Oh NO!!! Billy Mays is Dead

[BroosterB1]

Amen! Brother, Amen! The only thing higher in praise than talking about a salesman's sales ability would be to go buy something in his/her honor!ith:

[CDNSushi]

yes, parangaricutirimicuaro

Gesundheit!

[sathor]

Amen! Brother, Amen! The only thing higher in praise than talking about a salesman's sales ability would be to go buy something in his/her honor!ith:

Not much he sells that we need.

(we already have a collection of as seen on TV stuff. The 'shamwow' we have had since before my oldest was born almost 5 years ago. I still have an unopened pack from back then. I have over $80 worth of wonder hangers. I have been thinking of getting the mighty mendit though.)

[Larry124]

I'm looking at an unopened package of Mighty Putty right now.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

No more. RIP Billy.

[mbhandy]

I'm looking at an unopened package of Mighty Putty right now.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

No more. RIP Billy.

You just have to pay S/H
For LIFE.

I just bought some OxiClean for Billy
and it REALLY REALLY works.

MrBill

[kiltedsawyer]

I won't make jokes about his passing. He was human like the rest of us, but what he did for a living I found annoying. I'm not glad he's dead, but I am glad I won't have to sit through his commercials anymore. Did you ever wonder how they sold that stuff at such low prices? I think they made more money selling the addresses, etc. of the people who bought the products, to marketing firms. I will not miss him.
Respectfully,
David

[12stones]

I'm sorry to hear about Mr Mays. The 'reality' show Pitchmen showed him to be a hard-working, honest, down-to-earth talented guy who did his best to help his clients, often entrepreneurs trying to establish their own businesses, to succeed.

I'm glad someone brought this up, because for many, Billy Mays was a hero that helped them achieve their own dreams.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Did you ever wonder how they sold that stuff at such low prices? I think they made more money selling the addresses, etc. of the people who bought the products, to marketing firms.

Actually, it's all down to price point (usually $19.95) and volume (usually in excess of 100,000 units). On a $19.95 item the breakdown is something like this: 50% to the manufacturer, or roughly $10. From that, deduct the cost of manufacturing the "widget", roughly $2.00. Pull off another buck for fulfillment (getting the goods from the warehouse to the distribution company that gets the goods to the consumer). End of the day the company that employs the pitchman-- Billy Mays, Anthony Sullivan, etc.-- makes about seven bucks on each item sold.

The pitchman produces the commercial and bulk buys the commercial air time (30 seconds on "Grey's Anatomy" is about $30,000, which is why you don't see pitchmen hawking their wares on prime-time, network television). When the dust settles his take is about the same as the "widget" manufacturer, something in the neighborhood of six or seven dollars per unit sold.

A good, direct market campaign, tied to the right product, can earn the manufacturer well into seven figures. Same for the pitchman.

I'd be surprised if the mailing lists weren't sold-- but I doubt the sales of the list do more than than cover even half the cost of shooting the commercial, if that.