Sealed with a Burp

Long before the home shopping networks and social media came along, women were hosting parties in their homes to sell everything from cleaners to food storage products to kitchen gadgets. And, yes, even "marital aids."

Enlisting the help of the Google, I discovered that a guy name Norman Squires, formerly of Aluminum Cooking Utensil of America, was hired by Stanley Home Products (SHP) in the late 1930s to develop and implement the model for these hostess parties.

The idea was that the dealer approached a woman she knew and ask her to host a party. Said friend would invite her friends, relatives and neighbors to her home, serve them snacks and drinks, and entice them to spend their money on whatever the wondrous/amazing/can't live without it product might be. There were hands-on demonstrations (this is the way we burp the Tupperware). Games. And gifts for the woman who hosted the party. And, if the hostess decided to sign on and become a dealer herself, the person who enlisted her would receive a commission, and she herself could start to earn cash.

And so on and so on.

Two women who worked for SHP went on to take Norman's concept to new heights. One was Mary Kay Ash, who went the route of cosmetics. The other was Brownie Wise.

Brownie, deserted by her husband and raising a son with health issues, was living with her mother. While she working at SHP, she and some other representatives decided to add Tupperware to their party offerings. Tupperware was a fledgling company with lackluster sales. The product was offered in stores, but the price tag was daunting and the concept unheard of. No one had plastics in their kitchen in those days.

Ms. Wise changed all that. In 1951, after her efforts came to the attention of Earl Tupper, Brownie was hired as Vice President of Sales to develop the model for the hostess party for his company. She helped to build the Tupperware empire. She'd fill the "Wonder Bowl" with water and toss it around, showing the guests how the Tupperware seal worked, how easy the stuff was to stack, and so on. There was a regular training program and a 4-day sales meeting that featured successful sales stories, entertainment and the introduction of new products. Her mantra was, "You build the people and they'll build the business."

In 1954, Brownie Wise became the first woman to grace the cover of Business Week magazine.

In 1958, she was sacked. Mr. Tupper wanted to sell the business and thought he'd have a better chance if an outspoken woman wasn't at the helm of the sales division. She sued and receive $30,000. She tried to parlay her experience by founding other companies, but never had the success she enjoyed at Tupperware. She died in 1992, at the age of 79.

Today, the Tupperware party lives on, although you can purchase some of the products online. I think part of what made these parties so popular back in the day was the social aspect. It was an excuse to get out, enjoy nibbles, and spend time with friends.

I still have the Tupperware I purchased from parties I hosted/attended in the 1980s. I love the stuff. It's good quality and gets the job done.

And, yes, I hosted other parties, too. Including the "marital aids" party I mentioned earlier.

But that's a story for another day.