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Gary Halbert's Motherlode Collection

by ThomasOMalley
15 replies
I have a chance to buy Gary Halbert's Motherlode Collection of Ads and Sales Letters for $500.

Does anyone have a copy of the Motherlode that finds it's that useful for that price?

I know Gary is a great copywriter. I have a few of his samples in my swipe file.

Best,

Thomas O'Malley
#collection #gary #halbert #motherlode
  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    First, I knew Gary personally. Also, I had practically every ad he ever wrote, INCLUDING the Motherlode of Failures too.

    If the 500 isn't a pinch, then go for it, Great Stuff to be mined from that collection. However, it has been my opinion for decades that if you don't have the results, along with the publications/times/dates the ad ran and the ad's cycle...

    you're taking someone's word how effective the ad was.

    So, does it make sense to swipe an average pulling ad? Or an ad that didn't break even? My answer for newbies and young copywriters is a qualified maybe.

    I've spent tens of thousands of dollars on my swipe file going back to the American Civil War and includes all the greats. But, I only have data on a hand full of marketers, that is, the results of the ads including where they ran, how much response, how long they ran, etc.

    There are many "Halbert" type ads that read great...make a copywriter drool, but they were duds in the market place.

    So my advice, for what it is worth is...if 500 bux isn't going to hurt you any, it would be a great addition to your library...there was only ONE Gary Halbert...and on a rainy day, his newsletters and ads are as entertaining as any suspense novel.

    Go for it, lots of gold in that pile.

    gjabiz

    Originally Posted by ThomasOMalley View Post

    I have a chance to buy Gary Halbert's Motherlode Collection of Ads and Sales Letters for $500.

    Does anyone have a copy of the Motherlode that finds it's that useful for that price?

    I know Gary is a great copywriter. I have a few of his samples in my swipe file.

    Best,

    Thomas O'Malley
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomasOMalley
      Hi gjabiz,

      Thanks for your reply.

      It's the actual motherlode of ads and sales letters that Halbert offered to his customers a few years ago.

      You're right he doesn't include the actual results. Unfortunately, that's the case with most ads and sales letters that are deemed successful. You rarely have the proof. That's why I don't worry about that since to a great extent you have to take these marketers and copywriters on their word.

      Thanks again.

      Thomas O'Malley
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
    Thomas, I happen to think Gordon makes a good case for getting them, even sans results data.

    You'd still get mountains of Halbert's writing and how he framed offers, the appeals he used and that can never be a bad thing.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomasOMalley
      Hi Bruce,

      Yes, I have decided to buy Halbert's Motherlode Collection. I prefer his style of copywriting to study compared to Carlton's style. I have about 200 Carlton letters when I took his course a number of years ago.

      My favorite swipe files are the sales letters in Hatch's Million Dollar Mailings, Hodgson's The Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters of All Time, as well as H.G Lewis's book with a similar title...a great variety of writing styles in these letters.

      I also recommend Jay Abraham's collection of sales letters if you can find it....very helpful.

      Best,

      Thomas O'Malley
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
        Hi Thomas,

        I too have the Halbert Collection, bought it years ago, for around about what you are paying today.

        And yes I would love to know which Ads worked the best.

        Although it's not exactly scientific - intuitively, you can almost guess which ones did.

        And, as all the others have said - they are great fun and very beneficial to read.
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      • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
        found in your statement:

        "...I prefer his style of copywriting to study compared to..."

        I feel this is very important to newer copywriters...to find a voice which personally resonates with YOU.

        I think it accelerates your learning. There are scores of unknown or seldom talked about copywriters...I PERSONALLY like those guys who wrote their own copy and built businesses which lasted decades...

        I'm a big Dean F. V. DuVall fan. Jim Straw. Frank Cawood, Ben Suarez, Jeffrey Lant, Hubert Simon, Bud Weckesser. These guys built sustaining businesses on their copy. Bud Weckesser's ad: "How to Make Your Computer as Easy to Use as Your Telephone" sold millions of dollars of books, made the author a millionaire (all on a royalty basis), and built a huge list which was just as profitable as the product.

        They have very different styles. I don't know of any Gary Halbert ad or for that matter, of any of the so-called copywriting gurus who have written copy that exceeds the Ben Suarez ad for his EdenPure space heater. The same basic ad has run for over 5 years, sold hundreds of millions of dollars of product and has built an entire industry.

        Not to take anything away from Halbert, whom I loved as a writer, and the subject is building a swipe file. I've always advocated to buy them all (or trade/barter whatever)...you can't have too many ads to study.

        But Thomas makes an important point younger, newer copywriters should study...pick a writer who personally resonates with you.

        My favorite is Gene Schwartz, probably because I bought every product he ever sold (it seems). I just couldn't resist his copy.

        You can't have too big of a swipe file...get it all.

        gjabiz



        Originally Posted by ThomasOMalley View Post

        Hi Bruce,

        Yes, I have decided to buy Halbert's Motherlode Collection. I prefer his style of copywriting to study compared to Carlton's style. I have about 200 Carlton letters when I took his course a number of years ago.

        My favorite swipe files are the sales letters in Hatch's Million Dollar Mailings, Hodgson's The Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters of All Time, as well as H.G Lewis's book with a similar title...a great variety of writing styles in these letters.

        I also recommend Jay Abraham's collection of sales letters if you can find it....very helpful.

        Best,

        Thomas O'Malley
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  • Profile picture of the author LaunchBrain.com
    Personally I think anything written by Joe Sugarmen, Gary H or Drayton Bird is a steal. DO IT.
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    • Profile picture of the author GinaDeLong
      I agree... Do it. But, I'd make sure the seller has the rights to sell the collection : -)
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  • Profile picture of the author boulderjoe1000
    Hey All! I'm brand new to the site and had a quick question I was hoping someone could help me out with... I became a lifetime subscriber to Gary's letter in 1991, and used what I learned to literally make millions of dollars over the years. Throughout the early 90's I continued to buy many of his products and devour them, including the program where he "introduced" internet marketing strategies in 93 or so.

    I've held on to all of this in my library all this time, and I would like to see it go to a new home where it is used, as I rarely look at anything anymore. Anyone have any idea what it might be worth or where to find a new "poppa" for it all?

    Thanks for the help!
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Originally Posted by boulderjoe1000 View Post

      Hey All! I'm brand new to the site and had a quick question I was hoping someone could help me out with... I became a lifetime subscriber to Gary's letter in 1991, and used what I learned to literally make millions of dollars over the years. Throughout the early 90's I continued to buy many of his products and devour them, including the program where he "introduced" internet marketing strategies in 93 or so.

      I've held on to all of this in my library all this time, and I would like to see it go to a new home where it is used, as I rarely look at anything anymore. Anyone have any idea what it might be worth or where to find a new "poppa" for it all?

      Thanks for the help!
      boulderjoe1000,

      It COULD be worth millions more to you.

      Probably worth 10 grand in cash.

      Seems to be a little disparity there, eh?

      Here is the million dollar idea.

      (and you don't have to be the one doing it)

      Consider putting it in an RV and sending this library on the road. Have seminars in 50 different cities...and let the material be READ only (no photo copying)...

      Sort of a Gary Halbert TRIBUTE band thingy...

      But not just a traveling MUSEUM...put on one day and weekend copywriting workshops and let the attendees have access to the collection during certain times of the day.

      That's ONE way your collection could be worth MILLIONS of dollars to you...Road Trip as Bluto from Animal House might say.

      OR, we could have the Gary Halbert hall of fame copy here in Akron, Ohio where Gary got his start...some cheap space available not far from where he wrote his famous Nancy letter by oil lamp...near Hale Farm and Village.

      You could charge admission, do seminars, webinars, workshops and get his boys involved...they might be interested in the whole shebang????

      OR, if you just want to sell it outright, shoot me either a PM here or an email (preferred) to gjabiz@yahoo.com and let's start some negotiations...ok?

      Gordon Jay Alexander gjabiz@yahoo.com

      PS. I might be able to add to the Halbet collection with some other well known copywriter's work who are pretty well known too...and you might find Akron, OH to be a perfect place for such an exhibit.
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      • Profile picture of the author boulderjoe1000
        Haha! I love it! Thanks Gordon! Let me get a decent inventory together and I'll shoot you an email or PM...

        As I said, I really want to see what I've got be used and cherished as much as I have loved it! Thanks, Joe.
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    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by boulderjoe1000 View Post

      Hey All! I'm brand new to the site and had a quick question I was hoping someone could help me out with... I became a lifetime subscriber to Gary's letter in 1991, and used what I learned to literally make millions of dollars over the years. Throughout the early 90's I continued to buy many of his products and devour them, including the program where he "introduced" internet marketing strategies in 93 or so.

      I've held on to all of this in my library all this time, and I would like to see it go to a new home where it is used, as I rarely look at anything anymore. Anyone have any idea what it might be worth or where to find a new "poppa" for it all?

      Thanks for the help!
      I'd contact Gary's sons Kevin and Bond and see if they have all the materials.

      They would be the right place to start.
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