Want Ad

Originally Aired: January 25, 1954 Suspense #536, "Want Ad," presents a chilling portrait of a calculating criminal who has perfected a deadly method of making his living. The protagonist needs only three tools: the morning newspaper, a telephone, and a gun. After settling into domestic life with his wife Wilma, he continues his routine, scanning the classifieds for wealthy women selling expensive items like fur coats. When he spots an advertisement for a mink coat, he calls Mrs. Phelps, claiming to be an interested buyer named Mr. Vernon who wants to purchase the coat as a gift for his wife. Mrs. Phelps welcomes him into her home, eager to sell the $4,500 mink coat her husband bought her. She demonstrates the coat's quality, discusses the price, and after some negotiation agrees to his offer of $3,400 in cash. But when it comes time for payment, the con man reveals his true intentions at gunpoint, transforming what seemed like a legitimate transaction into an armed robbery that leaves Mrs. Phelps terrified and helpless.