Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-05-24
FALSE TEETH TRADE.
A REGULAR BUSINESS IN BUYING AND
SELLING THEM.

sometimes the Discarded Sets r. Clcai
. ed, Frightened Up and Ecs9,d, n:
Sometimes They Are Broken Up For Il
Old Gold In Them.
: sold False Teeth Bought"
. This is the sign which attracts II
= attention OF visitors to the Office Of
certain dealer in dental and optical SUI
plies who does business in Chicago.
Its queer how people are attracte
by that sign said the owner Of til
establishment. II never intended it f
be prominent, because there are Cthe
lines In my business | am more interest
ed in pushing, but it seems to fairl.
force itself inN the minds of eyerybod,
who comes here, no matter what hi
mission may be, and odd false teotl
bought is the only thing they can thinl
or talk about.
"There's nothing audacious in deal
ing in secondhand false teeth, although
l Will admit the sign is an unusual one.
1t Is a legitimate branch of our trade.
With ordinary usage false teeth don't
wear out and are just as good at the end
OF a few years as they were when new.
Ihe teeth themselves are valuable, and
the gold work used in binding even the
commonplace kind together is costly.
People are forever getting new ideas
ABOUT their teeth and keep the dentists
busy changing or building over their
artificial molars. Then, you remember
that a whole lot of people who wear
raise teeth are dying every day,
Zen years ago there was no way Of
utilizing this old material. 1t was all
dead waste, SO to speak. But now it is
different, and people are more econom-
lcal. False teeth, especially if heavily
set with gold plates, are worth too much
money to he cast aside when new ones
are ordered or to be buried in a grave.
linus 1t comes that Il trade of consider
apIe proportions has sprung up in this
line, and old false teeth are a staple in
this market"
WHO brings them here to sell and
what class OF customers buy them?"
Small dentists who are hard M
financially and lack the inclination or
facilities to clean up and build over the
sets, which they are sharp
enough to retain from their patrons, are
main source Of supply. Sometimes
'ney mako their patrons a little allow.
ance for the old sets of teeth, but they
get out of this whenever possible on tho
plea that they are worthless. Then wa
a poor folk who cannot afford to
false teeth any longer come in
1ere occasionally and offer them for
ale. Undertakers? Well, that is a fca-
ure OF the trade l don't care to talk
bout. L might he misunderstood. and
people are SO squoamisb, Won
now.
why, one woman came in hero YES.
aroay TO buy an opera glass. She look.
u ike good customer and was inspect-
1g some high priced glasses when I
topped to wait upon a man who fire..
uently brings in some fine teeth. Sho
me take a set from him and nav ,
u them, and then, noticing probably. ,
sombe1 clothes and an end of black =
ape sticking out of Il of his side Z
ockets, she founced away in q fury =
lthout a word of explanation. 1t is :
'rd 10 please everybody, and as times :
Q hard | have to be very careful" T.
But what about your sales? Who 4
kes these old grinders AID incisors
I'M you?'
Frlnclpally a class CT men who L
IKE a business Of working over tha
IS. When the outfit is in reasonably
shape, it is given a thorough Ia
'ahslhg, frightened up, and then re- ic
d TO dentists who have a cheap pat- u,
1age. a little tinkering will make f.
'm Mt after il fashion in the moutbs n.
people who want to make q sl,ow of IA
SO teeth at small cost. Where the sets nj
not good enough to be used entire on
y are broken up, the gold either 90
lted doWn or saved to he remode]ed
the teeth themselves remountod "a W,
are needed for patients. It's q good 20,
ng Tor poor people, for many of them III
'hus enabled to get passably fair dj,
% teetr at a nominal price, when at,
7r"lse they would have to go with fu]
owing to the great expense. Excuso an,
wait upon this woman" no;
men The Inter Ocean man left fine Lo
Dllshment, the merchant was dick. ne,
9 with an ample proportionod Af- MIA
II 'aunty' for a double set of teeth low
! heavy gold plates, which she said or
nad found in a hotel where sbo nor
ked as chambermaid. tnn
Ter genman' dom go to at 'ors, If
- said aunty. "E's wuz 50 sick =,
Il dey talk i'm way he DON clar .Jan
ot is toot', an 1 doan' spec he'll tra,
EN- any moro. Steal 'cn? No Mn,
no. sab! Boss, q say tax olo cart
Z way. l doan' want 'cm 'round anr,
oio %truck-umph, umph-why, in :
Jes, IKE tindin five dollahs.n-
ago Inter Ocean.