The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Buying at Wholesale.

Farmers can save good deal by
buying at wholesale. City and village
people can also do much in this line If
they will set about it in the right way.
But we write especially for the farmers
who read the WATCHMAN. Every fam
lily buys articles which have two prices,
the wholesale and retail. The country
merchant buys at the wholesale price
and sells at the retail price. 1t is right
that he should. He may make an ex-
orbitant price, which would be wrong.
Now one of the laws of business is to
buy in the cheapest market. That is,
if you have your choice of buying the
same quality of goods cheaper at one
place than another, you should always
buy at the cheapest place. Now this
is just what the farmers should do.
The wholesale price being more or less
lower than the retail price, farmers
should endeavor to buy at the lower
price. Let me give practical Illus
tration. The writer's family uses
Pearline and hard soap. A single
package of Pearline costs at retail ten
cents. We bought box containing
thirty-six pounds for $307. AT the
same time we bought box of hard
soap containing 100 five cent cakes for
81. We cannot say how it would be in
most Vermont cities, but we are sure
that a great deal could be saved by
every farmer by buying in this way.
We like oatmeal and graham, but the
usual retail price for these is four or
five cents per pound. We enquired
the price of half barrel of crushed
oats and it almost took our breath
away when the dealer said $1.75. A
barrel of best graham cost 1925. Bak-
ing soda in the same city costs six
cents per half pound. We bought Arm
and Hammer brand in bulk at four
cents per pound.
The saving in money is not the only
advantage in wholesale buying. 1t is
worth great deal to have supply of
an article on hand. Those who buy
things by the pound are always getting
out. This may do in city where there
are stores every few blocks, but when
one has to go several miles, it costs a
good deal to GO after little dabs of
things. 1t is not easy for wife or hus-
band for her to have to tell him almost
every time he goes to the town, We
are most out of this, or, That will be
gone before you 60 again. 1t is a great
help in many ways to have good sup
ply of groceries on hand, 30 as not to
get out in the midst of some job which
is hard to leave. Probably in every
large town in the state there are one or
more merchants who would sell at
wholesale for cash down. We think that
there are large number of wholesale
houses in Vermont, and it is likely that
they would as soon sell to farmer as a
merchant, but probably there might be
some who would fear the effect of such
a proceeding on their trade. The store
at which we buy evidently has no such
scruples. We go in and ask the price
of what we want, pay for it, take the
goods, and no questions are asked as to
whether we are buying for our own use
or to sell. If, however, one house re-
garded it as out of the way to sell TO a
farmer at wholesale, we should try an
other, and we think the man who buys
a quantity of any article, pays cash, and
acts as though he meant business, will
get goods at the lowest wholesale price.
When one does not live near enough
city to drive in, it might be well to
write to some wholesale house in the
nearest city or town for prices. 1t GER
tainly pays to buy at wholesale, and is
in the line of making a business of
farming. We know of one man who
says he saves $50 year by buying at
wholesale. We advise the reader to
try it at any rate, and see what he can
do.