OT Paper Route
- Thread starter JMORC2003
- Start date
I was 10. I The Home News.I remember collecting cash once a week or so from the customers and occasionally getting shaken down by the occasional Highland Park thug..Good times
Had 2. One when I was in elementary school. Delivered Bergen Record after school.
Second was at RU. I was one of those guys that got up at 5, drove to Princeton to pick up the Targum and then dropped bundles around campus.
Second was at RU. I was one of those guys that got up at 5, drove to Princeton to pick up the Targum and then dropped bundles around campus.
I don't have one and never did .. because it sounded absolutely terrible. Tried to get one back when I was 13 or whatever the minimum age was. Figured they just pay you to toss some papers out. But really they consider you a contractor - can't remember exactly what they called it, but you're basically responsible for delivery and collections. They just dump a pile of papers in your lap - you have to fold them up and get them out by some ungodly hour, then collect the money every month, give them whatever they're owed for the papers and keep the rest. So if you end up having trouble getting paid ... you don't make jack.
Maybe it's changed now that everyone pays for things over the Internet, maybe different papers are better (that was Gannet, though), maybe it's okay since it's just a spare time thing and not your only worldly income, but I could think of a lot of better part-time jobs I'd do and only a few worse ones.
Maybe it's changed now that everyone pays for things over the Internet, maybe different papers are better (that was Gannet, though), maybe it's okay since it's just a spare time thing and not your only worldly income, but I could think of a lot of better part-time jobs I'd do and only a few worse ones.
Delivered the Star Ledger from 6th grade to 9th grade in Cranford back in '69-'73. My dad used to help me with the Sunday Paper.
What I remember so well is what seemed to be the same headline in the sports almost every Sunday during football season.
"Lydell Mitchell's 4 TD's lead Penn State".
Seemed like that was the headline in the sports section every Sunday for a long time. Poor Franco Harris was just the blocking back and rarely got a mention from what I recall.
There were many Penn State fans in NJ and Rutgers was not really in the big time yet in college football and the Giants pretty much sucked every year in those years.
Best of Luck,
Groz
What I remember so well is what seemed to be the same headline in the sports almost every Sunday during football season.
"Lydell Mitchell's 4 TD's lead Penn State".
Seemed like that was the headline in the sports section every Sunday for a long time. Poor Franco Harris was just the blocking back and rarely got a mention from what I recall.
There were many Penn State fans in NJ and Rutgers was not really in the big time yet in college football and the Giants pretty much sucked every year in those years.
Best of Luck,
Groz
Delivered the SL around the time of the Iran-Iraq war because seemed like that was always in the headline. Sundays always sucked as did "collecting" on Fridays
Had one when I was 12. delivering the Home News. At that time the Home News was an afternoon paper, and I was supposed to deliver it around 4 pm, after school. But they had a lot of printing press problems and so a lot of times I wouldn't get the papers to deliver until after 7 pm. My mom wasn't happy about my riding my bicycle around after dark, and my customers weren't happy about me delivering the paper late. So overall, I'd say it wasn't a good experience.
It was my first job. Started when I was 9 and did it every day after school until I got to HS. Delivered the Daily Advance in Denville, collected money every week and I think it gave me a good work ethic. Get your job done before going to play w/ your friends, collecting money, saving money. My route was about 3 miles long and I had to walk/run until I saved up enough to buy my own bike.
I was 12. At the time the HN was an afternoon paper Monday-Saturday. During the next 4 years when I had the route they moved Saturday publication to mornings.
I remember that the route was "passed" to me by some kid in the neighborhood I really didn't know. There was no formality to it; he took me through the run one time (48 daily, 73 Sunday) and that was it.
I had the old neighborhood around Sayreville Bar, part of what used to be known as "Sayreville proper". Some really interesting characters. There was an old woman who worked at Sunshine who used to tip me in cases of cookies... The guy I never saw, who would leave my money every week in a coffee cup just inside his back door.
I quickly learned (the previous kid may well have even suggested it) to collect from Sayreville Bar on Friday afternoons around 5:00. The Hercules & DuPont day shifts got off between 3:00 and 3:30 and by 5:00 on Friday (payday) the whole bar was lit. I'd walk in and get my week's collection from the bartender and invariably half the guys in the bar, who I didn't know and weren't on my route, would insist on paying me, too. I usually walked out of the place with about 20 bucks.
Worst freaking job ever! Delivered APP and the work involved in getting the papers ready and delivering ending up being like $1/hr. Gave up this job to bake bagels at 5AM on weekends - what does that tell you about the job?
I had a friend who used to take a collection can to the liquor store pretending to collect for Little League - he made a fortune.
I had a friend who used to take a collection can to the liquor store pretending to collect for Little League - he made a fortune.
Delivered the once a week West Orange Chronicle for a short time. Had to stop because of Pop Warner football practice. People complained that they weren't getting the paper till 8 or 830pm. It was fine with me. I didn't mind delivering the paper but hated collecting.
I also filled in for a friend once in a while selling the Newark Evening News in front of the Monroe factory in Orange.
I also filled in for a friend once in a while selling the Newark Evening News in front of the Monroe factory in Orange.
I think the op is talking about delivering by car, as adults do now.... It has been a long time since I have seen a paperboy with the bag over his shoulder..... I delivered the herald news when I was about 12, and I think our answers are not relevant
I try to tell my kids the stories of me being a paperboy & I can't even believe them myself. 12 years old, get home from school at 3 to about 30 papers dropped off on my doorstep. Gotta fold & rubber band them all & load up the bag onto my bike. The route was easily a 3 mile round trip. And then Friday I was the hired muscle for the paper. I had to go door to door collecting whatever I could squeeze out of the customer, and pay the bosses 80 cents tribute.
And then I'd take the ten bucks or whatever I made that Friday and piss it away at the arcade.
And then I'd take the ten bucks or whatever I made that Friday and piss it away at the arcade.
Thanks, this is correct. I get up at 5am, 3 1/2 hours before I have a head out for work. Thought maybe it's easy enough to hop in the car and throw papers to earn a few extra bucks.
I remember my mom used to send me to the corner store for the afternoon edition of "the Press" as she called it. Memories...
A former co-worker of mine had a route. This was probably five years ago or so. IIRC, he made some decent side money... especially around the holidays (tips). The impression I got was, if you got a good route, you could clean up. I think he once told me he made about $5,000 in holiday tips... sometimes more. He delivered the Star Ledger.
I delivered The Home News my sophomore year at RU (early 90s). Took the route over from one of my housemates. The money was good enough for what it was. The figure $400 comes to mind, but I can't remember if that was weekly or every couple of weeks.
I sometimes drive Uber and Lyft for extra money now, but I've been wondering if a paper route might be a better option. I haven't really pursued it because I figure subscription rates must be dwindling these days. Is there still a market for newspaper delivery?
I know the OP is talking about the AM routes of today for adults in cars.
However, I have fond memories of delivering the News Tribune every day after school by bike, except on Wednesday when it was full of advertising sections and way too heavy to carry the full load on a bike. Collecting was a nuisance at a couple places. A few old ladies (I think they were sisters but who knows) lived in one house and often ducked me at my usual Friday collection time. I would have to catch them when they weren't expecting me, then they paid me in money that must have come out of an old jar or from under the mattress. I got some silver coins from them and even a couple $1 silver certificates. They often paid me in pennies. The week cost less than a buck. I also had an oddball who I would never see but he did leave me cash inside the screen door every Friday. The good thing was I had Sundays off cause TNT (as it was often called) had no Sunday edition. Also, made out great at Christmas.
I had more money than most 11-13 year olds and learned to save a few bucks
However, I have fond memories of delivering the News Tribune every day after school by bike, except on Wednesday when it was full of advertising sections and way too heavy to carry the full load on a bike. Collecting was a nuisance at a couple places. A few old ladies (I think they were sisters but who knows) lived in one house and often ducked me at my usual Friday collection time. I would have to catch them when they weren't expecting me, then they paid me in money that must have come out of an old jar or from under the mattress. I got some silver coins from them and even a couple $1 silver certificates. They often paid me in pennies. The week cost less than a buck. I also had an oddball who I would never see but he did leave me cash inside the screen door every Friday. The good thing was I had Sundays off cause TNT (as it was often called) had no Sunday edition. Also, made out great at Christmas.
I had more money than most 11-13 year olds and learned to save a few bucks
Had the Herald News route when I was 10 -12. Afternoon paper. Strapped the bag to my BMX bike handlebars and made the rounds after school. I still remember the distinct smells when collecting. Especially from the older customers. Felt like the boss with the ring of Pay stubs that you walked around to collect with. Actually collecting was the worst part.
I had a daily paper route at 8 in the burbs of Chicago. Age 10, and I was sellIng papers in the heated train station. Moved to NJ in the summer when I was 11 years old and they wouldn't let me get a paper route until September when I was 12.
I would've lied about my age, but I didn't know and I felt that 3 years of paper distribution experiencenter would suffice.
I would've lied about my age, but I didn't know and I felt that 3 years of paper distribution experiencenter would suffice.
Collecting always sucked. You had these cards that said how much each customer owed and you would cross it off each time they paid. Some people were never home so the money just added up and eventually they would pay you. The paper cost 75 cents a week so typically you would get $1, a whopping 25 cent tip from each customer.
Christmas time was the best though, most of my customers gave me a Christmas tip anywhere from $5 to $20. To a 10 year old that was a lot of scratch.
Christmas time was the best though, most of my customers gave me a Christmas tip anywhere from $5 to $20. To a 10 year old that was a lot of scratch.
My friend had a paper route when we were kids and I did his route a couple times when he and his family were on vacation. Mom drove me over, we folded the papers and Mom drove me on his route. My friend stiffed me, I never saw a cent. When I asked about it he said "I paid you" like he thought I would forget that he didn't pay me.
Did you hand roll them and boil them before you baked them? If so ,sounds like a good bagel.
I was about 13 delivering the Home News in Sayreville freezing my nuts off at 5am in January. Horrible.
When I was about 12 I had one. Did it all on foot at the start. But was able to save enough $$$ to buy a bike, and I would stack the papers on the papers on the handle papers. <<<<Ha had to stop right there. WTF? I'm losing it.
Moral of the story though is wound up destroying that bike delivering those dang papers.
I delivered a few papers between 11 and 13, but the Wayne Today was the best. I must have had 80 papers on my route, but only one of them was a paying customer. And even they didn't pay. Years back, the paper was a broadsheet (I think it's a tabloid now), and across the bottom of the front page was a huge rectangular, diagonally positioned coupon to cut out and subscribe. By being a subscriber, you got the version of the paper without the coupon superimposed over the below-the-fold story, which was usually about a new bakery opening up, or a new playground being installed in town. Of my 80 homes, only one fell for this scam, but they actually got over because I tried to collect every other week and they were never, ever home. One day when I finally got them, their tab was like $25 (and this was about 1982), and the guy couldn't believe it. He basically ran me off... So I started giving him the coupon version, and never heard about it again, one way or the other.
Most people only wanted it for the inserts (It was a Thursday/Sunday paper back then), so around holidays, I might get as many as a dozen inserts or more to stuff in each paper. I used to stuff the Sunday paper during Saturday Night Live, and then go out when it was over (to the consternation of my parents) to deliver. That was fine, and I thought it was cool to ride around the neighborhood that late at night - and have a legitimate reason, too. But after school on Wednesdays, I had no time to stuff a dozen inserts, so I used to throw half of them away. Some people complained, but the paper was free, so they didn't have that much leverage. I never heard about it directly from the Today itself, so I guess no one ever formally complained.
Good times...
Most people only wanted it for the inserts (It was a Thursday/Sunday paper back then), so around holidays, I might get as many as a dozen inserts or more to stuff in each paper. I used to stuff the Sunday paper during Saturday Night Live, and then go out when it was over (to the consternation of my parents) to deliver. That was fine, and I thought it was cool to ride around the neighborhood that late at night - and have a legitimate reason, too. But after school on Wednesdays, I had no time to stuff a dozen inserts, so I used to throw half of them away. Some people complained, but the paper was free, so they didn't have that much leverage. I never heard about it directly from the Today itself, so I guess no one ever formally complained.
Good times...
They were hand-rolled at least a day in advance by ex-cons/middle-aged losers in the middle of the night, and then put into the walk-in. I boiled them, baked them at 650, and turned the boards by hand. Gotta boil them - its all about the crust baby.
Home delivery of the evening Courier News was a family event for me and my three sisters...my two older sisters split a ~70 subscriber route, until the two of them passed it on to me and my younger sister…as said in previous posts, having this route taught me many life skills and lessons…delayed gratification (no after school play until papers were all done)… money management (had to collect each week and pay the district manager)… client management (track new subscribers, canceled subscribers, the old lady wants her paper before 3:30 and on the back deck, etc.)…conflict resolution (sometimes the printing press broke, delivery was delayed and customers were pissed and waiting in their driveway while I rode my bike up the street in the rain – and they still gave me hell!)…mechanical skills (if your bike is broken – you couldn’t get your job done and no time to wait for Dad to fix it)…once I got to high school I had to give it up, but overall paper delivery had a huge impact on who I am today…
In current times, the sister of a friend of mine has a morning delivery of a local paper…this is an adult sized route of ~250 subscribers…this is delivery only…I assume money is exchanged from the subscribers to the paper and they pay the delivery people…I cannot even guess what she is paid for this amount of effort…apparently this is all worth it as this is a 7 day a week job with maybe only a few days that they do not publish…anyway, last year sister of a friend of mine had to have a medical procedure and was unable to drive for 1 day…I offered to be the driver of this route for her while she sat in the passenger seat and directed…waking up at 3:30 to load the papers, and traversing thru sub-division after sub-division all before 6:00am was not easy…plus, with a route this complex it would take weeks to train someone to do it efficiently…
In current times, the sister of a friend of mine has a morning delivery of a local paper…this is an adult sized route of ~250 subscribers…this is delivery only…I assume money is exchanged from the subscribers to the paper and they pay the delivery people…I cannot even guess what she is paid for this amount of effort…apparently this is all worth it as this is a 7 day a week job with maybe only a few days that they do not publish…anyway, last year sister of a friend of mine had to have a medical procedure and was unable to drive for 1 day…I offered to be the driver of this route for her while she sat in the passenger seat and directed…waking up at 3:30 to load the papers, and traversing thru sub-division after sub-division all before 6:00am was not easy…plus, with a route this complex it would take weeks to train someone to do it efficiently…
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