Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-09-06
Traffic In old Shoes.

chOes.
A New York correspondent in that
City says the old-shoe tsade is confined
almost exclusively to Baxter street, al
though here and there in Sixth and
Seventh avenues are places whore better
grades OF secondhand articles are sold.
Both mems old boots and shoes and
women's shoes are dealt In. From 5
cents to 81 pair il paid for mems
shoes. Boots are worth a little less,
because the sale for them is not so large.
For women's shoes from 5to35 cents q
pair is paid. SO long as the uppers are
not completely spoiled the shoes can be
utilized. Shoes that most people would
suppose were entirely past redemption
can be patched up and made present
able. After soles and heels have been
put on the shoes, and the rents con-
cealsd by patches, the price is increased
about 90 cents o. the average. A pair
of shoes for which 25 cents were paid
are sold, when repaired. for IS cents.
The profit to the dealer is from 10 to 35
per cent. The dealers pay their cobblers,
as rule, 80 cents pair for reconstruct
ing shoes, and, In addition to this. they
count the cost of leather in their expen-
ses, and thus 1t will be seen that their
profit is not heavy. One of the shop
men was asked how long the shoes
would last. eve don't like to sell
shoes in wet weather" he replied. "The
soles are liable to float off and leave the
uppers without any bottoms. Maybe
they will wear for one day, and maybe
they viii last for one month. We guar
antee no goods, because the profits are
so small. Tho cobblers' can't afford
to pat in many pegs, and we can't afford
to put in much leather" The reporter
picked up 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 whole
sale. A great many cases OF the shoes
are shipped to Baltimore, Washington,
Boston and other cities on the orders OF
secondhand clothes dealers. The pro-
fits in the wholesale trade range from 3
to 10 per cent, under those in the retail
The patrons Of the place are from the
poorer classes. The busiest days in the
retail trade are Saturday and Sunday.
more particularly the latter. The shops
open, some them, as early as o'clock
in the morning, and many of them do
not close until midnight. The rent OF
the easements is from S25 TO $50 per
month. This ID the greatest expense
to the proprietor, and little wonder is
it that he pulls his coustomers in by
main force to make up for the heavy
drain. Up On Sixth and Seventh aven-
ues, where better business is done,
from 81 to 81 a pair is paid for shoes.
Only the best shoes, not much worn,
will be bought, and the trade is entirely
different. Tho Baxter street dealers
sell their finer shoes to the men on the
avenues. The largest stock of n Bsx-
ter street shop is 1000 pairs, aud often
er it is much less. Noticing repaired
shoes with stretched-out elnstics, the
reporter asked why new elastic was not
put in. He was informed that tn. 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.
ference.
The question will naturally be asked
where all the shoes comes from. The
Italians, those scayengers of the streets,
fished old shoes out of the ash barrels
by the hundreds. They know theii
value as well as they do the worth ol
rags. bones and bottles. They carry
the shoes to their quarters, scrape the
ashes off them, and take them to Baxter
street. The junk and rag dealers buy
or ask gift of old shoes in their wan
derings, and they take them to Baxter
street. The bootblacks at the hotels
and other places seize upon old shoel
as prizes. Some of the pawnshops anf
old-clothes stands buy old sh oes, ant
only when they are in good condition
1t is only at the shops that the shoe
which need to be reconstructed arr
bought. Moderate fortunes have bsel
made in the old shoe trade IN Baxte
street. Men have gone into it and ad
vanced to the trade in new goods or re-
tired altogether. Many OF the presen
dealers own their places of business
and seem to prosper at least as weu a
the uld-clothes men.
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