European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Selling firms t is almost impassible to Tell your Book Selling firms without a scorecard and even that is subject to change onshore notice. Generally speaking they All into on of two categories the so called pm companies and the off Post outfits. A that some manage to straddle the sharply defined  Chart below shows the niches occupied by each firm operating in Europe an identifies their products. But some explanation is necessary. Three companies Brita Muca inc., Field Enterprise world Book and Grolier interstate americana International and Book of knowl Edge Market their products through Exchange service outlets. The relationship of the first two witha Afes is Clear Cut although there Are some reports that their agents May also reselling unauthorized sets of books through i their privileged cafes status see Sepa rate stories. The role of Grolier interstate is More complicated for two  interstate sales personnel All hold cafes letters of introduction giving them Access to installations and exchanges although a majority of us sales people operate strictly on the Economy according to Grouer european vice presi Dent Fred , Grolier interstate represents one Side of Grolier inc s Book Selling Home. The other Side is Grolier i whole Sale operation lexicon publications inc., which supplies books to a majority of the off Post operators. Lexicon headed by John Ryan in new York wholesales sets of encyclopedias to jobbers who in turn either resell the books to Europe based firms or set up their own european operations to Market the books to american military personnel. Among identified off Post sales firms . Whose encyclopedias Are acquired either directly or indirectly from lexicon arc Tosca distributing corp. Books. Inc. For Merly trans Atlantic marketing placed off limits a year and a half ago bythe armed forces disciplinary contort Board the Richards company establishment. Columbia corporation and Merit educators inc. Much less complicated than the Grouer connection to the us. Force Market in Europe Are the set  by which american educator and new Standard encyclopedias Are sold. American educator is marketed through american Book distributors of Uke Bluff 111., headed by Charles  european sales operation is organized under John  Standard is distributed through and Vance distributors company of Orlando,fla., whose european sales chief is Bob Wigg. My Standaro amt Lun Educ atom Britannica world Book Grote interstate j Tom a pm Dent american. International Book of knowledge r Wem v or president Euron Lawrence Weyh pm Oil Mim of St i c Kim. Pm mini by Bill Walker projects editor hey Are called the off Post companies. They Are seven i number. Three Are registered with Usa eur s commercial solicitation office and Are cleared to sell to . Forces members. One of the remaining four is off limits to Neucom personnel a second uses a new name to front an old firm that is also off limits and two Don feel the Usa eur permit is necessary to do  off Post companies get their name from the fact that they usually solicit Salesin the houses and apartments of Ameri cans living in communities around Mili tary installations in Europe. According to competitor who sell for pm cleared companies the off Post firms Are the ones that cause Al the trouble in the military Market place. They in to customers sell cheap books at ugh prices and give Little or no customer satisfaction incas of complaints the competitors claim. Agents for the off Post firms make Simi Lar charges about the pm cleared agents. Anyone can sell for cafes most of the salesmen Are tax evaders have no ethics and Badger military members at the entrances to exchanges and snack bars the off Post agents  much business does each of the off Post firms do yearly and How Many agent do they have Over All the off Post firms sell an Esti mated $3 million in docks yearly. They Are marketing approximately 4.000 sets of encyclopedias yearly to the . Forces. Five of the seven firms sell the new age encyclopedia. Following is a Brief outline of the off Post firms and details on their business operation. American Book distributors Fine off Post firms. An Abd spokesman in Europe would not give sales figures for the company. And company president Charles e. Knapp wrote As a private corporation it has Long been policy not to make Public our corporate  it is estimated the firm is Selling Over one thou Sand sets of american educator encyclopedias yearly in Europe. The firm is cleared by Usa eur an has seven agents registered. Advance distributors the. Company refused to give the exact number of salespersons it has. A spokesman said the company Sells about $250,000 Worth of books each year in Europe or about 500sets of encyclopedias. Advance Sells new Standard enc Clope Dias the firm is not cleared by Usa eur for encyclopedia sates. Books inc. This is a new name for trans Atlantic marketing a firm that was declared off limits by the armed Force disciplinary control Board last year. Start and Stripe was unable to establish How Many sets of the new age encyclopedia the firm sold in the past  inc. Is not cleared by Usa eur Columbia corporation  firm that has local Headquarters just outside Frankfurt. A company spokesman. Lee Murphy said the organization was Selling about 700 sets a Yea with 10 salesmen in the Field. However a competitor. Bob Wigg of Advance distributors said Murphy had Only three salesmen and that the claimed sales figures were not accurate. The firm Sells new age ency clo  corporation is off limits to Neucom personnel. Merit educators incorporated a new Hampshire based com Pany with eight salesmen. Company spokesman Ben Arietta refused to give out figures on sales volume or number of sets sold. He said after All it s a competitive business you la print it and they d competitors All  s just say it s not a big volume it s a  the company Sells new age encyclopedias. Merit educators is cleared by usar eur the Richards co. Est. A Liechtenstein registered organization with Busi Ness offices just outside Aschaffenbur Germany. According to company spokes Man Wolfgang Durst the firm sold 800 to1,000 sets of books each of the last six years. He said the average Cost of a pack age of books including financing and ship Ping is $676. Durst said he has 17 agents i Europe. Richards sold american Peoples encyclopedias until late last year. It no markets new age encyclopedias. The company is not cleared by usar eur Tosca distributing Corpora Tion company spokesman Virgnio Nicolodi said be is the Only agent for the Firmin Europe. The Delaware registered com Pany markets new age encyclopedias. Nicolodi said be sold from so to 70 sets in1978. Tosca is cleared by Usa eur collectively the of Poat companies account for at least Riatt of the estimated $5.5million encyclopedia Market. Page a8 the stars and stripes tuesday june 14, 1977