The morning times., 1895-10-19
make Shopping
Pay Them Well
TWO CLEVER WOMEN WHO BUY
FOR THEIR BUSY SISTERS.
They Get Commission on Both
Ends and Have Built Up
Big Business.

The professional shopper for out-ofs
town people has been an institution for
some time past but she has not invari-
ably made success OF her trade, as it
is business requiring especial talents
and modes OF procedure.
The two leading buyers, as they call
themselves, OF New York city, have had
a phenomenal career Of prosperity, and
greatly due to tact, good taste and good
Judgment. Their experience show that
few or the most Necessary qualiIlca-
tions in the way or equipment for pro.
feSsional shopping are the art OF letter
writing, promptness, fairness and aiac-
rity in the payment OF all bills. The let
ters must be business Ike and still
friendly and evinctng a certain amouns
of interest in the client and her wants.
All orders must be filled at once, for
was there ever a specimen Of the petit
coat persuasion who did not want her
things in a hurry.
1t is best never to change the regular
prices charged at the shops, but to ask
a stated per cent commission on all
purchases. This system is the most sat
isfactory for both client and buyer, as it
places all transactions on a fair and bust
ness-like basis.
If all bills are paid within twenty four
hours after the receipt, the buyer soon
finds herself regarded with trust and re-
spect by the merchants, and her name is
enrolled in both Dunn and Bradstreet's
commercial directories with an "a No. 1"
beside it, which is o much OF passport
in the business world as to be Colonial
dame Is in the social hemisphere. Ths
best plan is to have accounts at the vari-
Gus shops, the bills appearing the first OF
each month. The clients should for
ward reinittances by check. draft, post
office order or registered letter, although
goods can be sent c. o. d.
A point that is well to carefully OBJ
serve is that the wishes of the client be
carried out as explicitly as possible. with
no attempt ON the buyers part to persuade
her to purchase otherwise. II the client
desires an orange bonnet it is safer for
the buyer to send her one, even though
1T may give her 1.-THE nerves. to do SO,
than to try to argue that blue or a gray
one would be in better taste.
Starting in with one order of these two
leading buyers of New York. who are sis
ters, have in five years worked up such a
business that they now have n clientile OF
700 persons living in all parts of the Union;
they have been forced to ia ke in an assistant
and typewriter, and are contemplating
hiring an apartment OF suite of rooms in
which to transact their affairs. and also
10 increase their corps OF workers by three
or four assistants
They have never advertised or sent out
business cards except on application, the
whole enterprise having grown through per-
sonal friends. They are ma King a fine in
come for. in addition to the per cent
asked their customers. the shops allow
them a certain commission on all goods,
this allowance being from cents upwards
on the dollar.
They make it a point TO regard all or
ders seriously, though some of them are
more or less exaggerated or absurd One
recent demand was from q prospective
bride inGeniously inquiring if she could hire
a wedding veil for one night Another
was from a youthful couple who wanted
to know where to go on wedding journey,
a question slightly irrelevant to profess
sional shopping. Commissions of every
character are undertaken from the buying
of a stick of candy to that of house.
These two leading buyers have ii 10 say
that although they have taken many finan-
cial risks, they have never lost one penny.
They do not take customers unless they are
assured that the latter are responsible
persons and are willing 10 pay the es-
tablished prices.
The whole business Is systematiZed. The
irst thing in the morning the mail is read.
when one or two buyers start off to fill
the orders. while the other remains at home
70 dispatch the goods by express. as most
of the purchases are sent home first and
then started for their destination
All the selections are made from samples
sent by mail. while If q gown or bounet is
ordered a plate is sent from one OF the
leading fashion magazines, with sugges-
tiOns. perhaps. as to any desired changes.
That professional sho ping can be finan-
cially successful has b-cn proved by the
case in hand. and that 1t is a pleasant oc-
rupation for ladies' of refinement, for these
two buyers are the daughters of judge
well-known in his law profession. and are
of fine old stock. both being about to enter
the fold of the Colonial Danes.
CAROLYN HALSTED.