A salesman sample kit gave a company representative something useful to put in a buyer’s hands: actual materials and construction details that helped explain the merchandise. This vintage Big Smith workwear kit brings that approach to overalls, right down to a carrying case dressed for the job.
For someone who has inherited or discovered a kit like this, its value comes from the relationship between the pieces. Identifiable samples, original labels, a matching case, condition, and documented history all deserve attention. Keeping those elements together preserves the evidence of how the outfit worked.
And Big Smith had plenty of workwear to explain.
THE SMITH BROTHERS GET TO WORK
According to Powers Museum’s history of Smith Brothers Manufacturing, the company began in Sedalia, Missouri, in 1915. Clayton and E. O. Smith moved it to Carthage in April 1916 after local boosters encouraged them to bring the business to town. A year later, the operation moved from its initial Carthage quarters in a former livery building to Howard Street.
The business expanded through the following decades, establishing branches in Neosho, Webb City, and St. Joseph, Missouri, and Iola, Kansas. By 1940, nearly 1,000 people worked in its factories. Women were central to that production: the museum records nearly 350 women working at the Carthage factory in 1938 and documents the company making Army coats during World War I.
That history puts people behind the label. Before a salesman could demonstrate a pocket, someone had to cut and sew it. Big Smith’s reputation traveled with the finished goods, but the work began on those factory floors.
Got a salesman sample you're looking to sell? Email us at info@industrialartifacts.net today!
THE SALES DEPARTMENT, IN A SUITCASE
The Big Smith salesman sample kit featured here is dated approximately to the 1950s or 1960s. A salesman for Smith Bros would carry this case through factories, warehouses, and machine shops trying convince the the prospective buyers that Big Smith was THE name in workwear denim. Being able to physically hold and inspect the material Big Smith was using went a long way for those that spent their days getting their hands dirty.
The humble pocket is one of histories great achievements for the working class. Smith Brothers worked hard to exemplify how their pockets were better than the rest. One pocket sample in the kit carries a particularly direct promise: “more than DOUBLE the wear of ordinary pockets.”
Even the case participates. Covering a workwear sample case in denim gives the presentation a satisfying consistency.
A WARDROBE WITH A JOB DESCRIPTION
A contemporary advertisement helps explain the variety a workwear representative might need to present. In the November 18, 1954, issue of The Mitchell County News, Fred B. Ison Dry Goods in Loraine, Texas, advertised Big Smith blue and striped overalls, white painters’ overalls, carpenters’ overalls, gray chambray shirts, and mechanics’ coveralls.
The categories are revealing. The retailer organized much of the selection around occupations, making it easy for readers to recognize clothing intended for their work. The advertisement gives us a documented glimpse of the brand on a store’s shelves during the general period assigned to this kit.
It also helps explain the usefulness of physical samples. A retailer choosing stock had to think about the people who would come through the door. A selection of fabrics and garment details could support that conversation, giving both parties something specific to examine.
WHAT MAKES A WORKWEAR SAMPLE KIT VALUABLE?
Assessing a salesman sample starts with identifying what it was made to demonstrate. A manufacturer’s name helps, but the strongest identification comes from several details agreeing: labels, construction, accompanying material, and the relationship between the contents and their container.
Completeness matters because each component can explain another. A loose fabric section may be difficult to interpret. Associated labels or paperwork may identify its purpose, while a carrying case can help establish how a group was presented.
Condition deserves a close look, too. Pay close attention to how the case opens and closes. If there is any wear present, that's worth noting.
Known history can add context. A connection to a company representative, clothing store, or family business is worth recording, especially when letters, photographs, or other documents support it.
With a broad curiosity like workwear, you have several intersecting markets and collectors vying to add something unusual to their ranks. When you have a salesman sample on your hands, it's worth considering every interested party.
HAVE A SALESMAN SAMPLE TO SELL?
Industrial Artifacts is interested in buying salesman samples, demonstration pieces, and other materials used to explain a company’s products.
Send a few clear photographs, approximate dimensions, and any history you know to info@industrialartifacts.net, or text 815-299-7625. Include close-ups of labels or markings and mention any loose parts, damage, or repairs. Paperwork is welcome if you have it.
You don’t need to know exactly what you’ve found. Sometimes the useful clue is still tucked inside the case.
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