Wedding gowns and bowling balls, engine blocks
and wagon wheels, submarines, snowmobiles, stained
glass windows and cemetary lots. You name it and
Uncle Henry's more than likely has it! Every
Thursday on just about every counter in just about
every store from Fort Keny to Kittery and over
through New Hampshire and Vermont, into
Massachussetts, to New Brunswick and 30 other
states by mail. The current Uncle Henry's Swap Or
Sell It Guide appears. Just about the right size to
fit in your back pocket, Uncle Henry's offers
bargains that can't be beat. And even if you never
buy or sell anything, it offers endless diverson.
The self-proclaimed inflation fighter began life in
Rockland in 1969 as a strictly local swap or sell
sheet. It was started by a local print shop owner
named Henry Faller.
Uncle Henry's was bought in 1983 by Joe and
Betty Lou Sutton and Joe ran it for several years
before his sons, Jason and Justin, took over the
day to day operations. Ironically, all three have
the middle name "Henry". the weekly magazine now
costs $1.50 and offers everyone who buys it one
free 30 word ad. About 9,000 buyers place ads every
week. The ads usually run verbatim and unedited.
The Suttons say that not a lot of grammar or
punctuation is necessary to sell your car.
Categories throughout the years have expanded to
reflect the new items consumers are interested in
at any given time.
Uncle Henry's has grown 500% since the Suttons
bought it. Advertisers tell about their lives in
Uncle Henry's as well as about the stuff they are
selling. One diamond ad states "She said no and the
ring has to go" Another ad in a different categaory
says "Excellent nonelectric composting
toilet...reason for selling, we now have water".
And one wonders what mayhem may have prompted
"three pairs of skis, two pairs of ski boots, three
pairs of crutches and a walker...real cheap" Then
there was a woman who called Uncle Henry's and
placed an ad selling a brand new Mercedes. Seems
her husband had run off with his secretary and
called up and said "Sell the Benz and send me the
money." She did, for $200.
For some readers, Uncle Henry's isn't for
bargain hunting, it's a sport, like going hunting.
The production of Uncle Henry's is completely
computerized. The only thing about the cover that
changes is the insert on the billboard and there
are five colors tyat rotate for the border. Many
businesses purchase display ads in Uncle Henry's
because they've discovered it's a great marketing
tool. Employess have been offered $100 for an
advance copy of the magazine before it hits the
store counters on Thursday.
What's coming for Uncle Henry's? Obviously more
growth. Uncle Henry's proves that never a day goes
by that someone doesn't want to buy or sell
something. Uncle Henry's, a Kennebec Valley Chamber
of Commerce President's Club Award Winner.
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