Smyrna times., 1879-06-25
Knowing How to Buy.
SOME HINTS FOR SAVING TIME AND GETTING
GOOD BARGAINS.

GOOD BARGAINS.
az have Just 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 a Detroit merchant the other
day. "Rent is down and salaries are down,
but until discharge half my force l shall
have to cry hard times"
"And when will that time Gomez"
"Never. Look around at the crowd in
the store. Here are fifteen lady customers,
distributed from the silk counter back to
the calico. 1t looks like busy day, but L
will take a SIS bill for all the money these
fifteen ladies pay over the counters. 1t is
fine day. They are out to get the sun.
shine and kill time. must keep force of
at least seven clerks to pull down goods for
these non-paying visitors, and perhaps
seven more wait upon customers who don't
know what they want. If they did know
three clerks could do the work of seven or
eight"
"How many people do you meet in a
week who know just what they want to
buy p
"If l meet one single person even put
down long mark" he replied.
We do not believe that any business man
will dispute the assertion that one.third of
1 bhO Va NNSAJ hON9C NOOAO w NAS-
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 carpet store, is
shown scores of patterns, asks thousand
questions, and buys blindfolded at last.
She forgets or did not realize the fact that
she knows nothing of the goods in the first
place. How can she? The carpet man
does know all about it-he makes it q busi-
ness and q 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 a Brus.
sells carpet. | want the prevailing colors,
so and so. | want to pay about so much
per yard. 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 Wood
ward avenue dry goods store and lady and
. gentleman entered. The gentleman said
to the chief clerk:
silk worth about 81 per yard. We depend
, entirely on you to select it,"
In seven minutes the silk was cut, wrap
! ped and paid for, and it is the best piece o
t goods the lady ever had. Had she spent
week at the stores she might not have done
: so well-certainly not better. No LADY
d need fear to buy goods the same way. TIL,
! merchant selects only what he can warrant
and if there is a big end in the bargain sh'
0 gets it. Some men will enter a butche
I shop and paw over hundred pounds o
meat to buy two. Others will look in ant
! say:
{ "Jones, 1 want two pounds of best sir
4 loin-send it up.'
i The butcher sends sirloin and nothin
r else, but the man who selects the neck
Z piece will not be told by the butcher that
r is not sirloin, unless asked.
d There are men who continually complai
. of having been cheated in clothing. The
d cheat themselves. They paw over bolts {
= cloth without the least knowledge of fas
e colors and fast shades, and finding somt
!, thing to suit, they bargain with the tailo
\. The tailor has not been asked if the good
d are sponged and the colors fast, and he doe
II !. not deem it his duty to interfere with th
is the choice of a customer. Other men ente
"a a shop and say:
" II want a suit of blue, indigo color, goo
Of weight and English or French make. TAX
20 20 my measure and select the goods yourself
y If the tailor wants that mans custom tn
ct cloth and the making will be honest an
D. first-class. It will be the same whatev,
he you buy. The tradesman who has neitht
N IN honor nor honesty would not be long
We trade. Ninety-nine out Of hundred wi
ne select better goods than customers can,
gu quarter of the time, and with eminent sati
faction to all parties.-DetrOit Eree Press.