The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-02
Trade in Old Shoes.

Rows of shoes stand at the head of
basement stairs on the lower side OF
Raxter Street, all the way from Chatham
TO Canal Street, from early in the morn
inc until late at night. They are patched
ard pieced, and the Soles and heels on
them are new, but their appearance tells
of long and hard wear. There is not an
,nworn shoe to be seen along the entire
street. They are all secondhand, and
in the worst possible condition at that
for the most part. Peering down into
the gloomy easements, hundreds of other
noirs will be seen on the floors, while on
Insecure benches from one to four cob
bIers will be seen stitching, patching,
solnq. and heeling dilapdated shoes.
Here. scarcely minute walk from the
busiest part of the metropolis, in the
lowest quarter, and in the most unpre-
tontio,Is manner, is conducted business
the nroportions of which one would
never suspect.
The old-shoe trade is confined almost
exclusively to Baxter Street, although
here and there in Sixth and Seventh
Avenues are places where better grades OF
This class of secondhand articles are
sold. Both mems old boots and shoes
and won,nn's shoes are dealt in. From
ti,l cente 70 one dollar a pair are paid
Gov mon's shoes, Boots are worth
little less, because the sale for them is
not 50 LARGE. For womens shoes from
tve IN tbirtv-fye cents pair is paid.
So long as the uppers are not com
pletely spoiled the shoe can be utilized
hot
pose were entirely past redemp-
ton can be patched up and made pre-
sentable. After soles and heels have
been put on the shoes, and the rents
concealed by patches, the price is in
creased about fifty cents on the average.
A pair of shoes for which twenty-five
cents was paid are sold, when repaired,
for seventy-fiVe cents. The profit to the
dealers is from ten to thlrty-flye per
cent. The dealers pay Their cobblerS' as
rule, thirty cents Palrlor reconstruct
ting shoes, ana IN addltion 10 TINS Vhey
count the cost OF leather IN thelr expenses
and thuS IL Will be seen lnaI Ihelr pfoliI
is not heavy. One OF the shopnen was
asked how long the shoes would last.
1--WE don't like to sell shoes in wet
weather." he replied. "The soles are
liable to float off and leave the uppers
without anv bottoms. Maybe they will
wear for one day, and maybe they will
last for one month. We guarantee no
Goods, because the profits are so small.
The cobblers can afford to put in many
peers, and we can't afford TO put in much
leather" The reporter picked up q
pair of Shoes and he was not long in
reaching the conclusion that, like glass,
they must be handled with care The
business is not restricted to the retail
trade, but includes the wholesale. A
rreat many cases of the shoes are
shipped to Baltimore, Washington, Bos-
ton and other cities on the orders of sec
9nd-hand clothes dealers. The profits in
the wholesale trade range from five to
ten per cent. under those in the retail.
The patrons of the places are from the
,oorar classes The husiest DAYS in the
retail trade are Saturday and Sunday,
more particularly the latter The shops
open, some of them, as early as five
o'clock in the morning, and many of
chem do not close until midnight. The
rent OF the easements IS from twenty-five
70 sixty dollars month"; inns Is the
greater expense 10 the proprietor ana
lttle wonder II Is that ne pulls MS Gus
,omer IN ny mann force 70 MAKE up lor
inns heaVy araln. up IN olNtn ana oev-
3nth Avenues where oet5er business IS
aohe' from one TO 1oor oollars Is pala
tor SHOES; only the peSt SHOES hot much
worm Will oe bought, ana the trace Is
9ntlreiy dihereht. Inc baxter street
aealers sell thelr lner SHOES TO 'he men
on the avenues. Inc largest STOCK Oh
Baxter Street shoP IS l'ooo PAIRS ana
ollener 1t IS much less. Noucihg re-
pared shoes with stretcheo-out eIastlcS'
The reporter asked why new elastic was
not put in. lie was informed that the
cost was too great. The elastic would
cost forty cents, and that would make
the price too high; besides, the trousers
covered the tops, and it made little diff