# Door to Door Sales
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 23, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601 "2002-06-23T22:15:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/1 "2002-06-23T22:15:10Z")
Which companies still do this, calling **cold** on people, hoping for a sale, and are they reputable, long-standing businesses?
As a young man starting out (which I definitely am **not** ) I can’t see me going into this kind of work, although it sure would be good training in handling rejection.
In your replies, can it be understood that gutter, roofing and magazine sales are a given?
Thanks
Quasi
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/2 "2002-06-23T22:25:17Z")
I’ve had people come by selling vacuum cleaners, books and insurance. My wife buys Mary Kay makeup. I’ve also had people come by trying to sell their form of religion.
I can remember seeing a Fuller Brush Man when I was a kid.
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/3 "2002-06-23T23:27:20Z")
Security alarm sales. Realtors trying to get listings. Hmmm…if it is practice in rejection you want, this is the way to get it!!!
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/4 "2002-06-23T23:46:25Z")
it’s still prevalent in Bombay. Though a lot less than it used to be. Basically household stuff… cleaning solutions, roach killers, brushes, mops, vacuum cleaners, juicers/mixers, etc.
i guess none of the companies are big name high brand companies…
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### Author:  [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/5 "2002-06-24T00:24:09Z")
Fuller Brush is URL=http://www.fuller.com/]definitely still around, though no doubt smaller than it used to be (and, while their employment page is pretty obtuse, they do still hire door-to-door salesmen). Some advocacy groups (US PIRG comes to mind, though there are certainly others) use door-to-door canvassers who definitely count as salesmen (they’re paid based on their gross receipts).
OTOH, the only people I’ve ever had try to sell me anything (other than religion) on my doorstep were the standard “magazine subscription” scammers, who rely on it as a part of their pitch (since they _want_ to look like a shoestring operation.
Oh, and girl scout cookies. I loves me some girl scout cookies.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/door-to-door-sales/115601/6 "2002-06-24T04:02:57Z")
I found that there’s far more door-to-door salespeople and missionaries here in Central Florida than in the Denver area. I get a person every other day or so; it’s usually magazine subscriptions (“One more sale, and I get a trip to Washington!”), cleaning solutions, security systems, lawn and yard service, and church fundraising.
I’ll also get about two missionaries a week, which is far more frequently than my friends who live in other parts of the Orlando metro area report. My thoery – because Orlando’s western suburbs are very Southern in their cultural orientation, and thus very Baptist, I’d imagine that there’s more than enough Baptists out there who work to recruit even more; and that the area is seen as ripe among those that see Baptists as “evil” in some way.
(I’m UU in practice, but I have to drive about 15 miles to the nearest congregation.)