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THE TOLEDO BLADE
For $10, you can get a piece of every state
NED BELL
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
In 1992, you can celebrate by buying a little bit of what he's credited with discovering.
"Deeds to the United States" is the brainchild of New York marketŽing consultant Scott Moger. He formed American Acres Marketing Corp. and bought an acre of land in every state. His gimmick is to sell the land, 50 square inches at a time (one in each state), to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the Americas.
The venture has the backing of the Columbus Quincentenary ComŽmission, the federal body planning . next year's event. Profits on some of the sales will help finance the celebration, according to Mr.
"It's taken me 10 years to put this together," Mr. Moger said, most of the time involving the purchase of land. (He says he's not offering swampland in Florida, either.)
The acre in Ohio is near Jackson, in the hill country of the south-central part of the state. In MichiŽgan, the land is in the city of Detroit.
The most expensive land is on the island of Hawaii, near Hilo, and near Danbury, Conn. The project got a little more expensive in Nevada and Oregon, also. Those were the only two states where Mr. Moger couldn't buy just one acre. He had to buy 10.
And what is the cost of 50 square inches of land spread out all over the country? A mere $10, Mr. Moger said, for a numbered and registered deed. Legally, the deed is to one-6,272,640th undivided interest in an
acre in each state. For $29.95, you can get a presentation folder with the owner's name embossed on the face; for $49.95, a deluxe version of the deed will be mounted on a walŽnut plaque.
Included with the deed will be an eight-page listing showing the exact location of the property, so the new owners can check out their holdings. The owners can't build on the land or enclose it, but they will never have to worry about paying taxes, either. American Acres will be reŽsponsible for all expenses and mainŽtenance.
Mr. Moger said he doesn't anticiŽpate running out of land, since an acre is" composed of some 6.2 milŽlion square inches. If all were sold at $10 for 50 square inches, it would generate $62 million.
Mr. Moger admits his idea isn't new. He has been the proud owner
of an inch of the Yukon since 1955. The Quaker Oats company sold 21 million boxes of cereal, each conŽtaining a deed to Yukon land, in what has been called one of the most successful sales promotions in North American history.
Several companies have indicated an interest in including the deeds in their products as a premium, Mr. Moger said, but no agreements have been reached. In the meantime, the deeds are included in eight mail order catalogs as unusual Christmas gifts.
"Something for the person who has everything else," Mr. Moger said. The deeds also can be ordered by calling 1-800-DEED-USA.
"I've had that number for several years," Mr. Moger said, "and the only time it's been used until now is when my son calls from college for more money."
10/8/91
'Ik heb stukken grond in Amerika'
(van onze korrespondent)
(tijd) - Wie droomt niet heimelijk van een stukje grond in AmeriŽka? Tot nu toe stonden allerlei hinderpalen de verwezenlijking van die droom in de weg. De dollar Staat bijvoorbeeld wel laag, maar een stuk grond of een huis in de VS is toch nog altijd vrij prijzig.
De 'American Acres Marketing Corporation' biedt echter een oplossing. Voor prijzen varierend van 10 tot 49,95 dollar kan ieder-een via dit bedrijf in Manhattan een inch grond (ongeveer 2,5 cm) kopen in elk van de vijftig Amerikaanse staten.
Wie een stukje grond koopt, mag er niet wonen, er niet op bouwen, er geen hek omheen zetten. Je mag er wel op lopen, op zitten, of alleen maar op-scheDDen dat ie land bezit in Amerika. Aan de andere kant, de eigenaar hoeft ook geen grond-belasting te betalen of onder-houdskosten
Het idee is ontwikkeld door Scott Moger, die een acre (4.000 Vierkante meter) gekocht heeft in iedere Staat en elke acre ver-deeld heeft in 6.272.640 brokjes van een inch. De goedkoopste manier om eigenaar te worden van een brokje Amerika is 10 dollar te sturen naar Mogers beŽdrijf in Manhattan. In ruil daar-voor ontvangt u een eenvoudig bewijs waarin het eigendoms-recht wordt omschreven. Voor 49,95 dollar krijgt u het eigen-domspapier onder plastiek op een fraai plankje. In alle gevallen wordt een gedetailleerde be-schrijving meegeleverd van waar al uw in totaal 50 inches zieh bevinden. Uw brokje in de Staat Georgia ligt bijvoorbeeld 'ten oosten van de Bethany Church Road... en ten zuiden van Lots 17, 20, 18 en 19 zoals gemeten door landmeter Jack Stanley op 20 maart 1978'. Een deel van de winst gaat naar de kommissie die bezig is de herdenking voor te bereiden van de ontdekking van Amerika door Christopher Columbus 500 jaar geleden.
International Herald Tribune
By Sheryl WuDunn
New York Times Service
GUANGZHOU, China - Sooner or later someone was going to discover a way to make money on the Chinese craze for the United States. Now it looks as if someone has - perhaps at the expense of thousands of naive Chinese.
All across the country, from the ice-glazed terrain of Harbin in the north to this moneyed metropolis in the south, people are talking about the chance to buy a "piece of America."
"I want to be a landowner in America!" said Bi Fei, a young financier who carries a cellular telephone and dashes around from luxury hotel to fancy restaurant. "How many Chinese people can say that they own American land?"
Driven by a belief that possessing land in the United States gives the owner the right to inspect the property - and therefore obtain that
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