Selling by Mail Order

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Introduction

This publication provides basic information on how to run a
successful mail order business. It includes information on
product selection, pricing, testing, writing effective
advertisements, etc. It also provides a list of other publications
and trade associations for persons interested in learning more
about mail order selling.

Mail Order Successes

Almost a hundred years ago Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald got
together to build Sears, Roebuck and Company into what would
eventually became a $10 billion corporation. Meanwhile Aaron
Montgomery Ward started his own company, which would become a
multimillion dollar operation. These three entrepreneurs became
the world's first mail order millionaires.

Since that time, countless part-time and full-time entrepreneurs
have been attracted to the mail order business. Many have failed.
However, a surprising number of businesses have succeeded in both
good times and bad. Today, you can buy everything from clothes
to insurance to live lobsters from Maine, all through the mail.

What Qualities are Required?

For marketing wizards, mail order can be highly profitable. Melvin
Powers, a famous mail order publisher, started with a single book.
Today, he has more than 400 books in print and has sold millions
of copies. Another marketing genius, Richard Thalheimer, built a
multimillion dollar company, The Sharper Image, starting with a
chronograph watch and an ad in Runner's World. He now sells not
only by mail but also through major retail outlets across the
country. Although everyone cannot expect to achieve the same level
of success as these exceptional entrepreneurs, your chances for
building a profitable mail order business are increased if you
possess the following essential qualities: imagination,
persistence, honesty, and knowledge.

Imagination. Imagination is needed to visualize the special appeal
that will compel a potential customer to buy your product. One mail
order expert with imagination is Joe Cossman. In his book How I Made
$1 Million in Mail Order, Cossman described how someone once brought
an unsuccessful mail order product to him with an offer to sell the
rights. The product consisted of earrings with little bells attached.
Cossman managed to turn this mail order loser into a mail order
winner simply by renaming the product "mother-in-law earrings" and
selling them to newlyweds.

Persistence. Persistence is required because success is rarely
instantaneous. There are always obstacles and setbacks. Cossman
struggled over a year before making his first success. While
holding down a full-time job, he worked at his kitchen table,
tackling false leads, problems, and failures. He did nothing but
lose money. Less persistent entrepreneurs would have quit much
sooner. But when he finally was successful, his first product
made him $30,000 in less than one month.

Honesty. Absolute honesty is necessary because a successful mail
order business is built on trust, satisfied customers, and repeat
sales. Cheat your customers even a little, and you've lost them
forever. Without repeat customers, you might just as well invest
your money in a dry oil well. The potential for a successful
enterprise is gone.

In addition, Federal, state, and local government agencies, as well
as the Better Business Bureaus and consumer groups constantly watch
advertising and are quick to take action against unsubstantiated
claims or infractions of any laws.

Knowledge. Without knowledge--the how-to's and the why's--your
chances for success are small. Success stories like Ward's, Sears',
and Cossmam's, are built around that individual's constant search
for knowledge--knowledge that answers two critically important
questions:--What works? What doesn't?

You must continue increasing your knowledge if you are to succeed.
You can increase it through both reading and experience. Experience
is valuable, but it is also the most expensive way to learn. Because
you can save time and money through the experiences of others,
extensive reading is highly recommended. Joe Cossman says that he
spends at least one full day a month at the public library.

You can also learn from successful competitors. Make a thorough study
of magazines and newspapers, and review the ads appearing there over
a period of time. Note ads that run consistently month after month or
several times a year. Answer ads that are particularly interesting.
Careful study the catalogs, sales letters, brochures, and sales
literature received. Study particularly all follow-up mailings. You
should know what the competition is doing.

Product Selection

It may appear that you can sell almost anything through the mail, but
this just isn't true. To develop ideas for products, you may want to
study trade publications, attend product shows, contact manufacturers,
and answer ads. To increase your chances of picking a winner, look for
a product that is light weight; nearly unbreakable; has a broad appeal
to a large, specific segment of the population; and has a large margin
for profit.

This last requirement means you have to be able to buy low and sell
high. You should select a product that allows you to sell it for
three to four times the cost. This is a much higher margin than for
goods sold by retail merchants, who usually sell at about twice their
cost. But you need this margin to make a profit because of the high
cost of advertising. Although you can't get this kind of mark-up with
all products, you can charge even more for many products. If customers
won't pay the price that you need to make a profit, find a different
product to sell. However, many mail order advertisers are willing to
lose money on initial sales to obtain the customer's name. They hope
to more than make up for the loss by selling a satisfied customer many
additional products in the future. Without the high cost of
advertising, direct mail repeat sales can be made at much higher
margins. Again, this is one of the reasons that honesty and efficiency
in mail order operations is so important.

Pricing Structure

How you structure your offer is also important. You may have the right
product and the right price but still lose simply by the way you present
it.

For example, you want to sell a product called a widget at two for $1.00.
You could advertise your offer just like that, or you could advertise one
widget for $1.00 and a second widget free. Or you could sell one widget for
$.99 and offer a second one for $.01.

All of these offers are exactly the same. However, they are perceived
differently by your customers. Tests have shown that there can be a 600
percent difference in response by presenting an offer in different terms.
Unfortunately, because every situation is different, no one can tell you
which is the best offer without knowing the product and project
intimately--and without doing extensive testing.

Forecasting Sales

Always be on the cautious side in forecasting sales. Your breakeven point
(the number of units sold at which a project stops losing money and begins
to make money) should be set very low at least while you are testing your
probable level of response. For example, if your break-even point is five
percent of the names on a mailing list up to five percent of the people can
respond to your offer and you are still not making a profit. Keep your
expectations reasonable. For many businesses, one quarter of one percent is
an excellent response.

The same idea is true in forecasting orders from magazine advertisements.
One famous advertiser is happy if he gets 1.25 times the cost of his
advertisements in sales. This means that if the advertisement cost $100, he
is delighted if the resulting sales amount to $125. For one publication,
this means 1/10 of one percent of the readership responded. However, many
advertisements don't even bring in 1/100 of one percent of their readership.

Testing--Mail Order's Secret Weapon

Successful mail order operators test almost everything. They test the
results of offers...copy appeals...mailing lists...formats...prices...
advertising media...and any other variable that has a direct influence on
the response to an ad or mailing. Testing is a scientific approach to mail
order selling. It is an effective secret weapon that permits a mail order
entrepreneur to fail with four out of five products and still walk away
with big profits on the fifth product.

How is it done? Spend a small amount of money for a test ad or mailing
list. A complete failure tells you to drop the whole project. Marginal
results tell you to experiment and rework some aspect of the project. A
major success gives you the green light for a larger investment.

In this way, you can afford to lose money on several dismal failures. But
when your testing indicates a clear success, you can move immediately to
capitalize on what you know to be a winner. The idea is not to risk a lot
of money until you are more certain of success.

Advertising

Nothing determines the success of a mail order enterprise so much as its
advertising, whether it be magazine, newspaper, radio, TV, direct mail, or
some other form of promotion. Writing advertising copy, preparing art,
selecting media, determining price, and other factors usually require
expert skills. If you decide to work with an advertising agency, select one
primarily on the basis of its successful experience in producing profitable
mail order advertising.

Whether you decide to use an agency or go it alone, below are some
important concepts to remember.

Where to Advertise

It is important to recognize that everyone is not a good prospect for your
product or service. Concentrate your efforts on the segments of the market
that are more likely to buy than others. For example, if you have a new
type of cooking pot, you may think everybody would be a prospect because
everybody cooks. Wrong! Many individuals are not interested in cooking and
do not want to try something new. Some people may think your price is too
high (or too low), and some won't buy anything through the mail.

A good strategy is to advertise in the same place where similar items are
advertised. This is true whether the media you are considering is a
magazine or a list of names for a direct mail campaign.

When You Should Advertise

The month in which you advertise a product or service can have a great
effect on the results. For general guidelines, the following is probably
true:

Although most products can be advertised all year,
some usually should be advertised and sold only during
certain seasons. For example, you probably should not
try to sell garden hoses in December.

Major events can affect the results of your promotion.
For example, November is usually a good month for
most products; however, depending on what you are
selling, November sales may be better or worse in an
election year. Similarly, a war, the death of an
important person, or other major events will affect the
results of a mail order promotion.

Whatever your product, some months are better for
sales than others. You can only find out the best
months for your product by testing. Generally, as
compiled from various sources, the best to worst months
for mail order sales are the following: January,
February, October, November, March, September, August,
April, December, July, May, and June.

When starting off a new product or service, advertise during the logical
months, considering your product and the season of the year. Then analyze
your response. If you test in a good month, the results may be much better
than you can expect in an average or poor mail order sales month. In the
same way, if your test ad appears in a bad month and the results are only
marginal, you may get better sales in other months.

Depending on the strength of the response, you can estimate the most
effective frequency for advertising. For example, if the response was
strong, you may decide to advertise your product frequently. If the
response was only moderate, you should probably advertise less
frequently--perhaps every other month or once a quarter or only during
certain peak months. Finally, if the response was profitable but weak
during a good mail order month, possibly you should advertise this
particular product infrequently.

What To Put In Your Advertisements

The words (or copy) in your advertisements are critical. They should not be
just a casual consideration. In his book Tested Advertising Methods, John
Caples described two ads that were the same size, that used the same
illustrations, and that were in identical publications. Only the copy
differed. One ad sold 19 1/2 times as many goods as the other. This is not
just the difference between failure and success; it can be the difference
between failure and a small fortune.

There are many different formulas for developing copy. Initially, you
should write your advertisement according to a definite copy structure.
Once you know that you can write good mail order copy, you can experiment
with less structured forms of communicating. The Copyright Checklist
included in this pamphlet lists several important considerations. One good
basic structure to begin with is described below:

Get attention.
Develop interest.
Show the benefits and advantages of your product or service.
Build up and maintain credibility.
Deliver a call to action.

Get Attention. The most important element of your ad and copy is the
headline. This is how you gain attention. Yet, many copywriters, who spend
hours writing the words in the body of the ad, will spend just a few
minutes on the headline. The weekly magazine Advertising Age once related
that Maxwell Sackheim sold 500,000 copies of a book by changing the title,
and therefore the headline, from Five Acres to Five Acres and Independence.

All good headlines have certain things in common. First, a good headline
appeals to the reader's self-interest and stresses the most important
benefit of the product or service. If the copywriter can arouse the
curiosity of the reader or present startling news or suggest a quick and
easy way that the reader might obtain an important benefit, the stopping
power of the headline is enhanced.

The second characteristic that good headlines have in common is the use of
key words that are psychologically powerful in attracting potential
readers. In Confessions of an Advertising Man, David Ogilvy, says that the
most important of these key words are free and new, but there are many
other powerful words. Here is a list of some words psychologists have
discovered to be powerful in stopping readers and getting their attention:

amazing announcing at last
bargain challenge easy
how to hurry important
just arrived last chance miracle
power remarkable revolutionary
secret sensational success
wanted who else why

Develop Interest and Demonstrate Benefits. Once you have gained the
reader's attention, demonstrate the benefits of buying. The benefits must
override the cost of the product and the trouble involved in finding a
stamp and envelope, writing a check, and mailing the order. Don't sell
product descriptions. Sell benefits. A customer at a restaurant buys the
taste, smell, and sizzle, not a piece of meat. It is your job to describe
your product in terms of taste, smell, and sizzle.

Build Credibility. Credibility is very important in making your copy
effective. Regardless of what you say about the benefits or advantages of a
product, if your potential customer does not believe what you say, he or
she will not place an order.

Testimonials can be very helpful, particularly if you have permission to
use the name of an individual whose testimonial is on file. An alternative
is to omit the name or use only initials.

Other means of achieving credibility are identifying a bank, accountant, or
attorney who is willing to be a reference. Even showing a picture of the
building that houses your business can add credibility, especially if it is
an imposing structure.

Call to Action. A basic law of sales is that a face-to-face salesperson
must ask for an order. As a salesperson selling through an advertisement,
you should also call your customer to immediate action. You don't want your
customers to cut out the coupon and put it away for another day. You want
your customers to order immediately. Research has demonstrated that
regardless of initial intent, in most instances, if your prospects don't
order immediately, they don't order at all. Include incentives, such as a
statement on limited quantities or a limited time offer.

Copywriting Checklist

Headline

Does the headline appeal to self-interest, offer exciting news,
or arouse interest?
Is the headline positive, rather than negative?
Does the headline suggest that the reader can obtain something
easily and quickly?
Does the headline make use of the powerful words of mail order advertising?
Does the headline stress the most important benefit of the product?
Does the headline stop the reader and cause him or her to read further?
Is the headline believable?
Does the headline tie in with the copy?

The Offer

Are all the elements of the offer present in the copy?

Product Terms
Options Dates
Price Guarantee
Additional inducements
to buy Places

Copy Content

Do you gain interest at once by use of a story, a startling or unusual
statement, a quote, or news?

Do you show benefits and advantages that appeal to emotional needs so that
your offer is irresistible?

Do you establish credibility with your reader through the use of
testimonials, statements by your accountant, or some other means?

Do you encourage immediate action by listing a reason to order now (limited
quantities, time limit on offer, etc.)?

Copy Quality

Is the copy written in a conversational tone?
Does your copy move right along?
Do you use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs?
Do you use lots of subheads throughout your copy?

What Cost?

Top quality advertising costs more, but it usually brings the best results.
However, don't overspend on advertising, direct mail, and other promotions.
Don't invest in full color printing when one or two colors will do the job.
There is no need to use the costliest papers, elaborate art, or other
extravagances to sell profitably.

Keep Good Records

A word of caution: to succeed in mail order pay close attention to details.
But don't get bogged down in them. Keeping accurate records, results of
ads, advertising costs, printing, postage, cost-per-order, and other
figures are important to the success of the business. However, do it in the
simplest, easiest, least time-consuming way possible.

Repeat Business--Key to Maximum Profits

Continuous profits come from continuous sales. As already suggested, rarely
is a profitable mail order business established on a one-time sale. In a
previous version of this publication, Paul Muchnik, president of Paul
Muchnick Company in Los Angeles, offered the following as methods to
stimulate repeat orders at minimal cost:

Never Forget the Customer. The list of customers built up is a most
valuable asset. Use it to send offers of merchandise at frequent intervals.

Use Package Stuffers. A regular catalog or a special offer rides "free" in
outgoing orders. Since postage and packing costs already are being paid to
ship the merchandise, package enclosures can bring in new sales and profits.

Offer Quantity Discounts. Get larger orders by offering savings on quantity
purchases. Everyone loves a bargain. A discount or a special price, a
premium for an order over a given amount, and singular incentives stimulate
larger orders. Furthermore, gift certificates are often used profitably
too, especially during Christmas and other holiday seasons.

Advertise on Envelopes. If you are enclosing advertising in the envelope,
consider using the envelope itself to feature one or more special offers.
The additional printing cost could prove insignificant compared to the
extra sales produced.

Mail order can be a profitable and interesting full or part-time business.
But remember, you will probably lose money before you start making it. So
don't make major investments until you have gained experience and until you
have found the right product at the right price and the best means of
communicating it to the most receptive market.

The Bibliography

U.S. Government Publications

The following selected titles of publications are listed under the names of
issuing agencies. Some are free; others are for sale. Request the free
publications from the issuing agency, giving the publication's title and
series number (if shown). Request many of the for sale publications from
the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) as described below. Also, check
local libraries for further listings of Federal publications and reference
copies of some of the titles. Many public libraries keep selected
publications provided through the Federal Depository Library System.

Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402

Many for sale publications can be ordered through GPO. For a current price
list write to the above address. Give the publication's title, its series
number (if shown), and the name of the issuing agency.

U.S. Small Business Administration
Washington, DC 20416

SBA issues several series of management and technical publications designed
for owner-managers and prospective owners of small businesses. Listings of
publications may be requested from SBA, P.O. Box 15434, Ft. Worth, TX 76119.

Ask for SBA 115A Business Development Pamphlets and SBA 115B Business
Development Booklets. The lists are free and may be used for ordering the
pamphlets from SBA or the booklets from the Superintendent of Documents
(GPO).

Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540

A mail order operator, one who prepares materials to sell by mail,
frequently needs to copyright printed materials. A list of copyright
publications is available upon request from the Copyright Office, Library
of Congress, Washington, DC 20450.

The Copyright Law of the United States of America. Request price from the
Superintendent of Documents.

Federal Trade Commission
Washington, DC 20580

List of Publications. Free. Includes listings of publications such as trade
practice rules for many industries.

U.S. Postal Service
Washington, DC 20260

The following booklets supply general information on post office services,
rates, and various office sizes. Some of them are available in large post
offices and local libraries.

International Mail. Request price from Superintendent of Documents.
Contains detailed information about postage rates, services available,
prohibitions, import restrictions, and other conditions governing mail to
other countries. The countries are listed alphabetically, with the specific
requirements applicable to mail addressed to each of them. Sold on a
subscription basis only, which includes the basic book in loose-leaf form,
and changes issued as required for an indefinite period.

Directory of Post Offices. Request price from Superintendent of Documents.
List of post offices, branches, and postal stations by States, counties,
and alphabetically by name.

Postal Bulletin. Issued weekly with supplementary issues. Request price
from Superintendent of Documents. Covers such topics as: changes in
regulations, new developments in postal service, and handling of mail.
Intended primarily for postal employees; also of value to larger direct
mail advertisers and mail-order dealers.

Postal Service Manual. Subscription basis. Basic book and changes service
for an indefinite period. Contains regulations and procedures for public
use; explains the services available; stipulates rates and fees; and
prescribes conditions under which postal services are available to the
public. From Superintendent of Documents.

National Zip Code Directory. Request price from Superintendent of
Documents. List ZIP Code for every mailing address in the United States.
Arranged alphabetically by State, within each State, complete listing is
given of ail post offices. Appendix after each State gives ZIP Code for
each address in larger cities, and other pertinent ZIP Code data.

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Washington, DC 20220

Tax Guide for Small Business. Designed to assist business people in
preparation of Federal tax returns for the calendar year. Annually in
December. Request price from Superintendent of Documents or local Director
of Internal Revenue.

Nongovernment Publications

Following is a list of books, directories, magazines, and trade
associations that may be helpful in obtaining information about selling by
mail order. Many of the books may be purchased from book stores or directly
from the publishers, but most are available at local libraries. The
publisher, address, and price are given for direct ordering although
availability and prices are subject to change. The fact that a publisher or
firm is listed in this Small Business Bibliography does not indicate that
the U.S. Small Business Administration endorses any such firm.

Books

For additional listings, consult the Cumulative Book Index, Subject Guide
to Books in Print, and the Publishers Trade List Annual at local libraries.

Boardroom Reports
500 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10110

Mail Order. 1982. Schwartz, Eugene M. $50.00 How to get the hidden profits
that exist in your business. 269 pages.

Crain Books
740 Rush St.
Chicago, IL 60611

Successful Direct Marketing Methods. 3rd ed. Stone, Bob. 1985. $29.95.
Widely regarded as the "Bible" of direct response advertising this book
reveals how successful professionals use direct mail, space broadcast, and
other media to sell all kinds of products. 370 pages.

Profitable Direct Marketing. Kobs, Jim. 1979. $24.95. How to start and
improve any direct marketing operation. Includes 11 detailed case studies.
312 pages.

Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co.
Columbus, Ohio 43216

Direct Marketing. Katzenstein, H. and Sachs, W. 1986. $34.95. An up-to-date
academic textbook in direct marketing. 466 pages.

John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
605 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10158

Building a Mail Order Business. 2nd ed. Cohen, William A. 1985. $19.95.
Step-by-step everything you need to know to be successful from start-up on,
including development of a marketing plan. 565 pages.

Direct Response Marketing, An Entrepreneurial Approach. Cohen, William A.
1984. $34.95. A textbook version of Building a Mail Order Business with end
of chapter questions and 19 case studies. 496 pages.

Direct Marketing Success. Gosden, F. Jr. 1985. $19.95. The first direct
marketing book that emphasizes what works and why. 233 pages.

Crown Publishers, Inc.
One Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Or Your Money Back. Elcoff Albin. 1982. $14.95. All about mail order
broadcast advertising by the guru who pioneered radio and TV techniques. 15
pages.

Dartnell Corporation, The
660 Ravenswood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640

Direct Mail, & Mail Order Handbook. 3rd ed. Richard S. $60.50.
Comprehensive guide to every phase of mail advertising and selling. Methods
used by top professionals described in detail, enabling you to adapt their
ideas to your own needs to get results you seek. 1,555 pages.

Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.
386 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016

The Dynamics of Making a Fortune in Mail Order. Brandell, R.J. in
collaboration with Brandell, R.E. 1981. $19.95. A 21 chapter mail order
success formula by a father-son team with actual experience. 358 pages.

Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.
10 East 53rd St.
New York, NY 10022

How You Can Make At Least $1 Million (But Probably Much More) in the Mail
Order Business. Joffe, G. 1978 $24.95. By an entrepreneur who built two
multimillion dollar catalog houses: Haverhill's and Henniker's. 370 pages.

The Marketers Bookshelf
402 Bethlehem Pike
Philadelphia, PA 19118

The Do-It-Yourself Direct Mail Handbook. Raphel, M. and Erdman, K. 1986.
$19.95. Step-by-step how to use direct mail effectively--a complete how to
do it source. 218 pages.

McGraw-Hill Book Company
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

How to Start and Operate a Mail Order Business. 3rd Ed. Simon, J. 1981.
$29.95. This up-dated text clarifies techniques of earning maximum profits
and provides mail order operators with sound guidance for improving
efficiency. 536 pages.

The Direct Marketing Handbook. Nash, Edward L. $54.95. Sixty chapters
covering all aspects of direct marketing. 946 pages.

Elements of Direct Marketing. Baier, M. 1983. $41.95. Basic textbook on
direct marketing with case studies. Considered the definitive academic
work. 389 pages.

Direct Marketing: Strategy/Planning/Execution. Nash, Edward L. 1985.
$32.50. A professional approach which emphasizes strategy development. 423
pages.

The Direct Marketers Legal Advisor. Posh, R.J. 1983. $29.95. A to-the-point
legal guide for direct marketing practitioners. 242 pages.

Mail Order Magic. Holtz, Herman. $15.95. Techniques to expand your business
by direct mail by someone who has done it. 208 pages.

Ten Speed Press
PO Box 7123
Berkeley, CA 94707

Mail Order Know-How. Hoge, Cecil C. Sr. 1982. $24.95. A guided tour of
direct marketing by people who have sold billions. 455 pages.

Mail Order Moonlighting. Hoge, Cecil C. Sr. 1976. $7.95. How to start your
own business part-time. 399 pages. Soft cover.

The Wilshire Book Co.
12015 Sherman Road
North Hollywood, CA 91605

How to Get Rich in Mail Order. Powers, Melvin. 1980. $15.00. How one of the
largest independent sellers of books became a millionaire in the mail order
business and how you can too. 336 pages. Paperback.

How to Write a Good Advertisement. Schwar, Victor O. 1962. $10.00. One of
the best books on copyrighting. 227 pages. Paperback.

Mail Order Made Easy. Brumbaugh, J.F. 1979. $10.00. The basics of mail
order start-up simplified. 2,011 pages. Paperback.

Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

Tested Advertising Methods. 4th ed. Caples, John. $11.95. 1974. The
copywriter's "Bible" removes advertising guess work and reveals proven
selling techniques. Includes 82 pages of illustrations of result-getting
headlines, ads, and direct mail. 318 pages.

How I Made $1 Million in Mail Order. Cossman, E. Joseph. 1963. $9.95.
Practical, step-by-step system for successful mail order promotion
explained in detail by a man who started small and achieved giant-size mail
order success. 239 pages.

More Then You Ever Wanted to Know About Mail Order Advertising. Lewis, H.G.
1983. $10.95. How to make sure advertising campaigns work. 330 pages.
Paperback.

Directories

Listed here are useful directories for locating sources of supply,
services, and products. Some are available for reference at local
libraries. Publishers' names and addresses are provided for direct ordering
although availability and prices are subject to change.

Mail Order USA
P.O. Box 19083
Washington, DC 20036

Mail Order USA. O'Callaghan, Dorothy, $7.00. Guide to 2000 top mail order
catalogs in the United States and Canada. Every type of catalog and
merchandise is listed.

B. Klein Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 8503
Corel Springs, FL 33065

Mail Order Business Directory. Biennially. $45. Lists over 5000 names,
addresses, and basic facts about U.S. firms doing business by mail. Buyer's
names are shown and type of merchandise sold.

Guide to American Directories. 10th ed. $45. Lists over 5000 directories
available as mailing lists and provides publishers' names, cost, contents
of each directory.

Standard Rate & Data Service, Inc.
5201 Old Orchard Road
Skokie, IL 60076

Direct Mail List Rates & Data. Semiannually. $92. Comprehensive listing of
mailing lists arranged by subject in consumer business and farm categories.

Consumer Magazines & Farm Publications. Monthly. $126. Listing of
advertising rates, publication closing dates, other data of publications
accepting advertising.

Magazines, Newsletters

Following are some of the periodicals offering marketing and management
information related to various aspects of selling by mail.

Advertising Age. Weekly. $40 a year; $1.00 a copy. Crain Communications,
Inc., 740 Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611.

Catalog Age. Bimonthly. $12 a year; $4.00 a copy. Catalog Age Publishing,
Box 4006, New Canaan, CT 06840.

Direct Marketing. Monthly. $42 a year; $4.50 a copy. Hoke Communications,
Inc., 224 7th Ave., Garden City, NY 11530.

Direct Marketing Letter. Monthly. $45 a year. Januz Marketing
Communications, Inc., 1370 Longwood Rd., Lake Forest, IL 60045.

Mail Order Digest. Monthly. $42 a year. National Mail Order Association,
5818 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019.

World Gift Review. Monthly. $14 a year. World Gift Review, 616 9th St.,
Union City, NJ 07087.

Trade Associations

Trade Associations are generally excellent sources of information and
assistance in their specific areas. Some of the associations dealing with
various phases of mail sales are listed below. Most will send descriptive
literature of their services, sample publications, and membership
requirements.

Direct Marketing Association
6 East 43d St., New York, NY 10017

Associated Third Class Mail Users
1725 K St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006

National Mail Order Association
5818 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019