Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-09

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6ersmerrlrl nI.hsnessT- Tricks of trade
An Rpnlish reviewer thinks that 'retail-
era IN neneraln practice each, some kind OF
hiahuptsty. he declares: "Whoever takes
note OF the dectptions that daily come under
BE ohstrvatioh--the a'e bottles that contain
! ihifd less than they should do; The loavca
bat are NJ der weight the pots OF anoboy-
lee, and the like, which promise TO contain
lwice what they really contain the sac ID
huif seemingly made Of black leather, but
really Of vanished cauxas the furniture
that varps and cracks because made of green
, wocd The good looking houses in which
bad material Is concealed under paper and
E paint; the faulty and diseased horses that
hre palmed on the unwary as sound; plaice
fervtdr up at the dining house under the
nan Of tuibot; the pirate d pieces Of music
differing in few notes from the originals; (;
tbe numerous limitations, and conspicuous
cautions against imitations-wiu see that
This conclusion is fully Warranted" -.
Again, it Is a common practice purposely
4 10 pre- ent samples Of cloths, silks, eetc., in
such oI0er as 20 dispualify the perceptions
4 AS in tasting different foods aud wines, 10 is
q familiar fact that the palate is disabled, by
Romethiug strongly favored, from appreciat-
+ ing the more delicate flavor of another
. thing aIterward taken so with the organs
.
excessive stimulation This holds, not only
" vith the eyes In judging the colors, but also,
as We are told by one who has been in the
trade, il holds with the hogers in judging Of
texture and cunning salesmen are In the
constspt practice OF thus partially paralyz
f ing The perceptions, and then selling the
secobd-fate articles as first rate ones.
Another very general maneuver Is that Of
raising a false belief Of cbeapness. For ex-
amPle, tailor is laying 10 a stock of broad
cloths. He is offered a bargain. Three
pieces are put before him-two OF good
quality, of which the price is, say fourteen
ehillines sterling per yard and one OF in
ferior quality, of which the full price is eight
shilliDgs sterling per yard. These pieceshave
been purposeiy a little tnmbled and creased,
10 give a colorado ground for a pretended
'facr6ce upon them. And the tailor is then
tolC be may have these nominally damaged
cloths as - job lot at twelve shillings
|sterling per yard.
Misltd by the appearances into the belief
Of the pToiessed sacrifices impressed, more
over, by The fact that two of the pieces are
worth considerably more thau the price
ssktd, and not sufficiently bearing in mind
that the great infeTiority of the third just
balances this, the tailor probably buysi and
he eoes away with the comfortable convic-
tion that be has made specially advantage
Gus purchase, at tbe same time that he has
really paid the full price for every yard.
A It'll more subtitle trick has been de.
SERTED 10 us by one Of these wholesale
houses-a thick SO successful, that frequently
he as sent for TO sell TO customers who
could he induced to buy by none Of the
,otber assistants, asd who ever sfterward
MOT d only buy of him. His policy was to
seem irsmely simple and honest, and dur
irg tie 6Ist few purchases TO exhibit this
honesty by pointing out defects and infer
ioritits of quality in the things he was
selling and then, having gained the cus-
toners confidence, he proceeded to pass oil
upon him inferior goods az superior prices.
These are a few out Of the various maneu-
vets ia constant practice. Of course, there
is a running accompaniment of falsehoods,
uttered as well as acted.
1t Is stzpec cted Of the assistant that he will
ssy whatever is needed TO effect SALE
"Apy fool can sell what is wanted" said
master, in repI osching his shopman, for not
baviDg persuaded a customer TO buy some
thing quite different from that which he
asked tor. And the uDscrupuolous menda'
city thus Itquired by employers, and en-
csuIsetd by example, grows to hight OF
depi sviiy, that has been described to us in
words too strong to be repeated. Our in
formspt was obliged TO Ielinquish his posi-
ton in one of these establishments, because
he c, uld not lower himself to the required
depth Of degradation. "You dou't lie as
though ou believed what you say observed
one Of his fellow assistants. And this was
uttered as a reproach.