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It all started about five years ago, when the Comptons were building their new home. "I need two tables for the screened porch," Mrs. Compton said one afternoon, while they were putting the finishing touches on a bedroom closet.

"I'm afraid they will have to wait awhile; our budget has been strained to the breaking point now," Compton answered.

"Why don't you make them?" Mrs. Compton countered. Of course it took a little more persuading than this to get the master of the household started, but Leighton Compton has a way of overcoming obstacles when she sets her mind to getting a thing done.

UPON EXAMINING the porch, Compton found it was too small to accommodate full size tables. After a little planning, however, he designed a drop leaf table that could be fastened to the supports that spaced the uprights on the porch. It took only a few hours for him to finish the two tables that were required.

Using white pine for the project, Compton found it easy to work with, and the tables could be finished a natural color, to match the woodwork of the porch. Total cost for the project was only about $10, and Mrs. Compton was happy with her new pieces of furniture.

It was only a short time later, when friends came by to see the new house, that many of them admired the tables. The most discussed feature was the ingenious way they could be let down, out of the way when not in use. Several people asked if Compton would make similar pieces for them. After finishing these special orders, he started thinking about selling the tables by mail. Having been employed by a large oil company as a bulk oil salesman for a number of years, and having no experience in the mail order field, be was somewhat at a loss about just where to start.

He had gained much valuable experience, however, in the art of woodworking by building several pieces of fine Early American furniture for his home. Equipped with this knowledge, and the true Yankee ingenuity that issues from under his calm and collected exterior, he set forth on this new adventure filled with high hopes, and the ever present help and inspiration of his wife.

THE EARLY New England craftsmen would have had much to fear if Compton had lived in the seventeenth century. For his craftsmanship and ability for taking pains in every part of his work revert back to the golden era of America's fine furniture builders.

Breaking into the mail order business presented its problems, however. Many obstacles had to be overcome before the idea caught on and started bringing in enough revenue to pay for the time and energy expended at the outset of the venture.

The first group of tables was completed with the tools Compton had on hand. They were the ones you will find in the workshop of most amateur craftsmen—basic hand tools, a small power jig saw, and a table saw; with them the business was launched.

The first task encountered was the designing of a series of jigs to be used in the cutting and shaping of the various pieces for the product involved. In the beginning, it was the drop leaf table. First of all Compton had to decide on the materials to be used. Above all they had to be easy to work with and readily obtainable at reasonable cost. After trying several woods, he finally chose pine as being ideal. It is still being used in all the products in production today, with the exception of one small item that is made of gum.

Production line methods were adapted early in the construction. All the pieces for the table are first cut on the table saw, enough for several being cut at one time. For instance, Compton figures twenty tables will be enough to fill the orders for two weeks. The material is ordered, and after the rough size is determined, the lumber is run through the saw. The tops are cut one after another, then the braces. Next, the pieces for fastening the units to the wall are made. By doing it in this manner, Compton is able to cut material for twenty tables in the time required to cut on two, had he taken time to reset the saw after each cut.

When the wood is finished in its rough form, the jigs are fitted in place, and the crude pieces are finished to size. The jigs, of course, are made of hard wood, to take the abuse necessary for making many hundreds of parts. After the tables have been cut to the exact size, they are sanded and assembled, and are now ready for the finishing room.

The staining of the tables is carried through with the same efficiency used in the construction. Two colors are standard. The most popular is called "Warm Honey." It is almost the natural color of the wood with a preservative added to protect and seal the grain. The second color is "Antique Brown," which is a deeper tone of brown.

IN ADDITION to the wall tables, Compton designs a towel rack along the same Early American lines. When he decided to offer the wall table for sale, the towel rack seemed to make an ideal companion piece.

The racks are twenty-four inches long, consisting of a top and back, each six inches wide, and set at right angles to each other. There are two end pieces that brace the top, and support the one-inch dowel pin that serves as the rod for the towels. The top and back pieces are first cut to length on the table saw and the end designs are shaped on the jig-saw. After this they are fitted into the jigs and sanded to the exact size. Then they are removed and run through the jointer to smooth both sides. Then back to the table saw they go to be tongue-and-grooved for an almost invisible fit. Next come the pieces for holding the towel rods. They are fashioned in the same manner, then drilled to take the one-inch dowel pin.

The scroll for the ends was designed by Mrs. Compton to harmonize with any Early American furnishings. After all the pieces for the towel racks are cut and sanded, they are ready to be stained. Warm Honey is the most popular color, so eight of the twenty racks are finished in this shade. Antique Brown comes next with six; the other six are left unfinished for the customer who wants to do this himself. All the products are offered unfinished, and the homeowner will save up to $1.50 by purchasing them that way.

WITH THE construction part of the business pretty well in hand, Compton turned his attention to the selling of his products. The Comptons started reading the advertisements in all the magazines they could find. Many of them carried advertisements for $3.98 dresses, while others featured exclusive evening clothes. These were the two extremes, and the Comptons figured their market was somewhere in between. They visualized their prospective customer as a person who takes great pride in his home, and one that must be able to part with $17.50 for a table without hurting the family budget too much.

Working with a local advertising agency, they selected two national home magazines and placed advertisements in them. These magazines carried items for sale that would be considered just above the price reach of many of us. "It was indeed a breathless moment," Compton recalls, "when we first saw our names in the magazines with what I believe to be the best looking ad on the page. But this thrill was nothing compared to the first order; I still have the letter on file."

Careful records were kept as to the number of replies from each magazine. One failed to bring in enough business to justify the placing of another advertisement. Although they were both top national magazines, one of them went to a class of people that was just a little above the average on the income scale. This was the one that took top honors on drawing business for the Comptons.

At present they use only the one magazine and the agency that helped them start their business still does much of the advertising work. In looking for a magazine in which to advertise, Compton found that several had items offered for sale that were very much like his. But as he says, "A wise man once told me that if you can make a product better than one on the market, and sell it for the same amount of money, your chances for success will be great. But if you can give the customer a better product, at less cost, your chances have improved a hundred-fold.

"Mail order business is extremely fascinating. It is one that many people can venture into, profitably. But there are many pitfalls one must avoid before hoping for a substantial profit. First of all, one should have a product that cannot be obtained elsewhere, or at least not in a local store.

"If you have an item that is already being offered for sale, the customer will have a choice of where to buy, and may buy elsewhere. But if yours is a product you make yourself and to which you impart individuality, the battle is half won."

One factor that many overlook is the possibility of selling related items. The Compton catalog now includes, in addition to the wall table, and towel rack, a peg'n plate rail, spoon rack, and peg hooks. They range in price from $17.50 for the wall table to 65 cents for the peg hooks. The peg'n plate rail sells for $12; the spoon rack and towel rack sell for $10 each.

A MARKET that is overlooked by many, is the local one. Many stores are willing to take merchandise by home craftsmen if it meets the standard they insist upon for their clientele. One of the stores in Tulsa offered Compton's spoon racks to the Christmas trade last year. The first order was for three, the buyer explaining the store was eager to help hometown people, but they would buy only what they were able to sell. At the end of the season a total of forty were sold. This started as a small market, but one that offers possibilities.

This is an example of what one man, with the help of his wife, is doing in the mail order business. Starting with a hobby and seeing a possibility, he ventured in the true American spirit to the building of a business that now occupies most of his time. No small part of this was due however to the product. In the five years Compton has been in business, only three pieces have been returned for credit. All the merchandise is sold on a money back guarantee. This would stand to prove that his work must be of the highest quality to meet the standards of exacting persons who might order the merchandise.