Plywood Associolion's 1956 Chrisrmos Kit

Almost Does lr lrself for the Do-h-Yourselfer

Full-size, A-color, Pqsfe-on Pofferns Toke 'Aching Bock' Off Shoulder Trode

How o Tqcomq Deoler Put Plons fo Work

IHE HOME HANDYI AN couldn't 9o wrong wirh tha n.w psficrn3 cvcn if he rried. All hc docr is gluc rhe pofiern on c plywood ponel ond cut qround thc cdge. fhe DFPA recommcnds 9b-inch .xteiior-typc Plyrhield or thicksr

Winter's on the way! And with it, the annual spate of church bazaars.

While the seasonal activities of the local place of worship may seem a long way from those of a lumber yard, one Tacoma, Wash., retail lumber dealer has come up with a unique i-dea ihat ought to fit into the operations of scores of other dealers interested in building do-it-yourself sales volume ai Christmas.

And the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. has come up with a new approach to merchandising fir plywood for outdoor Christmas decorations which ought to eliminate any bugs which may have limited this kind of sale in the past.

The dealer, Robert Spencer, owner of Spencer Hardware and Lumber, simply worked out a cooperative arrangement with the ladies of a nearby church under which he supplied patterns for fir plywood Christmas cutouts to a church bazaar in return for r,r'hich customers were directed to his yard for plywood.

Spencer points out that he not only increased his fir plywood sales as an immediate result but he also built good will among a number of people whom he had never seen before, and he paved the way for other cooperative projects in the future that could be even more profitable.

The mechanics of the project are so simple that any alert lumber dealer should be able to set up the same type of thing with local church groups or benefit sales in his area. The project stems from the full-size, full-color paste-on patterns for Christmas decorations Douglas Fir Plywood Association is offering to retail lumber dealers.

Says W. E. Difford, association managing director:

"For several years, dealers have asked us for Christmas sales helps but the old-fashioned plans and patterns required too much artistic ability and know-how from the potential customer that drastically reduced the sales potential. The new approach licks this problem nicely."

This year, the association is offering dealers a merchandising kit keyed to full-size, four-color paste-on patterns for several outdoor decorations. The most ineffectual duffer couldn't go wrong with the new patterns even if he tried. All he does is glue the pattern on a panel of plywood and cut around the edge.

The association's 1956 Christmas merchandising kit is built around three sets of patterns-a jolly six-foot Santa Claus figure, a set of two four-foot angels with a lightecl candle, and a set of three four-foot choir boys.

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In addition, each of the three sets which are designed to be made from one piece of fir plywood allows enough space for bonus figures to utilize any leftovers. For example, there is room on the 4x8-foot panel after the Santa Claus is cut out for a wreath ; rvith the angels, a candle and a star may be included; and a music scroll can be obtained along with the choir boys.

In all, three sets gives material for cluite a Christmas decoration motif, whether it is for the larvn, front porch, patio area or, as some do, for the roof.

Spencer offered members of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Church on the Prairie, a suburban, community-type small church in the southern section of Tacoma, the paste-on patterns at his cost-25 cents per set. The sets, all done in beautiful 4-color and realistic figures, were sold by the tlTtlE hard-working auxiliary members at their "Christmas Fair," along with their regular cakes, jellies, handmade aprons and other gift items which are normally made at home and sold for profit. Profits of the bazaar go to finance Sunday School operations. The price was fifty cents a pattern; the ladies sold enough to make the whole thing worthwhile for all concerned.

Tlle auxiliary set up a regular booth decorated with Christmas cutouts and a sign inviting those purchasing the paste-ons to Spencer's for plywood panels.

The association recommends fu-inch exterior-type Plyshield, or thicker, depending on where you will place your figures, and emphasizes that while the operation is simplicity itself, the paste-ons must be glued firmly to the plywood with a water-resistant glue.

With each set of paste-ons, the association sends to dealers complete instructions on cutting, assembling and making the final touches to what should be an interesting outdoor display for the Yule season.

The patterns, now being featured in many national maga- zine advertisements, are available to dealers at 25 cents per set, thus giving the dealer opportunity to make profit on the sale of the pattern as well as on the plywood, or any other equipment he may sell along with it. Dealers may buy a few of them at a time or in quantities at $2.50 per dozen.

The association is offering several other Christmas promotional ideas.

New point of purchase material for use in merchandising the patterns is free. This includes two L6'x42" in-store displays picturing all the patterns, one and two-column ad mats and lull color 4-page envelope stu,ffers.

In addition, the association offers train table plans for 50 cents a hundred for free distribution to customers and 500 free envelope stuffers covering the train table plans. Dealers interested in securing the material can order by letter from the information above or write for additional details to Douglas Fir Plywood Association, 1119 "4" St., Tacoma 2, Wash.

STEP NO. 2 (lcfi): The porleons musl bc glucd firmly lo rhe plywood with o wstcrroistonl gluc. Thc 1956 pqtl.tns orc printcd in full color on hcovy popor lhql rhould rtdnd uP through rnony holidoy scosonr

SIEP NO. 3 (rishr): With eoch 3el of posle-on3, lhc DFPA rcndr lo dealers complcte inslruclionr on cu0ing, ossembling and mcking rho f,ncl touchcs. fhc finql coct of rholloc being opplicd here should mokc thc otlloctiv€ Christmos cutoutr bright cnd goy in ony wintry weother