Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-06-01
GOOD ADVICE TO sHopKEEpERs.

4
The following letter was handed in by Young
man, who says that he has experienced the
greatest advantages in attending to its directions
| We publish it with pleasure. Some parts. he
will observe, are struck out. IT appears to be
written by shobkeeter of the old school,
Bait. Telegraph
No, my dear William, you are
wrong. You must not mind what your
old companions say on the subject; they
may become lawyers, ministers, doctors
or gentlemen, and you may be mere
shopkeeper, but depend upon it, it is not
the profession that gives dignity TO the
man-it is the man that gives dignity to
the profession.
A man may be, and will be in our
republican country, hope, until am in
my grave, respected only for his merit
and industry. The mere possession oil
talents is nothing. He who has great
talents, and he who inherits great pro-
2erty, ought not to be respected merely
for the one or the other. II depends upon
how both are used.
"Shopkeeping is low now--too many
tricks have been played ia it but my
dear boy, it is still creditable and though
/ it were not, you have dignity enough TO
restore it. No matter what your profes-
sion is, stick to what have heard you
say :-s Were shoe black, | would
aim to be the first 10 my calling" Stick
to that, my boy, and though you be only
shoe black, you may make fortune /;
and what is better, make yourself re-
spectacle. Epaminondas, you know, was
once elected scaveDger of Thebes-by his
euemies-he did bis duty-consecrated
the employment, till finally the Office Of
scavenger at Thebes, became an object of
competition among the greatest men.
This is my golden rule-in all pro-
LESSONS. Respect yomself, and others
will respect you. l never knew it 10
fail. We always form our first impress
sions from the light in which stranger
appears to hold himself; and first impress
sions are never entirely obiiterated.
4" No matter'whether you are retailer
or wholesaler. AS Samagundi says,
there is not much diaeresce between sell
| ling tape by the piece aud by the yard.
But-be gentleman-even behind
1.-THE counter. Suffer nobody to treat you
with disrespect-and never treat others
with disrespect. Be patient, polite and
attentive but not coxconlb, bower or
a slave. Treat your customers as if they
were on footing OF equality. Address
them SO. Do not coax, or jabber them
into purchase. Give them time TO look
around and recollect themselves; still less,
do not hurry them, as some do, SO much
that they don't know what their own minds
are. More is lost than gained. You may
sometimes sell an article that has not
been bought-roll it up, and get your
pay for it, before the purchaser has made
up his mind but generally your conduct
will keep the timid away from your store,
if they know you; and if they do not,
they will feign some excuse and leave
your shop. even when they mean to buy,
only for an opportunity to compose their
Misunderstanding their purses, and make
their calculations.
"Never stoop to such tricks as this
Wettiug cambria muslins, for example,
with your tongue, when you show them,
or holding them up against the light, be.
cause, though the place wetted will look
twice as fine as the rest, yet it is trick |
that can never be played off but once Oh
the same person; and the other is just as
bad-the texture cannot be seen. People
never forgive such things.
Never call your own goods very
cheap-as a matter OF course, or very
elegant, unless you are sincere. 1t is
merely slang--and when otherwise is
supposed to be. Let others jndge.--Be |
atteutive-don't be afraid Of tumbling
your goods--it is no injury to them-un-
fold them and expose them to the light.
Don't darken your windows, under pre-
tence Of showing your goods. 1t is unfair.
If you give patterns from broad cloth,
give it from the end you sell from, or tell
the purchaser that the head end'' is the
best, and that it is kept by you--to show.
Never hurry a customer away--keep
him as long as you can without rudeness.
1t is a bait for others. When you have
occasion to tell lady that you cannot
permit your gloves to be tried, or your
linens to be pulled out OF shape, because
it ruins the sale Of both, do it like man
mot like schoolboy saying his lesson
and tell her also, that the linen, for exam
pie, is as good within as without, If not,
that it shall be no sale. Such things sat
isfy them that there is 10 trick. liza Gus
toner asks for one thing, don't show
another. / have Known persons show
elastick carriers to one that enqnired for