Name of door to door sales?

[maslex]

I have a friend who was having a discussion with her husband about door to door sales back in the day. They both remember a certain door to door salesman that would come with a "suitcase/box" of stuff including pens/pencils/erasers/household stuff etc. But cannot remember the name of the company. They said it wasn't Amway, wasn't Fuller Brush. Does anyone remember what she's talking about? Thanks!

 

[NYCgrrl]

The only other door to door sale companies I can recall?
Cutco, Avon of course and maybe Hoover or Electrolux.
No one sold Mary Kay near us ( wrong color makeup) but everyone heard of those pink Cadillacs. Oh right and Tupperware.

 

[tvguy]

Fuller Brush man is all we had here.

 

[Dan Murphy]

With that description, I would think Fuller Brush. Others, not fitting that description, Shaklee and Nutrilite, which now is part of Amway. .

 

[dizneegirl]

Watkins went door-to-door, but I think that would have been baking/kitchen items.

 

[_19disnA]

I seem to recall Fuller Bush as door-to-door many years ago. No idea if they are still around.

I thought Tupperware used to only be sold at those home 'parties'? Don't recall it being a door-to-door activity. Amway is that pyramid scheme, I think they now call it 'multi-level marketing' to makes it sound legit. Any company where you make more money lining up other sales people vs selling an actual product is my definition of a pyramid scheme. Whatever products they sell are secondary to recruiting more sellers. A number of years ago someone I knew was all gunho about getting started with Amway and invited several friends over to hear their so-called 'salespitch'. It was this long/rambly presentation that never said what/how you sell and we all wanted to say to the person..............."get to the point". Was never interested. I think that person eventually lost interest as well. Not sure that works door-to-door.

Am not sure there are any door-to-door sales that still take place. People nowadays would simply not answer the door or after about 2 minutes would say...........'no thanks' and close the door on the person. I doubt most people would invite some stranger into their home to listen to a sales pitch regardless of the product.

 

[leebee]

Tom something? We used to sell these products to raise money for Girl Scout trips. We'd each have our own red box filled with all kinds of things- household gadgets, dish towels, note cards, pencils/pens, cups/mugs, etc. We'd show the items to the victim customer and they'd choose what they'd like to order.
Tom Wat kits?

 

[luvthatduke]

I sold Cutco 40+ years ago, and it was never "door to door."
We did the thing where we asked friends/family if they would
allow me to run through my presentation with them,
then I had to ask them if they'd give some names of people
that would allow me to do the same thing.
Obviously, the "run through" was meant to be a sales pitch,
and I did sell some items.
It's a quality product, I still have my sales kit utensils and I use
them weekly, if not daily.
I just wish I could afford to buy 4 steak knives - that's always on the top of my list.

 

[ronandannette]

It could have been Watkins, or maybe the Rawleigh Man? That company was very popular where I grew up.

https://lindaseccaspina.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/rawleigh-memories-door-to-door-salesmen/

 

[Genie+]

Stanley was the big one in our neck of the woods. Later Amway started making its way in too.

Who didn’t have the brown and yellow Stanley broom and dustpan back then? The lasted for decades lol.

Tupperware and Avon weren’t door to door, but very popular. My Mom sold both over the years. When I was 7 I was doing my family’s laundry in the corner laundromat and struck up a conversation with an adult who was impressed by my little kid skills. He was a physicist stopping in town while working on plastics for NASA and Heinz (this was back in very late 70s) and had gotten his start making plastics for Tupperware. It was just such an interesting conversation I always remembered. He was creating the most heat resistant odor-proof plastics known to man and this was a few years before those products hit the market. Changed our life. Heinz plastic squeeze bottles so we didn’t have to fight it out anymore? Microwavable Tupperware? Space exploration? Cool dude Surely other uses have him to thank too.

 

[Micca]

I remember the Fuller Brush man coming around. We'd usually buy some small item from him, no idea how anyone could make a living doing that.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I remember the Fuller Brush man coming around. We'd usually buy some small item from him, no idea how anyone could make a living doing that.

The Fuller Brush Company made a hairbrush that was just perfect for thick hair and was the “gold standard” in my community.
My Nana gave me one when I was going off to college and I retained it until my then DIL borrowed and lost it.

Apparently, using others hair tools was not one of her family’s superstitions…

 

[mjkacmom]

I seem to recall Fuller Bush as door-to-door many years ago. No idea if they are still around.

I thought Tupperware used to only be sold at those home 'parties'? Don't recall it being a door-to-door activity. Amway is that pyramid scheme, I think they now call it 'multi-level marketing' to makes it sound legit. Any company where you make more money lining up other sales people vs selling an actual product is my definition of a pyramid scheme. Whatever products they sell are secondary to recruiting more sellers. A number of years ago someone I knew was all gunho about getting started with Amway and invited several friends over to hear their so-called 'salespitch'. It was this long/rambly presentation that never said what/how you sell and we all wanted to say to the person..............."get to the point". Was never interested. I think that person eventually lost interest as well. Not sure that works door-to-door.

Am not sure there are any door-to-door sales that still take place. People nowadays would simply not answer the door or after about 2 minutes would say...........'no thanks' and close the door on the person. I doubt most people would invite some stranger into their home to listen to a sales pitch regardless of the product.

Well I get solicitors for cable, solar, windows, siding, driveways, gas/electric and Jesus.

 

[hertamaniac]

I'm old enough to remember when encyclopedias were sold door-to-door. I think it was a subscription service like you get book "A" then a week later book "B" and so forth.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I sold Cutco 40+ years ago, and it was never "door to door."
We did the thing where we asked friends/family if they would
allow me to run through my presentation with them,
then I had to ask them if they'd give some names of people
that would allow me to do the same thing.
Obviously, the "run through" was meant to be a sales pitch,
and I did sell some items.
It's a quality product, I still have my sales kit utensils and I use
them weekly, if not daily.
I just wish I could afford to buy 4 steak knives - that's always on the top of my list.

I bought some Cutco door-to-door 40+ years ago. Now I just get it off ebay. Even got a great deal on steak knives which I gave my grand dtr as a gift.

 

[lovesmurfs]

The Fuller Brush Company made a hairbrush that was just perfect for thick hair and was the “gold standard” in my community.
My Nana gave me one when I was going off to college and I retained it until my then DIL borrowed and lost it.

Apparently, using others hair tools was not one of her family’s superstitions…

My husband's used his Fuller brush for the past 60 years (even though he doesn't really need a brush any more!).

DD's hair is super curly and super think -- he bought one for her while she was in high school (they still have a website). She found something she liked better, so I've been using it the past 10 years -- I do like it.

 

[fla4fun]

The only salesman who came around when I was a child was the Jewel Tea man. We had a milkman who brought all of our dairy products too.

 

[luvthatduke]

I bought some Cutco door-to-door 40+ years ago. Now I just get it off ebay. Even got a great deal on steak knives which I gave my grand dtr as a gift.

I stand corrected.
I'm actually amazed to hear they sold door to door,
as they truly emphasized (with my group) getting
as many people in your town/family to allow a demonstration
and then the extremely awkward moment of asking for names .

I've seen them on ebay but still too much $$.
I'm glad you got them for your granddaughter, they are a very good investment.

 

[barkley]

Tupperware and Avon weren’t door to door

avon did door to door sales for 137 years-their catch phrase was 'ding dong-avon calling'. i remember avon ladies coming to the door back in the 60's and 70's.

 

[_19disnA]

Maybe Avon went door to door long time ago or only in some areas. I can still remember my Mom getting the Avon catalog in the mail and she would occasionally order a few items.