The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-12-17
SOME EVILS OF AUCTIONS.
Unpleasant Experiences Frequently EN-

Unpleasant Experiences Frequently En-
countered by Innocent Bidders.
Now that the shopping season is at
hand, when the housewife, the bar
gain-hunter and the connoisseur are
in quest Of places where they may
spend their money to the best advan-
tage. elaboration over the things TO
be avoided is suggested by the annoy
ing experience of casual patrons of
certain class of auctions, says the
New York Times. 1t is conceded by
those who have had experience that
the best grades are the cheapest and
that the cheapest places to purchase
them are at the reliable stores, where
one can inspect the article at leisure,
consult the advice of friends and pri-
marily where there is assurance of
proper and honest treatment should
the purchase prove unsatisfactory
through unavoidable causes, which Of
ten occurs. This is the advantage OF
dealing with a frst-class house, and
the consciousness of knowing that one
will be fairly dealt with is a personal
satisfaction and safeguard. The or
deal usually encountered at auctions is,
without doubt, unsatisfactory and re-
pulsive, especially to the refined and
delicate feelings Of woman. To be
compelled to sit, often for hours, In
the motley crowd which usually ire
quents these shops, and then to make
ones self conspicuous by bidding and
competing with strangers OF all classes
and being compelled to hurriedly av-
cept the article, which has been dis
played in a false light only for a mo-
ment, only enhancing its appearance,
are all decidedly unpleasant expert
ences. The purchaser, under such cir
cumstances, gradually recognizes the
inconvenience to which she has been
subjected. She is kept waiting in
shop where the honest light of day
Is not permitted to penetrate. but
where the heat and unhealthy at
mosphere are so oppressive that she
becomes DESTROYS of obtaining some
bargain, in compensation for this eX-
perience. In the excitement of the
moment she is misled by the eXtrava-
giant remarks of the auctioneer, and
in her haste purchases some useless ar
ticle on which she is required to pay
a large deposit. The innocent bidder
does not for the moment suspect that
the woman near her, extolling her pur-
chases, and also others who were COM
peting against her, are employed by
the auctioneer or owner for the par
ticular purpose of increasing the bids,
but such is often the case. Nor does
the innocent bidder imagine that the
late distinguished citizen" whose eff
fects are ostensibly being sold never
saw the article attributed to have been
his, and which was the prime reason
of her eXtravagant purchase. There
are, however, many who know that
some auctioneers grasp at any oppor-
tunity TO obtain some single trlfle
which was once in the possession of a
prominent citizen, in order to falsely
impress the public that all the articles
catalogued came from the same source.
The auctioneer, knowing the vanity OF
the eager bidders in this direction,
will often cause them to pay ridiculous
prices for some desired memento.
There are many subterfuges resorted
to by the modern faker in the auction
room, which the public seems more
and more disposed to steer clear of.