National Cambridge Collectors, Inc.

A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Marketing - 1930s Style

by Mark Nye
Issue No 332 - December 2000

Following are two letters that were sent to all Cambridge agents during the summer of 1937. Apparently, the sales agents were not taking advantage of promotional material available to them.

June 7, 1937
ADVERTISING SIGNS & MATERIALS
CIRCULAR LETTER #181
TO ALL AGENTS:

We find in going over various territories that our representatives do not seem to be putting forth the efforts that they should on our advertising matter.

We find very few of the Cambridge counter signs on display. This is a beautiful sign and when it is shown to buyers they all say they would like to have it.

Then there is the large Cambridge cardboard sign of the trade-mark, about which we wrote you in Circular Letters #112 and #165, but only one or two representatives are doing anything with this.

Other signs that should be prominently displayed are the following:

• Glass prism sign
• Black & Gold Rose Point Sign
• Black & Gold Candlelight Sign
• Black & Gold Caprice Sign
• Black & Gold Pristine Sign

There is no excuse for the merchants not having these signs for their counters. We have given you samples and told you time and time again to add them to your orders or make a separate order and we would mail them.

We are now spending a lot of money for national advertising and these all time in nicely with it. It would appear that a good many of our representatives do not appreciate the expense and the value of this national advertising or they would have our own advvertising such as we referred to above used by the stores, so it would tie in nicely with this advertising.

We trust you will check up very carefully before you go out for your fall trip and order from us such signs as you need for proper display in your sample room so that you can show the customers which you can furnish.

Yours Truly,
The Cambridge Glass Company
W.C. McCartney

August 10, 1937
CUSTOMER HELPS
CIRCULAR LETTER #297
TO ALL AGENTS

We are giving you in this letter a list of the things you should have in your display room or with you when on the road.

The first part of the list is composed of things which you can supply without charge to your customers and we want you to work these things very diligently and see that they are included on your orders and are displayed and used by your customers.

The last part of the list includes some things which are for your help only and are not to be supplied to customers.

There is one exception in the list of things which we furnish without charge. That is the Cambridge display Fixture, which is, of course, sold to the customer.

Yours Truly,
The Cambridge Glass Company
H.A. Lovelady

CUSTOMER HELPS
Large Cambridge Trade-Mark Display Sign Large Table Architecture Display Sign Blow-Up Card of Caprice Ad - in Ladies Home Journal Electric Display Urn Lettered:     Cambridge     Rose Point Cambridge Display Fixture Glass Prisms - Lettered Cambridge	Small Black and Gold Counter or Table Signs:     Cambridge Trade Mark     Rose Point     Caprice     Wildflower     Candlelight     Firenze     Pristine
IMPRINT FOLDER:
Firenze Pristine Table Architecture Wildflower Rose Point Caprice-Black Caprice-Blue Candlelight Portia Diane	Apple Blossom Martha Washington Mount Vernon Gadroon-Valencia Gadroon-Elaine Gadroon-Minerva Gadroon-Plain Tally-Ho - Plain Cambridge Suggestions Sea Shell
MISCELLANEOUS FOLDERS, ETC.
3-Compartment Bowl Torcheres Flower Blocks Swans Salt & Pepper Shakers Quality Folder	5 Radio Announcements Stock Control Card Display Background Rock Crystal Sweet Potato Card Story of Glassware - Booklet, Mats
MATS AVAILABLE
Rose Point Firenze Wildflower Diane Portia Elaine Candlelight Ye Olde Ivy Caprice Stradivari Pristine 645/1438 Epergne 3500/154/1438 Epergne 648 Prism Candlestick Sweet Potato Vase Cheese Preserver 1236 Ivy Ball Everglade 30 Plate	Everglade 31 Plate Stackaways 1455/56 Smoker Set 1441 Candelabrum Mt Vernon Martha Washington 1206 Ice Tea Set Ball Jug Set 3078 Jug & Tumbler Syrups 1369 Decanter Set Sea Shell 40 Bowl 3035 Stemware Gadroon Plain Apple Blossom Decagon Lunch Set 1448 Vase 3500 Stemware R/C Adonis Georgian Tumbler
AGENTS HELP
Pre Vue National Advertising Spring 1937 Route List Blanks Advance Cards	Ads from Newspapers Blow-up of House and Garden Suggestions for sample room and store displays

The lists above have been reformatted to preserve space. In the original letter, the lists were single or double column and in the same type face as the rest of the circular letter.

I don't believe I have ever seen either the large trade mark sign or the Table Architecture sign. While we did have the Caprice display fixture on display in the former museum, I'm not sure what was meant by "Cambridge Display Fixture". Imprint folders were the familiar pattern folders with a place for the individual store to imprint its name and address. Apple Blossom must have remained a popular pattern since imprint folders were still being offered seven years after its 1930 introduction.