Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-25
The BUYING LIANIA.
Observations of Floor Walker on
Women Who Buy for the
Sake of Buying.

Shopping" said an experienced floor
walker, us, to considerable extent, q habit,
and l know many instances in which it has
grown into passion. The remark is often
made that women come into these large gen.
eral stores and compel our saleswomen to show
them whole lines of goods out of pure wanton-
ness l do not think that such is generally
the case. The purchasers are seized with the
buying mania, that is all, and if they happen
to be out Of ready money, they feel obliged to
make believe buy. know these customers
tolerably well and can pick them right out If
can only geta sight Of them in the doorway.
They will enter sort of cast down, but
brighten right upas soon as they get their
eyes on the goods The sight seems to act on
them somewhat as cocktail operates on a
man; it's a regular morning stimulus Women
haven't the head to stand against a genuine
mark down, and if they can't buy themselves,
they are bound to see other people buy.
"a man whose wife deals pretty largely
here told me last summer that she had bought
seventeen dress patterns in two months, and
had only had three of them made up. He
said the habit ran in his wife's family. Her
sister, it seems, had about two dozen pair of
new shoes of all kinds on hand last winter,
and only stopped buying when her husband
told her yarn about woman being sent to
private asylum for doing such things. A
dozen pair is not very strong, but two dozen
beats even Napoleon Ill, who had only
twenty pair Of boots when he was trapped at
Sedan
THE worst cases among those who have
the buying mania well developed are the
specialists. A woman used to come in here
who would buy six dozen handkerchief at
once, and even repeat the act on the follow
ing day. 1 understand that she is an ex-
cellent lady, who is greatly beloved by her
husband. He once sold twelve gross
OF handkerchiefs, purchased by her, at
auction, and his wife did not miss
them. 1t is lucky that he is very wealthy
man. As for the stocking rage, they all have
it. Gloves used to be the great articles for a
run, but stockings of all varieties are now the
craze This has been the case for q long time,
but this year it is stronger than ever. I do
not think the average woman is ever so
entirely happy as when she is buying those
articles. The trade runs in streaks on stock
mgs;wheH we marked down those Isle thread,
sllk-fnished stockings from so to A5 cents this
house was stormed. We have about 900 vari-
cites of those goods varying from 90 cents to
$3.50 pair. There is a grade at S12, but we
sell few at that price. The affection for
stockings is very general among women. The
rich buy three or four dozen of half-dozen
varieties, but have known plenty of women
who were hardly able to buy anything at all
to pay rs cents or 81 for single pair of stock
ings. 1 would be willing to make small
bet that if a woman felt her habitual call to
shop, and had but e dollar, she would pass
that amount in at the stocking counter.
''Some ladies take very strongly to white
goods and keep an immoderate quantity on
hand, but it is not very expensive taste.
Those, however, who indulge in multitude
Of hats, as some OF them do, have to pay
heavily for their fancies. You would not
think dozen hats a small number for lady
to buy in a single season. Well, I have
known women TO purchase thirty within that
time. AL women who have the buying
habit indulge in some leading article. 1t is
only when they cannot afford that particular
thing that they take the thread and needle
business.
(Which are the most extravagant? The
lace buyers, by all odds. II you could con.
trive to look over some of the collections OF
laces in private hands, you would be sur
prised There are women in New York who
have laces to larger amount than the
average dealer is able to keep in stock. Fans
also are a rage. [ know lady who ha!
to keep herself cool with thenn