"Money Making Methods"

When a father reaches the age where he questions the logic of buying “green bananas”, what do you give him for Christmas? My son, Stacy, gave me an amazing gift this year, a copy of Money Making Methods, published by EDITORS, Building Supply News, 1919.

I joined the LBM industry in 1964, around the half way mark between the publication and today. It is amazing with all the advancements we have made that we are still dealing with many of the same issues present in 1919 and present in 1964 and still present today.

A couple of examples:

·???????? A dealer was quoted about making money with an “Instant Delivery” System. Another dealer questions him. What do you do when you have more orders than equipment to handle them? ?What do you do when you are out of stock? What do you do when immediately after a delivery is gone, someone wants a small order delivered on the same route?

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·???????? Developing New Trade – “Isn’t it a fact that it has been too much of the case of several dogs fighting for one bone, instead of some of the dogs getting out of the scrap and looking for new and more juicy morsels, in selling of building supplies?” It is the difference between existence and a substantial profit.

One of the things that makes this industry great is the attitude of helping others while elevating the entire industry by most of those involved. That has not changed.

As noted in these excerpts from the FOREWORD:

·???????? For every question in the building supply business there ought to be a cost-saving or profit-making answer.

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·???????? Your problems are our first and most important business and your experience in meeting them will help increase the prosperity of the entire building supply trade.