The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-05-12
FALSE TEETH TRADE.
A REGULAR BUSINESS IN BUYING AND
SELLING THEM.

ous Frightened Up ana Resold, and
Sometimes They Are Broken Up For tho
Old Gold In Them.
"Old False Teeth Bought"
This is the sign which attracts the
attention Of visitors to the office of a
certain dealer in dental and optical sup
plies who does business in Chicago.
Its queer how people are attracted
by that sign," said the owner of the
establishment "I never intended it to
be prominent, because there are other
lines in my business am moro interest
ed in pushing, but it seems to fairly
force itself into the minds of everybody
who comes here, no matter what his
mission may be, and 'old false teeth
bought is the only thing they can think
or talk about
There's nothing audaoious in deal
ing in secondhand false teeth, although
Twill admit the sign is an unusual one.
1t is q legitimate branch of our trade.
With ordinary usage false teeth dom
wear out aud are just as good at the end
OF few years as they were when new.
The 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 whole lot of people who wear
false teeth are dying every day.
Ten 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-
ical. False teeth, especially if heavily
set with gold plates, are worth too much
money to be cast aside when new ones
are ordered or to be buried in grave.
Thus it comes that trade of consider
able proportions has sprung up in this
line, and old false teeth are staple in
this market"
"Who brings them here to sell and
what class of customers buy them?"
"Small dentists who are hard up
financially and lack the inclination or
facilities to clean up and build over the
discarded sets, which they are sharp
enough to retain from their patrons, are
the main source of supply. Sometimes
they make their patrons little allow.
ance for the old sets of teeth, but they
get out of this whenever possible on the
plea that they are worthless. Then we
have poor folk who cannot afford to
wear false teeth any longer como in
here occasionally and offer them for
sale. Undertakers? Well, that is fea-
ture of the trade I don't care to talk
about. l might be misunderstood, and
some people are SO squeamish, you
know.
why, one woman came in here yes
terday to buy an opera glass. She look
ed like good customer and was inspect
ing some high priced glasses when I
stopped to wait upon man who fre.
quently brings in some fine teeth. She
saw me take set from him and pay
for them, and then, noticing probably
his somber clothes and an end of black
Grape sticking out of one Of his side
pockets, she flounced away in fury
without word of explanation. 1t is
hard to please everybody, and as times
are hard have to be very careful"
"But what about your sales? Who
takes these old grinders and incisors
from you?"
Principally a class of men who
make business of working over the
sets. When the outfit is in reasonably
good shape, it is given thorough
cleansing, frightened up, and then re-
sold to dentists who have a cheap pat
ronage. little tinkering will make
them fit after fashion in the mouths
of people who want to make show Of
false teeth at small cost. Where the sets
are not good enough to be used entire
they are broken up, the gold either
melted down or saved to be remodeled,
and the teeth themselves remounted as
they are needed for patients. It's good
thing for poor peoplezfor many of them
are thus enabled to get passably fair
false teeth at nominal price, when
otherwise they would have to go with
out, owing to the great expense. Excuse
me while l wait upon this woman
When The Inter Ocean man left the
establishment, the merchant was dick
ering with an ample proportioned AT.
rican "aunty" for double set of teeth
with heavy gold plates, which she said
she had found In hotel where she
worked as chambermaid.
"Der genman' dom go to at 'ors-
pital," said aunty. "E's wuz so sick
when dey TAX i'm way he dom clar
forgot lis teet', an I doan' 'speo' he'll
wan 'em any more. Steal 'em? No,
sab; no, sahl Boss, o say tax ole
truck way. doan' want 'em round
ere Ole truck-umph, umph-why,
dat's jes' like findin five dollahs. -
Chicago Inter Ocean.