Publishers Clearing House was founded in 1953 in Port Washington, New York, by Harold Mertz,[4][2] a former manager of a door-to-door sales team for magazine subscriptions.[6] The company started in Mertz's basement with help from his wife LuEsther and daughter Joyce.[7][8] Its first mailings were of 10,000 envelopes from Mertz's home in Long Island, New York, and offered 20 magazine subscriptions. 100 orders were received.