Some of you guys/gals may be under the opinion that the wild, wild, west snake-oil salesmen and their wild advertising claims marked the beginning of the Supplement business as we know it today.
And you’re probably right!
For a good number of years those early day snake-oil guys were run out of town and eventually disappeared into the sunset. But most of each and every one of them left with a substantial amount of cash and some of the prettiest fillies in that town.
Then in the early part of the 20th century when some form of electricity ran into most American homes, a new type of snake-oil schemer arrived offering our forbears “electro-lobes” that, when attached for prolonged periods of time to various parts of the body, would make fat and every disease known to man suddenly disappear into the eithernet.
And many smart individuals who paid attention to this kind of stuff proclaimed, “Hark! The snake-oil guys are back in town!”
And soon even they were driven into the sunset, but not before some of the biggest liars in the “electro-lobe business” had made a substantial amount of money and stold the nicest looking ladies in the city.
I have a friend who thoroughly enjoys this history of making money in the “health” related industry and has spent a lot of time researching snake-oil salesmen and the financial success among the best of them.
So not too many years ago around the middle of the 20th century when the supplement business only consisted of wheat germ oil in a dark brown bottle and vitamin C in tablet form and various gain-weight products offered by “Uncle Joe”, two enterprising and competitive bodybuilders in the gym decided to develop a “recipe” for a protein product in a powdered form which would last for 30 days if taken as directed along with a month’s supply of vitamin C tablets in a glass bottle with a twist top lid.
They located a company in Los Angeles who would make a powered protein product and ship it in a 55 gallon drum to any address on the west coast for around $65 each. They would also ship 55 gallon drums filled with vitamin C tablets for just about the same price.
Once it was received the guys would actually shovel the protein into one-gallon sized cardboard containers and apply the appropriate label as directed by US regulations.
And then they’d drop 60 vitamin C pills into little glass bottles with those little twist off caps and add those appropriate labels too,
Then they’d get the best built guys in the gym to lie a bit and claim that they used the protein and the pills and was the only way to increase muscle size while lifting heavy things or running long distances, (The surfers were always too damn broke to lie to and kept their money for beer and wine and pot.)
And so the snake-oil business was once again back on its way to a successful recovery as can be seen as it stands today,
Getting back to these two gym guys – their initial research disclosed that their biggest expense would in the packaging and the printing of the labels.
The protein purchased in 55 gallon drums was cheaper than dirt and no one had any idea how many vitamin C pills were packed into that 55 gallon drum for they never did see the bottom of that drum the entire time they remained in operation.
They eventually did head into the sunset but not before they sold that business for a hell of a lot more money than any previous snake-oil guy had ever dreampt of.
And yep, they did leave with a couple of enterprising ladies. (It’s a snake oil guy custom sort of thing.)
OnlyMe might remember what those huge drums full of protein powder and vitamin C pills actually did cost but to the best of my memory they were each about $65 back then.
I’m sure the protein and vitamin C tabs are not as cheap as they were years ago, but I bet there’s still a lot of GOLD in them thar containers and the snake oil guys are sill in business making a killing before they too head into the sunset like their predecessors before them.
