PLAN No. 527. CASH REBATE CARDS

A young man in Oakland, California, who was a good salesman worked out a little plan that brought him a good income.

He secured a first-class printer to make him up 1,000 very rich looking cards in colors. Then he called upon five prominent merchants, in different lines, showing them the cards, stated he was about to place these in the hands of the ladies at the heads of families in the city; that these cards entitled the holders to trade at any one of the five different stores named, and receive a discount of 10 per cent in cash at the time of the purchase; that he would call at these stores every month and collect a commission on all business each merchant had received through the cards, and that the use of these cards would greatly increase the merchant’s trade. Most of those approached agreed to the plan.

Having secured the five merchants, our young man called at the residences, presented the card to the lady of the house, and assured her she incurred no expense or obligation in accepting it. In this way he distributed 200 of the cards.

Now, as it turned out that each holder of these cards spent at least $10 a week with each of these five merchants, his commission on the sales thus made amounted to $200 a month.