Evening star., 1951-12-28
For Jonuory Reading
By Betty Miles

By Betty Miles
If you really want to gamble,
forget Wall Street and playing the
horses--try the mail-order business
instead, counselS one woman who
did just that and developed a
thriving business.
For those of you who are gam
blerS at heart ;. or who are just
seriously interested in building Up
a mail-order business of your own
-. Glenhill Cameron's article in
TODAY'S WOMAN is about as
good a guide as you can hope to
find. Mr.. Cameron has left not
one Of the proverbial stones un-
turned in his efforts to explain
this sometimes lucrative, often
bank-breaking, business.
Mr.. Cameron tells of several
successes in this field, including
a young Maine couple who de-
veloped a method of shipping, from
coast to coast, real live clambakes
ready to cook, and a woman who
turned genius for herbs into a
business. Another smart young
woman made money by putting
out a kit containing all the house
hold tools so necessary to new
housekeepers, and selling them to
the many residents of new apart
ments in her vicinity. Another pair
packed in blond-wood salad bowl
the necessary items for a shishke-
bab dinner. complete with skewers,
aprons and mittS for the cook,
hard-to-f1nd vine leaves and
Turkish coffee.
You'll find a wealth of sugges-
tions in this practical primer,
about the product, the price, the
package, promotion. possible prob
lens and the customer.
Among them: Remember that
the product should be different,
such as an exciting regional
speciality, unobtainable elsewhere,
Of nostalgia appeal or definite
bargain.
The price should be between
81 and SIS. preferably in round
figures. Most experts say your
price should be twice it's total
cost to you-with the total cost
including the cost of the product,
packaging, printing, mailing. Ia
beling. labor and postage or de-
livery charges, unless you clearly
state these are to be paid by the
customer" the author reports.
1t must compare we'll with COM
petitive items-dont forget that
the idea of a possible saving is
one of the strongest reasons peo-
pie buy by mail.
Data on mailing lists, relations
with the post Office. the Federal
Trade Commission and the Food
and Drug Administration are in
cluded, too.
Life has never been the same
since August. 1948, in the Gin
derella town" of Perryopolis, Pa,
one day poor. the next day heir
to SIS million, bequeathed by &C.
centric Mary Fuller Frazier. That
was over 3 years ago-and the
town has quarreled over the
spending of the money ever since.
Housing, new industry. a new
high school, a sewage disposal
problem all press for attention.
But power fights and other bicker-
ing have prevented action from
being taken, McCALL's magazine
tells.
The chances are that Mrs. Mary
Fuller Frazier never read Mark
Twain's story about The Man
Who Corrupted .Hadleyburg" by
leaving a fortune in gold to al
supposedly incorruptible town,
Author Lawrence Lader points out.
But something strangely similar
is happening. The Frazier for
tune, which at first seemed like
miracle from heaven" gradually
turned friend against friend, de-
veloping bitter factions.
Alleged cousins are claiming the
fortune now and some Perryopolis
citizens feel they may never see
the money. Sure it sounded
wonderful to get a million -and-a-
half dollars" said one townsman
recently. But look at all the
bitterness and trouble the gift has
brought us. We've lost a lot. i
Maybe it would be better for all
of us if we just take the money
and throw it in the river"
x y X X
It's "Open House in New Hamp-
shire" in the LADIES' HOME
JOURNALS How America Lives"
series.
G. M. Whites story of the Quinn
bys. farm family rich in affec-
ton and friends, is a particularly
fitting one for Yuletide release.
This magazine continues its
commendable Political Pilgrim S
Progress series, designed to inter-
est more women in better govern
ment. This month, Margaret
Hickey, public affairs editor, tells
of Mayor Dorothy Lee of Port
land, Greg. Elected on the
strength of one lone campaign
promise. to keep the law. the "only
complaints against her stem from
the fact that she has kept that
promise-completely,'" Miss Hickey