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Post by skuakid on Mar 21, 2006 16:54:51 GMT -5
Remember those guys? Walking up and down the beach in WC yelling, "PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, DAILY NEWS HERE..."
These guys sold the paper at a 100% markup and walked the beaching during the peak sun hours.
I remember a guy on our beach in the late 70's early 80's that sold papers from Philly, NY, NJ and Canada. At the end, he was also selling magazine like Cosmo. His cadence was like 45 seconds long as he rattled off all the publications he sold. That guy did this for years and must have made good money.
My first job was at age 12 delivering the Philly Inquirer on a route around my house. You could request extra papers to try and sell on the beach. I think tried it for two days. It sucked!! It was too hot walking up and down the sand. Plus, the Inquirer was not a good beach paper. The tabloids sold much better because they were easier to handle. Too many sections to blow away with the Inquirer.
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Post by MMM on Mar 21, 2006 20:52:52 GMT -5
I've wondered if multiple people had done this, with their
THE PHILADELPHIA IN-QUI-R-ER
COS-MO-POLITAN
THE NEW YORK POST!!!
...and so on. If a few people did this, was it because one copied the other, or did they work for someone that wanted them to "sell" the newspapers & magazines that way?
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Post by cutietnj on Mar 21, 2006 21:11:59 GMT -5
I've wondered if multiple people had done this, with their THE PHILADELPHIA IN-QUI-R-ER COS-MO-POLITAN THE NEW YORK POST!!! ...and so on. If a few people did this, was it because one copied the other, or did they work for someone that wanted them to "sell" the newspapers & magazines that way? That is exactly how they said it on the beach in the Crest! |
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Post by skuakid on Mar 22, 2006 9:22:52 GMT -5
The Inquirer let carriers get extra papers on spec. We only paid for the one's we sold and returned the extra ones for credit.
I would imagine there were 1 or 2 dishonest people that just emptied a paper box.
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Post by anglesea on May 2, 2006 19:44:47 GMT -5
I sold the Daily News on the beach in the early-mid 80's. My mark up was a little less but we could usually get $1.00 on the Wildwood Crest Beach and less in Wildwood.
"Fun to read, easy to hold!"
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Post by JerseyDigger29 on May 2, 2006 22:03:03 GMT -5
I've wondered if multiple people had done this, with their THE PHILADELPHIA IN-QUI-R-ER COS-MO-POLITAN THE NEW YORK POST!!! ...and so on. If a few people did this, was it because one copied the other, or did they work for someone that wanted them to "sell" the newspapers & magazines that way? Martin, I did it in the early sixties for the Phila. Daily News. Although, we didn't technically work FOR the paper, every single day, the Daily News Truck would pull up at the ramp next to the Regent Theater (Boardwalk Mall) and several kids like me would load up on papers right out of the truck. You could sell as many papers as you could carry. A friend of mine and myself would start at the truck, walk north on the boardwalk and sell out, then - I hate to admit it but we were only kids trying to make extra money - we went down to the streets and found a couple of Daily News boxes and loaded up on more papers (for the price of one). I know it wasn't right, now, but you know kids when they find a way to get some easy money. It's been so long ago, I don't remember the price - maybe 15 cents each and we sold them for 25 to 35, whatever we could get. Only the ones out of the truck cost us, the rest were pure profit, although not right. I think we made 10 to 15 dollars a day or so. I also shined shoes when I was that age outside Phil and Eddies Surf Club. I shined Frank Sinatra, Jr.s and Sammy Davis's shoes. Sinatra gave me a $10 tip. Ah, those were the days: footloose and fancy free. Thom  |
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Post by wildwoodjms on May 3, 2006 5:04:15 GMT -5
Does anyone remember the blind man that used to sell the papers between gateway and sam's? He used to be by the telephones. Kind of silly, but I used to look forward to him selling the papers. I used to tell our friends back in Michigan about him.
Wildwoodjms
jackie
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Post by thelastresort on May 3, 2006 16:03:36 GMT -5
[ I also shined shoes when I was that age outside Phil and Eddies Surf Club. I shined Frank Sinatra, Jr.s and Sammy Davis's shoes. Sinatra gave me a $10 tip. Thom [/quote] Very cool, too bad you did not get any pics with them (or did you?) Did Sammy stiff you? or did Frank's sawbuck cover both of them? |
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Post by JerseyDigger29 on May 3, 2006 17:01:32 GMT -5
[ I also shined shoes when I was that age outside Phil and Eddies Surf Club. I shined Frank Sinatra, Jr.s and Sammy Davis's shoes. Sinatra gave me a $10 tip. Thom Very cool, too bad you did not get any pics with them (or did you?) Did Sammy stiff you? or did Frank's sawbuck cover both of them?[/quote] No, they weren't there at the same time. I saw hundreds of stars, but Frank, Jr. gave me the best tip. I remember Sammy kept saying, "Cool, Daddy." I also have another story related to P & E's. I worked as an ice cream dipper in the window at Howard Johnson's Restaurant in the Arcade. One night at closing, the Fifth Dimension were walking through the Arcade, (between shows). They wanted to get into HoJo's for something to eat but Mrs. Tauber, the owner - who didn't know who they were - wouldn't let them in. I completely freaked out at her. "Do you know who they are?" I shreaked. "How can you? You absolutely HAVE TO LET THEM IN. OH, MY GOD, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LET THEM IN...." Well, when the group found out what I had done for them, they got me in to see their show at Phil and Eddie's for free. Pretty cool for a 15-year-old. I also got to ride the Bumper Cars with them in the Arcade after we closed. Never had so much fun in my life. The fat guy kept trying to hit everyone so hard with his car he looked like his body was going to come flying out of his seat. The Fifth Dimension were the best. Thom |
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Post by thelastresort on May 3, 2006 17:16:54 GMT -5
It's amazing, I heard that back in those days (which admittedly are a bit before my time being born in the early 60's), big stars of the era would walk the streets in WW and nobody would bug them. How things have changed.
Very interesting retrospective Thom, thanks.
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Post by MMM on May 3, 2006 19:38:50 GMT -5
Did you give the "The Philadaelphia IN-QUI-ER-ER!" speech when you were selling newspapers, Thom?
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Post by wildre on May 3, 2006 19:43:38 GMT -5
Thom, what great stories you have. Hope you get that book written, I would buy it.
re
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Post by JerseyDigger29 on May 3, 2006 22:11:12 GMT -5
Did you give the "The Philadaelphia IN-QUI-ER-ER!" speech when you were selling newspapers, Thom? Nope! It was the Phil-a-del-fee-ya Day-lee News - Day-lee News here!" Thom ;D |
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Post by MMM on May 3, 2006 23:33:16 GMT -5
How did that way of selling the papers/magazines in Wildwood start, In-qui-er-er, Day-lee Newws, POST!, Cos-mo-politan, etc.?
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Post by JerseyDigger29 on May 4, 2006 9:36:06 GMT -5
How did that way of selling the papers/magazines in Wildwood start, In-qui-er-er, Day-lee Newws, POST!, Cos-mo-politan, etc.? Martin, It started with the kids on the beach, I guess. That's the way we shouted it out at the top of our lungs. It's probably a lot like, "Fud-gee Wud-gees, fud-gee wud-gees here! Thom |
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