The 1950s were arguably the golden age of television and many people of a certain age look back fondly at some of the shows of the time ? ?The Lone Ranger?, ?I Love Lucy? and ?Gunsmoke?. These shows were in black and white and were watched on a set that got its signal from a huge antenna on the roof, but they were loved just the same.
Almost as compelling as the TV shows themselves, were some of the commercials of the time. TV was still a novelty during the 1950s and companies were anxious to cash in on the new craze. Particularly popular were commercials for cigarettes, cars and state of the art kitchen appliances. And the average length of TV advertisements was around a minute ? compared to the 30 seconds or less today.
Beer was also one of the products widely advertised on TV during the 1950s. At first, it was only late at night and never on a Sunday, so as not to offend anyone. During the early part of the decade, Blatz Beer became one of the beer industry's biggest advertisers, partly due to the company's sponsorship of the popular ?Amos ?n? Andy? show.
One of the most instantly recognizable characters in television advertising at the time was Mabel. Mabel was a chirpy blond waitress who appeared on screen with a tray of Carling Black Label beer. Almost every Carling commercial featured the phrase that became famous ? ?Hey, Mabel, Black Label!?
Cigarette advertisements were commonplace during the 1950s ? a big change from television today. Some of the biggest tobacco manufacturers of the time spent a lot of money trying to convince us that smoking was sophisticated and fun, including Lucky Strike, Tareyton and Winston.
One famous Lucky Strike ad featured a clever combination of cartoon and live action, featuring the singer Gisele McKenzie. Tareytown had an ad that featured what appeared to be two children dancing around a giant pack of cigarettes. And who can possibly forget the Fontane Sisters singing the praises of Chesterfield cigarettes?
Car manufacturers went to great lengths to advertise the latest models on television during the 1950s despite the loss of aesthetic effect on a black and white screen. The Ford Edsel was advertised at great length as the most beautiful convertible in the world, complete with such wonderful and innovative features as ?teletouch? driving and air suspension.
It wasn't all just cars, beer and tobacco. Some healthier products were advertised as well. One of the most well known ads of the era was for Pepsodent toothpaste. The TV ad featured a cute cartoon couple kissing after having brushed their teeth, and the catchy and unforgettable slogan ? ?You'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!?
TV advertisements for kitchen appliances pointed out features that we now take for granted. A General Electric ad from the time for a new refrigerator consisted of a proud couple explaining the features of their sleek new fridge which included shelves that slid out, storage space behind the door and a separate freezer compartment.
And some things don't seem to have changed much over the years. Tupperware ran a series of TV ads during the 1950s which featured an exciting Tupperware evening at a typical suburban home, organized by a ?hostess?. Almost as much emphasis was placed on the social aspect, as on the actual features of the product.
One of the most prolific TV advertisers during the 1950s and subsequent decades was Pepsi. Their advertisements captured the feeling of the times like few others. One of the company's earliest featured the actress and singer Polly Bergen enjoying a barn dance and a refreshing glass of Pepsi-Cola.
Not to be outdone, Coca-Cola was just as prolific with their ads and came up with several memorable slogans, such as ?There's nothing like a Coke?. Coca-Cola also went after the young crowd, with an ad featuring people at diners and drive-in movie theaters and a jingle that claimed ?Zing! What a feeling!?
Many television viewers firmly maintain that the advertisements are just as good as the actual shows themselves! It seems as though that was especially true back in the 1950s. And if you just can't get enough of those old commercials, you can enjoy some of them on DVD or online.
~ Ben Anton, 2008
Diversification is a key step that every seller who wants to make money on eBay needs to consider. By diversifying the products being offered for sale the risks associated with a product going out of favor with buyers is significantly reduced. With the decreased sales that follow the decline of one product, there are other products that can continue to be sold.
Diversification helps to ensure that some sales continue. It helps to ensure that the seller can make money on eBay. Business overhead is being covered by those other sales. There is also the time to determine the right moves to make regarding the product with declining sales. Every now and then some products are added to inventory that just won't sell. Often they sit and collect dust as they are relisted, placed in the eBay Store, and finally just left on an empty shelf. If you are trying to make money on eBay, you are not making a profit when merchandise is allowed to sit unsold. In fact, the value is probably just going down every month that the merchandise sits unsold.
Maybe the seller paid $5.00 for the item. After listing it multiple times, all of a sudden the costs associated with the item have grown to $8.00 or $9.00. Sellers who make money on eBay know that even if they have invested $9.00 in an item that will not sell, they are better off to turn it into cash, any amount of cash, than to allow it to continue to collect dust.
The message from those who make money on eBay is that after really working to ensure that the listing is right, and knowing that it is a product problem, the time comes to accept the loss and the accompanying lesson and move on has come. Even if the item only sells for $1.00, that $1.00 is better than an item that cannot be sold.
So what do you do? Accept your loss. To make money on eBay means that the seller also needs to look for the lessons that have been learned. Was the item purchased without conducting adequate market research? Has the marketplace changed? Is the product from a new supplier and not really as described before it was purchased by the seller?
To make money on eBay means that sellers need to take the loss and turn the item into money. Take that money and reinvest it in saleable inventory. Turn that inventory a few times, and the seller has made enough to return to the amount that was originally lost. On top of that, there is a lesson that has been learned. Hopefully it is a lesson that will positively affect the rest of the eBay business.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to create some level of diversification is to add other, new and different products within the same market niche. That way the seller can continue to make money on eBay in a market niche where there is already established knowledge and expertise.
If a seller chooses this option, it is important to create some level of protection. That can be accomplished by moving into other parts of that same niche. For example, if the seller offers 3/8” wood screws for sale, adding another equivalent wood screw is not likely to afford the protection that is being sought through diversification. However, by adding metal screws there might be better protection from downturns within the niche. Just remember to conduct research and testing before investing heavily within the same niche. As always, that research and testing is important if a seller wants to make money on eBay.
Sellers can gain some level of protection from sales downturns by diversifying within the same market niche. The seller can continue to make money on eBay even during periods of declining sales for their primary products. Diversify to reduce business risk.
Both Ben Anton & Sabia Singh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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