Chapter 3
TV Adverts and Contests ... !
'Count the Marbles' ?
Pat did a lot of TV advertising .. his biggest competitor was Cal Worthington .. so he did a lot of flashy cheap ads .. usually with contests where you would have to come onto the car lot to enter.
He always had contests. He was caught short several times when customers actually WON the contests... !! .. he had outrageous payoffs and prizes .. expecting no one could ever actually win .. but I know 2 times they did .. and he was chagrined... had to pay them both off – but usually weaseled his way out or around, - except for the one weightlifter who really won, and the day he lost his marbles!
The contest was to carry a 100 pound weight for approximate 2 miles - on a course of city streets - held straight out from the chest … arms fully extended.
They thought no one could do it .. but a “Mr. America” type body builder – a local champion .. with guns the size of Chicago .. tried .. and actually DID IT !?!? .. Pat had to give him a car !! That was well publicized and in the papers and local TV news.
How Many Marbles in the Jar ?
This next one he told me about himself .. when I was about 23 years old and just out of the Marines – back from 'Nam . The almost disastrous 'Count The Marbles In The Jar' contest ... where he nearly got busted?!
They had a huge Ginger Jar with lid - full of marbles in the showroom .. and the contest was to guess the exact amount of marbles in the jar – for a free car ! Put your guess on a card .. drop in barrel .. if you have EXACT number – you win a nice car !
He did heavy TV advertising, and it brought lots of folks and “Looky-Lou's”, but it sold a lot of used cars too. He was doing his best version of 'Cal Worthington'.
Shock of shocks .. one customer had submitted a ticket with the exact number !?!?!?
It matched the official count card in the safe .! ? He had guessed the exact number!? What to do Percy ?
The time was approaching to announce the winner - the press and TV were there.
Pat hemmed, 'n hawed stalled as long as he could, but the press, and waiting crowd were getting anxious – it was past time to award the prize. Thinking quickly, he said the official count card was still locked in the safe, but and the ONLY person with the combination - the accountant - had just left on a two week Hawaiian honeymoon cruise. There was no way to contact her. The only thing to do was have to RECOUNT of all the marbles - in front of the press!
This would prove the contest was a legit – and tamp down the grousing and growing shouts of 'rigged', BUT .. for security, Pat said they would need to " ... count the marbles in the back secure counting room" ... the jar would have to be moved.
Then whilst carrying the monster jar of glass - with his ad hoc crew of cronies making it as confusing as possible .. juggling and struggling with it to get it away from the TV cameras, and back into to the 'counting area'.
In all the hubbub, he managed to “palm” a few extra marbles into the jar - whilst they carried the jar to the counting room. The confusion was the cover!
When they finally finished counting all the thousands of marbles, in front of the press – a few long hours later – they mysteriously 'found' more marbles than on the customers ticket !? - Oh too bad
“Sorry Charlie – you lose !!
Pat didn’t have to give him the fancy car – but there was so much grousing that the contest was rigged – with shouts from the waiting crowd- and the growing curiosity of the police, that the better part of valor was to offer a decent different car. This was a live remote TV broadcast from his car lot ... with a large crowd waiting to hear the results!
Spectators were agitating for the cops ought to get involved. Just then, like a miracle, another nice car was offered as a consolation prize.
This was acceptable to the worried ticket holders – and to the cops - so all was settled to satisfaction .. but a very close shave at that !! Pat was out 2 cars ultimately! Hoist by his own Petard,or more correctly - marbles!
Pat quit doing contests after that !
*
Don't lose your marbles !
* * *
All photos: free, public domain, or by permission
No comments:
Post a Comment