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Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

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How to Make
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It all started when Mrs. Harris Gilbert (June) bought an ordinary fifteen-cent dish mop, glued on seven cents worth of glitter and sequins, tied the handle with a velvet bow, and presented it to her husband, as a gentle chiding for not helping with domestic duties. Several friends who saw the dish mop hanging merrily over the Gilberts' sink delightedly ordered it, at $2.50, to decorate their own kitchens!

In the meantime, June's girlhood friend, Mrs. Victor Frank (Miriam) had been busy creating bits of nonsense for a Christmas party to which June and her husband had been invited. Golf balls were painted, dipped in glue, then rolled in sparkling glitter, for golf enthusiasts; delighted fishermen were presented with fishing sinkers, which had been glamorized by gluing on simulated ("fake") pearls and rhinestones; "do-it-yourselfers" received a screw driver or hammer glamorized with bronze paint, over which the girls glued glitter and sequins.

Sensing the delight the nonsensical gifts created, the girls combined forces and started to work right in their own kitchens! They took the most ordinary of household objects, turned loose their imagination, and made decorations that have—in a few short months—become conversation pieces throughout New England! They glued about ten cents worth of the simulated jewels on fifteen-cent mousetraps and priced them to sell for $2.50; they glued about five cents worth of jewels on ten-cent can openers, and priced them at $1; they painted fifteen-cent fly swatters, then glued on about ten cents worth of the jewels, and priced them at $2.50. And these were only the beginning of a long list of gift items yet to come!

AT FIRST, the young women sold only to personal friends. Later, a buyer for one of Boston's largest gift shops saw the "objets d'art" in a suburban home, inquired about the maker, and, to the delight of the partners, ordered several items for his shop! They sold immediately, and have been reordered again and again.

In the meantime, June and Miriam had purchased a quantity of colored, plastic telephone covers. (The type that fits over French telephones and retails for about $2.50.) Because they ordered in quantity, however, they are able to purchase the covers at a considerable discount. They decorated the covers by simply gluing on about $1 worth of simulated jewels, in varied colors. Then the girls sold the covers to the same Boston gift shop, as well as several small suburban shops, for the wholesale price of $6, to retail for $10 to $12.50, depending on the individual store's markup.

The simulated pearls, rhinestones, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, etc., are manufactured in quantity, being currently in vogue as trimmings for sweaters, handbags, and other articles of women's clothing. They are carried by many variety stores, handicraft shops, and in the "dressmaking trimming" departments of large department stores. Or, they can be purchased, in quantity, direct from wholesale trimming concerns.

Although Miriam's husband, Victor Frank, a chemist, formulated the glue which the girls use, there are many commercial glues suitable for this purpose. The hobbyist has only to inquire at his hardware store for a glue suitable for use on plastic materials. Although glue is the fastening agent the girls use on all their items, it is suggested that the novice not purchase glue in quantity, at the beginning, but rather experiment with the sticking properties of two or three types, before investing in a large supply.

NEW ITEMS are constantly being added to the Gilbert-Frank line. Recently, the girls purchased a number of "boudoir ensembles," from a local manufacturer. These consist of a plastic tissue box, lotion dispenser, and powder-box, and are priced as is, at $3.50 per set. The girls glue on about $1.50 worth of the simulated jewels, in artistic pattern and harmonizing colors, and sell the jewelled boudoir ensemble to the stores for $8.50, to retail for $15.

To arrive at a wholesale selling price for an item, the girls figure basic costs, plus cost of decorating materials, plus $3.50 per hour, for labor. (Note: their imagination and ingenuity cannot be figured into the selling price—these are priceless!)

Miriam doubles as bookkeeper, keeping careful record of expenditures and sales, to date. Most of the initial investment has already been returned. Any current profits for the enterprise are currently being turned back into the business for the purchase of materials and development of new items.

So far, all advertising has been word-of-mouth. However, the girls are formulating plans for local and even national advertising, as soon as the budget permits. They also plan to exhibit their wares in local gift shows and at various organizational meetings. Miriam has recently contacted a midwestern friend and made plans to have the items shown in her locale.

FORESIGHT, imagination and ingenuity are Mrs. Gilbert's and Mrs. Frank's principle ingredients, and vitally necessary to cultivate this fascinating gift-making hobby! Personal contacts are helpful, but not absolutely essential, to facilitate the purchase of materials, at discount prices. Initial contacts for ornamentation can be located by consulting your classified telephone directory under "Millinery Supplies" or "Dressmaking Supplies," or you can purchase initial supplies in variety stores, or in the dressmaking-supply department of a local department store.

Basic items (such as the telephone cover, boudoir ensemble, etc.,) can be purchased, retail, in local variety and novelty stores; later, as you are able to absorb larger quantities, direct from the manufacturer, or gift and novelty jobber.

With such large varieties of items available for ornamentation, merchandising is not too much of a problem. One or two samples of each item should be made up and shown to fine gift shops in your city. Many shops will be willing to accept the items on a consignment basis, and reorder as necessary. It would be of decided advantage to get the items into the stores well before Christmas, allowing plenty of time for reorders.