by RR 25 Replies latest jw friends
Some very good points raised. I'd like to see the actual cost of producing a cd-rom such as the ones offered by the WTS. It can't be so high that they'd encourage a "donation" of $50-100.
I too remember when magazines were 25 cents and books I think were a dollar or maybe a little more. Anyone got any old price lists?
Mike.
Dan B made me remember something when he mentioned the green bible. I was told that that bible was printed on cigarette paper. Does anyone else remember hearing this? I would look to see what year was the first print but all JW books and bibles are packed in the attic. Could it have been the early 60's?
SweetPea,
The green Bible I have gives a copyright date of 1961,
FIrst Printing: 4,000,000 copies
Second Printing: 1,000,000 copies
Third Printing: 2,000,000 copies
Fourth Printing: 3,000,000 copies
Fifth Printing: 2,000,000 copies
Sixth Printing: 4,000,000 copies
outnfree
P.S. Sure glad I took the bros seriously on the "contribute whatever you can" on the CD-ROM -- because I NEVER contributed $50 + for one. More like $20! And now I find out that's too steep...
When I first started going door-to-door in the mid-70s, publishers would purchase magazines for 4 cents each and place them for 5 cents each. Pocket sized books were 25 cents and the green NWT was $1.
I think another reason for the change to the donation arrangement - besides the obvious desire of the WTS to avoid having to pay taxes to Caesar - was they were not bringing in a lot of money with the placement "to cover the cost of printing" arrangement. While Jesus said "You receive free, give free", the WTS says "We are providing you with The Truth(tm), feel free to show us how much you value The Truth(tm) by emptying your pockets."
The donation arrangement was one of those things I just could not bring myself to support. Having to offer the magazines on the condition of receiving donations made me feel like some kind of beggar, and I felt it was totally undignified and unchristian to ask people for money if they wanted to "receive life's water free".
I once worked in service with the DO's wife, who made a point to counsel me for not requesting donations at the doors. I just said "Well if you can show me where Jesus asked for money before he performed a miracle or made disciples, then I'll follow HIS example." It was never mentioned again.
Love, Scully
The Watch Tower has never revealed to the rank and file JW the actual cost of the literature, CDs, and Video tapes. But I can tell you from my experience in retail bookselling that when the publisher's suggested retail price for a book is $20.00, the retailer paid $10 or less for the book. The cost of goods for most large retail book chains is probably even less, around 40-45%.
Since the Watch Tower both prints and publishes their books, their actual costs should be even less. And when you factor in the large print runs of Watch Tower literature, costs are further reduced.
Back in the 1960s the Watch Tower was charging the JWs 3 cents for the magazines and 45 cents for the bound books. The pioneers were charged 1 cent for magazines and 10 cents for the bound books. These rates for pioneers gives one an idea of what the actual cost to the Watch Tower was for these items at that time. I would guess that the Watch Tower even made a profit on pioneer sales.
Sincerely,
Athanasius
Thanks alot guys and gals for your help! I was talking to a JW in Australia and he told me everything is free, I told him he neded to visit the US, things here a different!
Damn! With those prices they could almost compete with Microsoft.
I like the line about calanders, they said 'sell for 5$' . Ooops. Guess they ran out of ways to say "donation".
Mike asked if anyone had an older price list. I thought I might since I save practically everything, but couldn't find any. Rather I pulled out some of the huge Watchtowers (9"x12") from the late '40s which I had in the file cabinet, and which I dug out of an elderly sister's garage back in the '80s. Her garage was stacked to the ceiling with boxes and bags of old literature. Her garage had become known near and far as a place where JWs could send their old literature so other pubs or KH's could take whatever they wanted to build their libraries. I spent one long sweaty Saturday in that garage digging thru stuff.
Anyway, the subscription cost (printed on inside cover) for these WT issues ('47-'50) was $1 for a year. (These old mags are kinda neat, I always thought. I never even read them. I just wanted them 'cuz they were so different looking.)
Someone mentioned calendars. On the inside cover of one of the '49 issues, it says the 1949 calendar is 25-cents and the 1949 yearbook, "bound in peach-color cloth, with more than 350 pages, should be accompanied by remittances at 50-cents a copy. Companies should send in combined orders to minimize our work of handling and shipping." (that's a direct quote). Ha! Peach is one of my favorite colors. I would have been sold. ;)
Inside these old mags are a few Public Talk handbills, all faded and yellow. Is anyone from "Carterville, Illinois"? That's where these talks were held (and these mags were retrieved by me in Florida... a long way from Illinois.)
They do not give the YEAR of these public talks, but must have been around the same time as these old WT mags:
"Religion True or False? Public address by P. Karshens, Representative of Watchtower Society, Sunday, June 10, 2 pm, Kingdom Hall, Corner James & Snyder Streets, Carterville, Illinois. All persons of Good Will are Welcome. Free-Free-Free." :)
Another one, same Kingdom Hall, May 27, "They Shall Not Labor In Vain," public address by J.W. Johnson...
The last one, same place, June 3, "Conquering Fear in a Perplexed World," talk by R. Blumenstock.
So much for memory lane. Kinda sad. Guess we shoulda been suspicious way back when they called congs "Companies."
GRITS
Oh yeah, I liked the Bill Gates comments, btw! Funny.
Matty:
The UK recommended rate was read from a letter to "All Congregations" (the run of the mill new literature one). I can't remember when or the recommended amount.
Talking of Watchtowers, etc., has anyone put the 1940-1949 Wt's on CD yet? I just need that range on CD to complete the set
Well I have the last "costlist" published with prices.
