This article was issued in August 1962 in the
TABLOID AMERICAN mail order paper

The BOY Behind Signal Raimo Kaarna Publishes the Only Mail Order Paper In Finland... And Sends It Around The World

The only mail order magazine in Finland is published by a 19-year-old schoolboy named Raimo Kaarna.
But what makes Raimo's paper even more unusual is the fact that he prints it in English -- a strange language for him -- and circulates it throughout the world.
His paper is called "Signal" and he explains the origin of the name this way: "The name Signal we found out in the dictionary book just be chance."
In the publishing business, you have to take a lot of chances, so perhaps this method of choosing a title is as sood as any other.
One of the first problems to confront the new publication was, as Raimo puts it, the fact that "we have not mail order business in Finland. I mean mail order in the same aspect as it appears there in USA: circular mailing, big mails, commission circulars, name lists, moneymaking folios, advertising papers devoted to M.O., etc. Mail Order is just unknown business here."
So the young publisher propably was making a smart move when he decided, along with his friends, to print the paper in English rather than Finnish.
Finnish is an easy language if you happen to be a Finn, but it is unlike almost any other language on the face of earth, except possibly Estonian.
"Signal was founded in January 1960, by me and one of my schoolfriends," says Raimo. "We wrote to some foreign publishers and asked some advice how to establish an advertising sheet of hobbyists.
They sent us about 20 names and addresses of young people from different countries. We added our own names and hobbies to the list and took it to be duplicated. The 1.000 copies of Signal's first issue we sent to mailers in many countries for distributing."
The publishers announced that they would accept, in exchange for advertising space, such items as used stamps, matchbox labels, viewcards, magazines, books, etc., and the ads started coming.
"Soon we had to issue Number 2," Raimo recalls. "It had ads on both sides (mimeographed like number 1,
1,000 9x12 copies). Because my name was mentioned as publisher, I began to receive big mails and sample copies of other hobby publications. From them, we got new ideas for our own adsheet.
"We took one co-partner more and issued Number 3 as soon as we got enough ads for it. At that time I noticed that money was lacking of me and sold my share to the shareholders. They issued number 4 together but numbers 5 and 6 were issued by one of them only. Number 5 was the first issue that could be co-published.
"I bought Signal back to me in summer 1961 and have issued it myself (with some co-publisher) since number 7.".
With the publication of the seventh Signal, the paper assumed its present size and shape.
"I enlarged both the circulation, size and amount of ads," Raimo says. More important, it has been regularly printed.
The Signal still exchanges ad space with other publishers, which helps publicize the paper but does not pay the printing bill.
To solve this financial problem Raimo says: "I have got money for the Signal in many different ways. Last summer I had a job and earned money. In autumn I sold my phonograph records and book shelves and this winter I sold nearly all my stamps in order to get Signal printed."
But with youthful optimism he adds:
"I hope the next issue will be paid by advertisers and co-publishers."
Signal is published by Raimo Kaarna at Purokatu 18, Lahti, Finland. Lahti is a city of 70,000 population which, Raimo notes with pride, was the scene of world champion skiing and jumping rivalry in 1958.
"We have here 7 cinemas, one theatre, some 10 secondary schools and about 20 elementary schools and some other schools.
"As you know, Finland is the country of 60,000 lakes. I go at a secondary school and have one year left if I succeed in this term. After that I had to continue studying in one of the universities or high schools in Finland or abroad. Because I would like to know English perfectly, I'll try to go to England or perhaps USA and stay some years there."
Raimo's mail order hobby brings him a few problems. "I have also the same interests as any youngster in the world has," he says. "I like dancing and movies and have a girlfriend, too. Often I play records, most I like jazz and hits. I told mail order to be my main hobby besides my girlfriend and school.
It is unusual for a young man like me in Finland to be publishing a mail order paper printed in English and circulated in USA and all over the world.
Also most of my friends cannot help wondering this hobby of mine.
"I must recognize that mail order is just an odd hobby in Finland. I have sometimes heard about some Finnish stamp and correspondence clubs which issue their membershiplists in English or German and distribute them among the members in Finland and abroad. But I have not seen any."
Raimo's kind of mail order operation is totally unknown to Finland. However, certain types of business do sell by mail in that country, but his mail trade is mainly in merchandise.
He is now trying to make Signal more interesting. "Especially I want to have export/import, mail order, circular mailing, big mails, pen pals, namelists, stamp exchange, sales, etc. ads to Signal. But naturally I cannot accept those ads boosting art, nude, nudist, etc., items. I think pornography to be illegal in most countries and want to keep the international rules."
He has stopped taking stamps in payment for ads, and now requests cash or International Reply Coupons. "This," he notes, "is caused by the high printing payment."
His printer is located in Lahti but Raimo admits: "I've often been dreaming of my own printing press where I issue my own international advertising magazines: one for real exporters and importers, one for mail order dealers, one for stamp dealers and stamp collectors, one for correspondence and hobbyists, etc. Then I would establish some advertising mediums printed in Finnish and distributed in Finland. That is a great dream but I hope it isn't too great".
Raimo currently gets three cents a word for classified ads and $2 an inch for display ads under 50 words. His other rates include big mail listings at 30 cents, pen pal listings including name, address, age, interests, occupation and languages for 50 cents, and a Stamp Exchange listing for 50 cents.
He will send a sample copy of Signal and co-publishing details for a dime or one IRC which can be obtained at any post office. For a dollar, he'll send Signal all year, and throws in some side benefits such as a 25-word ad free and four "big mails" from Finland.
Raimo hasn't much time for correspondence, but he gets 60 to 80 letters a month, from people all over the world. He has one penfriend in U.S. who has sent some 140 phonograph records in exchange for stamps. "I will never give up from him if possible." says Raimo, who knows a good deal when he sees one.
To this young Finnish publisher TABLOID AMERICAN says "Good Luck."
Maybe one day he will own that printing plant, and all those publishing dreams will come true.
RAIMO KAARNA, the publisher, FINLAND - - - - - signal@sci.fi

MULTICOLOR TABLOID SIGNALS
Issues 1/2004 and 2/2004 were printed on newspaper web offset presses, 10.000 copies, 4 multicolor pages in each,
300-400 penpals in both issues.
Signal-issues 3/2004 and 4/2004 were digitally duplicated,
A3-size adsheets, two pages and 150 penpal listings in each.