The WANT ADvertiser

2008 NHSA Grass Drags and Water Crossing

2008-10-06T15:28:00.002-04:00

As the air begins to cool, riders are beginning to start thinking about putting the motorcycle back in the garage in exchange for their other passion, snowmobiling. We still may have a few months before we see any snow hit New England, but that's not going to stop a bunch of adrenaline junkies from drag racing their sleds acorss Peterson's Brookvale Farm in Fremont, NH at the 2008 New Hampshire Snowmobile Association Grass Drags and Water Crossing. If seeing snowmobiles drag race at speeds over 100mph across grass doesn't interest you, head over to the circular pond and watch the snowmobiles race across the water. That's right, snowmobiles race across water. I would highly recommend that you get there while the amateur riders are practicing because you're almost guaranteed to see a sled or two make it about halfway across the pond before slowing coming to a stop. This is the best part because snowmobiles, by nature, do not float. Nothing like watching a brand new sled sink like a rock! No worries, they are later retrieved by a pontoon boat to give the rider a chance at redemption, assuming their sled has some life left in it.

Below is footage from last year's event:

Other activities include Yamaha factory demos, Toyota Prove it Testing Grounds, ATV racing, food, drinks, snowmobile swap meet, freestyle dirt bike and snowmobile show, camping and all kinds of snowmobile vendors with the latest sleds on display. Stop by The WANT ADvertiser booth to grab a copy of The WANT AD or The WANT AD Powered for great deals on used sleds, trailers, parts and accessories.

If you're interested in getting into the growing sport of snowmobiling, check out the Snowmobile category on thewantad.com!

New 'FREE FOR THE TAKING' Category

2008-08-21T13:18:00.003-04:00

Thewantad.com has a new 'Free for the Taking' category that features free items from all over New England. If you have some items taking up space in your garage, basement or backyard that you never use and would like to give away, call a friendly ADvisor at 1-800-2-WANT-AD to place a 'Free for the Taking' ad for free! Each 'Free for the Taking' ad runs in The WANT ADvertiser for two issues AND on thewantad.com for two weeks.

If you are a bargain hunter or just like free stuff, check out our 'Free for the Taking' category and see what free stuff has recently been posted.

Back to school items on thewantad.com

2008-08-21T13:16:00.003-04:00

Click on a category below

Sho Car Rod and Custom Nationals

2008-08-05T11:09:00.002-04:00

The 2008 Sho Car Association Rod and Custom Nationals took place this weekend at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. There was a great turnout with some unbelievable rod and customs from all over New England. The WANT ADvertiser was one of the premier sponsors and had a booth in the trade center. Below are just a few of the great vehicles that attended the show, click on the photo for a larger image.

The Heritage Annual Auto Event

2008-07-25T11:53:00.005-04:00

The Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, MA held their Annual Auto Event, a large car show that came from the combination of their 'Rock 'n' Roll Ramble' and their 'Antique & Classic Auto Show'. Held on Saturday, July 19th, the event brought out some of Cape Cod and New England's best antique vehicles. Among the vehicles were some expertly restored Model A's and Cadillacs, an original Shelby Cobra, Ford Thunderbirds and some classic American muscle cars.

Here are a few shots from the event:

The next auto show at the Heritage Museum and Gardens is their 6th Annual Corvette Day on Sept. 20th, 2008.

Motorcycle Night '08

2008-07-23T10:11:00.004-04:00

If you have a motorcycle, like motorcycles or are just looking for something to do Tuesday nights, you have to check out Motorcycle Night in Lowell, MA. Here are some photos from The WANT ADvertiser's recent attendance.

The WANT ADvertiser will be at the Tuesday, September 2nd Motorcycle Night, stop by and show us your bike!

Yard Sales!

2008-07-17T10:22:00.001-04:00

It’s the thrill of the hunt and the victory of the bargain that makes going to yard sales so much fun. Sometimes you have something specific in mind, other times it is finding a gorgeous antique telephone table for $20 that you never knew you wanted but now can’t live without. Finding a bracelet that “looks cute” for a quarter and then having it appraise for over $100, now what can be better that?
Having a yard sale can be just as gratifying. Neighbors that you rarely get a glimpse of will come to your sale and strike up conversations; this opens the communication for a neighborhood yard sale next year. You get to clear out the attic or basement and make some money doing it. No better time to take inventory of items to place in The WANT ADvertiser!

Die hard “Salers” are strategic. We gather locations (take note sellers, advertising will draw a bigger crowd that just posting signs around town); map the route according to either the earliest start time or the one closest to a drive-thru coffee shop, grab a friend and go. This is not for the weak as we will even brave possible lightning storms in the hope that sales are still on just to get that collection of Dr. Seuss books for $10 or less.

I personally love autumn sales the best for going to or having my own yard sale. The temperature is comfortable and there is that crisp smell in the air; perfect for a vanilla chai coffee and a pumpkin muffin. So place your yard sale announcement in The WANT ADvertiser and be on the lookout for that bargain hunter with a determined look ready to make an offer. Hey, I’ll even bring the vanilla chai.
-Sharlene

First Hollywood, Now Television

2008-07-09T15:40:00.002-04:00

A few months ago The WANT ADvertiser was contacted by a movie studio that was seeking copies of The WANT AD from the 80's to appear in newsstand scene in Bristol, Rhode Island for the upcoming film "Hachiko: A Dog's Story" starring Richard Gere, Joan Allen and Jason Alexander. The movie studio informed The WANT ADvertiser that they were able to stretch their budget by purchasing used equipment and props from The WANT AD.

Recently, The WANT AD has also been featured in the small claims court television show "The People's Court". Click the image above for a small clip of the program.

Congratulations Celtics!

2008-06-24T09:28:00.001-04:00

The T REX

2008-06-17T10:54:00.005-04:00

It takes something very unique to get a buzz going around The WANT AD office. We have seen all kinds of unique vehicles sold through our publications and thewantad.com, high end sports cars like Ferraris, Vipers and Lamborghinis, 6 wheeled ATVs that float, custom chopper motorcycles and trikes, dune buggies, you name it. But recently one of our sales reps had the pleasure of going for a ride in the Campagna T Rex. (Click the image below for a full size photo.)

This thing is the street legal cross between a dragster motorcycle and a go-kart, with a top speed of 180 mph and very little between you and the blurred road beneath you. My first questions – Where can I buy it and how much? The answers… well you will have to wait for next week’s issue of Powered. You wont miss it, the T Rex is on the cover!

Record Breaking Heat

2008-06-10T15:53:00.004-04:00

It was a snowy winter and it looks like its going to be a hot summer. Today we broke a Boston record of 96 degrees! I know at this time last year I was scrambling for an AC unit to stick in the window of my inferno/aparment. I went to a couple stores but they were very expensive. Luckily The WANT AD has an entire section of AC units and I got a great one cheap!

People are always moving, from apartment to apartment to condo to house to houseboat, wherever, and they don't always need to bring their used-for-a-few-seasons AC unit. So it goes into The WANT AD!

There are a bunch of 6,000 BTU units good for cooling your apartment. Theres even a 100,000 BTU unit that could probably turn your home into a skating rink. The choice is yours.

-Justin

Rick.

2008-06-05T14:57:00.001-04:00

One of the nice things about the way things are here at The WANT AD is that we have a lot of customers we work with every week. It's not just a name on a screen, it's "Kevin from Orange" and we know exactly who it is. It's nice to have that continuity of knowing you'll be talking to certain people on certain days (and yes, if someone goes missing, we do get concerned. Fortunately, it's almost always that they went on vacation.)

However, some advertisers have moved beyond this. The perfect example of this is Rick from Silhouette Motors in Brockton. If you take a look at the pictures of the cars he's advertising, you'll pretty quickly see why. It's not often that the advertiser appears in the ads. Rick has adorned many desktops on the computers here at The WANT AD. We've put up framed photos, created works of art, and decorated people's desks with his pictures. We also might have created a wallpaper border out of his ads to put up in a manager's office, and there might be a Rick bobblehead (complete with cigarette) somewhere in the offices here.

Thanks to folks like Rick, we know that you can always find something interesting in our books.

2008-05-23T16:24:00.004-04:00

We've got tons of new bike ads on thewantad.com! Visit The WANT AD at Motorcycle Night at Lowell on June 3rd. For more info, check out MotorcycleNight.com

First Car Show of the Season

2008-05-13T10:12:00.003-04:00

The WANT ADvertiser's first show of the '08 season was the Merrimack College Automotive Club's 3rd Annual Car Show. A variety of cars attended despite the rainy weather. There were rows of Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Hot Rods and Customs, Exotics and some of the largest pick-up trucks I've ever seen. Here are just a few photos:

Let me know what shows you will be attending this summer, shoot me an email at JLord@thewantad.com

The WANT AD Spotlight On: NEWSBREAK

2008-05-12T16:57:00.018-04:00

This month our Spotlight is on Newsbreak, located on the South Shore of Massachusetts in Swansea. Newsbreak is quite unique! It prides itself in being the largest source of magazines in the area, carrying over 7,000 titles. If you're looking for a newspaper, you'll find 50 daily and weekly publications. Trading card enthusiasts will also be impressed by Newsbreak's selection. While you're there, you can also pick up greeting cards for those birthdays, anniversaries and weddings coming up. Newsbreak's uniqueness is not only in its large selection of print media, but also in the fact that it's a convenience store that offers a lounge area where you can purchase coffee and pastry while you enjoy playing Keno or your favorite lottery games. It's not just a convenience store, it's a destination. Newsbreak has been in business for 22 years and is located on Route 6 at the Swansea Plaza in Swansea, MA. When you're in the area, stop in, browse around and say hello to the owners, James Stanton and Robert Rego. You're sure to find something to appeal to your interests at Newsbreak. While you're there be sure to look for The WANT Advertiser and WANT AD – Powered to your left when you enter the store.

Swansea's Newsbreak is an exceptional establishment. We are pleased to be associated with this great business. Come in, shop and browse and tell Jim and Bob you saw their ad in The WANT AD.

What makes thewantad.com different?

2008-04-18T13:09:00.009-04:00

I am often asked what makes thewantad.com different than other classified advertising websites. There are many sources for buying and selling used items, but few can offer what thewantad.com can.

Thewantad.com is run by WANT AD Publications, the company that has been locally owned and operated and publishing The WANT ADvertiser for over 50 years. The reason the WANT AD has been so successful for so many years is its dedication to customer service.
At The WANT AD we have more employees in our call center alone than most classified ad sites have altogether. If you want to place an ad over the phone, just call 1-800-292-6823, they can even give you advice on your ads description. That alone is a feature almost no other classified ad site can match, just try finding a phone number on other sites!

What makes our website different? Unlike other sites that rely on users to flag and remove inappropriate or fraudulent ads, we proofread all ads before we post them on the website. This way we know exactly what ads are going to be posted. When you browse thewantad.com you know that all the ads are genuine.
If you aren't familiar with what kinds of ads can be found on other sites, read this article!

Some classified ad sites even block the sales of pets. We have hundreds of ads for animals, its one of our largest categories. We are New England's most popular source for puppies, kittens, fish, birds, horses and all kinds of miscellaneous pets.

The best thing about posting an ad on thewantad.com is where else your ad will be seen. Unlike other sites that only have a web presence, we have a print publication! We print all of our ads into The WANT ADvertiser and/or WANT AD - Powered, so your ad is seen by thousands of web users AND thousands of print readers, every week. Our print publications are sold at over 3,500 retail locations throughout New England.

Another way thewantad.com is different is that we are a local company. We aren't some start-up company in Silicon Valley in California, we don't outsource labor all over the world, we are right here in Hudson, MA. Feel free to stop by during business hours and we will take your ad in person. You can even bring your item and we will take a photo of it for no extra charge, hows that for service?

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Thewantad.com - New England's Most Trusted Source for Buying and Selling

Justin Lord

Marketing Coordinator

My Work Study Program at The WANT AD

2008-04-01T09:38:00.004-04:00

My name is Eitan Tye and for the past two weeks, I have been observing and helping out in all the different departments of the Want Ad, as part of the work study program at my school. I am a ninth grader at the Park School in Brookline and I will most likely be attending Concord Academy next year. Because I live in Newton, about a fourty minute drive away from the Want Ad office in Hudson, my parents were unable to drop me off and pick me up every day. Justin Lord, the Marketing Coordinator at the Want Ad, lives near me in Brighton and stopped by my house on his way to and from work every day.

I learned a great deal about the process of publishing a magazine during my time at the Want Ad. I spent time in the graphics, marketing, circulation, facilities, finance and human resources departments and also spent some time in the call center. I realized that there are copious detailed and complicated aspects of creating the Want Ad and Powered, and that it also takes a tremendous amount of work to keep the website running smoothly. In addition, one of the most significant things that I noticed was how passionate all the employees at the Want Ad are about producing the best possible magazine.

-Eitan Tye

2008-03-12T09:56:00.008-04:00

We have a new section on thewantad.com called Featured Items. Two featured items appear on the homepage and change every time you refresh the page, 10 ads total. To see all the featured items click the Featured Items button (kind of self explanatory don't you think?) or Click here. If you want your ad to be a Featured Item give us a call at 1-800-292-6823 for details. Our Featured Item customers have been getting a tremendous response because the Featured Items are seen by thousands of buyers every day.

The WANT AD Insider Newsletter

2008-02-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

Didn't receive the latest issue of our monthly newsletter The WANT AD Insider? Don't worry, you can view it by clicking here

To sign up to receive our monthly newsletter with the latest news, the best ads of the month, tips on selling items and a whole lot more, e-mail News@thewantad.com with the subject line "Subscribe".

Don't worry, we don't share your email addresses or anything like that, you will only receive our newsletter once a month and can opt out at any time.

Other news:
thewantad.com is now updated daily!

Super Bowl Bound

2008-01-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

Now that the Patriots have locked up the AFC Championship, I now have 2 weeks to both reflect on the past and plan for Super Bowl XLII.

I hope younger fans appreciate what is happening in Patriots Nation right now. Not that I am old, but I still have the bad memories of “stars” such as Millen, Chung and Harlow in my head. Growing up, I followed the Patriots, but was hardly a die-hard fan. We never saw the Pats play at home, because the games never sold out and were blacked out on TV. We barely got to know our team and, looking back, that was probably for the best. There was no internet to get info on our team. I was too young to care about reading about the games in the newspaper. So I followed the teams that got the national coverage. I was a fan of Jim Kelly and Warren Moon and I don’t apologize for it.

But since the Krafts purchased the team, everything has changed. Better teams, better stadium, better coverage and better technology. If I miss a game, I can get recaps On-Demand or online; stations dedicated to sports and the NFL; superstars playing for the home team. I never thought I would own so many player jerseys from the home team!

Enjoy it while it lasts. San Francisco 49ers fans never thought that “Young to Rice” would have to be the last good news they would get for over a decade.

Now on to hosting the Super Bowl Party. I need to upgrade my living room if I am going to host this year’s event. Two mismatched loveseats and a 20” tube television is not the way this game should be experienced. I’m going to upgrade the TV using The WANT AD, and sell my old one to someone who needs a great small set for the kids. I will also need an oversized couch and some recliners. With the game starting in the evening, I feel the need to entertain during the afternoon. The Patriots slot machine I have been eying should make a great distraction, as well as 8’ pool table. Finally, I’ll need extra cash for food. Selling my film camera and computer should net me the funds necessary.

Don’t forget to check out The WANT AD’s Patriots Store. All your fan shopping in one place! www.thewantad.com/patriots.

Go Pats!!!

2007-12-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 16-0

Enough said.

In your face Don Shula.

It's the most wonderful time of the year???

2007-11-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

So once again it’s the that time of year where the holidays sneak up on us as swiftly as a pack of rabid ninjas & we must trudge thru the cold & snowy weather to the malls & stores, where we end up fighting traffic & people while mumbling grievances instead of singing about peace & goodwill to others. This is supposed to be a really fun time of year where you give presents to family members & loved ones & sit around sipping spiked cups of eggnog until grandma inevitably starts dancing & takes her wig off… Oooooh awkward…Anyways it should be a time that bring us back to the wonderful people in our lives & refocuses our attention on the people we love & instead we end up getting bogged down with the chore of dealing with all the details that make so many of us think of the holidays as more of a nuisance than anything else.
I of all people love to shop & spend money but I have my limits too & can’t deal with the crazy shoppers this time of year bumping into me with no regard as I walk thru the mall hoping to find that perfect gift for that special someone… And the traffic is the absolute worse! After all, who doesn’t want to sit in traffic for two hours to get 1 mile down Rte. 9 to The Natick Collection this year instead of being with friends & family? I know I can’t think of anything that could be better or less stressful!
Well guess what everyone? There is a whole other way to do the dreaded task of holiday shopping now! Was I relieved when I saw that we had put together this very cool thing called a gift guide. It’s linked to our website & it’s a collection of the “best of the best” places to fit all your shopping needs. How kick butt is that, really? It even makes shopping online easier, what more could you possibly ask for???
So really don’t be silly & check it out, seriously what do you have to lose? Or is it that you’re a sucker for punishment & truly enjoy the rude people, crying children & packed parking garages? You’re really doing yourself a disservice by not taking a look, but that's just my not-so-humble opinion.
So just do it & now you’ll have so much more time to drink that eggnog & make sure Grandma doesn’t end up in the neighbors yard doing snow angels-AGAIN!
Keep it classy this holiday season my peeps!
Leah

Boston Red Sox win the 2007 World Series!!!!

2007-10-29T11:30:00.001-04:00

The Boston Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies to win the 2007 World Series! Another spectacular weekend for New England sports fans and another unbelievable story for the Red Sox as Jon Lester, a 23 year old cancer survivor pitched an outstanding game 4 and fellow cancer survivor Mike Lowell was named MVP.

Free tacos for all, free furniture for some and free agency for MVP Mike Lowell. Before the Red Sox had even won the game there was talk about Mike Lowell and whether he would remain with the Red Sox. Boston fans that traveled to Colorado made their opinion heard by chanting "Re-sign Lowell, Re-sign Lowell" and also "Don't sign A-rod" (he may have the best numbers in the MLB, but he's still a Yankee).

Like a broken record, the only song stuck in my head today is "Tessie" by the Dropkick Murphys, a remake of a song that helped Boston rally to win the first World Series in 1903.

If the the Red Sox winning both games in Colorado and sweeping the World Series wasn't enough, the New England Patriots dominated the Redskins for a 52-7 victory on Sunday and remain undefeated. It doesn't get any better than that... except that there was frost on my car this morning, which means it is almost Snowboarding season and I can't wait for fresh powder.

Congrats Boston!

-Justin

What a weekend for New England sports

2007-10-22T09:47:00.001-04:00

This was such an unbelievable weekend for New England sports. The Red Sox overcome a 3 game to 1 deficit to win three straight games and move on to the World Series. Saturday night J.D. Drew finally came up big with a Grand Slam to begin a rally for a 12-2 win. Sunday night the Sox came up big again with an 11-2 win over Cleveland, although the game was much closer than the final score makes it appear. Champagne was spraying, Papelbon was dancing an Irish jig and Ortiz had his goggles on before the game was even over.

On top of an amazing weekend for the Red Sox, the undefeated New England Patriots crushed the winless Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon. With a halftime score of 42-7, the commentators were hoping for a mercy rule to put a stop to the beating. Many New England starters were pulled from the game for the second half allowing Miami to put a few more on the board but falling very short of a victory, New England won 49-28 to maintain undefeated status at 7-0.

It may still be 75 degrees out, but the leaves are changing and my mind is starting to drift towards my favorite winter sport: snowboarding. Now is a great time to buy a used board if you are new to the sport or are just looking to upgrade your current set up. Check out the Want Ad's Winter Sporting Goods section.

If you’re looking for some new gear check out ProBoardShop.com,
they are having a 50% off sale and have all kinds of new boards like Burton, K2, Forum, Rome, Ride and a whole lot more. They also have a full line of clothing and accessories at great prices.

I also recommend purchasing a Powder Passport which is good at 16 mountains in New England and you can buy them for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days. You don't have to use the days consecutively so you can save a lot of money and you don't have to commit to one mountain like a season pass.

Go Red Sox!

-Justin

2007-10-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

I am back by popular demand!
So since my blogging debut I’ve gotten some comments from fellow bloggers & coworkers. At first it was mostly on the fact that I wrote too much or just “rambled on & on” (See Neil’s blog) & lately it’s been “So when are you going to write another blog”? … I believe someone actually said yesterday that mine was “The Best” (Thanks Jayson!).
So with that being said all I have to express to the naysayers is that I can’t help it if I’m incredibly entertained by the notion of talking about myself. You would do the same if you were this extraordinary.
I’ll keep it short & sweet & to the point this time though-you know it’s not ALWAYS ABOUT ME…
We are now on myspace.com so friend us, add us to your favorites, leave a comment-whatever you want (within reason of course-let’s keep it clean for the kids, this is a family publication after all)!
Have a great weekend my peeps-
Always Keeping It Classy,
Leah

Jeep owners!

2007-10-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

I found a really good deal going on at 4WD. Until the end of October if you purchase 3 Pro Comp tires you can get the 4th free. The deal includes radials, Xtreme All Terrains, Radial Muds, Xtreme Muds and Xterrains. The deal ends October 31st.

They also have a really great deal on the SmittyBilt XRC 8,000 lb winch. This is a 4.1 hp winch with a 5/16" x 92’ galvanized aircraft cable with replaceable hook on sale for only $299.99. So if you get bogged down in mud, sand, snow or just want to winch your way up a mountain, take a look at this deal.

Enjoy,

-Justin

Grass Drags and Water Crossing

2007-10-09T09:21:00.001-04:00

This weekend the Want Ad attended the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association Grass Drags and Water Crossing. The event was held in Fremont, NH and featured a variety of events and vendors.
The main event, the snowmobile drag racing, consists of modified snowmobiles racing across a field (nope, no snow, just grass) and some reaching speeds well over 100 mph in a 1/8 mile track. If you think snowmobiles racing across grass seems out of place, another event was a snowmobile race around a pond (nope, no ice, just water). Snowmobiles are able to glide across water as long as they are constantly moving or else they sink like a stone and that happened plenty of times. The event also featured ATV racing and both dirt bikes and snowmobiles jumping off ramps as tall as a house. Take a look at a few of the video clips the Want Ad took at the event:

The Want Ad had a booth set up in a great location and we were able to meet a lot of great customers and snowmobile enthusiasts that were thrilled to recieve a free copy of the Want Ad and the new Powered. This was a great event that could make any warm weather lover left craving a blizzard.

Happy buying and selling,

-Justin

Blastoff! New Powered Cover launched today!

2007-10-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks the arrival of our new WANT AD Powered cover. We hope you like it!

Also don't forget the Fremont Grass Drags are only 3 days away. Make sure to stop by our booth to say hi and to pick up a free copy of the New Powered!

http://www.nhgrassdrags.com/

Cheers,

Eric

Now it's your turn...

2007-09-23T19:10:00.000-04:00

So now you've heard from a bunch of us. (Some might say "too much" from one of us.) It's amazing how chatty some people get when they realize people are listening. Anyways, I'll keep it short and simple - now that we've opened this line of communication, I want to know what you think, and what you're pondering about us. So, go ahead and send me an email: nkelly@thewantad.com

I can't guarantee everything will be answered - some stuff might be things we need to keep to ourselves (corporate spies are everywhere) but we'll try to answer as much as possible in future blog posts.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WANT???

2007-09-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WANT???

Well I’ll tell you what I want. I want to aspire to writing a blog comparable to the “bloggy” goodness that are Graphics Guy Matt’s blogs! But here is my question… can you blog about another person’s blog? And if so how many times can you say the word blog in your blog when referring to someone else’s blog?
Confused? Yeah, me too.
Well I guess you can blog about someone else’s blog because that’s what I’m doing here.
I’ve been urged for months now to contribute to our new Want AD blog link & in the beginning I jumped at the chance to share my well intended if not sometimes odd thoughts on work & life in general. But when it got down to it & I sat in my corner cubicle of the department staring at the walls I’ve covered in posters & pictures & private jokes between other employees & myself I was stumped. My writer’s block was the size of the Great Wall of China. Completely uninspired which is kind of a first for me. I was disappointed with myself considering I always seem to have plenty to talk about, lots of strong opinions & a wealth of useless knowledge to share with the world. But what do I write about? Why would anyone want to know what little old me was thinking anyways? Well I’ll tell you why because I’m a big deal… well not really but I do have a big if not fragile ego.
First off I suppose introducing myself is an order. I am Leah… the graphics girl. I’ve worked in our Graphics department alongside my awesome co-workers for over 2 years but I kind of ended up in this department accidentally. I started at The Wantad 5-1/2 years ago at the tender age of 19 in the call center. I had no prior graphic design experience but worked my way up helping out every department that would have me & eventually found my “calling” here among the self-professed “computer geeks”. I don’t necessarily fit the mold but that’s ok. I’ve always been known around the company as kind of an outspoken, fun-loving if not slightly over-the-top type, so on first impressions I might not be pegged as artsy-per say but looks & personality can be deceiving sometimes.
Since joining the guys in Graphics I have kind of become a good source of entertainment for the guys, I always seem to be running my mouth about something, flouncing around or telling you my latest story from my inevitably crazy weekend. Anyways it seems to have become the natural progression for me to be involved in all of our newest ventures from free web advertising to blogging! And since I tend to leave my timidity at the door I became the online spokes-girl for our website a couple of months back when we finally went free. You could see me with one of our former interns (and a good friend of mine) the first couple of times we updated our site with the splendid news that we’d gone free & then by myself staring through a pair of binoculars checking out all the fun things we have for sale. It became kind of a running joke with the guys & I that I was a celebrity of sorts now. I signed mock autographs & gave myself a marquee screensaver that simply read CELEBUTANTE. Though I do sport the oversized shades & the extra large attitude sometimes don’t worry! There are no crashed sports luxury vehicles or jail time in my future!
I’m just a ham who doesn’t mind being seen by our Want AD Web Users once in a while…
So I think I ran out of stuff to say for now, but I shall return with more nonsensical babblings that hopefully entertain you for a minute or so out of your day!
Keepin’ It Classy, Leah

Wow, people can actually find and read our blog now!

2007-09-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Although many of you may not have realized, we've actually had our blog up for a little while. But as Matt says below, it's now up "front and center" on our homepage as of yesterday.

I wanted to extend a THANKS for all the feedback we are getting about our New Powered Cover. We are getting a lot of great feedback thus far. Wish I could win those Patriots tickets myself, but.......the rules say I'm not eligible because I'm an employee. Bummer!

Don't forget you have until Oct 12th to submit your feedback and be entered automatically to win the Pats tickets.

Also I wanted to say hello and let everyone know that we have a new resident blogger Justin who just joined the Marketing team. Hey JUSTIN!!!

Cheers,
Eric

Is this thing on?

2007-09-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

TAP…TAP…(Deafening feedback noise) Hello?

Hey! The WANT AD blog finally has a link up on thewantad.com homepage. This is a big deal. This blog lived in obscurity up until a few hours ago. Through the miracle of modern technology thousands of people now have access to it. Alright, adding one link isn't too miraculous. But it sure feels that way.

As one of our resident bloggers, I feel like a musician that just went from playing small clubs at 2AM in front of about 6 people each night to playing sold-out gigs at the Garden. I’m getting a bit nervous just thinking about it. Have I really hit the big time? Will I get lost backstage like Spinal Tap? Can I expect masses of people to hold up lighters after I’m done typing this? Probably not.

So, for the many of you who haven’t seen it before, welcome to The WANT AD Blog. We've been doing this for a little while, and there's plenty of good information here already. Check it out. A handful of us Want Ad employees will be in here, adding stuff as often as we can (they do keep us busy here...). Expect to see updates on upcoming events from the Marketing folks, some technical and practical stuff from Neil the IT guy, and some bloggy goodness about us and what we do from me, the Graphics guy.

Keep on rockin'

Matt

Grass Drags, and a silly little misunderstanding

2007-09-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

We’re heading up to New Hampshire on October 5-7 for the Grass Drags event. “Great!” I thought, “But is this event appropriate for us?” To me, “grass drags” sounds suspiciously like an event where men show up in Hawaiian hula skirts.

Turns out I was wrong. Way wrong. This event is perfectly appropriate for us and our readers; it’s all about racing snowmobiles without snow. There's water cross racing, tricks and other stuff too.

How cool is that? Even cooler is that this event is the largest of its kind, with 3 days of non-stop ATV and snowmobile action. So make your way up to Fremont, New Hampshire that weekend and check it out. Stop by and say hello to Eric while you’re there. Oh, and guys, leave the grass skirt at home.

So, Do You Guys Have All of this Stuff at Your Building?

2007-09-05T16:38:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago someone asked me at a trade show, “So, do you guys have all of this stuff at your building?”

I was kind of thrown by the question. Where would we put all of that stuff? There’s no way it would work! I responded with something like, “Well, no. We’re not a store. The people who place the ads own these items, and they keep them until they sell it. If you want to buy it, you make arrangements with them, go to their place and pick it up.”

But this got me to thinking; what if we did have all of that stuff here at the Want Ad offices? How much fun would that be? There was an ad for a life-size John Wayne statue in the magazine a couple of years ago. There’s no doubt in my mind that I would have put that in my office, with his six-shooter pointed at the life-size statue of the alien from “Aliens” or maybe at the life size hand carved wooden bear (also real ads…). My office walls (which are plain white, pretty boring for a Graphics guy) would be covered in neon signs, or maybe flat-screen TVs.Pinball machines would be placed next to the desks of all Graphics staff. My desk chair would probably be an ATV. There’s a Honda Fourtrax ad running right now that looks pretty cool. The possibilities would be endless.

Of course, I’d be sad when these items sold, as my office would have to be cleared out. But there’s new stuff showing up each week, and I’m sure I’d find a way to borrow it for a few days. The Graphics staff would be redecorating the department constantly, finding the newest “most unusual item” to display in our workspace. We’d probably make a competition out of it, turning it into an on-the-clock scavenger hunt.

Then again, it’s probably a good thing that people keep their items for sale at their place. While it would be fun to have access to all of this stuff, we’d never get the magazine to the press on time, and then where would we be? No magazine means no new ads which means no cool stuff.

Oh well. Reality crushes yet another fragile dream.

Until next time,
Matt

How to Write a Successful Ad

2007-08-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

It seems painfully obvious, but Matt from Signal vs Noise has a really interesting post about something near and dear to all of our hearts - writing ads.

"Write an honest, thoughtful, clear ad and you’re more likely to hear from candidates with those qualities."

Granted, he's talking about help wanted ads, but the point still remains relevant - if you write an car ad that tells the buyer what they need to know about your car, quickly and succinctly, you'll get calls and free up your garage space in no time. If you go on and on about the entire history of the car and every little feature (unless it's relevant to the type of vehicle, of course), you'll get lots of dreamers but probably very few serious buyers.

Writing better help wanted ads [Signal vs Noise]

For more information...

2007-08-07T09:55:00.000-04:00

Just in case you care to check out the site before you head to Mohegan Sun, here it is...

http://www.manchestermotorcar.com/mypage.html?pg=MoheganSunCruise

New England Dragway in Epping, NH

2007-08-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to go to the New England Dragway a few weeks ago...what an event! The Want AD was a main sponsor and handed out a few thousand of our publications.

The funny thing is we had a huge blow up Want Ad book, 11 feet tall! And when the jet engines started up...we thought the big book was going to blow away. It was a sight to see.

I spoke to one customer that said he buys the book all the time and the whole family "flips through the pages" throughout the week. He said he bought and sold items and found the process to be very simple and effective. There were so many enthusiasts for drag racing and it's obvious why. I saw a Mack Truck go 245 miles an hour in 6 seconds! One of the main attractions was the Train & School bus race and these vehicles were equipped with jet engines too! They certainly got out of their own way.

It was a great event!

Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival.

2007-08-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

Yes that's right. This Wednesday August 8th, The WantAdvertiser will be at Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival...say that 3 times fast. This is our second year as a sponsor to Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival and we are very excited. Myself (the marketing intern) along with several other WantAd employees will be attending Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival handing out a bunch of free stuff including the newest editions of The Want Ad Original, and The Want Ad Powered! We hope to see all you Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival enthusiasts there to come and chat with The Want Ad, and perhaps gamble with us when the Mohegan Sun's Hot Summer Fun Wild Wednesday Sizzling Summer Showdown Fireworks Festival is over. Untill then, start practicing your black jack skills!

New England Summer Nationals July 4-8!!

2007-06-29T13:33:00.000-04:00

Time for another great event! Are you a car/motorcycle nut? If so then the New England Summer Nationals is the place to be.

During the July 4th holiday (July 4-July 8) the town of Worcester comes alive with the sounds of HotRods, Custom Cruisers, and Wild Motorcycles. The event takes place in downtown Worcester and at Green Hill Park.

Take a moment to stop by the Gabriel Racing Trailer in downtown Worcester and pick up a FREE copy of a WANT AD-Original and WANT AD-Powered.

For more info see link below.
www.summernationals.com

Hope to see you there
Eric

Search thewantad.com Without Coming To Our Page

2007-06-25T11:21:00.003-04:00

If you're using either Firefox 2 or Internet Explorer 7, you might have noticed a small box in the upper right corner of your browser. This box lets you search the contents of a website without first having to go to the site. We've written a plug-in for your browser so you can search our ads more easily using this box. Installing it is a breeze - just go to our site.

If you're using Firefox, you'll notice the logo in the box has a bluish halo around it.

Click in the logo that's there and select 'Add "The WANT Advertiser'.

For IE7 users, the down arrow just to the right of the box will turn orange.

Click the arrow and select "Add Search Providers," then choose "The WANT Advertiser"

That's all there is to installing it.

Later, when you want to search our site, you can just select "The WANT Advertiser" from the list of search providers, type in your search term, and hit enter - the results page will load just as if you had gone to our site and searched.

Visit us in Topsfield at the North Shore Old Car Club 6/23 & 6/24

2007-06-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

Stop by the weekend of 6/23 and 6/24 and say Hi!

The WANT AD will be handing out FREE copies of both WANT AD Original and WANT AD Powered at the North Shore Old Car Club.

The show will take place at the Topsfield Fairgrounds in Topsfield Mass.

Show hours are 7am-5pm.

Look for the GIANT WANT AD when you arrive.

Hope to see you there!

Eric