But perfumes and hand-cream were not McConnell’s initial merchandise.At the age of sixteen, McConnell had begun selling books door-to-door. When his fare was not well received, he resorted to the then-popular advertising Gimmick of offering a free introductory gift in exchange for being allowed to make a sales pitch. A complimentary vial of perfume, he thought, would be an ideal entree, and he blended the original scent himself, with the aid of a local pharmacist.

The first female Avon Lady was Mrs. P. F. E. Albee, a widow from Winchester, New Hampshire. She began her chime-ringing career selling the company s popular Little Dot Perfume Set, and she recruited other women, training them as door-to-door salespeople. The company was re-christened Avon for the simple reason that the New York State town in which David McConnell lived, Suffern on the Ramapo, reminded him of Shakespeare’s Stratford-on-Avon.

By 1887, McConnell had twelve women employees selling a line of eighteen fragrances. And the numbers kept growing and growing. In 1939, California Perfume Company name changed to Avon Products, Inc. (10/6/39.) Today, despite the scores of expensive, prestigious American and foreign brand-name cosmetics, Avon ranks first in sales nationwide, with Avon Ladies ringing doorbells from coast to coast.

RELATED INFORMATION:
David McConnell, Inventor Profile   from The Great Idea Finder

ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Accidents May Happen : 50 Inventions Discovered by Mistake
 by Charlotte Foltz Jones, John O'Brien (Illustrator) / Hardcover - 86 pages (1996) / Delacorte
 Fifty inventions discovered by mistake receive entertaining cartoon embellishment but are actually serious subjects which will delight and entertain kids.
 Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
 by Charles Panati / Paperback - 480 pages Reissue edition (September 1989) / HarperCollins
 Discover the fascinating stories behind the origins of over 500 everyday items, expressions and customs.
 Bud Hastin's Avon Collector's Encyclopedia: The Official Guide for Avon Bottle and Cpc Collectors
 by Bud Hastin / Paperback: 640 pages / Collector Books; 17th edition (September 2003)
 Bud Hastin's new completely revised edition features over 200 categories of Avon collectibles. Informative text tells what's hot and what's not in Avon collecting and where to buy and sell these popular items.

ON THE WEB:
Avon's History
From the company's official Web site.
(URL: www.avoncompany.com/about/history.html)
Avon a Renaissance Story
Chosen as the 2003 Company of the Year: Excellence in Packaging by the readers of Cosmetic Packaging & Design, Avon’s history of providing American women with quality beauty products has evolved into the global “company for women.”
(URL: www.cosmeticpackaginganddesign.com/features/featureJanFeb043.htm)
20th Century Business Leaders
David H. McConnell Born 1858 in New York, died 1937
(URL: www.hbs.edu/leadership/database/leaders/590/)

WHERE TO FIND:
 Getting AVON
 Not just door-to-door anymore.
 (URL: www.avoncompany.com/about/buying.html)
 
DID YOU KNOW?:

• Today, Avon sales representatives number close to 3 million
• Avon products are sold in 139 countries around the world.