Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-10
RETAIL PRICES VARY
HOW SOME PEOPLE GET BIG Dis
COUNTS IN NEW YORK CITY.

II You Have n Relative or Friend In Some
Lines OF Trade Ia the Metropolis, You
Can Save Hundreds of Dollars Every
Year II You Buy Right.
One OF tho curiositics Of retail business
IN New York Is the system Of discount
grantcd TO all sorts Of persons and FOR all
sorts Of reasons. Nobody has ever dis.
covered tho point at which discounts
cease In the book trade Some retail
booksellers frankly quote the publishers
price. and beside Il the selling price,
which is from 10 TO % per cent less.
Those who know the ropes never buy
books without claiming the discount.
There arc special discounts TO clergymon,
20 authors, 10 artists, TO teachers, and
generally 10 what somebody has called
the academic classes. After that there
are still greater discounts to q few other
favored persons. There are mon who pro.
fcss 20 buy books In small quantities at
DO per cent below publishers prices.
What is true OF books Is true Of almost
everything else that Is bought and sold.
When the article is u costly one, tho dis
count gets 10 be nhsurdly large. The
trade in diamonds aud jewels, among
peculiar class Of dealers, Is thing with
out bottom. Nobody can tell where the
dis, )unts cease, since such things pass
from hand to hand at prices governed
often by the needs Of temporarily EN-.
barrassed seller.
In the piano trade, in which there
were recently rumors of combination,
the matter Of discounts has become
byword. It Is doubtful whether any
one ever buys q piano ut catalogue
price. Ono firm advertises pianos at
from $3.50 TO 81 200, according TO quality,
but delivers them In New York Mt from
$3.50 to sS0O-that is, TO tho ordinary
customer. There is n further reduction
OF 10 per cent TO teachers or TO persons
buying two or moro pianos. Ono firm
adyertisos tho "list" price OF square
pianos mt 81 900; price by installmont,
$3.50; price for cash, $500. You may
buy grand piano at any price from
500 TO $780, But nobody pays the
latter price, since tho same piano may be
had for tho asking at 81, 200. Upright
pianos AFRO cataloguod nj prices varying
from $3.50 TO 81 900, but they may be Ind
for cash at from S27j TO (l,Oi5.
a fow dealers Of well established ron.
utation resist tho system of discounts,
but all sorts OF insiduous methods of an.
proach AFRO employed, and tho price il
seldom insisted upon. Some dealers
grayoly exhibit books showing the record
of sales and prices and protest that there
Is no departing from ratoa. These books.
however, do not show tho fact that In
many instances secondhand pianos hnve
been taken in part payment Mt n high
appraisemont, When piano dealer has
reached tho last ditohand made a defiant
stand, tho device Of demanding a high
appraisomont on u secondhand piano
given in part payment usually fotches
him. Tho recoipted bill always shows
that the now rinno has been placed at
the full rate with tho usual discount.
Tho devices Of manufacturers with re.
putations yet 10 make aro almost Of n
desperate sort, with tho slightest on.
couragement they viii place pianos on
trial In any respectable looking house OF
apartment. The unwilling purchaser re
coivos proiuso assurances Of esteemeo
consideration mud Is prayed 10 be at Q 6
as TO the timo Of full payment. Any
sonable demand as to terms Is conced
and tho seller seems 50 anxious form
ing as to add another dobtor to his lis
Tho result Of all this is that no care
person purchases u plano without talk z
advice. He goes about II solemnly M o
would in buying horse or n house or II.
taking wife. When tho purchasers
own powers Of persuasion have been ca.
hausted, ho calls in music teacher and
Gets u further reduction or purchases