Kitchen calendars, holidays, home and such

Published December 11, 2008 | By John

As many of you know, I have been delivering kitchen calendars with a photo of your home as one our marketing items for many many years. Actually, since 1986. Back then, a fellow REALTOR, and friend of mine suggested I take a 35mm photo of each and every home in my Northland Kansas City service area, (Park Hill, Wildberry, Platte Ridge, Park Forest, etc,) glue the print to a blank calendar and deliver same to each door in those neighborhoods, during the holidays.

That spring – my first year – beginning in April, I followed through. I found myself walking the neighborhoods, shooting one photo after another, using up roll after roll of film. I avoided barking nervous dogs, and a few nervous people, too, who were wondering what kind of burglar I might be with my Re/Max logo shirt and nametag. That summer, like so many since, I photographed nearly 2000 homes in order to accomplish my mission.

Christmas Kitchen Calendar

September of that same year (1986) rolled ’round, and I realized, I now have a box filled with photo prints. My next task was to design, print, pay for, and begin pasting (yes, with paste! not a computer mouse) the photos to a blank calendar format. Many, many October and November evenings, my wife, Sandy, Samantha, my then 8 year old daughter, all sat around the kitchen table – sometimes singing carols, sometimes just talking, sometimes watching TV – we would glue and pack each calendar in street number order for distribution in the chilly days of December.

Beginning, right after Thanksgiving, and lasting ’til the last days of the year, I would trek through the neighborhoods, shivering and delivering my precious market piece to grateful cheery folks, who were often very surprised to see me on their doorstep, calendar gift in hand.

I repeated this effort 20 years straight.

Today, I make the rounds every other year – taking photos throughout the spring and summer months, then walking the streets, door to door, delivering and hopefully, matching the right calendar to the right house, during the holidays. Having since minimized the cost and bulk of the original calendar using digital technology, our office laser printer, and updated calendar dates downloaded from the internet, I continue to enjoy the task - ever constant and determined to complete my appointed rounds.

Despite the hot days filming, I love the green grassy lawns and gardens of the homes of our Northland neighborhoods. I love the fall colors of the tree lined streets, and bright twinkling holiday lights on the homes that belong to our warm and friendly Northland KC neighbors. I must say, so many times have we received the blessings -”the return of our investment” from our efforts. Many many times, folks have reminded us of their going to the door or mail box; receiving their simple holiday calendar, a picture of a bright summer day, flowers growing ,enumerated with the days to come, filled with promise and hope. Often while on an appointment in clients’ homes, I spy one of my works hanging on a fridge, or pinned to a rec-room wall, or bedroom office.

Everyone loves a photo of their house. It’s a visual display and reminder of home. Home is where the heart is. Sandy and I have always wanted to share in some of that feeling with our clients, with our neighbors and with our friends. Yes, Virginia, it’s intended as solicitation, but, I think, a kind one. A really good one

If you would like one of our free 2009-2010 home photo kitchen calendars, just send us an email. We will be right over to shoot the photo and deliver the calendar with holiday cheer.

Happy Holidays