Yes, long before the birth and explosion of the Internet, mail order shopping was a hugely popular and preferred method of doing business--and still is. In fact, the Internet has actually enhanced and contributed to the overall success of mail order.

The mail order industry was created by Aaron Montgomery Ward. Ward sent out his first mail order catalog in 1872-- for his Montgomery Ward mail order business located at Clark and Kinzie Streets in Chicago. The first catalog consisted of a single sheet of paper with a price list, 8 by 12 inches, showing the merchandise for sale with ordering instructions.

"Ward`s gradually expanded the catalog. They became bigger, more heavily illustrated, chock full of goods-- often referred to as "dream books" by rural families."

Aaron Montgomery Ward was born on Feb. 17, 1844 and died on Dec. 7, 1913. He first worked for Marshall Field, a department store, as both a store clerk and a traveling salesman. As a traveling salesman, he realized that his rural customers could be better served by mail-order, a revolutionary idea. He started his business with only $2,400 in capital. Montgomery Ward was a mail-order only business until 1926, when the first Montgomery Ward retail store opened in Plymouth, Indiana.

And the rest, as they say is history!

Over the years, I`ve actually owned several profitable mail order businesses--selling everything from books to vitamins to my copywriting services.

It really is an amazingly fun way to do business! Absolutely nothing beats the thrill of receiving checks in the mail! And even though I`m no longer involved in mail order to the degree that I once was, I credit mail order for giving me the invaluable training, experience and skills I use on the Internet every single day.

Not having much success on the Internet? Try your hand at mail order. However, before getting started, I suggest you read the following books:

"How To Get Rich In Mail Order," by Melvin Powers, "Money In Your MailBox," by L. Perry Wilbur, "How To Make A Fortune In Mail Order," by Al Stern and "Building A Mail Order Business," by William A. Cohen .

Many books have been written about mail order, over the years, but the aforementioned books are among the best ever written on the subject. Granted, they are somewhat dated in some areas, but the information itself is still solid as a rock.

You should be able to find these books at your local library, since they`re all-time classics. However, if you don`t have any luck at the library, try Amazon.com.

These books will provide you with valuable insight into the remarkable and enduring mail order industry, and you just might discover a fun new way of doing business you never even considered before!