Pleasing Personality

PLAN NUMBER ONE

The world war has deprived Germany of her enormous trade in toys. Before the war we bought most of our toys from Germany. We are not likely to buy any more toys from German manufacturers in our time, or for a long while afterward.

Toys are in demand, not alone in the United States, but in foreign countries, many of which will not buy toys from Germany. Our only competitor is Japan and her toys are of so poor a quality that her competition means nothing. But what sort of toys shall I manufacture and where will I get the capital with which to carry on the business, you will ask?

First, go to a local toy dealer and find out just which class of toys sells most rapidly. If you do not feel competent to make improvements on some of the toys now on the market, advertise for an inventor "with an idea for a marketable toy" and you will soon find the mechanical genius who will supply this missing link in your undertaking. Have him make you a working model of just what you want, then go to some small manufacturer, woodworker, machine shop or the like, and arrange to have your toys manufactured. You now know just what your toy will cost, so you are ready to go to some big jobber, wholesaler or distributor and arrange for the sale of your entire product.

If you are an able salesman you can finance this whole project on the few dollars required with which to advertise for the inventor. When you find this man you can probably arrange with him to work out a model for you during his spare evening hours, with a promise that you will give him a better job when you are manufacturing your own toys. He will probably give you all the time you want in which to pay him for his labor; or he may do the work in return for an interest in the business.

You can get the manufacturer of your toys to wait for his money until you are paid by the firm to which you sell them; and, if necessary, you can assign to him the invoices for the toys sold and let the money come direct to him.