Both JWs and former JWs don’t seem to remember that up until 1990, JWs sold magazines, books, and brochures from door to door. You went to either the magazine or the literature counter and bought publications that you were going to sell. Pioneers would get a slight discount. Then you would go out and sell the publications, hopefully breaking even if you successfully placed all the literature.
In the last year, the Watchtower and Awake sold for fifty cents. Or each magazine was 25 cents. We were told it was merely the printing cost. However, I believe credible research has been done showing that the publications sold for well over the printing cost, giving the Watchtower quite a profit.
Of course, we were told we were not selling magazines, and that is what we told householders who accused us of soliciting. I truly believed I was not a magazine salesman. Of course, since I was a born in, I believed what I was told and didn’t know anything else. Of course, this was changed when I was 18, being replaced by the ‘donation arrangement’ in the US to avoid taxation. It is my understanding that in other countries, magazines were still sold for years afterward.
Similarly, at conventions, you had to purchase food tickets, then use those food tickets to get your breakfast or lunch. Eventually, serving food at conventions was discontinued as well.
The Organization was so centered around selling magazines and other publications that much of JW worship today is still a vestigial leftover of that time. Back then, there was a reason that the magazine and literature counters were locked and inventory was taken, and ministerial servants were in that role functioning as cashiers. And when viewed in the light of selling, the Theocratic Ministry School and Service meeting makes much more sense—the sole purpose was to make better salespeople. Even the terminology like ‘placing’ literature and ‘presentations’ is all sales related.
...OUTLAW