In 1946, Kives left Saskatchewan and moved to Winnipeg. There, he sold iceboxes, drove a taxi and delivery truck, was a short order cook, and finished high school. In 1953, at the age of 24, he was hired as a door-to-door salesman in the city and nearby country towns, and succeeded in selling sewing machines and stainless steel cookware. Two years later, he and his brother Theodore moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, selling kitchen items on the Boardwalk beside other pitchmen, including Ed McMahon, and developing his salesmanship.
