would be practical) but by adopting ways and means of keeping the customers interested — something to occupy their time and prevent them from becoming impatient.

The success of the Drive-In Outdoor Theater and the Drive In Restaurant, where food is served directly to the car indicate that folks might like to combine their malts and hamburgers with motion pictures. An indoor or outdoor Cafe Theater showing comedy, musical or cartoon shorts and features while you eat at a table or in your car might be extremely popular.

ROBOT "MONSTER"—194
In a large eastern city, an enterprising fellow rented the services of an electrically-operated robot which he used in his odd business. This mechanical man was able to walk, talk and make gestures with his arms. He performed other feats at meetings, conventions and banquets. The 300 pound robot, nine feet tall, was powered by storage batteries installed in his feet, and remotely controlled by means of relays and radio operated by his master from the side lines. The robot's "voice", was a loudspeaker installed in its chest. Robots no doubt can be manufactured to order by someone equipped with the facilities to produce such an electrical device. They will probably always appeal to the public. As a curiosity, a robot can serve as effective advertising or publicity, by drawing customers to your place of business. The Frankenstein type of "monster" or "wolfman" at the present time seems to have captured the public's fancy. A robot dressed up to represent either would be clever.