1967 version of “eCommerce”

This Johnson Smith Novelty Items magazine ad was how the 1960’s version of “eCommerce” companies worked. They would make compact ads like this with their catalog of popular (or curiosity-inducing) items and run them in magazines and newspapers. 

The goal was to get people to buy one small item by sending them money or check in the mail, then sending that customer a larger catalog of items in hopes they buy more. 

Selling direct was much tougher before the internet!