Any Former Paperboys On the Forum?

[aklim]

Originally Posted by Jim B.

When I was a young boy growing up in Marin County, a neighborhood boy delivered the Marin County "Independent Journal" to homes in our neighborhood.

Well, sometimes he did, (on a bicycle).

But mostly, his mother drove him around in a brand spanking new gold 1958 Chevy Impala coupe and he tossed the papers out the window in the direction of the driveways.

I had mixed feelings about that...

Better than Mom just coming to work and peddling girl scout cookies. Girl doesn't even do anything at all. For that, I just buy if I need to. Usually, not at all. OTOH, if some kid comes to my door, I feel he earned it even if Mom and Dad escorted him and drove him around. For that case, I buy it even if I don't need it.

[sloride]

Originally Posted by strelnik

Delivered three years-- Detroit Times then the Detroit News.
Bike stolen once.

Delivered the Chicago Daily news for about a year trading off days with a partner. We had to come in roll the papers buy the rubber band then deliver by bicycle, basket in front with hooks that held the straps from the pouch that fit the basket. As I remember now the girls noticed who had the hooks on their bikes and the ring that held the route cards. Moved on from that to painting garage doors, and mowing lawns. Just a "little" over seven years ago now so I can admit it without worrying about the IRS.

[Skid Row Joe]

Not sure what the point of the thread is; theft, crime?

I delivered the West Omaha Sun, then the Omaha World-Herald when a young teen. H#ll of it is, I now invest in the OWH as a shareholder - lol.....times they change!

[MTI]

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Not sure what the point of the thread is; theft, crime?

Not sure whose problem that is.

[t walgamuth]

I had a route from fifth grade til I graduated high school. Best business training I ever had!

[cmac2012]

Originally Posted by MTI

Not sure whose problem that is.

Indeed.

Talk of paperboys and his mind goes to 'theft, crime?' Hoo-kay.

[t walgamuth]

When I got the route I had about 40 or 50 customers. After three years or so I had built it up to over 100. I used to sell new subscriptions and win trips places.....about five or six trips places in busses with a hundred other paper boys...sitting around in hotel rooms at night playing poker in our underwear....heh! No whiskey or cigars though.

[cmac2012]

Remember the Grit Newspaper?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grit_(newspaper)

A buddy of mine sold it around '61. A national paper, you had to go out and hustle up customers. Pretty marginal.

[barry12345]

Delivered papers even during hurricane hazel in Toronto in 1954. I was eleven or twelve. . Had no ideal it was going on except the general conditions seemed really harsh that afternoon. Nearest I ever cane to being struck by lightning as well. Perhaps it hit 30 feet away.

Many people lost there lives that afternoon and evening. The houses proximity to each other possibly gave some breaking of the weather in the densily populated area of my route. The rain was more horrific than the winds.

Brought the route with 100 customers and enlarged it somewhat. Probably for 15.00 back then. As another member mentioned there were various promotions that got you places.

One nursing home I delivered to had an attractive nurse that collected the money for me. She would hike her uniform dress and fish the money out of the top of her nylons. This was in the days of garter belts and individual nylon stockings. I was quite young but never minded this weekly display.

It is a little sobering to realize that all of my customers back then have probably departed by now.

[nestorb98]

1964-5-6-7-8...West 75th street New York, NY 10023....I was 13 in 64, got a dog(Collie Mutt), had to walk her every day and one day a doorman on Central Park West asked if I could get him a regular coffee and a daily news. Before long all the doormen and elevator operators at the now famous San Remo (where an apartment recently sold for 24 Million!) wanted me to bring them not only coffees but Chinese food, hamburgers, donuts and as time progressed additional New York Daily News for many of the tennants in the twin towered 27 story building. By the time I was a senior in high school the senior doorman asked me if I wanted a job as the relief doorman/elevator operator which I gladly took on. By this time I must have had about thirty to forty regular newspaper customers and had a good income stream which kept me always with pocket money to pretty much do a lot of fun teenager things. I also got to meet and know a lot of very famous people many on a first name basis. Funny thing was when I got the job on the door, people would come in and toss me their car keys without ever asking me if I had a driver's licence (which I didn't) and I would have to park and retrieve cars. Thats pretty much how I learned to drive...and the cars! The stories I could tell.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by nestorb98

1964-5-6-7-8...West 75th street New York, NY 10023....I was 13 in 64, got a dog(Collie Mutt), had to walk her every day and one day a doorman on Central Park West asked if I could get him a regular coffee and a daily news. Before long all the doormen and elevator operators at the now famous San Remo (where an apartment recently sold for 24 Million!) wanted me to bring them not only coffees but Chinese food, hamburgers, donuts and as time progressed additional New York Daily News for many of the tennants in the twin towered 27 story building. By the time I was a senior in high school the senior doorman asked me if I wanted a job as the relief doorman/elevator operator which I gladly took on. By this time I must have had about thirty to forty regular newspaper customers and had a good income stream which kept me always with pocket money to pretty much do a lot of fun teenager things. I also got to meet and know a lot of very famous people many on a first name basis. Funny thing was when I got the job on the door, people would come in and toss me their car keys without ever asking me if I had a driver's licence (which I didn't) and I would have to park and retrieve cars. Thats pretty much how I learned to drive...and the cars! The stories I could tell.

Better tell them now.

[PhantomCadillac]

I delivered the paper morning and evening with my brother and then took it over when he got a job at Dairy Queen. That was in Lynchburg Va can't remember how much I made but we had about 150 customers
I hated the spider webs in the morning!
I think it helped my brother more than me, he has done really well. He has 2 mercedes a 2008 and 2013 both diesel suv's he loves them.

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by PhantomCadillac

I delivered the paper morning and evening with my brother and then took it over when he got a job at Dairy Queen. That was in Lynchburg Va can't remember how much I made but we had about 150 customers
I hated the spider webs in the morning!
I think it helped my brother more than me, he has done really well. He has 2 mercedes a 2008 and 2013 both diesel suv's he loves them.

I thought you were going to reveal that one of you went on to owning several Dairy Queens? That would have been of interest to me. I declined buying a couple DQs recently - the owner wanted about 2X what they were worth, by any standard of business valuation. If your brother owns 2 Mercedes', he must be doing OK!

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Better tell them now.

What for?

[iwrock]

im thinking about picking one up.