Why Sell Redwood?

n NE of our good dealer friends in a recent letter jokingly v remarked that from his standpoint one of Redwood's big disadvantages is its permanence-its great durability makes replacements unnecessary. Nothing short of a cyclone will destroy Redwood. Fungus does not rot it and worms and ihsects leave it alone. It is a slow burner. Thoroughly painted, it looks well a long time. Even unpainted, it still resists decay. A Redwood house needs little repairing. But this dealer keeps iight on ordering Redwood. He finds that telling these sad facts about Redwood to his custorners does ndt drive them away.

Sometimes he even ventures to remark that according to the U. S. Government Report entitled "Physical, Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Redwood" there isn't any other wood, either soft or hard, that averages as high on durability, lack of shrinkage, strength as a beavn or post, ease of glueing, a,orbabilit! and ability to "stay put."

all over the country have steadily increased their Upson Board sales for the past five years-in spite of the fact that thousands of contractors are making good profits from the use and recommendation of Upson Board-and in spite of the fact that a large percentage of people generally appreciate a good wallboard, that there are contractors, dealers and users who have not been able to see the possibilities of wallboard for high-class work.

"I, myself, have heard contractors say:'If wallboard has to be applied in narrow panels with cheap decorative strips that rnake it look like railroad tracks, then I do not want to recommend it.'

"Of course, we know that the beauty of paneling is unlimited. We know that paneled walls and ceilings are as old as Art itself and that the Greeks and Romans to whom we look for Beauty and Culture used paneling almost entirely.

"Magazines, fortunately, are doing a great deal to educate people to the beauty of paneled walls and ceilings. If you stop to think of it you can scarcely pick up a magazine article or a book devoted to interior decorating that does not show tasteful paneling.

"The vogue for Colonial Architecture is bringing paneling into prominence. Every good specimen of Colonial Architecture shows paneled walls and ceilings. Many of them are of wood and too expensive for general use, it is true. That is just where wallboard performs a real service. It makes possible walls and ceilings of lasting beauty at a lower cost than would be the case if wood was used.

"You recall a few moments ago I referred to the steadl increase in sales of most of our dealers and the addition of thousands of contractors to our list. As we checked over our records we felt that there must be a reason why all of our dealers were not showing the same steady increase.

"Three years ago we started a series of investigations. We personally inspected hundreds of wallboard installations. We interviewed the contractors on the job and the decision we reached was that improper application, poorly selected panel designs and inharmonious wood trim were the three things standing in the way of progress of good wallboard.

"On first thought it seemed as though the responsibility was up to contractors. But we found most of them very glad of our suggestions as to how they might have made better looking jobs and created better satisfied customers for themselves.

"Education is the one thing that will put good wallboard in its hightful place as the modern wallboard, we said to ourselves. And then we started to work on a plan that would solve the problems of contractors and dealers.

"When we got into it we discovered we had taken upon ourselves a stupendous task. Pictures of the right kind of installations had to be collected, and that was a job in itself.

(Continued on Page 54.)

IIESIGIIEII F(lR IIIIIUSTRIII HAUTITG

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Scores of Goodyear All-Weather Tread Solids and Goodyear Cushions are already in service, and more are constantly being purchased, proving that they are ideal equipment for this type of work.

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53.)

. "Drawings covering every point that might cone up in connec- tion with the application of Upson Board had to be made.

"My !,rother C. A-Upson made the first rough drawings. They were talked over and thought over in conferencls of our-own executives and of outside merchandising executives.

"Then they were turned over to the architects. Some of the best known architects in the country were called in to digest and condense our plans. I should say that at least a 1,000 to 1,500 drawings were made before thev were ready for publication. You see we wanted to be sure to answer every question that might come up in the mind of a contractor.'

"In our own personal investigation trips we found that contractors were constantly running into the problem of how to handle the trim in applying Upson Board over old plaster-what to do in cases where it was originally planned to use plaster and (Jpson Board was later decided upon-how to apply Upson Board witlout removing the baseboard-and dozens of other similar questions.

"Dealers, too, have been asked the same questions in the past and they have had--to evade them because no manufacturer had expended the time or effort to educate them so that they could answei them for themselves. But now the Upson Blue Book- will make all dealers and contractors wallboard exDerts.

"Let me show you," said Mi. Upson, "how the Upson Blue Book tells the story of good wallboard and its possibilities"-and he opened a big book, beautifully bound in blue leather with the title "Vpson Blue Book" embossed in gold. Mr. Upson turned page after page of pictures in black and white showing dinine rooms, living rooms, bed rpoms and sun parlors all finished with wallboard in attractive designs. There were stores, offices, factories and garages, too. Every type of building and almost every type of room was portrayed.

As Mr. IJpson triumphantly turned to a color spread showing several rooms in dignified paneling and soft coloring I said; "Thesi pictures would convince the coldest skeptic that properly paneled walls and ceilings have individuality and taste unobtainablb in any other way!"

"How ma_ny pages are there in the Blue Book," I asked Mr. Upson.

"About 150 pages," he replied, "including the pages describing the qualities a good wallboard should have and the blue print pages."

"These blue print pages that I am coming to," said Mr. Upson, "we consider the most important part of the Blue Book beiause they show just how to obtain the effects shown in the pictures we have just looked at."

I found that there were at least 50 pages of blue prints, each page telling a complete story from the background to which wallboard

(Continued from Page WHAT ghoul.d b.9 applied in the particlrlar type of room portrayed to the last detail regardin_g the right kind of trim and moirlding! to create the complete installation.

After what Mr. Upson had told me about the questions that dealers,, contractors and wallboard users constantly have to solve, I could see the import of these blue print designs and their value to contractors, dealers and consumers as well.

"Why,.your Blue Book is a veritable encyclopedia,', I exclaimed.

"That is exactly what we have tried to niake-it," iV{r. IJpson answered.

"In addition to the information that contraitors can gather from referring to the Blue Book as it hangs in the dealers offi"ces we will send them, when they have decided upon the design they wish to carry out, an exact copy of any of the blue prints shbwn in the Blue Bo*. so that they. can have it as a guide to the completion of a job."

"The Blue Book thus. far represents an investment of over $i00,- 000,"_said Mr. Upson. "By the time it is functioning in the hands of our dealers- we presume it will cost us about $150;000, because we are going further and helping our dealers to nierchanciise the Blue Book-to get it working for them."

"With every Blue Book we shall furnish the Blue Book Mercha!dising Service-the most remarkable selling service ever offered lumber dealers to increase their profits, w beliive.

"The Upson Blue Book Merchandising Service will show dealers how by_gsing the Upson Blue Book as a background they can double and treble their sales of wood trim and Upson Board." -

"It offers suggestions and materials foi campaigns of advertising to carpenters and contractors telling them of the wonderful servicE dealers are in a position to offer them and inspiring them to do more and better jobs with Upson Board.

"The Merchandising Service offers a campaign of advertising material for home owners, business houses, professional men and -every possible user of Upson Board. It not only pictures ihe advertising material which The Upson Company is prepared to send to dealeri for distribution by them but it contains suggestions for model letters and additional material which the dealer can send out under his own name.

"The Merchandising Service tell all about he National Advertisine of The Upson Company through which the full story of the BIue Book and the service it ofters will be broadcasted to home owners and contractors all over the country. It shows dealers how to link up with Upson advertising campaign."

HDE MEANS TO THE HARDWOOD BUYERS OF THE WEST