The picture in the header depicted our demo room, likely taken in either 1989, 1990, or possibly 1991. As evident from the photo, Atlantic Office Systems (the first one in NJ) was authorized for Adler Royal, Brother, and Tele VaxaFax (facsimile). Later, Adler Royal was acquired by Mita, and the brand changed to Copystar. I strongly disliked the name Copystar because it lacked brand recognition; at least with Adler Royal, our clients were familiar with Royal typewriters.
Small Dealer
We were never a large dealer; I handled most of the sales while my partner managed the technical work. Occasionally, when we were busy, I had to assist with service calls. Our small size allowed us to make prompt decisions and offer products in high demand. In the early nineties, we primarily sold analog copiers, and technological advancements occurred at a slower pace compared to today's digital copiers.
Advanced Solution Software
We had two PCs in the office; one was used for accounting (Peachtree), and the other for sales. The accounting computer was connected to a dot matrix printer, and we used carbon-less forms for our invoices. lol!
The FAX
At that time, selling our first fax machine (Tele Vaxafax) made me feel technologically advanced. The MSRP was $2,495, with the auto-feeder as an option. After adding the auto-feeder and factoring in delivery/installation, the total reached $3,000, which became the magic number for leasing to our clients. We advertised the fax machines in our local county newspaper at $1.99 a day for leasing, a strategy that proved successful as we started selling more faxes than copiers.
As the fax market matured and prices declined, we began selling more Brother fax machines than Tele Vaxafax.
First Color Copier
Around 1993, we acquired our first color copier, manufactured by Brother. It was slow and utilized ribbon transfer technology instead of toner or ink. We charged $5.00 for single color copies initially, but for a high-volume client like a sales rep for Gillette, we offered a discount at $3.00 each. Hulk Hogan was part of Gillette's advertising campaign at the time, and my son was thrilled when the client brought in a signed photo of him.
Afhganistan
One memorable client was an arms dealer who regularly sent faxes to various countries. Initially, we found his behavior peculiar as he insisted on sending his own faxes and kept their contents private. Eventually, he revealed his profession, explaining that those faxes were purchase orders and invoices for his business.
He once invited me to accompany him on a trip to Afghanistan, promising riches in rugs, gold, and antiquities. However, I declined the offer, fearing the dangers of a war-torn country and his uncertain intentions.
SuperSite
Another interesting experience involved the President of a chemical plant in NJ who sought assistance in selling off the plant's assets after its closure. The site resembled a time capsule, filled with copiers, furniture, and hardware. It wasn't until later that I discovered the site was a NJ Superfund site due to years of toxic dumping. Despite the revelation, I successfully sold the assets and later learned about the owner's legal troubles related to pollution.
These anecdotes offer a glimpse into my early days in the copier industry.
-=Good Selling=- Art Post
Here's another story from @George KRebs (Shore Business Solutions)
Art,
You and I are from similar professional backgrounds and times. We started in 1980 selling Sharp and Juki typewriters. Everything sold near MSRP. Then the fax boom came and we caught that wave perfectly. We sold Ricoh thermal faxes for full list ($2995.00). The only issue was cash flow; we sold them faster than we could order and purchase them. Copier Maintenance agreements went from .022 up to .035 and did not include drums, developer, toner, fuser rollers or lamps!
Also, like your story, we had two Orthodox Jewish guys coming in here several times per week and they were sending faxes overseas and they too huddled around the machine like it was a secret. One day they stopped coming in and soon after we got a visit from the FBI. These guys were involved in some kind of foreign intrigue. They interviewed us for an hour, confiscated the fax machine ( they eventually returned it ) and we were exonerated as the harmless dupes that we were.
October
Another interesting story….. I was in the office on a Saturday catching up on equipment set ups when some guy knocked on the door. He begged me to let him copy a book manuscript he had just finished. We talked as the pages slowly came and he said he had a summer place in Spring Lake but that home was Baltimore. The novel had something to do with Soviets and the Navy. I asked him about it as I was speed reading the pages and he said the working title was “ The Hunt for Red October “. I was making copies for Tom Clancy! Nice guy too.
Enjoy your work.
George Krebs
Shore Business Solutions
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