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PRICE 5 CENTS.

HOW TO CONDUCT A SMALL MAIL ORDER BUSINESS.

HINTS AND HELPS BY W. E. SKINNER.

MULTUM IN PARVO LIBRARY.

Entered at Boston Post Office as second class matter. Published by A. B. Courtney, Room 74, 45 Milk Street, Boston.

Vol. 3. MARCH, 1896. Published Monthly. No. 27

Subscription Price, 50 Cents Per Year.

HINTS ON CONDUCTING --A SMALL-- MAIL ORDER BUSINESS.

There are, in the United States and Canada, hundreds of concerns who obtain their revenue almost exclusively by means of transacting business through the mails. In addition to these, many regular city retailers have of late opened departments for mail order trade.

Good Postal System.

These facilities have been brought about by the general march of improvement, and, perhaps, more particularly on account of the greatly improved postal system. Almost every intelligent person has had more or less experience in buying through the mails, but the object of this little book is to show how a small business can be profitably conducted for this purpose.

Start Right.

One of the most essential things to start with is an attractive article or line of goods. Shall it be in the nature of a staple or a novelty? The difficulty in handling staple goods in a small way is the lack of profit.

Staple Goods.

Staple goods are handled by retailers everywhere, and, people will not readily send away for that which they can procure at home. Of course, there is always more or less mail trade on specialties in the line of staples, such as Plymouth Rock Pants, Douglas' Shoes, etc., but even then, manufacturers tell me that there is no profit in the mail orders, they are handled merely for the sake of augmenting regular trade by making the goods popular.

Perhaps I might make an exception in the staple list of watches, silverware and jewelry. These are good mail order sellers.

Numerous Novelties.

In the line of novelties, there are hundreds of things such as books, toys, games, photographs, perfumery, etc.

Small toys, not easily broken, and of light weight when packed, sell in immense quantities if advertised in November and December. Of course, the advertisement must be properly arranged, good journals used, and the price of the toy should be small.

"Frozen Perfumery."

Millions of perfumed cakes of Plaster-Paris, put in small ornamented tin boxes, have been sold during the past ten years. These goods cost about 4 cents each, can be sold at ten cents, give satisfaction if well made and can be mailed at a cost of a cent each for postage, which will admit of the "wonder stone" being wrapped in a quantity of advertising circulars.

One or two ingenious advertisers put up packages of sachet powder and sell them as "Love Powders." They are said to enable the recipient to "gain and maintain the love of another."

Several Saleable Specialties.

Cheap books usually sell well if they are attractively written up and advertised in the right kind of papers. Millions of copies of certain books have been sold at ten cents through the mails. Of the MULTUM IN PARVO LIBRARY, of which this little treatise is one, several millions have been sold at ten cents per set of twelve titles.

Cheap jewelry, such as rings, chains and the like, generally sell well. The prices should be low and the description must be strong, to attract trade, however.

Watches by Mail.

The watch mail order business is very large. As a rule, Swiss watches are the sort dealt in. The values of American watches are quite well known, and they are on sale everywhere; but the Swiss watches can be described in cash attracting adjectives and when sold the margin of profit is fairly good.

Indecent Advertising.

Avoid the temptation to sell obscene goods, or to sell any sort of stuff by so-called suggestive announcements. This kind of business is profitable while it lasts, but it usually ends in bringing the advertiser into disrepute and imprisonment.

Don't Lie.

In writing a description of your goods, do not misrepresent them. A dash of adjectives now and then is customary and acceptable, for mild exaggeration is expected. Nevertheless you must not say that a ring has a diamond setting if it is only glass.

Send Circulars.

Have a catalogue or set of circulars advertising various specialties, and send this printed matter out with every package. If your first filling of an order gives satisfaction, you are quite sure to get a second order, and possibly several subsequent orders.

Letters are Valuable.

The letters that you receive from country customers are more or less valuable. Other dealers will purchase them of you for purpose of using the addresses in sending out their own catalogues.

Good Sellers.

Cheap books with attractive titles are usually fast selling property, and if contents are as advertised, always give satisfaction. The Keystone Book and News Co., 1111 Arch St., Philadelphia, are among the leading wholesalers. They send trade circulars only to persons who prove themselves to be regularly engaged in the mail order business.

Medical Business.

It is surprising to note what a vast amount of medicine is sent through the mails. There are remedies for all diseases to which the flesh is heir. If you have a good tonic, blood purifier, skin beautifier or other preparation which you wish to push the sale of, the better way to get "points" is to answer the advertisements of other concerns advertising similar specialties and learn their methods. But do not copy other concerns' literature; simply pick out a few good ideas and combine them with your own originality.

Advertising Agencies.

Not Tolerated.

The U. S. and Canadian postal officials do not encourage so-called "work at home" schemes which usually take money out of poor people's pockets. Many alleged offenders have been prosecuted for doing this sort of business.

Watch Your Mailing.

If you are doing a large mailing don't neglect to make it a part of your duties to step in and watch the operations of your mailing clerks frequently. An employe sometimes forgets postal rates and wastes a great deal of money. We know an advertiser whose clerk sent out six thousand packages with four cents postage on each when the packages, consisting of printing matter, could have traveled at two cents. Most of the successful mail order advertisers keep their eyes on such details and they save money thereby.

Not Good Criterion.

The so-called "cost and result" schedules are usually only valuable to the advertiser who prepares them as a result of his own experience. To all others who consider them, they are a delusion and a snare. Suppose an advertisement of an inch is placed in a list of publications by a watch dealer, a picture dealer, a medical advertiser, a novelty man and an agents' supply house. There will be quite a striking difference in the ratio of results in each instance. A paper that pays one may not pay the other. We have seen this demonstrated so many times that we know whereof we speak.

Advertising Axioms.

"Virtue increases under a weight or burden" and results increase with a comprehensive expenditure of money in good advertising mediums.

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