Mail-Order Magazines Did More Than Just Sell Things

I sent away for a Submarine (plans, and most parts) when I was six, seven, or eight.

I waited by that mailbox for weeks. My mom finally told me I was robbed of $4.75.

It was a learning experience. I still think about the person who set out to dupe kids.

Indeed. My first real swing at self-employment was thanks to an ad in either Boy's Life or some comic book encouraging kids to sell greeting cards door-to-door. I sent off for the kit (which I believe was free), waited impatiently, and happily received my sales kit. I then went all over town doing the door-to-door schtick. I believe I was in third grade at the time and learned a LOT about sales, customer support, product fulfillment, and the importance of customer retention. Over time I had other jobs and interests that brought my door-to-door operations to a halt but even when I was in high school I had certain customers acquired during that 3rd grade summer that would contact me to make sure I stopped by for their yearly orders.

^^ This. In the past, I've generated a lot of business from these printed, hyper-local 'guide books'. Anecdotally, the Yellow Pages, telephone directory and hybrid alternatives (Thomson in the UK, for example) are regarded as less credible the local guide as they are a national product customised for local markets.

>Its surprising how effective trash-print still is, even today. In Europe, its a very significant form of propaganda;

Just like the premium print, like Economist, NYT, and co, but cruder. Though these days one would be hard pressed to find the subtlety in the latter either.

I've got a few National Geographic magazines from the 1950s and they're FULL of adverts.

The December issue in particular has about 25 pages in a row filled with small and big ad spaces, with a few more sprinkled around the publication.