The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-02-26
KNOWING HOW To BUY.
Some Hints for savingsTime and Getting
Good bargains.

Good bargains.
Detroit Free Press.l
81 have lust as much room, burn Just as
many lights, and keep just as many clerks
as during the era of high prices and big
profits" said Detroit merchant the other
day. Rent is down and salaries are down,
but until / discharge half my force l shall
have to cry hard tunes.
And when will that time Gomez"
Never. Look around at the crowd in
the store. Here are 10 lady customers, dis
tributed from the silk counter back TO the
calico. 1t looks like busy day, but will
take So bill for all the money these 10
ladies pay over the counters. 1t is a hne
day. They are out to get the sunshine and
kill time. L must keep force of at least
seven clerks to pull down goods for these
non paying visitors. and perhaps seven
more to wait on customers who don't know
what they want. Ii they did know three
clerks could do the work of seven or eight.
How many people do you meet In week
who know just what they want TO buy?'
IF meet one single person even L put
down q long mark" he replied.
We do not believe that any business man
will dispute the assertion that one-thIrd of
the employees of every house could be DIS
pensed with if people exercised the simplest
rules OF common sense IN purchasing goods,
but people never Will.
Now, then suppose Mrs A. wants Brus-
sells carpet. She goes into a carpet store, is
SHOWN scores of patterns, ASKS a thous and
questions and buys blindfolded at last. Sac
iorge,s, or did not realize, the fact that she
knows nothing of the goods ia the first place
How can she? The carpet man does know
all about it; he makes it a business and a
study. He can select colors better suited for
the room and furniture than she can, and
would be glad to. But she won't let him.
She would bother around for weeks, and
likely be dissatisfied at last. The common
sense way would be to say to the dealer:
go and measure my room for q Brussels
carpet. / want the prevailing colors, SO
and so. want to pay about SO much per
yard I want grade of goods you can
warrant"
The dealer, thus placed on his honor and
good taste, would give her the best carpet
she ever had in her house.
Last fall a carriage halted before q Wood
ward avenue dry goods store and lady and
gentleman entered. The gentleman said &c
| the chief clerk:
My wife wants 90 yards OF black silk
worth about 81 per yard. We depend en-
| tirely upon you to select il"
In seven minutes the silk was cut, wrapped
and paid for, and it Is the best piece of good.
the lady ever had. Had she spent week q
the stores she might not have done so we'll
| certainly no better. No lady need TO fear tt
| buy goods the same way. The merchant Sc
| lects only what he can warrant, and If there
| is big end il the bargain she gets it. Some
men will enter butcher shop and paw ovel
| g hundred pounds of meat to buy two
/ Others will look in and say:
Jones, l want two pounds OF best sir
! loin-send it up"
| The butcher sends sirloin and nothing
else, but the man who selects a neck pisc,
viii not be told by the butcher that it is no
| sirloin unless asked.
There are men who continually complain
OF having been cheated in clothing. The,
cheat themselves. They paw over bolts o
cloth without the least knowledge OF fas
| eolors and fast shades, and finding some
| thing to suis they bargain with the tailor
! The tailor mas not been asked If the good
are sponged and the colors fast, and he doe
not deem it his duty to interfere with th'
choice of a customer. Other men enter
/ shop and say:
Il want suit OF blue, indigo color, goot
I weight, and English or French make. TAX
my measure and-select the goods yourself
/ II the tailor wants that mans custom til,
cloth and the making will be honest an
frs.-class. 1t will be the same whatever yol
buy. The tradesman who has neither homo
nor honesty would not be long in trade
| Ninety nine out of a hundred will selec
better goods than customers can, in quartz
! of the lime, and with eminent satisfaction
| to all parties.