Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-12-22
ODD SPECULATION.
Men Who Live by Buying and Sell.
ing Business Plants.
A Talk with a Blaek-Ey Little Man
Who Had Bought Out a Cigar
shop, Frightened 10 Up,
and Was Ready to sell
at a PROFIT.


while lighting cigar that he had just pur
chased. asked where he had met him before.
The black-eyed man smiled meditatively.
you might have seen me-" said he rap
idly, "when kept grocery in Third ave-
nue.; or when had my fruit store in Thrift
eth street; or when l sold furniture in
Blocker street; or when I was"
Enough" said the reporter. II fear l am
firing you. You have been unfortunate in
your business ventures. Perhaps you will do
better here
81 cannot say have been unfortunats,"
said the little man, smiling once more an he
lighted cigar. Il don't mind telling you
how it is that you are likely to run across me
at any time, in almost any part of the city.
am professional mover. People say that
cannot be making money, because / am
constantly moving, but that is precisely how
do make it. In city like New York there
are always a great many business changes
In the smaller stores along the avenues and
in most of the cross business streets above
Canal, you can find parties every day who
are ready to sell out if they can only close
up without any very heavy loss. There is an
equal, or perhaps a greater number of men
who are ready to jump into any little busi-
ness which seems to promise them modest
competence. All I do is to step in and re-
lieve the seller at the lowest figures I can
persuade him to take, and accommodate the
buyer at the highest price l can get him to
give. The difference is my profit"
"But do you find it 50 easy to sell out .
businessF' asked the reporter.
"No, not if 1 sell it out just as buy it; but
T mt &ho Of Rai
buy the business renovate it, repair it, so to
the buyer. In almost all cases where a man
wants to sell out, his business has run down.
his stock is as small in quantity as it Is poor
in quality, the proprietor is spiritless and in
attentive, and his place has a thin, shabby.
dilapidated look; he finds it hard to dispose
Of it. My business is to buy ii, freshen it
right up, give it brisk business alp, and il
cannot really infuse new life into it, give ii
all the appearances Of prosperity. A few
economical, but artistic and effective touches
will do this, and little modest assurance will
sell the concern out.
"For instance: bought out this little cigar
store two weeks ago. had my eye on ID for
some time, and noticed the pFemonitory
symptoms of early dissolution. inquired In
the neighborhood when the mans rent would
be due. Two days before that time mado
my appearance and got into easy converse
ton with him, in the course Of which he
proposed selling out to me. Then obtained
the very lowest price for fixtures, stock and
the business separately. The upshot Of it
was that I would pay nothing for the bust
ness, because there was none, and cut down
the prices Of stock very materially. lap
peared to him to be about to make the offer,
when I mentioned the rent Then told him
I could not assume so heavy an expense aB
the start, and went away. The next day,
being the day before the rent was due,
stopped In again for a cigar, and the man
resumed the previous subject. We settied
at last, agreeing to pay half the rent I
demanded immediate possession and obtained
it. gave myself twenty four hours to put
on the fancy touches. Scrubbers started
in first, and were instantly followed by cheap
paperhangers and whitewashers. Then the
whole stock was brushed up, the fresh sides
Of the boxes were turned outward, unsightly
objects were flung into the yard or under
the counter, and cheap but extremely
lively oilcloth was put down where it would
make the best show. Then came the stocking
up. This is an art by itself, and great deal
of your success in this business depends upon
it. You see. you must SO arrange that in
selling out you will not only get paid for your
business which has cost you nothing, but
make profit on your stock, which has cost
next door to it. OF course, I choose the
cheapest but showiest article for business
like this, as the man propose to sell out to
must be green one. A good many Of that
sort buy small cigar stores, for there
is a current opinion largely hsid
among certain buyers of city plants though
it Is an erroneous one, that anybody can run
a cigar store. OF course, make the win
dow bloom, and almost always put in q new
and brilliant chandelier of many burners I
always insist that the incomer shall settle the
gas bill Then hire an assistant and ad-
vertise for purchaser. I can soon tell il /
have found the right kind of a chap. I talk
to him very quietly and say little. Selling q
business is delicate matter. Almost the
whole point is in hitting the mans fancy
You have fixed up your place with special
reference to this idea, and you can soon tell
if he likes the style. II he does, let his ina
gination work. II not, You can say nothing
useful. In either case you can ts1 him you
are little busy and get him 10 come in at
night-things always look more lively then
and close the transaction as soon as you
can. 49,
"There is an interesting little point here,
which some OF the unprfncipled men in our
profession are only too apt to play. need
not tell you, sir, chat / never but yeu
would not suspect me, know. They make
an appointment with a would-be purchaser to
call at, say, s o'clock IN the evening. Then
they take a hundred or SO OF good cigars in
their pockets and visit all Of their ncighbers
who keep open all night, give them three or
four cigars, tell them they would be pleased
to see them now and then, and wind up by
asking them to step in in the course Of that
evening and see how good cigar can be sold
for 10 cents. Well, the men have already 40
cepted some of the cigars, and the chances
are that full half of them will can in for a
minute or so in the course Of the evening and
keep the dealer and his assistant passably
busy. Meanwhile he has stationed his prob
able buyer in an obscure corner, and IL he
plays his cards properly he will have greatly
impressed him with the extent Of the trade
OF course don't 60 as far as this myself.
80, yes; have bought out an kinds Of
plants. started In originally with paint
store. That venture was not a success. But
paint stores are so everlastingiy hard to sell
that obtained my present knowledge OF this
kind of traffic while ! was working that plant
Off my hands. know one man who makes a
speciality Of selling liquor stores. The way
purchasers usually get caught in such trans
actions is by paying for the business. Now,
a business is peculiarly ephemeral thing.
YET may sell bit Of stock to q man, but you
pc itively cannot sell him customer. Most
customers are, in fact, as easily blown away
as though they were thistle down. It is very
different in the old country. OF all people
on earth, Americans have the reputation Of
being the hardest to make customers