As Snopes notes, no one knows exactly when the custom of using a St. Joseph statue to help sell a home became popular, but he seems to have reached widespread use in the U.S. around 1990, "with ...

Phil Cates and his wife, Karin Reenstierna, have sold more than 75,000 "St. Joseph: Underground Real Estate Agent" kits for $8 plus $1.95 for shipping and handling (www.stjosephstatue.com).

Bury a statue of St. Joseph in the yard. Maybe wrapped in a cloth. But it must be upside down, near the “For Sale” sign, facing the house. Or facing away from the house, near the road.

St. Joseph Statue for Selling Homes Amazon $8.72 at Amazon 3. Boom — you get an offer on your house! At least, that’s the way the stories go.