Mail Order: The Original Internet Still Going Strong

While the world continues to go catatonic over the Internet and its endless possibilities, there's another industry quietly going about its business, piling up profitable year after profitable year after profitable year. What industry is that? It's the mail order industry--or as I prefer to call it, "the original Internet!"

Yes, long before the birth and explosion of the Internet, mail order shopping was a hugely popular and preferred method of doing business--and still is. In fact, the Internet has actually enhanced and contributed to the overall success of mail order.

The mail order industry was created by Aaron Montgomery Ward. Ward sent out his first mail order catalog in 1872--for his Montgomery Ward mail order business located at Clark and Kinzie Streets in Chicago. The first catalog consisted of a single sheet of paper with a price list, 8 by 12 inches, showing the merchandise for sale with ordering instructions.

"Ward's gradually expanded the catalog. They became bigger, more heavily illustrated, chock full of goods-- often referred to as "dream books" by rural families."

Aaron Montgomery Ward was born on Feb. 17, 1844 and died on Dec. 7, 1913. He first worked for Marshall Field, a department store, as both a store clerk and a traveling salesman. As a traveling salesman, he realized that his rural customers could be better served by mail-order, a revolutionary idea. He started his business with only $2,400 in capital. Montgomery Ward was a mail-order only business until 1926, when the first Montgomery Ward retail store opened in Plymouth, Indiana.

And the rest, as they say is history!

Over the years, I've actually owned several profitable mail order businesses--selling everything from books to vitamins to my copywriting services.

It really is an amazingly fun way to do business! Absolutely nothing beats the thrill of receiving checks in the mail! And even though I'm no longer involved in mail order to the degree that I once was, I credit mail order for giving me the invaluable training, experience and skills I use on the Internet every single day.

Not having much success on the Internet? Try your hand at mail order. However, before getting started, I suggest you read the following books:

"How To Get Rich In Mail Order," by Melvin

Powers, "Money In Your MailBox," by L. Perry Wilbur, "How To

Make A Fortune In Mail Order," by Al Stern and "Building A

Mail Order Business," by William A. Cohen .

Many books have been written about mail order, over the years, but the aforementioned books are among the best ever written on the subject. Granted, they are somewhat dated in some areas, but the information itself is still solid as a rock.

You should be able to find these books at your local library, since they're all-time classics. However, if you don't have any luck at the library, try Amazon.com.

These books will provide you with valuable insight into the remarkable and enduring mail order industry, and you just might discover a fun new way of doing business you never even considered before!

About The Author

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net

Visit his website at: http://www.lets-make-money.net

---

Taking Paypal on eBay

Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling... Read More

5 Ways to Drive Traffic Away from Your EBay Auction

eBay is a one-stop solution to any one who wants... Read More

Do You Pay Taxes On eBay Income?

Q: I read your last column about paying income tax... Read More

Maria?s New Lifestyle: Short Story About The Benefits Shopping On The Net Has Given

I've got this strange friend; her name is Maria. Maria's... Read More

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Sell Well On eBay

ATV auctions are healthy markets on eBay. All terrain vehicles... Read More

Internet Auction Sites : Find Good Deals on Almost Anything

You can find good deals on almost everything you need... Read More

Making Money On EBay Can Be So Simple, Just Let Somebody Else Do All The Hard Work For You

OK, so you've been bitten by the eBay bug!You've ransacked... Read More

Nine Simple eBay Selling Hints

Some of these eBay hints will save you money, others... Read More

Free Auction Templates: How to Set Your Border Color With FOAM

If you have not heard of Foamtemplates.com yet, home of... Read More

Five Ways To Detect Shill Bidders On eBay So That You Dont Pay Absurd Prices

There is as a lot of buzz about shill bidders... Read More

8 Collectible Dolls That Sell Well on eBay

From the beginning, eBay's primary growth came from the collectibles... Read More

Online Auctions: How To Generate Fast Traffic From Online Auctions

Have you ever participated in any online auctions?Yes, people are... Read More

The Benefits of Buying and Selling Locally

Shop at a flea market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Trade with... Read More

Selling on Ebay-Get Started in 7 Easy Steps

Ebay auctions are definitely the easiest and fastest way to... Read More

Negating Negative Feedback on eBay

Taking some pride in my one hundred percent positive feedback... Read More

Taxing eBay Part Deux

When my column on paying income tax on eBay profits... Read More

Selling on eBay? Heres a Success Tip for Your Online Auctions

Are you planning to sell on eBay? Or have you... Read More

Selling on eBay - Have You Found the Magic Formula Yet?

Selling on eBay can be very profitable and a great... Read More

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On The Internet

Creating a product from scratch that you can sell on... Read More

7 Great Reasons Why You Should Start an EBay Business Today

EBay is a great part or full time business. An... Read More

Using Online Ebay Auctions to Promote Your Website - Confessions of a True Traffic Junkie

If you are looking for traffic to your e-commerce site,... Read More

The Secret To Real eBay Success

Q. I hear so much about people who started selling... Read More

Ebay Auction Selling Secrets - Using Ebay to Launch Your Very Own Highly Successful Website

Launching your very own successful website is the dream of... Read More

eBay: What Should I Sell?

There is an art to picking profitable products. It's not... Read More

Taxing Your eBay Profits

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first... Read More

How To Write a Traffic Pulling eBay Auction Title

Selling an item on eBay should be simple but it... Read More

Professional eBay Auctions Reap the Profits for Sellers

eBay offer an unbelievable amount of traffic for ANYONE wanting... Read More

Making Your Auction Business Stand Out From The Crowd

When my sons were growing up they started playing hockey... Read More

Hurricane Katrina Donations Could be Many Millions More - EBay Sellers Try in Vain to Help

Yesterday I saw a mention in someone's email ezine about... Read More

Eating and Thriving On-Line

The Internet SHOULD be "the place to shop" for low-carb... Read More

eBays Hot Selling Books, Find Out Which Books Sell & How To Find Them

Selling books on eBay can be a very lucrative business!... Read More

eBay - Getting More Bids Using An Auction Preview

If you sell in small niches as I recommend and... Read More

Doing It eBay: An eBay Business Means Fun and Profits in a Global Marketplace

In 1995, when Pierre Omidyar introduced an online business venue... Read More