Billboard advertising (July-Dec 1895)

BILLBOARD ADVERTISING is the Official Organ of the PENNSYLVANIA Bill Posters' Association. Billboard fldvertijir^ PUBLISH KD MONTHLY AT 127 East Eighth Street, Cincinnati, O, TJ. S. A. BY BLLLBOARD ADVERTISING CO., JAMES H. HENNEGAN, Manager. Subscription, $isx> Per Year, In Advance. ADVERTISING RATES: Advertisements will be published at the uni- form rate of twenty-five cents per agate line, except in the classified columns, where special rates prevail- Our terms are cash. BUlboard Advertising is soldin London at Low's Exchange, 57 Charing Cross, and at American Advertising Newspaper Agency, Trafalgar Build- ings, Northumberland Ave., W.C. In Paris, a Brctano'Si 17 Avenue del Opera. The Trade sup- plied by all News Companies. Remittance should be made by cheque, post-office or express money order, or registered letter. The Editor cannot undertake to return unsolicited manuscript* Wheit ft is necessary so wire us the instructions and copy for advertisements, great saving in the master of telegraph tolls may be had by recourse to theVonaldson Cipher- Entered as Second-Class Matter, at the Cincinnati, Ohio, Bat Office, June 29th, 1895. IT seems that -we are beginning to be considered seriously. There has been quite a,respectable hue and cry raised over our last issue. It's a source of satis- faction to be taken seriously, especially when you are very much in earnest, and we are very, very much iu earnest. But for all that we fail to see why there should be so nm -h bitterness and rancor, so much violent exception and turbulant remonstrance. Surely if we are wrong in our estimate of the value of space in newpapers and periodicals of so-called general circulation the fact can be estab- lished without recourse to billingsga'e. Then, too, we did not stale that space in the publications mentioned was ''utterly without value." We do not assume to- "know it all," and we did not refer to ''one half of the press as thieves, and the other half as mendicants'' We are much inclined to believe that the hot headed young men, who have hurled in- vective' at us with such reckless abandon, must have obtained their information re- garding our attitude at secon 1-hand. It is a favorite practice of some papers to quote us iu a garbled and misleading manner What we did say and what we intend- ed to go on saying is that many papers lie about their circulation. Further- more, we believe that fully one half of those who indulge in the practice do it knowingly and wittingly. We also ob- served that the practice of reducing the cost to the subscribers and saddling the burden thus created upon the adver- tiser had been carried to such extreme lengths of late that there was scarcely a cheap priced publication left in which the advertiser could use space with profit. We meant what we said, too. With us these are honest convictions and we in- tend to stand by them. It maybe good policy to force subscriptions upon readers who do not want them. It may also be wise to sell a paper that costs two cents to produce for one cent, but it certainly is very foolish on the part of the adver- tiser to render it possible. In the first place the reader who has to be induced to buy a, paper by offers of half cost does not want a paper, and after he buys it values it but slightly. For the most part, as we observed in a former issue, they are bought merely to be glanced at and thrown away In con- sequence, the advertiser, who has paid twice, and sometimes treble, what the space is worth in order that the sub- scriber may receive double what he pays for, really does not secure the service he would obtain from the same space in a journal conducted on legitimate lines. We trust we have made ourselves clear, but for fear we have not, we will deal with the matter more fully in future issues. At present we are collecting data in the shape of incontrovertible facts, which, we believe will make "mighty interesting reading'' to those chiefly concerned. With the cheap magazines the evil is just as pronounced. In order to make both ends meet they are compelled to take on strch a vast load of advertising that anything short of a colored inset is almost altogether lost Its all wrong- Business men advertised long before the advent of the cheap priced paper and magazine, and they can do it again. There are other avenues open to them, several in fact, and they will not hesi- tate much longer about trying them. When they do bi'l posters and d stribu- ters are going to profit by the change of heart, and legitimate newspapers and magazines, which are sold at legitimate prices, will once more find the favor they deserve. The Omaha Bee which is the latest prominent newspaper whose report *o the American Newspaper Directory has teen proved false, will probably be sum- marily dealt with by the American News- paper Publishers' Association. 1 he mis representations, false statements, aid mendacious assertions of this sheet have been especially bold and flagrant In the face of the notoriously bad distri- buting faiili:ies of Omaha it clain ed upwards of 19 000 daily, over 20 000 Suoday, and exceeding 35.000 weekly. The claims have been utterly demolished and as we observed before, the paper will in all likelihood be expelled in dis- grace from the Association. What of the others, the many, many others, whose sole capital, like that of the Bee, consists of lies, whose only stock in trade is found in the abi.ity to lie, and whose whole existence is a lie. ONIONS vs. FLOUR. It is now said that onions will make a better and cheaper paste than flour The method of manufacture is extremely simple, viz. Fill the tank or kettle with ordinary onions of any size and turn on cold water until they are covered with about two inches Then bring them to the boiling point and allow them to simmer for twenty-five minutes. While still hot the onions and the water in which they have been boiled must be turned into an ordi- nary tincture or wine press, and subject- ed to considerable pressure. ' The resulting fluid, it is said will rival the finest mucilage, It possesses the advantage over flour paste of adhering to tin or glass, and is as transparent and' glossy as demar varnish. LOCAL PATRONAGE. The best way to create local patronage for the boards, is to solicit your trade tirelessly and infatigably. A great aid will be found in samples of the stock commercial posters, which are now issued by quite a number of the printing houses They afford a means of opening up a talk, and in fact are the best kind of a bait„to excite interest. But there is another means which if properly planned and extolled, would make a customer of every retailer in the town or citv. it is simply country routes. Read what Lewis V. Cofiain, advertising manager of Adams & Company, of Buffalo, says about country trade. "Our country trade is our' best trade. It makes less trouble and pays the best profit. The out-of-town customer usually comes to a city with a well filled purse and Icing shopping list, clearly defined ideas of what she wants and a readiness, to buy as soon as satisfied. She wants no time, seeks no samples, pays cash, deliv- ers her own goods, seldom returns any- thing because she has changed her mind or asks us to make a change because of a mere whim. She thinks twice be'ore she buys, and keeps what she gets. This being the case, a retail merchant can af- ford to pay more to secure $1,000 worth of trade from the country, than he would spe*.d to bring in $1,000 worth of city business- Hence, country advertising becomes a mat'er of a great moment" There .is hardly a town or city in America that cannqt boast of a half a dozen country routes One good man can bill them all every week. Ii you really want ltcal paltonage, try this as a htlp to your soliciting. Do not be discouraged over the meager ' results of your early efforts in soliciting- To be a successful solicitor lequires much tact and a peculiar kind of ability, which is developed only by practice and experience. A solicitor must be able to si.e up his man in a minute. To know whether to commence talking to him about the weather, politics or advertis- ing. Whether to be affable or strictly business ' The great majority of people believe in advertising. The trouble is to get them inteiested. 'So many schemes which are absolutely valueless, are sug- gested to business men, and they, not having a knowledge of advertising, adopt these plans, and because they do not bring good results are apt to be, for a time at least, down on all kinds of ad- vertising. When you convince them of the merits of the bill boards and give them first-class service, you will find them constant patrons ever afterwards. So, remember that the first duty of an employing bill poster is to sell his space, to be a solicitor, for that is the best means to that end. After you have secured a customer, endeavor to retain and deserve his patronage by making your service bring results. This can be done by strict attention to business, close and constant surveillance ot em- ployees, and well ordered, judicously placed boards. Tuesday, January 7th, 1896. is the date, and the Emery Hotel, at Cincinnati, the place of meeting of the third annual convention of the Protective League of American Showmen. Bill posters every- where are cordially invited. OMAHA LETTER. Business has been'very good with us. B. M. Drake and Dick Hunter, of the Ringling Bros. Circus, have been here the last few days, they have contracted for a lot of boards from me. They left this morning for other towns to make other bill posters happy. Sam Meyers, manager of Chas. Prohman's Empire Theatre Stock Co, is here booming the business for his attraction which opens here the 22A G. W. Woods, general agent of Harry Williams' "A Bowery Girl Co." has been here the last few days, and has got the town painted a red, white and blue color for his attraction. Charlie Stowe, general press agent of the Bainutn & Bailey Show, has just arrived to work up the press with advance notices of the big show. Hoping your paper, Billboard Advertising, will keep to the front, I remain. T. Mulvihili,.- T F. Martin is the city bill poster at Newport, R. I. F. A: Page is superintendent of the Haskins Bill Posting Co. at Providence. R. I. One of the cleverest schemes that has reached us this season is a neat little ■ folding map issued by Fiske Bros, of Wor- ces'er, Mass. It shows the principal streets and suburbs of Worcester,- to- gether with the locations of all prou.i neut buildings aud thoroughfarea. Messrs Fiske Bros can show the loca- tion of tbeir stands to a customer at a moments notice. It is also a splendid idea to mail lists on. Reagan & Clark, of 21 and 23 Ann St, New Yv.rk, have an uptown office at ?66 E. 120th St Rufus Miksrh, ci y bill poster at Red Cloud, Neb. likes Billboard and re- gards it as a much needed organ H C Stone aud Henry Heatley, who do business under the style of the Pater- son Bill Posting Co., at Paterson, N J, are old timers. They have been in the business since 1866. I. E. Campo, of Savannah, Ga. reports business as slightly dull just at present. Minnesota Bill Posters. The annual convention of the Minne- sota State Bill Posters' Association will be held at St. Paul, Minn, September 10th, next. It will be a most important meeting, and every bill poster in the State of Minnesota should make ar- rangements to attend. L. N. Scott, of St Paul, is President; M. Breslauer, of Minneapolis, Vice-President, and C. H. Greibel, Jr., of Mankato, Secretary and Treasurer. All bill posters desiring to join the Association should address Mr. Greibel at Mankato without delay. BILLBOARD ADV ERTISING is the Official Organ of the MINNESOTA Bill Posters' Association. The Best Advertisement. (UY IIKRT M. MOSKS.J The best advertisement ill the August number of Billboard Advertising, is the one that brings the most orders, I don't be- lieve that the best ad will get the highest number of votes in thecontest, simply because there is nothing more mysterious or sur- prising than advertising. I know of instances where the returns from just an ordinary looking ad have been'astonish- ingly large. On the other hand, every advertiser has met with disappointment over the meager results from some ad which he expected to be a particularly good business-bringer. * ** My opinion is that the best ad in your August number, is that of the Helleberg Photo-Graving Company, of Cincinnati. To me it is as near perfect as any advertisement I have seen lately. In the first place, the half-tone of the little sol- dier furnishes a sample of the company's workj Next, the reader is told to send a good photograph if he wants a good cut Then, best of all, come enough prices (but not too many) to tell what it costs to buy a half-tone. The prices given are manifestly cash prices; because we are told to and yet almut the first question an advertiser asks a bill poster is, "what will you charge to do so and so?" Of course it is impossible to tell prices for everything, but a price or two for cer- tain kinds of wort is always possible. *» * If I were a bill poster and distributer, it seems to me I would tell the public how much I charged for my services, and tell why I was the best man in my territoiy to employ and tell what conspicu- ous boards I controlled, and tell how carefully the work was done, and things of that sort. *** Mr. P. "J. Culhane, of Hamilton, Ont., solicits business on the strength of the statement that he is a "record wrecker." This would seem to be poor advertising. If 1 had bills' to post, I would prefera slower and more careful man to do the work. *** There are other pretty fair ads in the August number, but none out of the ordinary. That of the Libbie Show Print has a splendid position and ought to bring inquiries. Elder, Jenks & Raborg also occupy a conspicuous corner, and their ad is good because it gives prices. I would suggest that a better heading could be used than the firm name, which appears also at the bottom *** Somebody may say that my criticisms are not well taken, because I gave no prices in my own ad. I omitted giving prices for a reason. It was my first ad iu Billboard Advertising. I had A GOOD SUGGESTION. New York, August 15, 1895. Editor Billboard Advertising, Cincinnati, Ohio. Dear Sir: Every indication points to a large increase in the amount of commercial posting that will go over the country this fall. As September and October are' invariably busy months for all bill posters, both for theatrical and commercial work, it would seem to us an appropriate time to call the attention of the various bill posters throughout the country, to the necessity of increasing the amount of their holdings to accommodate the natural increase of business. September and October are really the two crit- ical months of the whole year, as many firms who are persuaded to try bill posting naturally select that time as the beginning of a season, both for its influence on the retail dealers and the consumer. Naturally, during the dull summer months the bill poster is not influenced to increase his hold- ings, and it usually happens that the fall rush comes on him when he is entirely unpre- pared. And we regret to state that it has fre- quently happened that many advertisers, who, had they received a good display for their paper in September, would have continued the posting for several months, but through the unfavorable circumstances have been discouraged from doing further work. < u stion aud impress on its readers the necessity for p-.oviding satisfactory service foradvertisers. at all times the general cause will be much bene- fited and the labor of securing orders greatly lessened. Very truly yours. The o. J. Cure Co. A Different Kind Of Art. "What do you think of it?" asked the artist, a he exhibited his latest bit of work. "Do you really want to know?" asbed the critic, as if anxious to avoid giving pain. "Yes," replied the artist, resolutely. "You will not be offended if I speak frankly ?' "I will not-" "Then," said the critic, "I do not hesitate to say that it is the most diabolically hideous night mare that I ever saw. Iu my opinion, it resem- bles nothing so much as a drunkard's vision.* 1 "Is that your honest opinion?" asked the artist, as if loath to believe it. "It is," replied the critic "And what makes it worse is that you are capable of really good work." "I know it is out of my usual line and methods," admitted the artist, "but I thought—I thought—" "Well?" "Why, I thought I d just try my hand at post- ers in view of the fad that—" "Posters!" exclaimed the critic, "let me look at that again." Then after a critical exam-' ination : "My boy, it is sublime—superb! Your reputation is as good as made now. Why didn't you say posters' in the first place?"— Grever's Station, r From Photograph of the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Convention on the Excursion tendered by Walker & Co., Detroit. J. R. Lewis, the enterprising city bill poster, of Tiffin, Ohio, has this to say of Billboard Advertising: "It's a great paper, and is worth much more than you ask for it," "send the money with the order." It isacomplete ■ ad, well displayed, and yet there isn't a black line in it. After reading it, there is nothing to write about except to send an order and send the cash. Here we see what can be said in about forty words. I can think of nothing additional that would improve it, nor do I see how anything could be left out to advantage. *** The next best ad is Hennegan & Co"s. My only criticism is that-thcrc is too much-of it. Its strong point is the giving of prices. The heading is not striking, nor yet original, but I think it will be noticed by most or the bill posters wh° read billboard advertising. *»* The most noticeable thing about the ads of the bill posters is their similarity. The advertising most of them do, constitutes little more than a directory. Of course there arc exceptions, as iu the case of Ramsey of Lexington. This ad, like some of the others, shows n tendency to be "flip." Just why a bill board man should be more "slangy" than any other businessman, ldo not know ; 1 don't believe it helps to bring orders, •** Mr. Ramsey's ad is good for one reason—it gives a price. Nearly every other ad omits this. doubts as to whether it was a good medium to use for my business; so I thought I would merely try and see how many answers I would get. And I succeeded pretty well, because more'answers . have come to that one ad than I expected from a dozen ads. *** It would be a good plan for every advertiser in Billboard Advertising to write to the pub- Usher and tell just how many dollars and cents can be traced to the ads in the August number. That would show precisely which was best with- out question. IN BRYANVULE Bill board cars for advertising purposes solely, are being run on Cleveland (O.j street railways. Dr. S. Weir Mitchell is an enthusiastic collector of posters, and his collection is said to be the largest in existence, numbering in the thousands. In his Walnut Street house he has a room papered with them. The doctor has given the man who supplies him with his periodical literature a standing order to secure every poster he can lay his hands on, and is said to have agents in Eug- laud aud France.who act under similar instruc- tions.— Argonaut, San Francisco, Apropos of this situation, we have this day received a letter from Mr. John Hackett, bifl\ poster at Woonsocket, R. I., which says: ' .'• "We have during the' present summer made large additions to our already large billing capacity, and are now prepared to post paper to any amount, giving a good satisfactory showing right through the winter months. Heretofore it has been rather hard work to give the required showing during the show season, but our in- creased billing capacity will permit us to guar- antee satisfaction to all prospective advertisers. Thanking you kindly for all work stripped 14s in the past, and hoping for a considerable in- crease in the amount during the present season,*' we are, yours truly, John Hackett, Bill Poster. Next to increasing your holdings is telling the advertiser that you have increased them through the columns of Billboard Advertising, cr otherwise, and we hope the example of Mr. Hackett will be widely followed throughout .the country, so that there will not be cause far a single unsatisfactory comment from any adver- tiser during the months of September and Octo- ber. If Billboard Advertising will take up this GEORGE H. BUBB. The first page of Billboard Advertising for this issue is adorned by a striking portrait of one of Williamsport's, (Pa.,) best known young men, George H. Bubb, who is the city bill poster distributer and general out-door advertising agent. He controls all space in his city as well as at South Williamsport and Newberry. He is a young man only 31 years of age,, but, an old timer at hanging paper. Having started at the old Academy of Music some 16 years ago, he was the first advertising agent for the new Lycoming Opera House. Mr Bubb is alsoa newspaper man having been connected for years with the differ- ent papers of his city, and has been in advance with some of the best stars on the road. The Bubb Comedy Company's Challenge Band and Orchestra of 37 people, who have been on the road the past three seasons playing to the capaci- ty of the Opera Houses owned and managed . by Mr. Bubb, his headquarters which is the home fo r agents, is said to be one of the largest and room, iest in the state, having the large brick buildin.; in the rear of the Reighard Block. Four men find steady eniploynent with him the year round, All patrons of Billboard Advertising are cordially invited to make his place tbeir home if ever in his city.