The Lumber Deafer is the ldeal Paint Salesman

BY JACK DIONNE

lvloqv fine phrcses hqve been constructed honoring pcrint, but one of the best in my scrcrpbook is one by the fcmous colurnnist, Westbrook Pegler. He wcs touring the New Englcnrd stqtes when hL wrote:

"White pcint, the bcrdge oI, solvency crnd sell-respect, still glecnns throughout the New Englcmd stcrles cgcdnst the bcrckground of the woods crnd lields."

_ Isn't thct cr gttrnd term-"[1g bcdge ol solvency cnd sell-respect?" Nol simply c protection crnd becutifier lor the building it covers, but cr proclcmction to all who pcrss by, oI the -clicrcclter cnd steadIastness oI the householderE ol thct grecrt crecr.

Unf_ortuncrtely, cll trcvelers do not speck with such respect cnd <rcclcdm of ihe pcint situcrtion thct qee$ their eye,s cs they trcrvel crbrocrd in this lcnd. A tourist who recently returned from c motor trip thct covered more than ten thouscmd miles through mcny states cnd districts, wcs csked whqt impressed him the most, cnd he r_eplied: "Tlre grect need lor pcint sclesmen" We crll see enough, cs we trcvel, to force us to cdrnit the truthlulness oI that stctement.

The two lumber publicctions I serve hcve, since their inception, published more origincl pcrint cnd pcrint merchatl.tisl-tg edito:icls thcn cll other lumber publi-ctions. We hcve mcae pcini boosting c sort ol never-ending sericl thct runs through most oI oui issues right clong lhrough thiyecns. Whei we stcrted this type ol pcrint boosting, cr mighty smcll percentcrge ol the rltail tumber dlclers ol the counky were pcrint merchqnts. And we hcve lived to see the time when the lumber decrler who is NOT c pcrint merchcnt, is very unusucrl.

It has been our continucl therne song thct the lumber decler is the NATIIRAL pcrint merchcnrt. T" lt* _the opportunity, crnd he has the incentive. He hcs the incentive to begin with, ieccruee he selts the lumber cnd other-building m<r!e1c!s on which rhe PAINT is to be used. -He hcrs learned by long experience thct there is no dirtier trick thcrt ccrn be plcryed upon a nice, bright, smooth, qucrlity Loard-, than to cover it over with inlerior pcrint. No bocud oi surlcce ccn possibly be cnry betterbr more sctis- Icctory thcn the paint thct covers it. It is therelore not only the dealers INIERiST but his pUfV io see thct lhe mcrn who buys the RIGHT BOARD clso buys the BIGIIT PAINT to cover it.

And he has the opportunity, beccuse he is in crn idecl spot crll the time to go out cmd SOIJCff pcdntbusiness' Themcpw_horunsthepcrintstore down the stieet ccrurot ho that-to crnything like the extent thct the lumber decrler ccrn IIE plcys cr wcriting gqme. He hcs the stocks, the colo-r sch-emes, the suggestions, rhe cbility to serve curd crssist when thJ prospect COMES IN, But his business is NOT going oui into the highwcrys cmd bywcrys cnd ollering his itock for sale. The lumber decler's IS. H; ccn buttonhole the m_crn who n99ds pcrint on his buitdings crnytime, cmywhere, cnd talk pcrint service to hirn. It is his DUTY !o sgtr "Let's cover thcrt good fIIl[gEn with sorne good PAIM, cni protect cnd becrutifu it." People who think BITII"DING automaticclly thint< PAINflNG. Therefore tll ftiiafic merchcmt is the idec_l grint merchant. He stocks it, studies it until he understcrnde it, th"n go"" o;t cnd pushes its sale by proclcriming its use <rnd benefits.

And lcll-is cr gnetrt pcint-selling seqson A world of people hcve more time during the winter months to tcke qn interest in pcint crnd pcdntinE thcn crt cny other secson of the yecrr. BotlioutJoor-criJ indool pcrinting hcs cr grect cppecl cnd oppoitunity cfterlhe hect oI the summlr is gone, ""Jrft" [*- vest time is pcst.

Surely, it is still true thct-

A bocrrd cnd a ncil and c ccrn ol pcrint, Mcke mcrny c pltrce look new, thct cint.

A building guy wiih c snriling lcrce Ccn sell the mcn that owns the plcce.

Hit 'em hcrd, you'll never rue it, And lcll's the idecrl tiure to do iL