Geor ge J. Silberna gel, Ine.

place the patterns in position where customers can see them. Use made-up samples as recommended in yard, window or sidewalk displays and you'll start manufacturing impulse purchases of electric saws, drills and many other items.

During November,/December, Jawary/ February, we have made up two assortments, containing 3 each of 12 different patterns. Each assortment contains those patterns that will be in greatest demand during the 60-day period we recommend tley be placed on the counter. Place each pattern around those tools we recommend. We also supply dummy envelopes and window streamers with each assortment. Try this method of manufacturing impulse purchases and you'll be amazed to see how much profitable dollar volume it stimulates.

Denniston & Pqrtridge Co. l,OOOth ldec Center Deqler

The Better Homes & Gardens fdea Center program, a new merchandising and sales promotion progTarn for building material dealers (see Page 99, l1/l Issue), has reached the 1,000-dealer mark in the first three months of the program.

One of the six yards of Denniston & Partridge Co., Newton, Iowa, was recorded as the 1,000th building material outlet to order the progTam (photo above, right).

The BH&G Idea Center is a continuing prog:rarn produced in cooperation with National Plan Service. It is desig'ned to afford the building material dealer the op- portunity to use his store as a project and product center for consumers placed in a planning and buying mood by the editorial material and product advertising found in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

The rapid accepta.nce of the Idea Center program-the original goal was 1,000 doa,ler: signed ln tho first year-ls an lndlcatlon of the growing alertness on the part of butldlng material dealers to the lncreaslng lmportance of the home Lnprovement and remodellng markets.

The 1,000 dealers already taking advantage of the program realize the value of the Idea Center in helping to place their customers in an on-the-premises buying mood. The center turns the dealer's store into a service-minded, idea-stimulating place to browse and buy.

Set-up on the dealer's premises, the BH&G Idea Center is a compact "browsing-room" display lunit, 7r/z feet tall, four feet wide, and 30 inches deep and is topped with an illuminated header that doubles as a night light. It is stocked with idea material from Better Homes & Gardens magazine, BH&G advertisers, and National Plan Service.

In addition to some 3,500 pages of ideas for home improvements provided by the BH&c and National Plan Service publications, the center features a new book, specially prepared for this prog'rarn, the "Better Homes & Gardens Portfolio of fdeas for Your Home." The first 40 pages of the new book contain new home designsboth BH&G Five-Star and National Plan Service desig'ns.

A major promotion package is provided to each BH&G Idea Center annually. The first package includes display material, a complete local advertising and publicity kit, and a vast array of other publicity and promotion material and ideas.

A special feature of the initial package is a colorful new filmstrip with sJrnchronized sound entitled "Ideas to Improve Your Home." In addition to its usefulness as an on-premises promotion aid, it is anticipated that the filmstrip will create considerable interest among local civic clubs and women's groups, adding to tJle dealer's local prestige and attracting trafrc to the fdea Center.

In addition to the annual kit, special promotion packages will be provided every three months. These contain new promotion and merchandising ideas, display ideas, and suceess stories from other dealers.

The entire BH&G Idea Center display, the materials for stocking it, plus the many promotional materials, cost the dealer only $179.50, effective September 15, 1960. Dealers desiring further information on the new Better Homes & Gardens Idea Center Program should write to: Merchandising Manager, Natlonal Plan Servlce, Inc., Dealer Merchandising Service, 1700 West Hubbard Street, Chicago 22, fllinois.

CENSUS SURVEY SHOWS 52.6 ffiltuoN u.s. HousEHotDs

Thero are somo 52.6 million households in the Uniteit States a,ccordlng to results of a sample survey conducted by the Burea,u of the Census, U. S. Department of Commerce. Of all tho households, 33.4 million, or 64/o, a,re urban; lb.l mlllion, or 28/q, aro rural-nonfarm households; and 4.1 mflllon, or 8/s, llvo on fanms.

The term "household" according to the Census Bureau definltion refers to a,ll porsons living together who occupy a housg an apa,rtment, a group of rooms or a stngle room, constltuting a slngle houslng unlt.

The report says there ane 4O.2 mittlel ma,rrled couples in the Unlted States and that only 945,000 of these, or 2.4/o, ilo NOT maintain their ortrar households. fn breaking this total down further, the roport says all but ?b,000 of these couples live w{th relatives.

The number of families-groups of two or more related persons tivlng together-is 45.1 million, the roport says. Of these, all but 206,000 fa,milies malnta,in households of their own.

NHIA Elects Townsend President

Mark Townsend of Stuttgart, Ark., was elected president of the National Hardwood Lumber Association at its 63rd annual convention, held in Chicago, October 4-6. He is the B2nd hardwood man to hold the office, the first to be chosen from Arkansas, and comes from one of the South's prominent lumber families. IIe succeeds Bernard Bock of Montreal, Quebec.

James P. Hamer of Kenova, W. Va., and Don F.. White of Oakland, Calif., were re-elected vice-presidents. Lawrence Kellogg of Alexandria, La., was elected third vice-president. New directors chosen include Bruce M. Mclean, General Hardwood Co., Tacoma. Wash. Those re-elected for second three-year terms include p. R. Kahn, Forsyth Hardwood Co., San Francisco. Calif.

M. B. Pendleton was re-elected secretary-treasurer for the ensuing year.

The proposed rules changes as agreed upon by the Rules Committee were adopted unchanged by tl:e membership, and will become effective January 1.

A spirit of optimism was evidenced by the members attending the three-day convention. ft was one of the largest meetings ever held by the hardwood trade and all who attended were compli- mentary of the program arranged for their benefit and pleasure.

Next year's convention will be held in New york Citv.

UNL'M'rED SOURCE

O'Nelll Lumber Compa,ny's answer to cargo ? Well, maybe not qulte, but this car out of Mclntosh at Blue Lake comes pre*y close to bustln' a,ll records for flatcar dolivery in the S. F. peninsula area. A whopplng 63,593 board feet, the 60, car arrlved ln O'Neill Lumber's San Carlos yard on October 1g. Although the car took a terriffc jounclng in sw{tchtng somewhere along the line, load arrlved in near-perfect, mttl-loaded condifion, a trlbute to the ship- plng boys at Mclntosh. Survoying the ..monster', here are Dave Wlght a,nd Rudy Melesky of O'Nel[ Lumber a,nd Bill Freela,nd (center) of Far V9est FIr Sales Co., who says he'd be more than happy to shlp'em all thts!

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