1901 Memorial Book William McKinley+Salesman's Dummy/Sample

Memorial Life of William McKinley Plus Salesman's Sample Dummy

1901

The book has consiserable edge-wear and the spine is sunned.  It is loose and the text is tanned with some scattered foxing.  The salesman's sample dummy has some exterior wear but the colors remain strong.  Both have a penciled price and bookseller's notes in front.

This is a rare salesman's sample or dummy book (also called a blad).  These specimen books were used by the itinerant agents of subscription publishers to entice customers to agree to purchase a copy of a work in advance of delivery. This form of marketing was common in America from the years just before and after the Civil War continuing into the early Twentieth Century.

A typical specimen book consists of sample sheets in a sample binding.  A customer could choose among alternative styles of binding, and a sample book usually includes the spines of available styles mounted inside the covers. The sample book might also include a printed prospectus describing the virtues of the work or edition with recommendations from well-known persons. 

Most specimen books also include blank forms on which the salesman entered the names, addresses, sometimes occupations, and the number of copies his subscribers agreed to purchase.  The forms in this dummy remain blank.

D*

Creekside Collectible/Encore Books