Lumbermen Should Give Wooden Presents This Year

By M. S. Munson, Advertising Manager Exchange Sawmills Sales Co., Kansas City, Mo.

As the Christmas Season approaches, are we lumbermen going to forget the opportunity of giving our product a boost ? There are many ways in which we can do it and the whole industry will profit more.

It is not a new idea to advertise lumber products as Christmas presents; such things as a home, a new floor, a sun parlor, a storm door and many other things of a similar nature. But let us place ourselves as lumbermen on the other side of the counter-the buying side-and buy only wooden toys for the kiddies this year. A good idea, is it not?

It may not be at all new but it is timely to remind ourselves and all of wood's friends to buy and speak a word for wood when selecting our Christmas presents. A toy dealer here in Kansas City took an unexpected but illuminating course of instruction the other day from an entirely new source-a customer.

The man wanted to see some toys. Mechanicallv the dealer led him to long rows of paint6d tin jimcracks, -*il"s of them.

"I wouldn't have any of them in my house," he exploded in the face of the astonished dealer."Why?"

again, what's his inclination? Doesn't cheap paint come off? Is cheap paint a very good thing for a child's diet? That's point number one.

"Point number two is that I am a lumberman-been in the business most all of my life. Wood is beautiful and harmless, just in the natural finish-toys of almost every conceivable sort can be and' are being made of wood. Why, from where we stand, you can see some of those wooden toys over there that are not only practicable, but they will take a lot of boyish punishment and like it.

Show me the wood toys-and take a tip from me that you will be doing all of your customers a favor by showing them wood toys first."

Strange as it may seem, such an incident has actually happened. Another lumberman, hearing of the matter, added sorne comments of his own: i'Nq* look here, once and for all, let me tell you some- thing." The customer sidled over closer and raiied a men. acing finger for emphasis. "There are two or three reaso-ns why you will never sell me any of those things, and why_ other people are going to stop buying them." -

"That is just what we all ought to do. If every lumberman and every man in allied industries would demand wood toys, take nothing but wood toys, and keep talking the thing until they enlisted neighbors and friends in the movement, it would vastly increase the demand and build up an almost entirely new outlet for lumber that has practically no other sale."

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"Did you ever see a small child pick up a new toy, play with it a moment, then lay it down ? Wien he picki i-t u!

"The Christmas.season is upon us and lumbermen, the country over, are buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of toys. Think about it, Mr. Lumberman: You can do a practical turn for the lumber industry and you can persuide Mrs. Lumberman to do a practical thing if you will talk this matter of toys over with her tonight, in view of the above statements."

Wood, by all means, for the friends of wood !