The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
THE TOY BUYER ABROAD.
Some or the Interesting Features or his werk
In Europe.

Some or the Interesting Features or His work
In Europe.
Tho professional buyer going to Europe to
purchase goods travels on the best boats-and
often on the same boat, which ho finds familiar
and comfortable. 1t may be that he knows tho
hotels abroad. in tho countries that he visits,
better than he does those of his own
land, and he may come to have q
better acquaintance with whole districts
in foreign countries than he does with like
districts. of his own. for the simple reason that
he visits them regularly and frequently. Whore
he goes depends on what no is buying: whether
It'll silks or LAGOS or linens or woollens o rleather
goods, or what not. he goes to the country where
the things are made to buy them, whether 1t is
in Russia. or in Austria, or France. or Ireland.
This takes him to the greatest cities and to
smaller ones. and sometimes into remote coun-
try districts of the lines Of railroads, where he
buys of individual producers. This would be
true. for example. of the toy buyer.
The buyer for q New York Wholesale toy house
goes to Germany, Austria, France and England,
and. 1t may be, to other European countries.
f HayGtR sTm M eSe he .n Su proq nmonT o pSesii tbin rS sh eep:
tain kinds Of chinaware and dolls and toys. He
buys some things. there in cities, but no buys
things as well In the country, in the houses OF
the people who make them. Household indus
tries exists in Germany in a way that is practi-
engage in some work, perhaps the decorating of
toy china, or in making dolls. and so on, and
whole communities may be thus engaged.
The toy buyer goes off into these places and
buys at first hand, and. going to the individual.
knows what he wants. and he gets things made
that way. A touch, a single little grace may
make the difference between a profit and a loss;
between a thing. that will sell and one that
won't; On a doll. for instance, even a cheap
doll. the tiniest bit of lace properly disposed. or
tho arrangement of the dress or the colors used
or some slight change in the face of the doll.
may make the difference between q doll that is
dull and wooden and inanimatea and one that Is
that the buyer sits down In the doll makers
home and explains these things, and gets the
dolls made as he wants them.
One district in erman that the toy. buyer
visits 10 in its characteristics much like the
his headquarters In q town from which he
drives Off up the valleys and about the noun
tafns to the homes Of the people. He goes there
year after year. and he knows the country well:
people, AZ he drives along the roads he meets
boys who 1.-Two In the neiEhborhood and take OF
their hats to him as they salute him and address
him by name. They know him. and they know
what brings him to the mountains; his coming
may mean an order for their own families. In
through some of these valleys, and it will prob
them will be accessible IN that manner.
From Germany the toy buyer, goes to Austria.
ucts Of Household Industries IN the dwellings, in
which they are made. Here he may have to
climb to the top STORY Of a house to find a family
workshop. In France, In Paris. he buys some
things ut the home of the makers, but an IN
creasing proportion he buys in the warehouses
thing that he gets in London he buys in whole
sale establishments.