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But our best advertisers were the workers themselves who welcomed this small attempt at a year round outlet. Sometimes two months would pass with no returns for a worker, then a sale and money received. Their patience was amazing -- their faith too strong to break.

IF THE workers furnished all their own materials, we took 10 per cent for handling. If the Workshop furnished the materials, we deducted the cost of the materials when the item was sold, the maker receiving the rest. Workers submitting their own items for the first time, or for any new project were asked to give us actual cost of making, the time it took to make, and a suggested selling price. If the item justified it we raised the selling price but made no mention of the fact until the item sold, then the worker was told and received the benefits therefrom. Occasionally we had to eventually lower the selling price to the one suggested by the worker. Never did we lower the suggested selling price without first consulting the maker, giving our reasons for wishing to do so and asking her consent. To us, that is one of the first laws in this business establishing between the worker and the marketeer a belief in the latter's absolute fairness. In the Workshop we did have one general pricing policy which served as a guide. Let me illustrate it -- a stuffed Scottie pup cost .22 to make so we figured cost at .25 (the nearest figure in terms of fives) considering the additional .03 to cover waste; to the .25 was added 100 per cent increase, thus making the selling price of the finished product .50. The worker received all over and above the figured cost of .25. As time has passed, we have been able to increase often the 100 per cent profit when time, quality, neatness, marketability, etc. justified it but the policy proved a real aid in establishing a minimum selling price.

THE LATTER part of April we had the opportunity of placing our work in a gift shop on Cape Cod for the ten week period it was open. This shop was run by a woman who had had infantile paralysis and was now confined to a wheelchair. With the consent of the sponsoring committee a box was sent East containing items selected with care, keeping in mind summer colony and tourist trade. Many of the items sent were made by the homebound who over a period of years had perfected their work unaided by any centralized agency or workshop and now needed a market for their work. At the close of the ten week period, we had sold $50 worth from which 20 per cent was retained by the gift shop. We took no commission in this case since the entire undertaking had been experimental. We were asked to participate again this year and we hope that the present war conditions will not interfere with the closing of the Cape Cod shop, it was indeed a pleasant surprise to have an Illinois gift shop ask to carry our work. Following some correspondence, the same business terms as used during the summer were decided upon-work on consignment, no orders taken, and a 20 per cent commission to the shop handling sales. This shop is located in the county seat of a prosperous rural county and is owned by a young woman crippled; by polio myelitis and confined to a wheelchair. Since placing our work in this shop $68 worth has been sold in five months. Since this outlet was to be a regular proposition requiring tagging, boxing and postage, the Occupational Therapy Workshop, which handles all the consignments, deducts 5 per cent from all goods sold, taken from the total we receive from which had already been deducted the 20 per cent. Stock which has not sold in three months must be returned to the Workshop.

SALES IN these two shops have proven the value of the small gift costing twenty-five and fifty cents. During the summer items in demand were headbands such as those worn by tennis players, novelty jewelery -sic- of all kinds, cottage luncheon sets, woven potholders, and chief among the more expensive items, woven silk purses. In the second shop potholders, pillowcases and utility aprons held top honors. Among the less expensive items were coat lapel dolls and ornaments, stuffed animals, and small dolls. Here too we found shower suggestions welcomed apparently due to the fact that our items were new features in the community.

In order to increase sales and to acquaint the public with the fact that handicapped persons can do nice salable work, every effort has been made to have periodical sales. The state chairman for Occupational Therapy for the Federation of Women's Clubs has taken exhibits to illustrate her talks and sold directly; the same has been true at all Illinois Association for the Crippled state meetings. The Chicago Woman's Club has sponsored a number of sales on their regular club days and devoted one day early in December each year to a Christmas sale. In every case sales were outright, orders discouraged since it is too hard to depend on handicapped workers who may be indisposed just at that time.

Monthly checks were sent to the workers, unless the amount was less than fifty cents, in which case it was held until the following month.