The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-20
BARGAIN DAY IN GOTHAM
HOW BIG MERCHANTS CAN SELL
GOODS BELOW THEIR VALUE.

GOODS BELOW THEIR VALUE.
a Day in Sixth Avenue Emporium
Lively Scenes at the Bargain Counter
Goods of All Kinds at Ridiculous
Prices.
New York, Feb. 1S.-The rain was COM
ing down in torrents. The big stores were
deserted. Women in wategproofs and rub
bers were hurrying through the streets.
There was not enough business doing in any
of the stores to pay for the gas. 1t was a
stupid, drearv day, that gives one the blues
and makes reasoning about suicide posi-
tive pleasure
Take all that velvet off the shelves and
pile it all on a table near the door. Reduce
the price from 81 80 per yard to 81. Have
a sign painted that we are selling velvets for
the rest of the day Don't sell over ten yards
to any one person.
So spoke the Superintendent or manager
of one of the biggest dry goods houses on
Sixth avenue, and the velvet and sign were
Immediately placed as ordered.
I'VE haven't done enough business to-day
to pay our Insurance. he said to the chief
clerk of the department where the velvet
was sofa, and L want TO see WnaU aJITdC-
ton that sign will have"
In fifteen minutes that portion of the
store where the velvet was on sale was
crowded with men and women. They
yelled like Comanches and pulled at the rich
goods like giants at tug-ot-war. Richly
dressed ladies and p or women with shawls
over heir shoulders were in the crush. Bust
ness men on their way home and young girls
from other shops struggled to get some of
the handsome goods.
Its the best velvet in the market,
Madame Our regular price is 81 so per
yard, said the clerk to a would-be pur-
chaser
IN take twenty yards, said the lady.
Cant sell but ten yards to one person."
was the clerks reply.
"Wen,s' said the lady, "I'll take ten
yards and my little daughter here will take
ten more. You need not cut it. I'll pay
for it all"
And so the struggle went on until 6
o'clock, when the store was closed. The
next day the velvet was put back on the
shelf, ond what remained was sold at s. 30
per yard
This doubtless seems very curious to a
person who does not understand the methods
of New York storekeepers. But it was not
an unusual performance. 1t was simply
an advertisement. Business was dull, and
the attention of purchasers. The old plan
was to put big advertisement in the daily
newspapers and invite customers to call and
examine the magnificent display of goods.
The new way is TO cut the price One-half ON
some articles and thus attract shoppers with
money. 1t is a method that works very
satisfactorily, and the persons who were
able to purchase some of the velvet of course
told their friends of their bargain, and the
result was the store was crowded the next
day and whoever saw a woman leave dry
goods store without purchasing something!
If the price on every article in the store is
advanced just a trife, why the storekeeper
doesn't lose anything by selling the velvet
so cheap. In fact, he probably gains by it.
One store may run dress goods in the way
described. Another may run underwear.
Still another furs, or shoes or knick- knacks
or umbrellas or laces, or a score of other
articles equally dear to the feminine
heart. In this way New York women have
become known as bargain hunters. No
portion of the daily newspapers is read by
them with so much interest as the advertis-
ing columns. They know all about every big
store in town and know just where to go
to find bargains. If women be smart she
may dress gorgeously and furnish her house
on very little money She must, of course,
know the value of goods. for half of the
articles sold as bargains" are in no sense
bargains at all. A great deal of old trum-
p ny is sold on ''bargain day. for double its
worth, but the average New York woman
is no fool. She knows bad article, as well
as a good one, as soon as she sees it,
There is hardly a store in New York in
which there is not bargain counter. One
house this week has been disposing of its
furs at ruinous figures. A $500 sealskin
sacque was marked down to $l30 and any
body could have had it in monthly pay
ments of S25 each. A big jewelry store
was selling $25 sets of sold gold jewelry for
$40. A leading carpet house was getting
rid of big stock of Brussels carpets at SOC.
yard. The usual price was 81 10. The
same house was selling portieres worth $40
per pair for 50. A kid glove house put out
a large lot of gloves on the bargain counter
and marked them CSC. per pair. The usual
price was 81 90. A house, famous for its
fine workmanship, was disposing Of ladies
tailor made dresses for $40. The usual
price was S4S. A shoe store was dlsposing
of So ladies boots for 81 20. The same shoe
was sold the next day for So. A fourteenth
streeC furniture dealer crowded his stores by
offering all his stock at 80 per cent. reduc-
ton for one day only. In big lamp store,
magnificent $40 lamps were labeled $27
Another firm made direct cut in the price
of pictures and albums. Etchings, neatly
framed, that were usually sold for from S1S
to 500, were marked down to 50 and S2O
Beautifully made plush albums were sacri-
feed for So They wore worth at least So
One store was selling boys suits for So
They were worth 81. Boys overcoats that
We're worth SIP and SIS, were going like hot
cakes at So and IS. Boys shoes were sold
at 81 per pair, and rubber boots at 60c a
pair. In an adjoining store sleds worth SO
each were marked down to 75c.
1t is impossible, Of course to get all these
bargains in one store, and not few
firms are fighting against the invasion of
the bargain counter, but on nearly every
block in the shopping district may be found
some store where prices are literally cut
One might have purchased a 800 piano
yesterday for 5000 cash and a 500 organ
for S99. Books are sold so cheap in the dry
goods stores now that it is a marvel that
book publishers can keep out Of bankruptcy.
If you so desire you may purchase the en-
tire works Of Charles Dickens, in good print
and fine white paper, for 40c. per volume;
SCOTS works come l0c. per volume cheaper
Magnificently illustrated books that are
publsc ed for $15 and $50 each can be had
in the dry goods stores for from 81 to $40
Oil paintings are drug in the market.
They can be had at any price. Good stat
tionery is sold by the pound and inkstands
and gold pens are 80 cheap that any school
boy may own them. FOSTER COATES.
Hats at Half Price.
tCT-l. IT,. az &c.,. oA.aeA -