How to Sell Recipes by Mail 

During the past few years, a number of very enterprising housewives (and a few Men!) have established very successful businesses selling recipes by mail. 

The idea is very basic.  You create a new recipe and then you advertise it in the classified section of a magazine or newspaper which is read primarily by housewives.  You advertise your favorite recipe for a dollar, and some dealers also request a self-addressed, stamped envelope.   

When you receive orders in the mail you mail them a typewritten copy of your recipe.  Or a Xerox copy. Even handwritten copies are permissible, if the handwriting is very legible.  Along with your recipe you include a list of additional recipes which you have for sale.  The list should tie in with your original offer.

Let us imagine that you have advertised a secret recipe for Danish Butter Cookies.  Your list should include other cookie recipes, as well as Danish recipes.  If your customer bakes your Danish Butter Cookies and likes them, she will be in a good frame of mind to purchase more recipes from YOU!

If one look through different magazines you will find out that there are a lot of classified with recipe ads. Here is a partial list of recipes that were being sold by mail:

 Four Fabulous Christmas Cookies  

Delicious Frosted Brownies

Red Velvet Christmas Cake

Old Fashioned Nut Roll

Greek Donuts with Warm Honey

Cinnamon and Sesame Cookies

Aunt Sarah’s Original Turkey Goulash

Delicious Coconut Cake

Italian Gravy

Sparkling Burgundy (French Wine Recipes)

Chocolate French Mint Pie

Quick Punch

Sugar Free Fudge

Homemade Cheese

Unique Plum Pudding

Twenty German Recipes

Russian Tea

High Protein Diet Candy

Italian Candies

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Bread

Polish Recipes

Grandma’s Fantastic Mocha Cream Cake

Chocolate Pie (Superb Crust, Filling, Topping!)

Hungarian Green Bean Soup

Molasses Donuts

Vegetarian Recipes (Swedish Meatballs, Cottage Cheese Meat Loaf)

Delicious Ambrosia Cake

Fantastic Frosting

Man Pleasing Chili

Sour Dough Starter Bread & Pancakes

Wine – Australian Style (Authentic, simple – no yeast)

Famous Pastry Shop Cheesecake

Sugarless Diet Desserts

Light Moist Coconut Cake

German Christmas Cake

Coldwater Dill Pickles

Old Testament Scripture Cake

Easy Delicious Cherry Cobbler

Beer Cake

Holiday Honey Balls

And many others.

One should bear in mind that regional and national recipes are very popular.  If you collect recipes from a specific country, say Finland, Czechoslovakia, Mexico, India, China etc., they would probably sell very well. Don’t forget to use such words as delicious, tempting and easy in your recipes.    

Moreover, recipes without sugar and vegetarian recipes are also very popular.  The same is true about holiday recipes.  

You can find a lot of recipes anywhere. First of all ask your friends. Then look through   old newspapers and magazines in a library. 

Then experiment with the recipes at home. Not to violate the copyright laws write them down using your own words. 

Give your customers what they need and your business will flourish for many years.