Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-10
OLD CLOTHES.
How AN Outfit Can Pc Obtained
For Little Money.
The Facilities offered ia baxter Street, -
! n. Tor Impeeaniaas Yeang MeD-tsrssi-
ties Who Are Not Ayerse IA Turn
Ing "a Honest Penay.



II one wishes 70 buy clothing- second
hand clothing, Of course. aud yet much ~
il is new-be only has G. go 70 Baxter
street. He can get an outfit on that mar
row lane Tor few dollars that be would
have TO pay treble the amount FOR al one
ol the Broadway or Bowery clothing
= sores. Ii hs displays much money, how
or, the dealer is apt 70 get the b 81 OF his
Customer. Not that be will rob hlm, bus
the dealer will insist on receiving much
CHER price for his goods than he would II
be thought the buyer was possessed oil very
little ready cash. The average old clo'
dealer will usually ask Que how much
money he has, and while pretending 70
charge five dollars for an article will nsu-
ally put down the price to half or third
OF the figure named. An intelligent Baxter
street clothing merchant let out some Of
the secrets OF the trade to-day. "Some OF
usn he said, .have regular agents who
buy up second-han or cast-off clothing.
Then we attend the. pawn brokers sales
and make purchases. We can tell the
value OF the goods at sight Then there
are people always passing through bax-
ter street with clothes for sale. They come
from as fer as Harlem and from Jersey.
I've had men VINO are worth their tens OF
thousands OF dollars send their cast-on
clothes TO me rather than give them to the
poor. Here's postal from Mr.. -, on
Fifty third street, asking NE TO send
man up there for some clothing. OF course,
you'll consider this confidential. We
usually make from twenty five IT, hity
per cent. on what we buy. There are
places on the street known as fences
'kens, where thieves sell their goods, but l
must say there are few such places. Few
Jews on this street will buy an article IL
they have the least suspicion of its having
been stolen"
The interview was interrupted by the ap-
pearance of a well dressed man, who In
whisper asked the old clo' dealer II he
could give him ''reliever'' for the suit OF
clothes ne wore. A clerk showed the
customer, or stranger, into a back room.
He changed a new twenty-five dollar SUIT
for O second class one the average old
clothing merchant would sell for %, and
received So in money besides. THAT busi-
ness is done here every say," resumed the
dealer. ''Men get hard up and have only
must live They can't starve. So they
come here or go there and exchange their
clothing and receive, OF course, inferior
articles In return, but then they may
get money. OF course many who sell
their clothing do so 70 buy whisky,
but not all. Oh, no. We take ar
ticles that pawn-shops refuse. We
do large business on Sundays, too
Then the pawn-shops are closed.
bought half dozen or more overcoats-
good ones, too-last Suntay. III make
loo per cent. profit on them. Sometimes
We buy an article and promise TO keep it a
day or week. Then we sell it back
again TO the man who left 1t with US.
OF course, we expect about twenty or
fifty per cent. We don't loan. We have
no license 70 do so. We keep no pawn
shop. We buy out and out. Don't you
believe Jew is going to get in trouble if
be can help 1t.
Passing along the street, the reporter no.
ticed young man bargaining with shoe
dealer for pair of shoes. Two dallar,
mein friend" said the jew.
Il won't give you cent more than
| eighty CENTS" said the young man, and he
| started to 60
MAKE it Won dollar"
"No."
"Vell, gi-e US de eighty ceats."
The young man paid tue money. The
shoes had never been worn. and would
cost at least SO in regular shoe
store. They had no doubt been stolen.
! Many of the we'll dressed gentlemen shout
town patronize Baxter street Here can
be found any thing in the clothes line, to
fl Prince ar a tramp Overcoats are sold
on the streets at a1y price ranging from
81 to so. Many o, the Il .aiers keep tailor
in their employ, AMI the latter readily
transforms dilap.ditsl articles into the
semblance OF new o.tss.