50-year-plus Catalog Veteran Enjoys It Small and Simple

HOW HE DEALT WITH IT: Boatman scoured mail order books written by such advertising experts as David Ogilvy, Max Sacheim and Vic Schwab. According to Boatman, these books and articles acted as reference guides when he had a problem or question. “I’ve learned to put merchandise on the front and back cover, which many catalogs don’t do,” he says. “Everything I’ve read says that pages two and three are the most effective pages to sell. I also began to stress the benefits of owning the product, rather than individual features.”