A little background before we get started.
I met Paul Story Sr about eight years ago when he hired me to do sales training for his staff in Roanoke, VA. Paul recently sold his dealership in the last year ago. Now, I thought I was a tenured rep, good old Paul has got me beat hands down.
Paul sent me this funny story this AM, I emailed him back and received permission to put this on our site.
It's like OMG, a copier demo from the 50s!
THE COPYING MACHINE DEMO FROM HELL
Its March 1957.. I am 22 I had a friend that was selling the 3M Thermofax copier. He was really passionate about copiers becoming a new way of communicating. 3M was selling their product based on what they referred to as the “short note reply”. You would write a note of action needed on the original, then make a copy and send the copy to the person to handle the situation.
I was impressed and wanted to sell copiers. 3M did not have a sales job open, so I did some research and found there was a photo copier being sold in the northeast called the COPYCAT. I bought one and started my own copying machine business.
This was in March 1957. The COPYCAT made a photocopy of the original using negative and positive papers and developing fluid. It was the fastest Photocopy machine on the market. You could make a copy in 3 minutes.
The machine had a set of rollers that fed the papers though the developing fluid. The machine had been produced using parts used in other products. The motor that was powering the rollers was out of washing machines and had far more power than was needed.
NOW TO THE DEMO:
I had talked to the head of the Alabama Sales Tax department in to letting me demonstrate the COPYCAT. He arranged to have about a dozen clerks attend the demo. I got the machine all set up with the developing fluid in the tank and the crowd gathered. I was telling the group about this incredible copier as I got the positive and negative prepared to go through the developing fluid. All of a sudden, I felt I was being pulled toward the copier. My tie had entered the rollers with the copy papers. The motor was so strong I could not stop it. I was desperately trying to get them to unplug the copier but the tie got so tight it was chocking me and I could not speak clearly. In desperation I pulled the copier up to my chest and pulled back to try to pull the plug out of the wall. As I did this, I spilled the full tank of toxic developer fluid down my entire chest. My chest was on fire, One of the clerks cut my tie off and I immediately started to rip off my jacket and shirt. Several of the clerks got towels and water to wash off as much of the developer fluid as possible.
I was embarrassed and humiliated and half naked. But I apologized to the group and left.
Several days later I got up the nerve to call the department head and asked him if I could do the demo again. I told him I did not remember anyone at the demo who was wearing a tie. Amazingly he let me come back and give my demo. Even more amazing he ordered 6 of my COPYCATS. He was a very good supply customer until Xerox replaced my 6 copiers with one Xerox 914 in 1960. In the future of the COPYCAT, I only wore bow ties.
Paul H Story Sr
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