The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-06
MONEY IN OLD SHOES.
SECOND HIND DEALERS WHO
ABOUND IN LARGE CITIES.

4 In the Country Where the supply
Comes From-Trade Only In Mems shoes
People with Tender Feet.
A sharp looking, well dressed man sat in
the Bingham house smoking a cigar and
reading newspaper.
That's tho biggest man in bis line OF bust.
ness in this country" said the clerk, indicat.
ing the sharp looking man 10y a rapid motion
OF the eye.
"And what is his businessT
Second hand Shoes and there's big money
in it, too, can tell YOU
On being judiciously approached the sharp
looking man proved aifabie and communica.
tive. IL imagine said he, that few people
have any idea Of the extensive trade that is
/ annually done IN second hand boots ana shoe:
in this country. suppose you think, a most
/ people do, that none but the very poor people
would cOndescend 20 wear the left oN shoe.
Of other folks In all cities and large towns
YOU may notice shops for the sale OF second
hand boots and shoes. At some time or
another, dare say, you have had a shabby
looking man call at your house and inquire
il you had any cast of shoes 10 sell II you
&
no doubt the shabby man and the second band
shoe store are connected in your mind. You
conclude that the itinerant purchaser Of cas-
off foot wear sells the result OF his day,
tramp to those who keep the second hanc
shoe shops, and that from that source alone
he derives his supply.
COLLECTOR AND CUSTOMER.
Nothing OF the kind, sir-nothing Of the
kind. The few people in my line Of business
for, thank goodness, our trade is not as vet
quite as oyercrowded as most others-fur.
nish a vast majority Of the second hand shoe
stores with their goods. The headquarters
of my firm is in New York, and IA we are
the biggest people in our line, nearly all the
collectors IN that city and Cor miles around
bring the best Of tho contents Of their daily
bags 10 US. It's no use bringing the rub
bish, as they know We don't handle it w
keep bred 'examiners-men who know all
about shoes worth knowing they earn
every dollar We pay them in examining shoe,
and boots from q. m. 10 6 p. m. every day
of the week except Saturday
in this way we buy from 1000 70 900
pairs a day. The best Of these, say abou'
one-half, are cleaned, paired and 90 into
stock, classified in qualities and as nearly a,
possible in sizes. The remainder go into oui
repairing department, where they are resolec
and heelei, and subsequently nearly all e1.
ported We have also collecting agents. not
buyers Of private people, but agents who pur
chase on our account from the collectors
here ia Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Chi
cago and a few other cities. From these
sources wo gather about as many as we do IN T.
New York. All tic country stuff is treated .
the same as that which comes 10 us direct
from the collector
Altogether we do a pretty extensive bust .
ness, sending out daily more boots and shoes
than most Of tho manufacturers, but then
you See, there are not a dozen people in ON
business all told, and shoemakers, wholesale
and retail, are numbered by tho thousand
We never buy shoe that has the slightest
cut or crack in the uppers, as this would
necesstate patching, and the sort Of people
who buy high priced second hand shoes would
not look at a disfglued pair Still these have
IA marketable value aud tho collector can
give quarter for slightly cracked pain
and resell to the 'restorer' OF dealer in much
worn second hand shoes at a profit, aud be
will retail them at a profit Of from Z,
cents 10 $50 after he has fixed them Up
OF course this sort Of stuff is only patchec
up, 1t don't pay for residing and heeliug
We only deal IN mems shoes There Is 10
market for second hand women's foot wear'0i
good quality. You cannot get the ladies tc
wear left OF shoes any how You might q.
well ask them to wear second hand gloves q
discarded bangs. Il
THE TRADE ~ PHILADELPHIA
In this city the retail trade in second hanc
shoes Of fine grade aud in good condition does
not flourish TO any extent Worn footgeai
of this character. however, is TO be found il
a few dingy looking shops in the neighbor
hood Of Sixth and Spruce streets and alonl
South street by those who have no prejudice
against wearing dead mems shoes, or ca
casing their pedal extremities in the cast-of
soles and uppers OF fashionable folk In one
Of these Establishments an ostenslble pur
chaser was shown second hand shoes OF al
styles and sizes, ranging in prices from SL5l
to IS pair. All these goods We're evidently
Of fine make The leather was soft and phi ]
able, the stitching close and hne and although
the uppers had evidently already done gooc
service, no cracks we're observable. But al
the style and finish was confined 10 tn,
" uppers,r for in every instance the shoes hat s
been resoied and heeled in q rough-audready =
fashion Several pairs still bore tho names :
If va known New York and London max y
RS, while between tue heel and sole Of one
hoe the name Of " Holbesteru, Paris wa, d
till clearly 70 be made out. O.
One dealer said that high priced seconc (,
land shoes actually lasted longer than new %
mes sold at about the same price. The best q
econd hand goods he claimed, were the cas-
ifs Of wealthy people who would not wear Il
hoe an hour after it had lost its shape, anc Il
consequently the uppers were in many case. p
eally as good as new.
Another class Of people, he said, were regU
ar customers at his shop, whose feet were Sc =
ender that they could not wear a new shos
.nder any circumstances. Some Of thea
Unfortunate folks would spend an hour at
ime In trying ON forty or fifty pairs Of shoes
ntll at last they found one exactly suited t
be unhappy idiosyncracies OF their "p0o
eet' This particular dealer in discarded
does not handle any OF Ii,
luch worn and common lines Of second hauc
Gods lie buys the shoes just as they ar,
urchased by tho wholesale dealer ia New
FORK, and keeps two men constantly EN-
loyod in residing and heeilng his purchase
efore retailing them TO that eccentric por
on Of tho community whose patronage he
njoys -Philadelphia Times