Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Back to 1938
Well, now that I've had a brief few minutes of hope shattered by horrible reality, I'll return to focusing on the SANE parts of the world, and the SANE parts of America's timeline.
1938 to 1941 was the peak of sanity. FDR had brought Wall Street under HARSH control for the first and only time. Experts were realistic and humble. Deepstate was itching to resume power, but couldn't fight a President who knew the THINGS WORTH DOING AND HOW TO DO THEM. When the leader knows the THINGS WORTH DOING AND HOW TO DO THEM, the people of THIS country will defend the leader from opposition.
Corporations were proud of their products and employees, and considered separation from Wall Street to be a selling point.
Example from the magnificent American Radio History library as usual: A 1938 booklet published for internal use by Philco dealers. Philco was advising its salesmen on the best sales pitches.
Proud of being a NON-STOCK company!
Proud of using real wood built by craftsmen, proud of NO Innovative Disruption.
I can verify this claim precisely. Through the '60s and '70s I owned three 1938 Philcos like this one:
Used them daily. Excellent shortwave reception, beautiful room-filling sound, beautiful wood. All were over 30 years old, none of them failed. I just left them behind in my stupid hippie moves.
Philco wanted its salesmen to emphasize the angled dials, which were easy to use from a standing position:
Note the intentional appeal to OLDER customers. No focusing on the 18-34 demographic.
Here's some good general advice for salesmen. Note emphasis on FACT, NOT THEORY. Experience is more valuable than book-learning. You won't find that in any advice today. Note also that customers were assumed to be women. Philco understood that women make the choices in the average home. Fact, not theory.
Later emphasis on the same point:
The daughter will gravitate to you. But ... but ... but ... this wasn't 2018! This was before Betty Friedan allowed womxn to handle money! Can't be! CRIMETHINK! CRIMETHINK! No! No! I'm meltinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng
Proud of being a NON-STOCK company!
Proud of using real wood built by craftsmen, proud of NO Innovative Disruption.
I can verify this claim precisely. Through the '60s and '70s I owned three 1938 Philcos like this one:
Used them daily. Excellent shortwave reception, beautiful room-filling sound, beautiful wood. All were over 30 years old, none of them failed. I just left them behind in my stupid hippie moves.
Philco wanted its salesmen to emphasize the angled dials, which were easy to use from a standing position:
Note the intentional appeal to OLDER customers. No focusing on the 18-34 demographic.
Here's some good general advice for salesmen. Note emphasis on FACT, NOT THEORY. Experience is more valuable than book-learning. You won't find that in any advice today. Note also that customers were assumed to be women. Philco understood that women make the choices in the average home. Fact, not theory.
Later emphasis on the same point:
The daughter will gravitate to you. But ... but ... but ... this wasn't 2018! This was before Betty Friedan allowed womxn to handle money! Can't be! CRIMETHINK! CRIMETHINK! No! No! I'm meltinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng
Labels: defensible times, things worth doing
¶ 11:18 PM
