What exactly does Mr. Haney do for a living?

[TheLittleFaerie]

I know he's a con-artist salesman, but surely he doesn't make a living at it, he rarely is able to sell any of his useless stuff.

[PracTz]

That's easy. He sells enough junk to Lisa that Oliver winds up paying for to live quite comfortably.

He likely barely existed hand-to-mouth before Oliver literally bought the farm!

P.S. Pat Buttram went on record saying that he based the character on none other than 'Colonel' Tom Parker who he witnessed having a sideshow venue of dancing chickens on a table that was wired to an electric current that Parker would buzz when putting on the records that the chickens 'danced' to. So Mr. Haney went on from a derelict farm to living off the Douglases while Parker went from 'dancing' chickens to Elvis!

[PhoenixAcres]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

I know he's a con-artist salesman, but surely he doesn't make a living at it, he rarely is able to sell any of his useless stuff.

I think he does make a living at it actually. On the rare occasions we see his house, we can see the extent of his junk collection. Also, as evidenced in a few episodes, the Douglases are not his only target.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

I know he's a con-artist salesman, but surely he doesn't make a living at it, he rarely is able to sell any of his useless stuff.

I think that the truck is the backbone to his success. On an ideal day he might meet up with someone desperate to clear a bunch of junk out of their storage area, and agree to haul away and dispose of for a reasonable price. Then he takes the stuff over to his "yard", sorts out the scrap, and then places the items with a potential for resale in a highly visible location, waiting for a person with just the right need to happen by. This way he gets paid on "both sides".

Of course if Mr Haney is shrewd and keeps a mental tally of what his neighbors needs are, he might know to stop by a likely buyer's location on his way back from the initial pickup, and save himself the extra unload.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Yeah I assumed he prolly ran a Sanford and Son like junk yard

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

Yeah I assumed he prolly ran a Sanford and Son like junk yard

Needless to say, it doesn't require a lot of talent to drive around collecting other people's refuse.

The talent comes in from having an eye for what will resell quickly.

If you are paying rent/mortgage for the building you are storing it all in, then the floor space the items sit on while in inventory is costing you money.


A lot of people seem to miss this aspect of the "second hand" business.

I hated Mr Haney back when the show was in first-runs. But today he is my favorite character. I get a kick out of the tone of contempt in the voices of Sam Drucker or Fred Ziffel whenever they mention his name.

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

I hated Mr Haney back when the show was in first-runs. But today he is my favorite character. I get a kick out of the tone of contempt in the voices of Sam Drucker or Fred Ziffel whenever they mention his name.

I always loved Mr. Haney. Pat Buttram was a popular after dinner speaker. He certainly had the gift of gab.

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

Yeah I assumed he prolly ran a Sanford and Son like junk yard

And likely that Prolly wanted a cracker! LOL

[OH Nuts!]

Originally Posted by Babalu

I always loved Mr. Haney. Pat Buttram was a popular after dinner speaker. He certainly had the gift of gab.

Liked him too-he was a great character- the grand master of film-flam. And Pat had quite a few acting credits under his belt before Green acres; but he really sparkled in GA.

[GentlemanJim]

I think that part of my disdain for Haney was a product of my own naivety as a child. I saw his scheming as a drain on the "general welfare" (or whatever you might call it) of his victims.

I think that I had to mature as a person and come to understand that there are just people out there who are not happy unless they are putting the squeeze on anyone around them. And Haney lampoons that mindset very well.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Needless to say, it doesn't require a lot of talent to drive around collecting other people's refuse.

The talent comes in from having an eye for what will resell quickly.

If you are paying rent/mortgage for the building you are storing it all in, then the floor space the items sit on while in inventory is costing you money.


A lot of people seem to miss this aspect of the "second hand" business.

I hated Mr Haney back when the show was in first-runs. But today he is my favorite character. I get a kick out of the tone of contempt in the voices of Sam Drucker or Fred Ziffel whenever they mention his name.

I didn't like how the movie made Mr. Haney into an all out VILLAIN. I mean I knew he was shady, but I wanted to think at the end of the day he was "one of them" and would have fought for what was right....and still make a few $$ in the process if he could lol

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by PracTz

And likely that Prolly wanted a cracker! LOL

~play punch ~

[CosmicCharlie]

electo-shocked Dancing Chickens !

This is what I come here for

LOL

[forn]

Originally Posted by PracTz

That's easy. He sells enough junk to Lisa that Oliver winds up paying for to live quite comfortably.

If Oliver can live on profits of $16 a year, I'm sure Mr. Haney can scrape together a living.

[Road Dog]

Mr. Haney was also a real estate agent. In the Petticoat Junction episodes "The Other Woman" and "A Most Momentous Occasion" Betty Jo and Steve are trying to sell their house and Mr. Haney is their agent.