INUVIK - Friday turned out to be a monumental day for nine-year-old paperboy Erik Kudluk.

Erik Kudluk is one of Inuvik's paperboys. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

He sold 10 Inuvik Drum newspapers in five minutes, beating a personal record, which he admits is still difficult to comprehend.

I went to the IDC (Inuvialuit Development Corporation) building and everybody just started to buy The Drum. I was really happy."

To his good fortune, the bundle of newspapers just arrived at the Drum office a few minutes before Erik happened to waltz in, thus giving him a head start on the other paper sellers.

But if anyone deserves a break it's this boy. Since launching his paperboy career early last summer, the youngster has arrived at the office on average twice a week to sell both Inuvik Drum or News/North papers in bitter cold, staggering heat, rain, sleet or snow.

His motivation is simple: "I love money," he said.

When he learned from his friend and our ex-paper boy Tyrone Thrasher how much cash he could make in the endeavour, Kudluk was game.

Strangely, though, he limits himself to just 10 papers a day. Anymore than that he struggles to manage all the coins.

"I would be afraid my pants would fall down," he said in a serious tone.

But being a paperboy isn't always a cake walk. Sometimes he struggles selling. But at the same time he understands it's all part of the business of commerce.

"If they don't like it I just move on and ask someone else," he said.

Never losing his composure, he makes sure to include please and thank you in each potential transaction. He enjoys tips, especially the $5 he received the other day, and he also enjoys flattery.

"Someone told me I was a nice boy and that made me happy."

His teacher Margaret Gordon isn't surprised by her student's selling savvy.

"If he sees a purpose in what he's doing he works very hard," said Gordon. "His best quality is that he's kind and helpful and he always gets along with his classmates."

Not much of a saver, Erik admits the money he makes is used to purchase junk food, sticking mostly to chocolate, chips and pop.

He knows his time as a paperboy will draw to end. In fact he says he'll throw in the towel when he's 12.

"Then I'll be to old to do this," he said.

As for whether he likes the Drum, he said he never looks beyond the front cover.

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