PLAN No. 250. HONING RAZORS BY MAIL
A Seattle man who carried a line of barbers’ supplies, decided to increase his mail-order business by making it an object for men in the country and small towns to have their old-style razors honed, at no cost if not satisfactory.
He inserted an ad. in some country newspapers, offering to make “dull razors sharp or no pay,” to return the razor, post paid, in twenty-four hours, and if the customer was satisfied, he was to send him 25 cents.
A lot of them came in, all were sharpened and returned, and most of them were paid for. But he had a good list of names, secured in this way, and to these he sent a neatly written booklet, containing illustrations of many articles in the way of shaving supplies he carried in stock, and the orders he received from these made him a good profit, besides the amount he was ahead on the razors he honed. The few losses did not count, for he was out only 2 cents on each for postage, and those that did pay placed him far ahead.