Mail Order Startups
These companies started from humble beginnings and a single product or line.
J Peterman Company (Cowboy Dusters)- John Peterman started a mail order catalogue business in 1988 after he tried to sell cowboy dusters after he failed to generate enough sales from advertisements.The catalogue was distinctive because of the drawings of the merchandise and the descriptions written for each item. Their first catalogue was distributed in 1989. www.peterman.com
Blair Corporation (Raincoats)- In 1910 John Blair tried to sell black raincoats for fellow students at the University of Pennsyvania. He was only able to sell one to an undertaker. Determined to create a more attractive coat, he developed a raincoat with an outside of black wool adhered to vulcanized rubber, trimmed with a Scottish plaid on the inside. Letters were mailed to the undertakers, and the coats sold quickly. www.blair.com
L.L. Bean Inc (Hunting Shoes)- Leon Leonwood Bean was an avid outdoor man, set out to solve the problem of perennially wet boots by designing and producing a boot with rubber on the bottom and leather above. With
100% money back for dissatisfied customers, he mailed out to non-resident Maine hunting license holders in 1912. He had to return 90% of the money from the first few orders. www.llbean.com
Norm Thompson Outfitters(Fishing Flies)- Norm Thompson retired from owning various local businesses in Portland, Oregon, after the WW2. This allowed him to spend time fly-fishing. He began selling his home-made flies in 1949 through advertisements in various magazines. In 1951 the business went to his son-in-law, Peter Alport, who made changes which included the mail order catalogue. www.appleseeds.com
The Fingerhut Companies, Inc(Automobile seat covers)- The Fingerhut family ran a sewing business. In 1948, William Fingerhut had the idea to produce automobile seat covers, and sold many to his brother Manny, a manger of a used-car lot. Manny then had the idea to sell to all car owners. They ran a test market of 100 owners and received 8 orders. They soon began to acquire lists of new-car owners and the mail order began to prosper. www.fingerhut.com
Sears, Roebuck & Co(Watches)- Richard Warren Sears started with a mail order watch business, the ‘RW Sears Watch Company’. Soon after he partnered with Alvah C Roebuck, a watch repairman and in 1893 they formed Sears & Roebuck Company. The catalogues had many items that were not available locally to rural families. The catalogue was discontinued in 1993. www.sears.com
Levenger Company(Reading lights)- Steve Leveen & Lori Granger found that they didn’t have enough lighting in their new home to comfortably read. So, they did some research and began trying to sell halogen lights. They credit their first break to an ad in “The New Yorker” for ‘serious lighting for serious readers’, which bought 47 customers. Their first mail order catalogue was published in 1990. www.levenger.com
Edmund Scientific Corporation(Military Surplus Optics)- Norman Edmund started the Edmund Salvage Co with World War II surplus. His first advertisement was in “Sky & Telescope” offering ‘Unusual War Bargains in lens & Prisms’. Their first mail order was shipped in 1943 and the booklet titled ‘Fun with Chipped Edge Lenses’. www.edmundoptics.com
Lane Bryant Inc (Maternity Clothing)- Immigrating to New York from Lithuania in 1897 at the age of 16, Lena Himmelstein began working as a seamstress. She married David Bryant but was widowed soon after their son was born. Most women then stayed home during pregnancy, but a customer asked for dresses to hide her pregnancy. Lena began making these from her small shop and eventually this became her focus. A mail order business was started between 1910-17. The catalogue would bring in over one million dollars in sales by 1918. www.lanebryant.com
Harry & David Holdings Inc(Pears)- Samuel Rosenberg sold his Seattle hotel in 1910 and purchased 240 acres of pear orchards. His sons, Harry & David took over the business when he died in 1914. They began marketing pears as “Royal Riviera” and were successful until the time of Great Depression. In 1934 they made a business trip to New York to try to drum up interest in their pears, but were having no luck. Rather than have the sample pears spoil, they sent them to top businessmen with a letter encouraging them to purchase as a gift for their friends and colleagues. Their strategy worked as this was also the year they began sending out their first mailings. www.harryanddavid.com
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