Page 75 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

HERE are certain specialties manufactured today that open a wide range of
money-making opportunities for men and women. Some of these are
luxuries; others combine utility with novelty. George Lehman decided a
cigarette case, which kicks out a lighted cigarette when you press a button,
was a good money-making idea. His commissions from the sale of this lighter
exceeded $1,000 in three months! Here is his story:

“This cigarette case appealed to me as one of the things many men would go
for, but I’ll admit that my first efforts to sell it were a washout. Everyone
liked its appearance. They thought it was novel and all that, but they didn’t
seem to have the money to buy. Then I realized I was not calling on the right
people. Those I talked with were men working on a small salary and barely
making a living. I sought out younger men. One gave me a cue by buying a
case for his ‘girl friend’ as a birthday gift, and she was delighted with it. He
was so pleased that he phoned me and said a pal of his wanted one for his
girl. I followed up the idea of selling the cigarette case to young men for gifts
and began immediately to make money.

“I found that the fellow about twenty or twenty-five, who isn’t married, likes
to flash a novel cigarette case of this kind. No matter where you are, you’re
sure to have someone ask to see the case when you press that button and a
lighted cigarette jumps out. I soon exhausted most of the young men
prospects I knew, but by that time I had decided to go after sales in a more
efficient way. Any man who has driven a car knows how awkward it is to
light a cigarette in traffic. With one of my cases, the auto-driver merely
presses the button, and a lighted cigarette immediately pops between his lips.
So I devoted most of my energy to showing this case to auto-drivers. I didn’t
have to do much talking. I’d stand at popular gasoline stations and, when a
man stopped for gas, show the lighter and explain it. One out of every twelve
asked me the price of the lighter, and when I mentioned it, bought without
any further urging.

“Experience taught me that the best place to show the lighter was at the gas
station while the man was behind the wheel. He is most easily sold then
because he is driving. He, no doubt, wanted a cigarette and in fishing first in
one pocket for a package, and then in another for a match, probably came