What is a salesman sample? When salesmen sold door to door, they would bring with them a sample of the particular item they were selling. Salesman samples are often associated with a smaller version of a large item the salesman couldn't bring with them, like a stove. These samples were always well made and acurate to scale. Sometimes they would leave a salesman sample at the dealership or store for the customers to see what they were ordering. Over the years, these tiny versions of items have sometimes been mistaken for toys. For the most part, a toy wouldn't be as intricate. Other samples might be shown to a company so they could put their advertising on it. Like an ashtray, calendar or pen. The salesman would show a sample and give several options. Then the company could order a promotional item to give away to their customers.
The items I have listed are from an estate buy out from Wausau, WI. The gentleman was a salesman for Brown & Bigelow (out of St. Paul, MN). The buy out contained many salesman sample calendars and calendar tops. Over the years, Brown & Bigelow had many famous artists either working for them on staff or that they used: Norman Rockwell, R.H. Palenske, Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter on it's a Wonderful Life), Zoe Mozert (pin-up artist - female- used herself as model), Rolf Armstrong, Roy Best, Gil Elvgren, Lawson Wood, Maxfield Parrish and I'm sure alot more I don't know.
This is a sample of some of the calendar tops I will have listed. ..
Thanks for looking...
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