LIJMBER MERCHANT

Jack Dionne, Pubtisher

HOw, LUMBER LOOKS

The industry enjoyed the novel experience of a stronger market for 1x8 and 1x6 green Douglas fir boards in the period ending October 25, reported Crow's Market Service; reduced production of 1-inch lumber was responsible because boards had been in the doldrums so long that mills had been producing as few as possible. Studs also showed more firmness, and for the sa,me reason. Nos, 2, 3 and 4 common lxl2 Ponderosa pine continued on a more stable basis. Air-dried stock was beginning to disappear and some California pine mills will be .sawing White fir soon instead of pine, it was said. Fir plywood mills were having no trouble booking business at the mid-October price but orders for 5,/8t-inch rough sheathing were slow coming in.

Lumber shipments of 483 mills reporting to the National Lumber Manufacturers Assn. in the week ending Oct. 19 were 2.8/o above production but orders were 5.4/o below; shipments were B.lVo abote tlre previous week

Shipments oI 1A6J23,358 feet were 2.4Vo over production of 103,869,532 feet at 159 mills reporting (l4l oper- ating) to the West Coast Lumberrnen's Assn. in the week ending Oct. 19; orders were 3.4/o below production . The weekly arr..age of west coast lumber production in September was 153,692,000 boaid feet, reported WCLA Secretary Harris E. Smith; orders averaged 146,088,000 b.f. and shipments 153,152,000 b.f. Shipments of 84,424,00A feet were 2.2/o above production at 123 mills reporting to the Western Pine Association in the week ending Oct. 19; orders were 8.6/o below production of 82,619,000 feet . The California Redwood Association reported that September production of 43,020,000 feet was 4 million feet below Ausust and 13 million feet beiow September 1956; shipments of 42,556,000 feet were 5.7 million fcet below this August and 3.7 million below the prior September. September orders were 2.7 nillion feet under August . . . Shipments of 20,908,000 feet rvere 2.13/o above production at 97 mills reporting to the Southern Pine Association in the week ending Oct. 19;-orderi were 2.03/o below production.

Total retail lumber stocks on August 3l were estimated bv the National Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. to be 4,748,000,00A iest, 2.7/o less tlran July 3l and, 3.4/o below the end of August 195d. Retail lunrber sales during August were 3.9/o above July but l2.9Vo below the end of August 1956. Five of the nine retail regions indicated gain in lumber sales, with the largest increase of 10.1% occurring in the Pacific region, but the largest decrease under Aueust 1956 (21.1%) also occurred in the Pacific resion.

ln This /ssue

Vogobond Editoriols 2 Ed Mcrtin Remembers. Obituories . 12 Personqls

My Fcrvorite Story. . 20 Fun-Focts-Filosophy

25 Yeors Ago.. ......... 28 New Products

$oles ideo$ . 46 Wont Ads. .78-

The A-LMA-NAC ol Northern Deqlers

Hoo-Hoo Ciub 9 Stoges Annuol'Roundup'

"The Mon Whose Word Is Good"-An Editorioi. Hordwood Plywood Imporiers Review Yeqr Son Diego Hoo-Hoo Elect Jim Smith.

Arizonq Ycrd Sets World's Cor-Unloodinq Record. Southern Californio Wholesole Lumberm5n Form Group Deqlers Oflered Complete Estimoting Kit.

Monterey, Sqnto Cioro Adopt Grode-Stomping Deqiers, Mqnu{qcturers Teqm Up for Lu-Re-Co Woodwork Institute of Colif. Holis 6th Annuql. The ADVERTISERS'INDEX Will Be Found on Pcse 80

IN ONE OF TIiESE COLUMNS about 34 years ago, we wrote: "What th,is country needs is more paint on the old places, and less paint on the*young faces."

There came a great kickback from that observation, and we printed a world of suggestions, sober and otherwise, about what this country needs. One old lumber friend, long since gone to his reward,*wrote:

"What this country needs would make a list so long that, if set in nonpareil type and laid end to end, it would reach from here to Hogan's butcher shoP."

**{<

Wonder how a true listing of what this country needs today would compare with one 34 years ago? Our original opinion would still stand, however; this country still needs "more paint on the old places, and less paint on the young faces." {< *< t r< :F :N. tl.**

And one of the suggestions that came to us 34 years ago, and which was reprinted in these columns, is also still good: "This country needs more men and women who don't give a cuss how big, and shiny, and expensive their neighbor's new automobile is." * r.. {.

..HOW SHOULD A SMALL TO.V/N DEALE'R AD. VERTISE?" is a question often heard in lumber convention discussions. This journal attempted to answer that question h.undreds of times in the first twenty years of its existence. Details are many. Fundamentals are few and definite.

Advertising for the small town retail lumber dealer means simply the exploiting of that business in every legitimate way, and the details will vary with every business. It meins that the merchant should use his local papers intelligently; that he send his trade interesting circulars and announcements of buying and building opportunities.

He should install service-giving builders helps in his place of business; he should actively use those helps in his selling; he should make it his never-ending effort to become better acquainted with his trade, in order to win their liking and respect, both personally and for business ability; he should reflect credit upon his business in every possible way, in order to create a maximum efficiency for his business; he should so live and work as to become a leading factor in the building, development, and improvement of the town and district. *{<{<

A generality that covers a world of practical meaning is: "Do the building thinking for your community." The man who does the building thinking is more than likely to do a major part of the building selling.

BY JACK DIONNE

The small town lumber dealer's effort to advertise his business necessarily starts with an attractive place of business, and it can be small and not detract from its possibilities. The visitor to his office should see things that remind him of building. A bright sales room with plans attractively displayed has 'been a great help to thousands of lumber dealers trying to improve their'rnerchandising. 4<**

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING is a very important part of the advertising effort of the small town dealer. Preparing bright and selling copy for his advertising is not easy. But advertising with the local paper is a reciprocal proposition. The dealer who spends money with the paper has no difficulty in reaching the news columnq of that paper with interesting matters concerning his business. And the news items may bring more direct results than the bestprepared copy.

And when you think about lumber dealer advertising, remember old Robinson Crusoe. He got wrecked, you will remember, on a lonely and desolate island. He wanted that fact to become known. It wasn't enough for his man Friday, or his goat, or his parrot to know it. The folks he wanted to know about his desire to get off that island were people who might pass in ships and able to rescue him.

So what did Robinson Crusoe do? He did what any wise man does who wants to reach other people, to communicate something to those not in touch with him. He advertised ! That's what old Crusoe did. Now right off the bat, it might occur to you that he had about as little advertising opportunity as any man you ever heard of. True. But that didn't keep him from advertising. All he had in this world to advertise with was an old shirt. Not much advertising equipment, you'Il say, and his prospective customers were very' verY few.

But he was one of those guys who make the most of his opportunities. fle took the old shirt, stuck it on a pole, and stuck the pole up on the loftiest point on the island. He didn't stick it up there one day and take it down the next. He didn't say to himself : "Advertising may be all right for some folks, but it's no good for me." He didn't say: "I'11 stick it up there today and then take it down in a few days." He just put the only advertisement he had up in the best position he could find, and kept it there all the time, day in and day out.

AND HE GOT RESULTS! So, when you advertise, remember Robinson Crusoe !