Daniel Alfred

The journey of a thousand Mile they say definitely starts from a point and for every success in life, there  is always a starting point. Who will ever imagine that one could make a living selling old news papers and Magazines popularly known as unsold copies in the print media houses?

Abdul Aliu, old magazine vendor

Business has actually taken a new shape and a different dimension in the sense that some of the things so many people look at as unusual, turns out to be things that end up making a difference in the life of so many.

This is a case of Mr Abdul Aliu who hails from Kwara state, an elderly man in his sixties who makes a living selling old magazines Under the bridge situated at the CMS Bus-stop. Mr Aliu has decided to make that difference by taking himself off the pity of people after his collapsed cloth business. He buys these papers at almost nothing from the media houses and resell them.

Aliu said the business is a lucrative one despite the fact that the papers are old and outdated ones, inspire of that people still patronizes him stating that his customers don’t see the papers as old just like some others might look at it to be. He also added that so many of his customers are the young boys and girls who cannot afford to buy the papers at the original price, rather they prefer to buy them when they are old and lot more cheaper.

He also said that some of the magazines he sells are those read more buy the youth like Hint magazine and they don’t care if the papers are old or new, al they want is to read the information in it.

“I buy them, place them on the floor of strategic places like where I am now and passers-by see them and pick interest in buying them from me. Some people does not like buying the magazines when they are new because of  its cost knowing too well that they can still buy them at a cheaper rate and still read the content to get what they want from it. It doesn’t get staled and you can read the information anytime you want to read them. Since I started this business, I have been using it to help and train my family. I am into it because I will always sell them and it does not have a time rate. It can stay for as long as it can and when I bring  them out somebody can see it and feel interested to buy it and when they know the price is cheap, that makes them buy even more than stipulated and sometimes, some of them even buy different versions”.

Mr Aliu stated that he got into the business when his clothing business was put to a stop as a result of his shop that was burnt down so many years ago and on that he said he has been doing the business for as long as twenty years now.
“This was not the business I was doing before. I was into clothing but later I realised that it was not moving at all for me, including my shop that got burnt so, I decided to venture into this line of  business and for over 20 years now, I have been in the businesses and it has been moving well for me. I make real good money from this business compared to the fact that I buy at a little rate from the normal rate others get to buy the  new copies and at the end of the day, they end up not selling any at all and if they don’t sell them off and the date goes by, it becomes old and they will  have to plan for the next edition.

But once I place them here, people pass by and look at it. May be they where not able to lay a hand to that edition and when they see them lying on the ground, they wouldn’t mind if it is the recent one or not, all they do is just look at it and if they need it, they ask for them, pay and go away with them. I cant really say exactly the amount I make but all I know is that I make good money enough to take care of my family and the business is moving on well.

Most times I buy and sell them off that same day and when I can not sell every thing I still bring them back the next day and continue from where I stopped. The good thing is that some body must find it interesting to buy.”

He also added that thought the business looks so menial and that is the reason too many people are not involved and that has given him the opportunity to make more money from the business while it last.  “I am doing it because I don’t have to stress my self and I don’t have to report to any body at the end of the day.

If I sell, it is in my own advantage and if I don’t sell no body will ask  me any question on why I was not able to sell. So I am solely independent and because I don’t want to find my self sitting idle I decided to get my self involved with the business to get my self busy. I don’t need to shout and don’t need to make too many noise all I need do is to place them on the ground at a strategic position like where I am right now. A place where people will always pass through and as long as they can see them and read the front pages, there must be something that will strike there mind to buy them.

I hardly see some one who comes to look at them that don’t end up buying them after all. All I have to say is that what so ever some one wants to do in life is possible and it is lucrative if only that person can put his or her mind to it. As for this, so many people see it as something that is not lucrative but it is. At least it has been able to sustain me for twenty years now.

The only thing is that so many people today want it the big way and they don’t get to look into the little businesses that can help them have a comfortable life at least.The business is a very nice business and it is very lucrative too.” He said.