Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-14
#auamaksr's.

faultless merchandise for more
or less than half its value. One
over-heated advertiser (pity
he isn't in Philadelphia
a rush you would make for
him !! puts it at exactly 471a
cents on the dollar-"the
most bewildering, astounding
and astonishing bargains ever
known in America" -half-a-
million-d ollars-worth he
needn't have called it a bank
rupt" salel Another specifies
housekeeping linens direct
from the makers Ssh per cent
off usual prices, and takes a
great square place in his city
papers to say it. Another
calls it a January Closing Sale
and fills whole pages Of
papers, almost, with lists of
things to be sold for SO little,
SO little, so little-Why, has
the bottom dropped out Of
everything?
Not a bit Of it. Trade was
never in better health. We
venture to speak for the mer-
chants you look to for goods,
for trade information, for the
values of things. It's only a
way of speaking they have.
The time of year is a little
dull. They are making it
lively. There's something in
the cry though. There are
goods to be got for less than
a week ago-there always are.
We don't like this way of
advertising by jumping and
yelling and getting red in the
face. We had a great deal
rather tell the news of the
store in January just as we tell
it in December-let the differ
ence be in the news and not
in the telling.
You guess already what we
are going to do-about the
same as usual-not lose our
heads the first few days of the
year and then forget rash
promises. We are going to
keep the centre. of Philadelphia
trade exactly where it belongs
where you and we together
have put it. Ne are going to
keep it, we say. Now don't
misunderstood us. All qoe
have to do in the matter is to
have the things you want and
keep it down-hill this way
from everywhere. Nobody
seems to understand your
wants quite SO well; at least
nobody satisfies them nearly
SO WE'LL The people that come
here answer for that. Expect
the very same thing of us right
along.
In the main the news of the
store for weeks to come will
be largely made of break-ups
in prices. So many things
you take for granted here. The
staples in every class of mer-
chandise Of courSe-why, we
said that minute ago-aoaoz-
nil This aoay from eVeryaohere.
1t isn't the time of year for
novelties. It's the time of
year tornever-ceasing substan-
tial wants; and he who fills
them best is the man for the
time. May the best man win |!
There is this excuse for a
merchant holding a "sale" in
January. Others do it. How
many follies have the same
excuse A flock of sheep
gets started over a rickety
fence in the country. Before
the flock is a quarter over, the
fence is fiat on the ground;
but the sheep continue to fol-
low the leader and jump. Just
SO with some merchants.
But to get up a sale" isn't
quite SO easy as jumping over
nothing. There have got to
NC buyers: 10 get them by
selling below the market is
costly business. 1t is cheaper
to quote false prices and sell
below them. And that is the
way of the average "Sale"-
with a big S.
Hnobody practiced the trick
but dlsreputable dealers we
should say nothing about it.
But merchants of standing are
at it. The mischief appears
to be growing. We propose
to stop it in Philadelphia
How' By beating the trick
with honest business.
i, In plain English, we are
selling on the average lower
than anybody else and telling
the truth. Interpret our news
exactly as at other times of
year 1t has to be scrappy;
it sh0H be true and clear.
IoHN WANAM.krp