Unusual Odd-ball Ways to Make Money

Thank you Gordon for that explanation about George Hayling.....

Even the "older" ways of making money are fun to read about, I think! And I'm sure many would still work today.... :)

I'm pretty interested in "odd-ball" ways to make money.... I guess that's one reason why I love to read about your experiences!

I have one interesting book on money-making ideas from the late 1960s.... The book is "How to Succeed in Business Before Graduating" by Peter Sandman and Dan Goldenson (published in 1968)....

I picked it up at a second-hand bookstore a couple years ago....

It has all these stories of how college students were making money during their studies.... Some of them are quite creative and could still work today!

Here's one of the odd-ball stories, about selling advertising to local store-owners near the college....

A student at Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe, Louisiana, has already discovered an advertising gimmick with fantastic profit potential. For $40 he purchased a broken-down, battered hearse from a nearby funeral home. A do-it-yourself car wash and a three-dollar battery put the limousine in shape for business. He marked off the surface of the car into fifteen available areas, then sold advertising space for up to $15 per area per month. The ads were painted on with shoe polish, and nearly all were based on themes connected with the hearse. Examples are: "Had to Use This Because I Didn't Buy from Medical Arts Pharmacy"; "You Will Not Need This If You Eat at Ray's"; "You Are Dead Right at ...." And so on.

The advantages of the Hearse Advertising Company were immediately clear to local tradesmen. Complicated college regulations governing on-campus advertising did not apply to the hearse, which was private property. And since it was registered as its owner's official business car, it could be parked anywhere on campus. The novelty of the vehicle added to the cleverness of the ads written on it, guaranteed that every passer-by would take a look. By moving the hearse from place to place a few times a day, the agency also guaranteed that nearly every student would be a passery-by nearly every day. These factors, combined with low monthly rates, made the hearse a uniquely desirable advertising medium. In a very short time the agency had to invest in a second limousine, this one for $25.

The Hearse Stunt Company was formed to take the cars where the crowds were -- pep rallies, ball games, even drag strips. Dressing up as monsters, a student group known as "The Undertakers" won a local drag race in the agency's 1953 Cadillac hearse. The act was so successful that the group has since contracted the stunt to other drag strips. With a few modifications, it served as an ideal promotional gimmick for drive-in theaters featuring horror movies.

But even without these sidelines, a hearse advertising agency should net a few thousand dollars a year on just about any college campus. Fifteen dollars a month per ad is a very low figure for this unique mobile billboard; in most parts of the country you could get $20 or $25 without much difficulty. Fifteen ads at $20 a month comes to $300 a month -- for each hearse. With two cars in operation, you can clean up $600 a month, minus the cost of shoepolish. Even for a hearse, that's quite a killing. (p. 143-144)

I bet this would still work today for some enterprising college student, if you just updated the costs and profits.... :)

Of course, it wouldn't have to be a hearse.... If you could get some other kind of unusual attention-getting car, it could work too!

I guess if you're not attracted to starting a dot-com, a college student could try this!

Dien Rice

George Sounds like my kind of guy!!!!

Ever since I was a child I've been fascinated with these kind of ideas. To this day, when I see the little classifieds about worm farming for profit, I'm tempted to order!!! :)

I'm even planning on writing a book (one of these days) about a little interest of my own. Although it's not new, I think I can do it a lot better justice than previous writers have done.

This forum is a great place Dien and Gordon. I've only been lurking for a few weeks. Very cool!!! I'll be around everyday. I have at least twenty or more forums to keep up with. But this one is quickly moving up the ranks.

I'm planning on getting Ron's newsletter too, when I have the extra cash.

Best wishes and success,

Tom

Tom, I'm fascinated by "odd-ball" ways of making money too....

I'm not the expert that Gordon is, but I'm trying to find out all I can.... :)

> Ever since I was a child I've been
> fascinated with these kind of ideas. To this
> day, when I see the little classifieds about
> worm farming for profit, I'm tempted to
> order!!! :)

Classifieds can be a great source of inspiration! Check out this excellent article from Michael Ross's web site for some great ideas.... :)

> I'm even planning on writing a book (one of
> these days) about a little interest of my
> own. Although it's not new, I think I can do
> it a lot better justice than previous
> writers have done.

Sounds like it could be a great project! :)

> This forum is a great place Dien and Gordon.
> I've only been lurking for a few weeks. Very
> cool!!! I'll be around everyday. I have at
> least twenty or more forums to keep up with.
> But this one is quickly moving up the ranks.

Thanks, Tom.... Things are steaming along here, thanks to everyone! :)

Dien Rice

Okay, so you wanna start a small business and make a few bucks. And you want unusual to a degree.

Then get off your backside and get yourself a Rhoades Car http://rhoadescar.com/lobby.htm

You can sell advertising space on it and park it. Sell advertising space and ride it around. Sell advertising space on it and ride other people around for a small fee - like chinese rickshaws. You can hire them out for others to ride around a park somewhere. You can get the pickup version and be a mobile store of sorts. Maybe doing the rounds at some public event selling stuff from the back. You can hire them out to others for a daily/weekly fee so they can charge people to go for a ride. You can... think of other ideas yourself.

Or you can toss this idea aside and do something else.

Your call.

:o)

Michael Ross.

> Okay, so you wanna start a small business
> and make a few bucks. And you want unusual
> to a degree.

> Then get off your backside and get yourself
> a Rhoades Car
> http://rhoadescar.com/lobby.htm You can
> sell advertising space on it and park it.
> Sell advertising space and ride it around.
> Sell advertising space on it and ride other
> people around for a small fee - like chinese
> rickshaws. You can hire them out for others
> to ride around a park somewhere. You can get
> the pickup version and be a mobile store of
> sorts. Maybe doing the rounds at some public
> event selling stuff from the back. You can
> hire them out to others for a daily/weekly
> fee so they can charge people to go for a
> ride. You can... think of other ideas
> yourself.

Wow, great idea Michael! I found this at the Rhoades Car web site too (in the FAQ section)....

Q. Who uses Rhoades Cars?

[...]

The undertaker in Texas that needed a novel way to advertise his business.
The lady in Ohio, that waged a political campaign from her 2 seat Rhoades Car.
The guy in Florida starting his second trip around the state by bike.
The lady from Rochester New York, that rode a greyhound bus to our plant in Tennessee to pickup her 4W2PCP, and then rode it home.
The state Governor of a Mid East oil country that had 2 4W4PS flown over to him. (We're really not sure what he's using his for.)


and this too!

Q. Is there any way I can make money with my Rhoades Car?
A. Yes, and make it tax deductable.- The Rhoades car can be rented for $10 to $15 per hour. The 4W4P can be rented or used to shuttle passengers for $1 per 5 minute ride. 3 passengers every 5 minutes equals $252 a day. Parks, flea markets, shopping malls, large parking lots etc. are good places to start. In fact, with your first Rhoades Car order we will send you Free, a business opportunity information pack


Some very interesting ideas there.... Probably would be a lot of fun too, especially for the summer (as it's summer downunder) or anywhere the weather is warm.... :)

Dien Rice

if you had a 62-Etype Jag, any way you could make money showing it off?

A few years ago, my husband bought and fully restored his E-type and it runs beautifully. But I wish that car could at least pay for the parking space that it occupies. :-) And even worse, he doesn't drive it in the winter. We could sell the 'thing' and invest the money in the stock market.

So, if you can figure some way we can get this car to earn its keep, I'd love to hear some ideas. :-)
Thank goodness the owner does not visit this forum, or I'd be in real big trouble.

Thanks.

Eliz.