Seventy-five years ago, Cordes Electric Co., at the corner of Union and Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO, discovered a great way to sell televisions–to rent them out. If a customer was on the fence, the store learned that the best way to close the sale was to enlist other family members to convince the customer of the need. To do that, they had to get the set into the house, and they did that by renting 10 inch sets for $10.50 per week. The rental fee could be applied to the purchase of a new set, although this was for a limited time, to encourage a quick decision. In most cases, the customers kept the set, or traded it for a larger model.

In rare cases, the customer decided that television wasn’t for them, and had it taken back. But even in those cases, the customer called back later to have it returned. Once again, it was the family members who clamored for its return.

The picture an accompanying article appeared in the August 1949 issue of Radio Retailing.