Books:

Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

Hidden Dollars

How to Make
Money at Home

Small Business
of Your Own

You Can Own
a Business

Mr. Lincoln gives everyone who comes to his combination gas station, store and tourist cabin, a Lincoln penny with the following inscription on a slip of paper: "To receive a Lincoln penny, at Lincoln's Cabin, from Lincoln himself, is an incident that probably will happen to you but once in a lifetime. This penny has a mystic value as potent as the traditional 4-leaf clover or rabbit's foot. Keep it on your person at all times. Mark it so you can identify it. If possible, return on occasion to the place where you got it and so bring good fortune to the one who gave it to you as well as to yourself. Presented with great respect by Lewis A. Lincoln, Lincoln's Cabin, 7 miles south of (town, State) and 5 miles north of (town, State)."

It is claimed that his sales and patronage increased at least 10% by using this odd twist to his business. A form of showmanship that went over! He also has the only known "Farmer's Directory", listing everyone within a 10-mile radius, indicating number of miles, and directions from his place. These names and data are mounted on a huge billboard next to his "cabin". There could well be more of these, as folks are quick to use the information on such a board, to locate a party with the least amount of trouble.

Recently this enterprising man added a large blackboard whereby he writes down your name, as one of his "Daily Guests". #277

U.S.A. . . . . MOBILE GREENHOUSE
Lately I have noticed a traveling "Green House" out here, touring the new subdivision sections. All of the new home owners, mostly veterans, are intensely interested in beautifying their newly acquired homes, many of which are without landscaping, flowers, etc.

Here comes the green house right to their doors. You guess the rest. They're ripe for small trees, shrubs, bushes, ivy, flowers, etc.

There are many such unfilled NEEDS all around us if we'll stop to ferret them out. #362

U.S.A. . . . . 1885 JUKE-BOX
Ed thought he could increase his business if he installed a different type of juke box, so he dug up an old one that had been built in 1885 for $35. For a nickel his customers can now hear such renditions as "The Curse of an Aching Heart" or "When You Wore A Tulip", etc.

It's a real treat for the customers in his cafe, and should be just unusual enough to bring in many more. #361

U.S.A. . . . . STORE WITH EMPTY SHELVES
George, another veteran, has started an odd enterprise. He's operating a General Store without a stock of goods. Nothing whatsoever on the shelves! George buys and sells anything for anybody. People merely list with him the things they wish to sell and he sells them. In one day the extreme may run from a 10¢ novelty to an $800 piece of merchandise. Currently, he has about 700 items listed.

Here is a way to start that retail business you have perhaps been dreaming about…and do it without a large amount of capital tied up in stock…a way to have a thriving enterprise with no stock on the shelves! #309

U.S.A. . . . . PART-TIME ENTERPRISE
Mrs. Garrett was about to throw away an old stuffed toy chair that belonged to her little girl when she noticed that the seat lifted up revealing a compartment. The thought came to her immediately…why couldn't this little toy be turned into a pincushion and this inside compartment used for the sewing articles such as spools of thread, extra needles, buttons, etc.

So she started out on a venture that eventually produced scores of miniature armchair pincushions. By buying up large quantities of stiff cardboard, stuffing and bright print material, she was able to turn out a stuffed pincushion chair at a low enough price to insure her a fair profit.

The next step was to take a sample chair to one of the leading local stores in Spokane, Washington. The manager decided to test the appeal of these chairs and in no time at all was calling Mrs. Garrett for a great many more. In fact, he told her that they would take as many as she could turn out. Her friends also discovered what she was doing and started flooding her with additional orders.

Even after the holidays were over the chairs still sold well on through the slow spring and summer seasons. It is still a spare time proposition with this lady, being worked from her home, but I think my readers will agree that it shouldn't remain so. There are 47-other states that could be covered with a novelty of this kind, and on a full time scale. An ideal man and wife partnership! Something that could be operated from the home or from a backyard shop. A lot of the sewing work could be handed over to other women who could work in their homes on a piece-work scale, bringing the finished parts back to the promoter's home for final assembling and sales promotion. Sounds like a clever idea to me. #443

U.S.A. . . . . STATIONERY ELECTROS
If you are interested in photography as a hobby, turn your interest toward making this hobby pay you a living.

Take, or have taken for you, a photograph of a big office building, the kind that has within it hundreds of tenants. Take this photograph to an electrotyper and have an "electro" made of it. From this electro you can have an unlimited number of copies made at a special reduced rate.

Go through the office building from tenant to tenant, and sell each of these tenants one of the electros. This can be used on his stationery or letterheads.

Almost any tenant in a big office building likes to have a picture of the building on his letterheads. With the electro he can incorporate a photograph of the building on any office stationery he pleases. The copies might cost 60¢ and you could sell them for $1.50 or more.

It might be possible to sell from 50 to 100 electros of each building photographed and solicited.

Another photograph scheme that will interest the same reader concerns the selling of souvenir envelopes to church workers, or wholesale through retail stores, locally.

Take your camera, or get a professional photographer, and take a photograph of some point of great local interest, such as "Main Street looking East", the school house, the city park, the town lake or river…or, in fact, anything that possesses a real local interest. Have an "electro" made from the photograph as elsewhere instructed, and print up a lot of envelopes, or letterheads too, With the "cut" on them of the above view of local interest.

Buy your blank stationery stock in large quantities, take it to the printer yourself and save the profit most printers make on the paper stock alone. Pay only for the printing. There will be no typesetting charges if you just use the electro. If the name of the town, etc. is necessary, have this made as a part of the electro.

Such stationery sets could be retailed in dozen lots at a fancy profit. Over in Holland a photographer works a similar plan, covering many small towns throughout his country. He'd take a dozen or more photos of each town's town hall, church, main street, etc. After finishing he made a series of a dozen postcards and put them in envelopes enclosing a note giving the price and that the money would be collected the next day. These envelopes were delivered house to house and brought about 75% sales. The surplus was sold to local stores.

An idea has to be pretty good if it helps a caddie to buy a small house for his folks. This boy put the plan into action that brought in the profit, by carrying a movie camera. With the camera he took informal shots of the club members showing them teeing off, putting and pitching or blasting the ball out of sand traps.

This all happened at a North Carolina golf course, the members, evidently, were perfectly willing to buy the strips of "personal" film from him. They find that these shots show them just what they are doing incorrectly and by studying the pictures it is possible to correct a lot of the obvious errors.

By working several local golf course in your own district, or covering all of the clubs in your state, hiring photographic agents for each course, supplying them with equipment, you can bring all of the film for processing to one central plant. Could be worked into a big business if you work fast before the idea spreads. #346-349

U.S.A. . . . . PART-TIME JANITORS
Lawrence, a Minnesota Salesman, noticed on his rounds that many of the smaller offices in the business district were very dirty and untidy. It seemed that the owners just didn't make enough money to include the wages of a full-time janitor.

He discussed the situation with a friend and they came up with one of the cleverest ideas in this particular field…a part-time janitor service!

They made their appeal direct to the small businessman and small shop owner, offering part-time janitor facilities at reasonable rates. With the aid of a small truck these two fellows drive around to some 70 customers at regular intervals each week and clean the places. Cleaning supplies are furnished, everything being carried right along with the man in their delivery wagon. The enterprise is said to be a booming success at this time. #350

U.S.A. . . . . CUSTOMER APRONS
In a California town there is a bakery that believes in getting in on this new idea of using a bit of showmanship in your business.

By mailing and distributing circulars and in their advertising they put over the idea that you may "Slip into your baker's apron and see how we make the delicious pastries you buy."

The circular goes on to explain that "it will be quite educational, and it will help you to better understand what a big part we play in supplying you and your neighbors with fresh baked goods. We'll be glad to show you around." It is a good idea, don't you think? This taking the prospect "behind the scenes" can be done in many businesses other than bakeries. Think about this. #379

U.S.A. . . . . NEW FLORIST
Putting artificial flowers into flower pots seems a cute and clever idea to me. Maybe it isn't anything new. I don't know. See what you think about the idea. Ann tells me that she makes artificial flowers, sticks their wire stems into little flower pots full of paraffin, paints the pots different colors and sells them for $1.00 each.

Her artificial flowers are not ordinary, however, but are actually made out of CALICO! The neighbors liked them so well that she soon found herself in business.

I imagine that the straw flowers I mentioned elsewhere in this book would fit in fine with this scheme, substituting them for the calico flowers, or better yet pots of both straw and calico flowers could be offered in a variety of colors and assortments. #380

CANADA
The following three display advertisements are unusual types of Canadian mail-order promotions. Each features the odd or unusual in the vegetable or flower kingdom and I'd say that these mail-order houses have exhibited pretty good showmanship by selecting such novel items. The Cobra Orchid, for example, is really an unusual flower and the seed should sell mighty well in the United States.

The plant attracts all kinds of ants, bugs and flies into the mouth or orifice on the under side of the hood. Both hood and appendages bear many honey glands. The "Victims" are absorbed in the digestive fluid in the bottom of the stem. A small particle of raw beef, about the size of a grain of wheat, can be placed in the orifice for nourishment, if there are no insects available. It is a perennial which will grow year after year out of doors, or it may be grown as a house plant.

As far as I know, there has never been an attempt to sell cactus seed in this country, although there are several firms doing a good business selling by mail and wholesale the plants alone. I suggest some novel means of promoting the sale of such cactus plants and miniature "western gardens" in my other book. Cactus seed, palm tree seed and orchid seed should sell well.

There certainly should be room for a mail-order enterprise in the States that would handle only the unusual and odd vegetable and fruit plants or seeds such as these.

A fellow in a small town in New York claims that he was able to raise a wide variety of "freak" vegetables and flowers. Some of them were astounding. He found that cucumbers lend themselves admirably for creating freaks by inserting small cucumbers, while still on the vine of course, into the necks of odd size bottles and allowing the cucumber to grow and assume the shape of its glass form. He also placed old stockings or sacks, which had already had designs cut in them, over green pumpkins that were ready to turn yellow, which resulted in pumpkins that were green and yellow, some with designs like checkerboards, others with jack-o-lantern designs in color.

On flowers, when the plant was in blossom, this man would run a woolen thread through the stem and place one end of the thread in green dye. Perhaps one plant in a score would succeed, but he would then have a flower with green petals. By fastening a small metal band around a softened egg and tightening it until he obtained the desired effect he produced eggs that looked like little dumb-bells. Eggs are softened by placing them in a strong vinegar solution which softens the shell. This is how eggs are forced into the inside of a bottle, which is a popular trick, especially when by pouring cold water into the bottle, the egg shell becomes hard again.

Getting back to vegetables again, I mentioned in "Discovered" the clever device used by another man who created small pumpkins with sculpted faces. He used a metal mold placed around the growing pumpkin when it was small. Many fruits, etc. (apples for example) could be given statue-like faces with real features standing out on the face, by similar methods, I suppose. Ideal for Christmas time, children, etc. (see "Discovered"). Could be used to hang on Christmas trees, put in childrens' Christmas stockings, etc.

In a small California town, Leota goes a step further with this idea. She got a youngster to give her a list of all the names of the community's children. Taking the most popular first names she scratched them onto many pumpkins just before they started to color. These pumpkins were growing on a plot of ground next to her home. This caused the juice to form raised letters on the surface of the pumpkins. These letters became a permanent "healed" part as the pumpkin grew to maturity.

Sometime later Halloween arrived, every one of these pumpkins were snapped up fast! No doubt she could have sold hundreds of them if she'd have had a larger crop. I'm sure that these "engraved" pumpkins could be sold, for that matter, by the thousand all through her state and other states too. Seems to the writer that a promising enterprise could be created in which all types of odd vegetables and fruit, similar to that mentioned could be sold during the holiday seasons—and for fancy prices.

There are many unknown vegetables today that are being neglected. Some farmer might be able to do something with the following. At least it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of experimental farming with mung bean, asparagus bean, china cucumber, marrow cabbage, tampala, celtuce, roquette, sweet basil, chufas or earth almonds, yellow watermelon, yellow tomato, yellow pepper, yellow fleshed watermelon, white cucumber, round lemon, crystal apple cucumber, martynia, purple ground-cherry, jamberry, edible-pod radish, and Jamaica correl.

A farm raising such vegetables and fruits wouldn't have to sell them to the market. No doubt the farm would be the showplace of the state, with people paying admission just to visit it and look at the strange things growing! #381-386

U.S.A. . . . . CLIPPING DISPLAYS
Needing some spare time cash to supplement his regular income…and who doesn't nowadays, Art decided to sell some kind of a service to the small storekeeper. Something that would really help to brighten their stores, or help them to attract attention, to compete with the big fellows.

He finally picked on their window displays as the part of their businesses most in need of a shot of new life.

So he instigated a weekly window display service. For example, he'll furnish the grocer with pictures and jokes and interesting facts all dealing with the grocery business for a set monthly fee. To hold all of this material, which is changed each week, he provides a special picture frame. Each week he takes out the cardboard backing and slips in a new cardboard sheet bearing these items of interest to the window shopper. Pictures, jokes, items, etc. come from clipping bureaus or are clipped from grocery trade magazines. He spends only one night a week pasting these clippings onto their respective cardboard backings. He doesn't deal exclusively with grocery stores, but has a set of interesting clippings for every type of retail store, each set dealing with that particular line of merchandise and no other.

He gets $1 a week for this weekly service or exchange of posters. Twenty-five storekeepers subscribe to the unique service. Expenses are quite low and a good part of this is spare time profit each week.

This appeals to the shopkeeper because the display deals with items concerning his own particular field and can be mighty interesting to the window-shopper if the cartoons and jokes are humorous and the pictures unusual and all dealing with an endeavor similar to the store in whose window this weekly display is appearing. #344

U.S.A. . . . .
The illustration that accompanies this story should give you an idea of what the enterprise described herein was selling and how it looked.

A couple of fellows in a small Indiana town happened to turn out a few sample desk name plates, sawing and cutting the letters in blocked fashion, as shown in picture. It was a different kind of desk name plate, looked striking, so they gave one to their boss at that time. He liked it so well that he took the thing around and showed it to other business people, they in turn placed orders for similar name plates and a spare time business for the two chaps was underway. Charging a flat rate of 30¢ a letter, the orders piled in to such an extent that they just couldn't handle them with the limited facilities at hand.

Arrangements were made and equipment purchased so that it was possible to take on additional work. However, at times they still had to refuse large quantity orders and when the pile of orders got too high they had to even refuse orders until they caught up again.

Not only are these name plates used in offices, but many stores are now buying them to display in their windows. Last year sales were expected to gross $150,000. Thousands more will probably be sold in the coming future. There certainly is room for many little independent wood workshops and home workshops in this particular field. At the start, these two originators only had one 16-inch ball bearing band saw (used) in the basement of the home of one of the partners and they both worked nights when they got home from their regular jobs. #388

U.S.A. . . . . WEDDING CAKE PHOTOS
A baker I've heard about adopted a policy of having every wedding cake which has been ordered from him photographed and sent along with the cake. This makes an attractive picture and is a nice memento of a happy event…such cakes are usually works of art…so beautiful until someone quickly carves them up for the guests.

A picture makes the cake live forever. The customer is pleased with this little personal attention. He remembers the Bakery Shop. Realizes that this baker is really different from his competitors, and who do you think gets the future business? #389

TRINIDAD
Trinidad! Tropical, bizarre and exotic Trinidad! What a place to have a business. A place where your customer might be Chinese, French, Hindu, Moslem, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Australian, Canadian.

The popular "Mammy-apple Pie" would be your featured dessert if you ran a restaurant or bakery. If you had your own barber shop you could cut hair indoors or outdoors on the sidewalk. In fact no matter what business you had a good deal of your goods would be sold outdoors from displays in front of the shop.

You'd follow the example of other businessmen and feature odd signs advertising your name, trade mark or business. If you were in the cleaning business you'd advertise your business in a queer fashion (as R.J. Clamens does) or "The Franco-Venezuelan British Yankee…R.J. Clamens, the Super Cleaner Dyer". If you operated a movie house you'd advertise your double features as "robust doubles".

It wouldn't be a bad idea to study the customs, particularly the business customs of Trinidad and other nearby islands. Many of the quaint and strange business habits and bits of showmanship could be used, perhaps somewhat differently, in businesses in this country. Odd names for businesses have worked well for some, for example, even in the United States!

AFRICA
The oddest hotel in the world is located in the Kenya forest section of Africa and sits way up among the branches of a wild fig tree.

Called "Treetops Hotel", this strange place caters to the hunter or tourist, particularly the hunter who prefers shooting wild animals with a camera instead of a gun.

By paying the regular charge of ten pounds a day the tourist can spy on some of the most dangerous animals in the jungle. Elephants, buffaloes, rhinoceros, hyenas, buffalo and leopards may stop to eat salt that has been scattered over a nearby wallow.

An enterprising chap, a Mr. Walker, built the hotel. His largest expense is the five shillings he pays to the Kenya Forestry Commission as rent each month.

He guarantees that many wild animals will be seen, otherwise the hotel rates are refunded to the guest.

MEXICO
If you have a few thousand dollars with which to start a business, Mexico will welcome you. However, you'll have to start your business on a partnership basis as you must associate your capital and knowledge with that of a Mexican partner. That is the law of the present government and a pretty good one at that because you'll find the pesos and knowledge of local conditions that your partner will put into the business to be mighty valuable and most welcome, in the long run. It'll make things much easier.

Take the case of one Mexican who put in $10,000, while a Chicagoan was only able to invest $2,000 and two steel mold machines. However, the American's ideas, his sense of advertising and showmanship, his skill, made up the difference. These two opened up a small plant near Mexico City. There, other mold machines were made, copying the American machines. Now, some two years later, the Chicagoan is happy in his new home. Likes the mild climate of Mexico City; and the taxes on business profits are much lower than they are here in the United States. Wages are lower, so their payroll is lower; it costs less to live in the smaller towns of Mexico.

This enterprising American partner thinks that there is room and a real need for many, many more small enterprises and plants. Success has come to others venturing into Mexico.

Take the case of Carl, a German refugee who arrived in Mexico without a cent some years ago. While walking around the streets of a Mexican city he noticed that many stands offered leather handbags, belts and wallets of excellent quality. Having been a leather worker in his own country, he was quick to note that some improvement could be made. The tanning could be improved. A more modern line of items created.

He applied for a job with a handbag manufacturer, got the job as a designer. His designs and ideas increased the business so much that today Carl is a partner and co-owner of the business. This man's experience is a good example of what experience and training plus a little capital or ingenuity can do in Mexico.

Some years ago a Mexican started a furniture enterprise with the help of 13 employees. His capital was an extremely moderate $2,000. Since then his business has grown into a huge enterprise worth a million dollars!

Mexican furniture is most popular here in the United States and what with the lumber shortage in this country due to last for many years, Mexican furniture should find a ready sale when brought across the border into the United States. Monterrey is the furniture center of Mexico and it is near enough to the border to insure cheap freight charges to this country. Mexico's forests are said to be well stocked with mahogany and other lumber. Yet it seems that Mexicans just don't know how to utilize all of the lumber that is cut. The waste wood left over is said to be 70% of the yearly harvest! If you can create some sort of processing enterprise that will make use of this waste, you should be on the way to a small fortune! And if you don't have enough capital to make this start, the Financiera Nacional, a government agency, may extend credit for a Mexican partner to go into business with you.

U.S.A. . . . . "CAN MAN"
A high school student with an observing eye, noticed the dilapidated garbage containers that he passed here and there.

All of the garbage cans had to be placed out on the front curb because there were no alleys (as is the case in a good many communities). He took down the addresses of those homes having containers that needed repairs or replacement. I don't know whether he mailed postcards to the addresses explaining that he would call, or whether he used the phone as an introduction before calling on these homes, but he is said to have created a profitable business for himself, painting the old cans that were worth keeping and selling the owners new containers which he bought at wholesale.

I realize that this is kind of a queer business to go into, but it may not be as crazy as you may think. An adult could very easily make something out of this idea. Consider for a moment the possibilities. You establish a large garbage can center, you become known in your community. No one would think of buying a garbage can or painting one. You are available, you are specializing in this one lowly item that all other business services are overlooking. You aren't too proud to bang out the dents, use a spray gun to paint the can any desired color. You make good connections with a wholesale supply so that you can sell the cans under the regular market price because you will specialize in this one item and can buy larger quantities of the containers than can the neighborhood hardware store with its thousands of different items! By using business cards, circulars, post cards, telephone and personal calls, you can become known as the "can" man! If you can make a small fortune in a few years and cover a good size territory, you shouldn't worry about the dignity of the enterprise. When it starts to make money it'll acquire dignity and respect mighty fast! #394

SCOTLAND
One of the most interesting mail-order services, conducted on a world wide basis, that I have ever seen is that operated by Andy, in Scotland.

He operates a "Round the World Postal Club", and as he has been doing this for some time, he must have a measure of success. His monthly mimeographed bulletin contains the names and addresses of 175 members. Membership fee for each, one dollar.

Carries around 2,280 words of advertising at the regular rate of 1½d per word, or 3¢ per word. The whole 20 pages (8 x 6½) shouldn't cost very much to mimeograph, especially if you have your own machine. Two staples hold it together.

Even if the profits aren't too large, I can't think of a more fascinating enterprise! Andy carries advertisements and listings from the following interesting countries…Tasmania, Italy, RUSSIA (believe it or not), France, Holland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Africa, POLAND, Turkey, Finland, India, Malta, Austria, Tunisia, Cyprus, Germany (British Zone), Algeria, Australia, Rumania, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Palestine, Iraq, Ireland, Argentina, etc.

What other enterprise in this world today (with exception taken to the Stamp Trading Business) could do business with people in Russia, Poland, Rumania, Spain, Argentina, Occupied Germany, Finland, Hungary, or Czechoslovakia? All of these countries are behind the so-called "Iron Curtain" or border on it. All of these countries have some sort of dictatorship or Army rule that makes trading with the outside world extremely difficult at this particular time.

Yet Andy, living in a country that still retains a type of government that is different in many ways to the rule imposed upon the above mentioned countries, can transact business with each and every one of them, including that mysterious of all lands, RUSSIA!

Each member of Andy's Social Club can correspond with each other and they may indicate by code in their respective listings just what they are interested in. A. means stamps. B. means postcards (views). C. means newspapers, magazines, photos, coins and novelties. Each listing indicates whether the person speaks English, French, Italian, German, Dutch or Danish.

There are several other successful mail-order social clubs conducted on a world-wide basis, one established in 1930 in Australia, another established in 1941 in Italy (has over 500 members), another one in Turkey, so big that it has a General Director and Proprietor, a Manager and a representative in England, another in Finland claiming to be the largest in Northern Europe, and listen to this…one in our own country, evidently so successful that it is today celebrating its 40th anniversary, having been established in 1907! There is a world club in South Africa that operated before the war and is continuing once again now that the war is over. A club in Cyprus has hundreds of members from all over the world. This is something that very few people know about and well worth investigating. Evidently these successful mail-order social clubs have been around for many years…a field of mail order hardly known to the old timer or newcomer alike! Looks like there are profit possibilities and from the looks of some of the material on file, there is room for improvement, new ideas…a much better social club for the whole world! #395

ENGLAND
A modern Aladdin in England is said to have seized the opportunity of establishing himself with lamps, not as a lamp cleaner, though, but as a lamp-shade cleaner. He now has a small shop in a busy town in England where he cleans shades brought to him or sells the cleanser for customers to use themselves. Few dry-cleaners undertake this type of work today and practically no laundries will accept it.

It seems to me that it wasn't so long ago that I was speaking to my wife about that very thing. I was wishing at the time that I knew how to clean lamp shades and was wondering why we couldn't send our lamp shades out for a good cleaning.

The English operator sells the formula sheet and instructions if desired. These instructions stress the importance of turning the shade while cleaning and while it dries. This prevents the fluid from settling in one part. A good many of his customers were obtained easily from hotels and clubs.

Usually when the housewife tries to clean a lamp shade, an uneven ragged edge of dirt remains on the bottom border after it has dried out. By experimenting with various cleaning fluids on different types of shades, different types of shade materials, by working out methods of continually turning the shade while it is being cleaned and dried, a perfect job should result.

Another chap in England is said to be handling all the work of several dry cleaning stores in his neighborhood and had to take on two assistants. It is a bit of specialization that has not as yet been over-exploited in this country. An ideal service business for man and wife partnership. #372

ARGENTINA
If you can make enough money on your main line of merchandise, you can offer many free services and "extra attractions" without additional charge. These in turn will draw in an even greater volume of sales for your regular line!

For example, take the Mar de Plata, a seaside resort in Argentina. Here you may order a complete filet mignon dinner and champagne and the bill will only amount to about $1.50. Along with the dinner will go one of the best floor shows in the whole globe! How can they do it? They have a more important sideline (or mainline) of merchandise, in this particular case…gambling!

The night club isn't there to make money, it is simply an added attraction to draw patrons and to give them something in addition to gambling wins or losses. The Mar de Plata offers many other "extras" such as Roman baths, swimming pools, private beach, underground parking space, sports arenas, a movie house seating 2,500, a theater where world-famed operas are presented, salon lectures on poetry and the arts, nursery for the babies, etc. All free of extra charge, of course.

The Casino Quintandinha in Brazil offers as free "extras" a sunlit, winter garden with tropical birds of all colors, strange Amazon plants, two swimming pools, one indoors, the other a fantastic floating affair out in the middle of a large blue lake, tennis courts, volleyball and badminton courts, stables and dozens of thoroughbred horses.

The little businessman couldn't begin to offer such an array of free services and amusements, but he can give the underlying idea some serious consideration.

If you'll read through most of this book, or through the volume "Discovered—505 Odd Enterprises", you'll understand what I am driving at. Once more…give your enterprise "personality"…surprise your prospect, your customer…offer something in addition to your regular line of merchandise without making any additional charge…let the extra volume of business take care of the expense of giving your customers these extra services, entertainment, amusement or whatever you may call it! It's a way of dramatizing your business, it is a form of showmanship that'll attract VOLUME cash sales, and that is what the little fellow must have! It is his only way of competing with the big fellows! #354-355

U.S.A. . . . . 3,500 ORDERS
In a tiny town in Indiana we find the hero of a business adventure that paid him possibly $3,000 at the time I received the information.

At that time he had received 10,000 inquiries, claimed to have "closed" about 35% of them, or about 3,500 orders. As the orders brought in amounts ranging from $1.00 to $6.00, it is easily possible that Ronnie took in from $5,000 to $6,000. Profit would be large because his merchandise consisted of two mimeographed pages and nothing else. Profit might run anywhere from 50% to 75% on a mail-order deal such as this! 75% of $6,000 would be about $4,500 so you can figure anywhere from $3,000 to $4,500 might have been actual profit on this proposition.

90% of his customers were rural or farmers and country folk. All of this business was accomplished within the space of one year's time. Possibly he is still operating the idea, at least he was as late as April, 1947, while the above figures refer to 1945.

All of this business came from a simple half inch display ad run in many of the country type mail-order magazines. These go to all of the rural areas in the country. The ad read something like this:

"DON'T FEED SPARROWS. Make your own trap that will catch thousands. Join this national campaign to eliminate these pests. Write for details."

Details were sent in the form of a mimeographed letter, a small mimeographed order blank, a return envelope and a small printed 13 ½ x 6 inch folder-circular. These produced the results.

I believe that here is a mail-order business ideal for those located in rural districts of the country and that there is a STEADY amount of business available for a couple of other operators, for many years to come! It'll take that long, in my estimation, to cover the tremendous rural field.

Ronnie must have had a good set of instructions because he's received hundreds of letters from pleased customers who have been shown to save up to $254 within a year's time. Evidently worth the dollar asked.

However a fair percentage ordered the $6.00 set-up. The dollar brought instructions (illustrated) for making sparrow traps, the $6.00 brought by express one complete trap already made.

Such magazines or papers as the Prairie Farmer, Capper's Farmer, The Farmer's Guide and others of a similar nature brought in the inquiries. By following his instructions a trap can be made for about $2.00.

Technical Bulletin No. 711 put out by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture quotes all of the harmful effects of sparrows, not to mention all of the feed that they steal. It is estimated that just one sparrow will eat 16¢ worth of grain in a year so you can imagine how it would be possible to save $254 each year.

Sparrows are carriers of chicken lice, diseases and parasites, to quote a few. To the farmer, this loss from feed stolen and from diseases spread among his chickens and crops is an important item.

Lately it has been discovered that the common sparrow is actually a dangerous beast because it carries the virus of encephalitis or deadly sleeping sickness. Ronnie's trap is baited with small grain or bread crumbs. By leaving one or two birds in the trap, they will attract others.

From the illustration you will note that the trap is simply a set of two cones. The first cone has an opening of about 2 inches, the second cone an opening of 2½ inches. The cones should be placed so that the small end is about 6 inches from the bottom of trap. The sides of the trap are made of screen, the cones of screen and the floor of the trap out of board. Screening is stapled to frame and board. To any reader who is interested in further details, please send a stamped self-addressed envelope.

A good business could be built just making these traps in a home workshop and selling them in the rural stores throughout the U.S.A. #356

ENGLAND
"Why buy toy moulds? I lend them; particulars 3d."

That's the headline to a classified ad running in an English magazine. And a good idea, don't you think?

Lots of ads in the United States are selling these expensive sets of moulds. You've seen the advertisements that start you in business turning out toys and novelties from these plastic or rubber moulds.

This chap over in England has a better idea, I think. At least it is new to this country. It might go over in a big way if you inserted ads in the same magazine as the ads for outright purchase of moulds appear! Your service could give a beginner the chance to see it he could make a success in such a business. If not, he wouldn't be stuck for hundreds of dollars worth of expensive moulds. Then too, perhaps some of the items he would turn out just wouldn't appeal to his customers or wouldn't sell as fast. In that case he could return the moulds turning out that particular item and rent different moulds or keep on renting only those moulds he actually wanted to keep.

A scheme could be devised allowing the customer to buy the moulds in the future, it his efforts are successful, applying a part of his rental payments on the purchase price. #357

U.S.A. . . . . MOTORIST STOPPER
A Dream Castle which became a Home and a Business! A fellow in Connecticut had the strange urge to build a small castle for his wife. Worked for years on the project and finally completed it. It is such an unusual place that tourists come from miles around to see it. They've turned the place into a tea room and business is thriving.

Thousands of folks have visited this tea room and marveled at the fine foods served and the service rendered. Their reputation is spreading across the nation! Famous for their special soups. To give you an idea of the unusual types of delicious foods served, their special spread of Canton ginger and creamed cheese is an example. Sound good? It is, my wife tells me.

The "castle" interior is lined with fine stained glass windows, the dining room is filled with exceptional oak furniture, French etchings, English engravings, Tiffany crystal and Coalport Bone China.