Thingumabobs

Hundreds of smart businessmen went to Chicago's Palmer House last week to inspect the most complete assortment of typical U. S. gadgets, gimcracks, knick-knacks and thingumabobs ever assembled. It was the fifth annual Premium Buyers' Exposition, to which went representatives of all the big U. S. companies that like to tickle their customers with offers of something for nothing -- or almost nothing. High-piled was the Palmer House with balloons, sheets, watch fobs, razor blades, doll carriages, billfolds, tumblers, electric irons, toasters, waffle irons, windproof cigaret lighters, astrological charts, pith helmets. Careening up & down the crowded aisles in a skimpy bathing suit was a shapely red-haired young lady on a gleaming bicycle.

As ancient as merchandizing itself, premium promotion still has an unfailing appeal to the something-for-nothing instinct-- though some companies make a tidy profit on their premiums by requesting cash along with wrappers, box tops, coupons and other evidences of consuming interest. In periods of stiff competition premium promotion shaves close to outright price-cutting, and a strenuous effort was made to ban premiums in XRA codes. But the premium makers succeeded in keeping no-premium clauses out of all except the Bakers and Oil Codes, are currently thriving. Another boon that has helped loft premium sales in the past two years from $250,000,000 to $400,000,000 annually is radio promotion, which now accounts for one-fourth of all thingumabobs distributed.

Exhibitors last week ranged from big companies like Cannon Mills (towels), Owens-Illinois (glassware) and New Haven Clock to little fellows like Protection Products, Toy Tinkers, O-Pan-Top Manufacturing and Thunderbird Aircraft. Buyers were Armour, Swift, Colgate-Palmolive-Peet, Procter & Gamble, Wrigley, General Foods, etc., etc. Biggest dispenser of premiums, with an annual appropriation of some $2,000,000. is supposed to be Quaker Oats Co. For four Quaker Oats box tops or one top and a dime, the company has lately distributed no less than 350,000 model airplanes made by Scrambled Eggs, Inc. A newcomer to the thingumabob business, Scrambled Eggs, Inc. took its name from its first product, an egg-shaped puzzle.

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