From an article by: David E. Petzel
Originally published in Field and Stream
George Leonard Herter is thought of as both a creative genius and an eccentric character. But to remember him as anything other than the founder of a ground breaking hunting catalog would be a crime. The founder of the Herter’s catalog, Herter was able to supply needed hunting and fishing supplies in the days before the internet and mega supply stores like Bass Pro Shop. Born in Minnesota in 1911, Herter used his military experience and a small investment to build up an empire based on his famous mail order catalogs. Concentrating on salesmanship, Herter’s unique writing style spread from his catalogs into dozens of books he also authored with titles like: How to diet and never by hungry; Professional Fly Typing and Tackle Making. But even with great success, Herter still had to face his own personal demons. As his business flourished, he became more withdrawn, and a series of bad business decisions spelled the downfall of his catalog. IN the final years of his company, Herter would only work during the night, leaving notes for his managers to follow the next day. He promoted unqualified people, and was sued on one occasion after backing out of an offer to sell his company. In 1978, Herter decided that the future lay in retail, not mail order. He opened several mega-stores across the northeast, but do to the gas shortage at the time, the stores closed soon there after. In the end, Herter sold his company for only $300,000 (originally being promised 3 million) after turning down several offers over the years from other companies. Herter spent her final years suffering from bipolar disorder until his death in July of 1994. Despite his shaky fall from grace: Herter’s name is still fondly remembered today for his magic writing skills and pioneering work in bringing desired equipment to sportsmen across the country.