I am a dumpster diver. I love waste. Especially in Doylestown. I'd rather go without most things, than buy them new, because I will wait until someone near my home will throw it away for me to find, first. I have even collected toilet paper and soap, new of course.. But I get my shoes, housewares, clothing, linens, furnishings, cleaners, paints, nuts and bolts, tools, tractors, lumber, computers...you get the idea why I am a dumpster diver.
This is my score card for 3-10-06:
1 nice 2 compartment file cabinet
2 rolls of unused toilet paper
1 3'x4' wall mirror in perfect shape ready to hang
App 15' on new 6" stove piping
A large heavy Gage underground distribution box for a downspout system in good shape
A min. toy tractor trailer
3 new like condition electrical wall outlets
This morning (3-27-06) on my way to breakfast with my father we stopped and picked up the following:
3 florescent light fixtures
An upright lamp
Yesterday someone dropped off for me a a 2 wheeled field roller with a BS engine. Plus I took in a laptop computer and a fax/ printer which we plugged in and is in perfect working order.
Now what I can do with all these treasures. Some end up at Milan Hirst Nursery and Treasures which is our store at our nursery located in Milan Pa. along rt. 220 in Bradford county. Some I use as freebies.
The net is a free market at is best. Our Internet users all love free stuff. So we try to give them what they want. Free items. This is a lesson that I learned many years ago. I always try to offer a customer something that is free. Customers remember the free item more than items that they buy. Of all the different types of adds that I have run over the years, its the free offers that people cut out and save. After all think about coupons that people save. They don't collect product adds they will collect coupons. That is why I like to always advertise my free items. I even plan days around free give aways. When customers are at nursery I will even make up a free offer on the spot many times such as when I ask the customer, " Do you know what day it is? Do you know its free Lilac day? Let me show you a Lilac that is free today". I will then give them a lilac and say such things as every landscape needs at least one lilac. I can them show them all the different lilacs that we have and promote many different lilacs. I never give away a teaser. I make the free plant a quality gift of real value. This is what is remembered by customers.
This is a copy of my most recent email newsletter. This was an overwhelming success. We had an estimated 600% weekly sales gain by using this newsletter add.
January 2006
The Early Bird Gets the Worm---Don't Delay
Free Tree Day
Jan. 28Th is a Free Higan Weeping Cherry Tree Day
Greetings!
January 28, 2006 is free Weeping Higan Cherry Tree Day.....All members of our email club can receive a free Higan Weeping Cherry when you bring your pickup to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. Fountainville Pa. location. These trees are 10-12' tall and in 24" baskets. These trees must be picked up on the 28Th, before 5pm. sorry, no rain checks. There is a limit of one per family and you must have been a member on or before January 27, 2006 of our email club.
Sincerely,
Bill Hirst
Free Tree Day
Jan. 28Th, 2006 is Free Tree Day
5275 W. Swamp Rd.
Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923
January 28, 2006
8:00AM-5:00PM
Reasons to Come to this Event
We are selling 150 acres of our nursery and we must liquidate many trees and plants. Some of of plants are in quantities that would supply us for many years of sales. But we can't move that number of trees. Thus they will be either sold at a discount, destroyed, or given away. I like the last option. Thus if you bring your pickup to the farm today, Saturday the 28Th, we will give away 1 free Higan Weeping cherry to each email newsletter subscriber to Highland Hill Farm that picks up the tree by 5PM. Sorry you must be have be signed up by Jan. 27Th, to qualify. There are no rain checks. These trees are in 24 and 28 inch baskets and are app. 10-14' tall. We will help load them in your pickup.
We have a total of 75 trees ready to give away while the supply lasts. All other trees and plants are 20% off today.
Highland Hill Farm
5275 W. Swamp Rd. Rt. 313
Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923
myhirst@yahoo.com
HTTP://www.seedlingsrus.com We will have other free tree offerings each month. So keep in touch.
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Within 15 minutes of this email being sent people started to arrive to make selections. We would have had no customers on this day. Yet we sold enough other stock to make this offering possible. We gave away 52 trees and this was even covered by the press showing up and giving us exposure in local papers.
I usually have an assortment of free books and records that I am Glad to share. I store many at our Nursery located 1 mile west of Doylestown Pa. on Rt. 313 near Fountainville. Click here for driving directions http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&addtohistory=&formtype=address&searchtype=address&cat=&address=5275%20Swamp%20Rd&city=Fountainville&state=PA&zipcode=18923%2d9609&searchtab=home
Call and ask what we have or just stop in to the nursery and / or check us out. You can also drop off unwanted recyclable items if you call 215 651 8329 or check our web sites:
Bill raises trees, plants,and shrubs on his farms, many located in Pennsylvania. He also has ranches out west for arrowhead collecting, fossil collecting and hunting for meteorites and big game.
