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Ad Rates / Articles / Classified Ads / Editorial / Home / Links / Showtime   Generous giveaways circa 1895-1905   Follow the arrows to other stories Merchants circa 1895-1905 a generous lot   By Barbara Sutton-Smith Thumbing through a pile of late Victorian magazines, I was astonished at the large number of merchants offering free give-a-ways. And not cheap, shoddy, gimmicky things, but items of quality merchandise.   Compared with today's uninspiring freebies, these generous merchants dangled really excellent products before the public to entice individuals to work as full or part time agents.   Who could resist the incentive of a gold and rose decorated 180 piece dinner service and seven-piece lemonade set, all free, just for taking a few orders for soap, tea, or extracts, etc.?   How could one say no to an oak desk/bookcase just for selling 100 perfume pads at 10 cents each?   Some of the magazines, anxious to increase subscribers, had very simple requirements. Just sign up and forward four new, paid subscribers and the agent earned a free doll.   The give-a-ways embraced a wide sweeping line of commodities as can be seen in the illustrations.   Bluine (Laundry Blue) appears to have offered the most generous gifts, followed closely by a baking powder company and, tailing that, various medications, mostly for coughs and colds from drug companies.   Advertisers were extremely anxious to obtain agents in the then extensive rural districts with its large untapped farming communities and ordinary townsfolk.   The potential for sales was high and the prospects for agents rewarding. Pulp magazines, all scrambling for a piece of the action, were a popular medium used by merchants to reach the public. Journals like Demorests, Good Literature, The Household Ledger, Fireside Home Weekly, Ladies Home journal, Farmers Weekly etc., all carried advertising sections and judging by the continuing and increased advertising, merchants got good response and prospered, despite the excellence of their giveaways.   Freebies, such as these were part of "way back times" - when lifestyles were a whole different ball game             Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2008 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster