Cut-Outs for Grownups

Advertising men are supposed to think up million-dollar ideas. Dean Robinson, 40, an energetic, quick-talking Detroiter, is one who actually did.

To plug Detroit's Timken Silent Automatic Oil Burner, Dean Robinson handed out architects' sketches of houses, along with a folder of building information. So many people wrote in for blueprints that Timken was swamped. Robinson thought Timken should go into the business of supplying blueprints. But Timken said no. So Robinson quit and decided to do it himself. He teamed up with Designer Richard D. Pollman, 33, and two other Detroiters to form Home Planners, Inc.

To make planning easy, Home Planners put out a $1.50 book containing 26 house designs, chiefly moderately priced one-story, ranch-type; for another $5 it sold complete blueprints. But Robinson's bright idea was to sell also, for $1.50, a colored cut-out cardboard model of the house in scale. Easily put together, the model showed the prospective builder just how the whole house would look before he started building. It even contained cardboard pieces scaled to the size of furniture.

Home Planners does no building itself. But it estimates that the cost is from $8,000 to $18,000, depending on the location. The scheme has caught on so fast that a fortnight ago Sears Roebuck ordered $250,000 worth of books, models and prints. By year's end, Home Planners expects to sell a million dollars' worth.

The prospect of all this money seemed to be too much for Home Planners' founders last week. In a family squabble over company operations, Robinson was eased out of active control of the business. But he kept 25% of the company's stock, so he still had a handsome share in his million-dollar idea.

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