Retail Building Salesmanship An Editorial

Every selling effort must be based on the Law of Mutuality.

The effort that originates only in a desire to sell something usually ends in failure, because, at best, it sells but once.

The real selling effort begins with a desire to discover and uncover the other fellow's needs; and ends with an intelligent and forceful attempt to supply them.

That is the sales effort and method that will climb the golden star to success in the retail lumber business, or in any other line.

The other fellow is interested in what you have to sell only insofar as the fact interests or affects him.

Necessary building or building improvements lend themselves to creative salesmanship to a very unusual degree, for the reason that they appeal so practically and directly to the needs, desires, and yearnings of other people. They afford a splendid opportunity for the skillful salesman of building things to interest the prospect from the proper angle-the buyer's viewPoint.

Pehaps the very best investment on earth is a needed building.

Its life is very great compared to the majority of things that are offered people every day in exchange for their money.

Its depreciation is very light, by that same comparison. Its ownership improves the credit of the purchaser. It affords him protection, satisfaction, comfort, and luxury.

So, in offering your trade buildings and building improvements you can base your selling effort on mutuality of benefit, and sell them conscientiously and cheerfully, conscious of doing good.

94,0OO,New Nonfqrm Dwelling Units Storted in August 1953

The recent decline in housing starts appears to have abated somewhat during August, according to preliminary estimates of the U. S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The August estimate of 94,000 new permanent nonfarm dwelling units started was only 2,0oo less than in July and brought total housing starts thus far in 1953 to 769,800 units, about the same as in the first eight months of last year.

Privately owned housing volume declined about 3 per cent from the 95,600-unit July estimate to 93,000 in August, and was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 970,000 units in August and 998,000 in July. Public housing authorities put 1,000 new units under construction during August, compared with 400 in July and l,7ffi in August 1952. In some areas of the country (notably around New York and Houston and Beaumont, Texas), housing activity .r,vas adversely affected duing July and August because of work stoppages.

During the first eight months of 1953, privately owned nonfarm housing starts totaled 740,100-a small gain of 20,000 units from 1952. Publicly owned new housing totaled 29,700 units the end of August, compared rvith 47,300 units begun during January-August 1952.

Private housebuilding activity showed moderate increases during August in the Mountain, West North Central and East South Central regions, according to early reports from building permit officials in urban and rural nonfarm places. In the East North Central and South Atlantic regions, activity was about the same as in July, and in the remaining geographic regions was somewhat lower. For the first eight months, private housebuilding activity in permit-issuing places was about the. same in the East this year as in 1952, rvhile 1953 activity was higher in the r,vestern and Great Lakes States, and showed moderate declines elsewhere.

Adhesive Wood Glues Exploined

According to "Veneers and Plywood," a national magazine dealing with these subjects, the selection of a proper plywood adhesive depends primarily upon the end use of the finished plywood panels and the method of bonding the plywood, e.g. cold press or hot press. Adhesive available for use can vary from resin adhesives of 50 per cent soiids to more conventional liquid glues with 33 per cent solids.

To prepare the plywood layup, it is necessary to apply a full, uniform coat of adhesive on the components (core and crossbanding) irr what is usually specified as pounds of glue per thousand square feet of glue line. This is usualiy determined by spreading test veneer of known area, weighing the spread veneer and converting the result into the thousand square foot factor.

Two methods are used in adhesive application: single spread, in which the glue is spread only to one surface of mating components; and double spread, in which both surfaces of mating components are spread with glue.

The principal plywood adhesives used in plywood gluing are: animal, vegetable and starch, casein and soybean, blood albumin, and synthetic resin adhesives: (1) ureaformaldehyde, (2) phenol-formaldehyde, (3) melamineformaldehyde, and (4) resorcinol-formaldehyde. While each type of adhesive is known to possess certain advantages and outstanding characteristics, no single adhesive type is superior in all required properties in every plywood application.

Stqrts Own Lumber Business

Lloyd D. Milne has established his own lumber business and is operating under his own name at 3846 Fulton Street, San Francisco 18, Calif. The telephone number is SKyline 2-ll}4. He was formerly associated with Harbor Lumber Co. at San Francisco, and prior to that operated a rvholesale lumber business at Roseburg, Ore. Before going to Oregon, Lloyd was connected u'ith the lumber business in Southern California for a long period. He is a Past Commander of Lumbermen's Post No. 403, American Legion, and is well known to the trade.

Plqns Arizono yord

The Grabe Lumber Company, Globe, Arizona, chased a site in Show Low, Arizona, and plans a retail lumber yard there.

Fire qt Son Bruno Yord

has purto install

Fire destroyed a two-story lumber storage shed in the retail lumber yard of the San Bruno Lumber Company, at San Bruno, California, ..rn August 21, the loss being about $30,000. The yard and buildings proper were saved by hasty fire fighting. Alfred Stockton owns the yard, as well as the Stockton Lumber Company, at Daly City, Calif.

Buys Yqrds in Nevods

J: W. Copeland, Copeland Lumber Co., Portland, Ore., has purchased retail lumber yards at Carson City and Minden. Nevada, from the Nevada Lumber Co.

NAHB Reports on Tighr Moilgoge Money

Following are excerpts from a recent bulletin from the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C., concerning that very vital nratter, the tight money market.

The demand for housing remains strong, especially in the lower price ranges in most communities. The ability to pur'chase, however, governed by the size of the down payments and monthly carrying charges, is reduced as the consumers' ability to secure favorable pemanent financing is made progressively more difficult.

Reports now coming in from builders over the nation disclose the inevitable effects of the continued tight money market for VA and FHA mortgages: Reducing volume planned for the next few months and especially next yearShifting to higher-priced brackets required by the relatively easier-to-obtain conventional financing-Accompanying higher down payments and shorter terms, again required when conventional financing must be employed-Resulting in narrowing of opportunity for lower-income families to acquire needed homes of their own.

The core of the mortgage market difficulty lies in two factors : first, the continued high demand for mortgage funds from available supplies and, simultaneously extremely high demands for money from other users of capital, i.e., municipal bonds, industrial expansion, etc. ; second, stiff competition by shorter term, higher interest rate borrowing outlets such as commercial firms. Some lenders, in viewing the present unsettled money market conditions, prefer to place available funds in shorter maturity obligations, thus providing the flexibility desirable from their viewpoint.

There is no discernible disposition on the part of the government housing officials to urge the President to invoke his authority to reduce FHA down payments and increase amortization. Reason: such a move they claim would hardly serve to attract additional mortgage credit but might increase the demand for credit. It is reported, however, that the Administration is anxious to maintain volume at a healthy level. If volume continues to slip, this discretionary authority may be exercised at a later date.

Nlost of your Congresesmen and Senators are home now. Each of them is interested in feeling the pulse of the public on national issues and, at the same time, attending to the eminently practical political matter of mending fences. Therefore, now is a good time for you to renew their acquaintance, describe the industry's efforts to provide housing for all income groups in your area, show them projects under way and explain the poblems you are now facing.

Thqnks Lumbermen qnd Unions

The Soroptimist Club of Burlingame-San Mateo, California, recently issued a statement of thanks to the good people of that area who contributed materials, labor, and money to build the recently dedicated tri-city observation post in San Mateo. The statement paid tribute to various lumber concerns, sash and door companies, paint apd hardware concerns, and to 33 union men who contributed their time and skill to the building.