How I Made $80,000 (in 1969)

Friday, Sept. 14, 2007

It was the sunshine on the top of an Alpine pass in 1969 that made me adamant to escape the rainy grey winters of Georgia. I knew there must be a life that would fill my dreams, my pocket, and my desire for sun and sea. It struck me that what I wanted was the following:

* To make money, but to help others less fortunate at the same time.

* To spend time traveling to exotic locations learning, discovering, and helping others less fortunate.

* To be free from the daily grind, but at the same time be willing to work.

Nothing seemed to marry these desires more than the idea of bringing products from other countries (those I wished to experience) and selling them in my own country (the U.S.). I don't think I even knew the term "import-export."

I set off for Mexico. After putting 12,000 miles on my car, I found lots of opportunities.

I located lots of great craftsmen, excelling in wood, pottery, textiles, and papier-mâché. However, none of their products seemed right for my intended market.

Designs popped up from nowhere as I traveled. I sketched off some rough drawings. Before I knew it, products were pouring out--all I felt would be great for my markets. So I jumped in. I began with just one import product.

My first small ad for $499 in House and Garden magazine brought in a whopping $5,000. The first year, profits were a staggering $80,000 (this was 1969, remember). You may ask why this was so profitable. The most important part was media involvement--I had an editor visit me from House and Garden to do editorial backup. This coverage progressed to a chain of stores wanting me to make designs for them.

I discovered how to work both roads--import and export. Friends in the Yucatan desperately wanted German scissors. Because of my background in Germany, I had lots of contacts. Men's cotton shirts were also in demand in Mexico…and Georgia was the largest textile manufacturer in the U.S. at that time.

I learned to fly down with my scissors and men's shirts and come back with hand-carved mahogany suns, exquisite three-inch-tall, hand-painted papier-mâché nursery animals, collections of handmade cotton outfits, and more and more.

After a few years, I grew restless…sold the company, and took five years off to study and recoup. But import and export had become the center of my universe. I repeated the import-export plans over the next years, in different places--every time discovering new countries, helping people, traveling, and making money.

Merri Scott

For International Living