West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-04-29
GO AFTER BUSINESS IS
REASON THEY GET n
Local Tradcsmen would Profit
Greatly If They Bot Hecdcd Ob-
jeot Lesson Furnished by Big
Mail Order Concerns Remedy Is
Given

"Vi'hoh's vi montgomery anu or
all other towns I'm this country will
do well 20 study seriously the object
lesson taught in the following Item
which In taken from tho Charleston
Daily Mail. OF Monday, April 12. 1915.
reproduced herewith with little
prcachment added by the Montgomery
News for the benefit OF all who care
enough about the success OF their own
business to read and heed.
Here is the item. Read II carefully
and make few mental notes as you
go along:
Fifty thousand large catalogues are
being mailed through the Charleston
postofiicc this month by a large Chi
cago mail order house. They will go
To the company's customers residing
In the second and third parcel post
zones which include West Virginia.
ana parts of Tennessee. Virginia, Ken
lucky and North Carolina.
Eight thousand OF the voluminous
books weighing between four and Ave
pounds each, were on the floor OF tho
postoiiice this morning. Exclusive of
these. 15.500 have been mailed through
the local Office since the first of the
month. They are mailed under n spe-
cial permit. and paid for at the rate
OF nine cents each.
The fifty thousand persons on the
mailing list or the Chicago house re-
ceive catalogues through the Charles
ton postofllce twice year---in the
spring and in the fall. They are ship
ped here by freight and mailed by the
company's agent. Two freight cars
are required to handle the fifty thou
sand books.
In addition to the general mailings
about 500 catalogues are mailed by
this company through the local Office
every day, Assistant Postmaster
Brown said. These are sent In ac-
cordance with special requests.
Now, sir, IL you didn't figure IL out
az sou. saad. here are ths Asnrss.
Which, tic News has compiled for your
convenience:
The average cost OF printing one
catalogue such as the ones being
mailed at Charleston is $3.50.
$4,000 catalogues mailed this month
cost the Chicago firm $24O, 100000.
The postage is $4,5O0.00, bringing
the total for the months mailing I'M
TO $244,5O0.00. to say nothing on the
iroight on two cars of catalogues from
chicago and the cost OF wrapping, ad-
dressing and drayage on same In Chi
cago and Charleston.
Think, too, OF the large number OF
clerks and office employees necessary
to take care OF the addressing, the an
swering OF requests and the thousands
or other little matters entering into
the preparation and distribution of
the catalogues.
But that is not all. This mailing ia
Tor this month only. The article
states that the Charleston Assistant
Postmaster says tho average daily
mailing, 20 persons on special re-
quest, equals FIVE hundred copies OF
the catalogue.
This adds to the annual amount
spent in catalogues distributed
through the Charleston, w. Va. post
once the enormous sum of $S76, 100000
and adds to the postage bill $16,425.0O,
to say nothing of the clerks constant
ly employed TO take care OF these big
mailings
And the totals for the year.
The printing cost OF the catalogues
mailed during the year through the
postoiiice at Charleston is 1.11G 100000
and the postage cost $50 1926 90. max
ing a grand total Of $1.136,925.OO.
And then, what?
You will note that the article from
the Mail says these fifty thousand cat
aiogues are mailed TO as many people
twice a year, in the spring and I'm the
fall
This brings the total for the year
to more than two millions OF dollars
spent by this Chicago mail order
house TO distribute catalogues TO the ,
people Of West Virginia and our bor-
deriDg states.
The territory is small when com
pared with the whole U. S. which is
catalogued I'm a like manner.
Is this done TO help swell the re-
ceipts Of the Charleston postofice, to
spend vast sums Of money just for the
fun Of II. or IS It because the Cri-
cago mail order house expects to reap
enormous profits on that investment
OF two millions of dollars right here
In our own midst I'm advertising?
Think Of IL, Mr.. Business Mani
You Will probably say, as you laugh
up your sleeve. that times are hard.
that people have no money, and that
advertising I'm this instance will not
pay the Chicago mail order house
But don't you be fooled.
Years Of experience has taught
these big business men behind the :
mail order business that the profits Of
the world in all lines Of trade and
commerce are built on advertising.
The balance sheet OF the mail order
house. so long as you continue 10 give
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