Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-12
NOW 1T is BUSINESS
The Furniture Market Takes
on Activity.
BUYERS ARE MORE NUMEROUS
And the Sellers Are Full of Hustle How
the Wares Arc Dispasyed-- What the
Visitors Ssy--Hoael Talk.

Yesterday was the furniture mems
day. They literally swarmed in and
about the Morton house. The air was
laden with the oder of twen;y-eent
cigars and antique oak bedroom sultes.
Everybody looked furniture. thought
furniture, talked furniture. Those
magnificent New England furniture
kohinoors cleaned and eparkled from
scores of hands and shirt bosons, pal
ing into insignifcance Arthur Grants
three karat ring and rendering VIII
Woods bright and beaming smile cold
and lifeless by odious comparison.
Last week the buyers were IN dis
hesrtening minority; for the remainder
of the month their name will be legion.
For the past ten days the sellers have
Iounged around leisnreiy. manipulat-
ing sundry pasteboards and drinking
apollinaris and sel,zer; but anyone ex-
pecting to find furniture seller loaf
ing around now will he disappointed
for life. Jacob, in the good old days of
Israel, had some tolerably shrewd busi.
ness methods, and the late
Mr.. Jupiter, alias Zeus, Gener-
ally got the better end of a
contract according TO the stories OF the
ancient poets, but the average furni-
ture seller could give both of them
cards and spades. He hustles first, last
and all the time when there is any oc-
casion for so doing; when there isn't he
can attain depths of laziness out of the
reach Of any other man. But the fur
niture seller has incentives for hustllng
which perhaps no other agent has.
What They show and Say.
He is compelled to enter into compe-
tition at the same time with all the
furniture establishments of the United
States. There is probably not furni-
ture house of importance in America
that does not have representative In
Grand Rapids during the January and
July exhibits. The goods of these vari-
Gus establishments as rule are OF uni
form excellence, and when q sale is
made it is usually due to the "get
there" methods OF the keen-minded
seller. This year the competition is
unusually sharp, because each house
has taken unusual pains with its ex-
hibit. Few sales have been reported
yet, because the buyers as rule prefer
to look over the various stocks before
purchasing. The New England furni-
ture company has taken some good
orders and is showing q large
stock of bedroom suits and side
boards. The Oriel Cabinet company
had more visitors yesterday than they
could handle. Berkey & Gay opened
with tho largest assortment they ever
carried: Nelson Il Matter were already
open and have taken some big orders.
Kllngman, Iimbert & Brewer are do
ing heavy business. The Phoenix has
magnificent line. In fact. all the
companies have taken extra pains this
year with their displays. Here are
some of the opinions expressed by out
side buyers:
&. ii. Badger, Minneapolis-"A mag
niicent exhibition In every line."
| Ed. Heeney, Severance, kas.-"The
greatest display Of furniture ever seen
here"
w. Shearer, New York-"The most
artistic designs that have ever been
gotten up here"
J. II. Ryder. Kansas C:ty-"Looks AZ
if IT were going to be the greatest on
record"
j. j. keenan,, Detroit-"I haven't
begun TO see it yet; but 1t will unques-
tlonably be magnificent display"
| NJ. Sham, Kansas CIty-"its great,
but | can't see how great. I'm gong
to spend week looking at it."