Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Newspapers - did anyone deliver?

I was cleaning out a drawer and came across my old money bag that I used to collect fees for the "Sacramento Bee" in my little home town in CA back in the 60's. Did anyone else deliver papers? I don't even know if it's still done ...

I delivered newspapers by bicycle as a kid and did my own collections. My wife worked for the local newspaper for quite a few years up until a few years ago. My understanding from that is routes are delivered by adults and collections are done via mail through the main office.

From age 12-14 I delivered daily papers. Spent Sat. am collecting..
Lots of fun with 75# of papers in basket on snow and ice...lots of fun.....

I delivered newspapers by bicycle as a kid and did my own collections for two newspapers.

One was a weekly wipe delivered Wedneday AM and the other was 6 days a week evenings.

Used to deliver Grit newspaper back in the 60's

Did a route one summer (filling in for the regular guy) during the Korean War - read the war reports/situation map each day before folding and riding. Did not realize it, but it was not a very good part of town but parents did not know the actual route. Sat was collection day and, once when it was raining hard, Dad took me through the route in the car. He about blew his stack by the time we got through it.

Two news paper delivery boy threads in a week

lol

I did my time delivering on a bike. I always went armed with a squirt gun full of ammonia to discourage the aggressive dogs. Worked like a charm.

Not all of us were cutting firewood to finance our budding dreams of being a real estate magnate buying up lots.

I just needed cash to buy my own genuine Levis or the folks would just get me jeans from the K-Mart or JC Penny's.

I was sure PO'd at the paper company when they change the price of the subscription from $2.90 to $3.25.

Used to get a $0.10 tip from just about every customer, they'd just hand over the $3. That tipping dropped as no one wanted to give me $0.75 or have to dig up more change. Mostly just got 3 ones and a quarter, thank you very much.

What's the incentive in that for making sure the paper ended up on the porch instead of on the dew covered lawn?

Delivered papers on my bike 6 days a week. Collected $2.00 month from each subscriber for the local rag and I was always getting stiffed for a lousy 2 bucks.

You earned your money delivering the Sunday edition of the Bee. Damn thing must weigh 8-10 pounds.

Sacramento Bee, 78 houses on my paper route that I delivered by bicycle at 0500 each morning before school. Sunday's were rough, those papers were thick, and it took me 3 trips.

Yep, the Pittsburg Post Dispatch. It funded my Schwinn Sting Ray that I delivered with. Exact bike.

Got a route for my 12th BD. running the route wasn’t terrible the tough part was collecting, but it taught me the art of ass kissing for tips that we call customer service.

I’ve had 1 week since without a job.

Yeah I tell my kids that a lot.

I'm a farm boy, I milked cows.

WOW Ed. Banana seat and ape hangers......those were the days, COOL!

+1

Delivered a local daily for several years (6 days, no Sunday edition). Late 50s early 60s. Collected on Saturday mornings, $0.25 per week. Don't remember many times I had trouble collecting the money, don't remember any tips, either. Did have one older customer, widower I think, in the winter would invite me in for some hot chocolate and Hershey's stars on collection days. He was about 1/2 way through my route and thought I might need to warm up. He kept the stars in the freezer as ironic as that might sound. No, never felt he was up to any funny business, he knew my grampa (town marshall) and my dad and knew better.

I sure did---7 days a week. Collections were every other Saturday. Paid for my Remington 870. I'm still hunting with that shotgun. Kills gobblers every spring. It can only shoot 2 3/4" shells. 3" Magnum cost more. Bob

Yep. I was fine with delivering but hated collecting. Always had those few houses that would do anything to avoid you, lol!