Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-08-19
OLD CLOTHES TRADE
MEN or FASHION WHO APPEAR IN
BORROWED FINERY. -.


Secrets of the Business DiscIosed-Com-
mon Clothes More Valuable Than Fine
Fabrics-Ths Change Act and Its
Economy.
A reporter desirous Of obtaining some in
formation in regard to the old clothes trade
in Brooklyn called on a local dealer. The re-
porter's obiging informant was found sur
rounded by huge piles of clothing. He was
intelligent and seemed to thoroughly under
stand his business After making the re-
porter promise not to mention his nams, he
said:
SAt certain seasons Of the year the old
clothes business is better than at others.
More trade is done during April than in
almost al the other months of the year put
together. In April, gentlemen shed the
clothes worn all winter and don spring at
tire. The clothing that has been worn in
cold weather is, of course, unfit TO wear dur
ing the heated term, and is usually pretty
well used up. The prudent man, rather than
put his winter clothes away, and in the fall
take them out moth-eaten, sells them know
men who can well afford dozen suits, but
who have none other but the one on their back
When they get new one the old suit is sold
or given away. It seems strange, but rough,
common clothes are more valuabls to dealers
than fine fabrics Fine broadcloth suits are
not salable when they become a little worn
Much Of our trade Is done with poor people,
who prefer rough to fine clothing"
aAre the clothes bought by Brooklyn deal
ers all salable hers againln
"Oh, no; a big trade is, Of course, done with
residents, but larger part of the old clothes
purchased are sent south or to Ireland Since
the war large trade has been done with the
colored people of that section A eolored
man, think, would prefer asecond-hand suit
of clothes to new one. They also buy
everything of loud pattern obtainable.
The trade with Ireland has of late years al
most died out. In former years and during
the famines, business with the Emerald Isle
was brisk. Many strange and incredible
scenes are often enacted in old clothes deal
ers' shops There is one branch of the busi-
ness which I don't think Is done so much here
as in New York This is called the change
act. Chatham street and the Bowery contain
many dealers who make speciality of the
change trade.
THE CHANGE ACT" EXPLAINED.
@The change act consists of changing
in receiving q sum of money as an equivalent
for the difference in value of the two suits
When a man is broke he viii do anything to
get money, and If he has q good suit and
knows the ropes, he soon disposes Of his own
good clothes for some of inferior qnahty
For instance, II man enters my place with
$40 suit of clothes on his back, and trade
him one worth $40, l can well afford to give
him S. or IS cash to boot. Some fashionable
gentlemen who are seen in dozen different
suits each month own but one.
"The manner in which they are enabled to
cut swell is as follows: Some old clothes
dealers do pawnbroking business in a mild
way. If man has good suit he can, by
paying small sum, always exchange it for
one of equal quality, and still not lose all
ownership in his original suit. After he has
worn the suit hired few days he can, by
paying sum, wear still another suit. This
arrangement can be continued indefinitely,
and finally the lessee, if he desires, can have
returned to him his original suit. have
one customer, an impecunious young man,
who is well known in society. If he is going
out in the evening and wishes to appear in
full dress, he comes here, leaves the suit of
clothes he has been wearing and dons one Of
my dress suits. In the early morning the
young man again appears, takes OFF the dress
suit and puts on his own clothes. For the ac-
commodation 1 charge only small fee."-
Brooklyn Eagle