The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1899-01-07

some winter novelties. There rs not
o scratch Of pep,on any Of them and
they could be sent just as easily for a
penny apiece. AS there are 5000 in
the lot, it would mean saving Of
just $50 in to-day's postage BILL"
why the mischief don't you do it,
them" asked the visitor.
Because we have learned" said
the merchant, "thatit doesn't pay. 1t
is one of the economies that don't
economic. Nowadays the average
busy man rarely opens an unsealed
envelope bearing q one-cent stamp.
He knows withoutlooking further that
1t CONTAINS advertising matter and
throws it into the waste basket at
oncel Even if he opens it he does
80 fith a mind already prejudiced,
becS Sc the stamps proclaim that the
incI ure is printed" ..
<.<"But WHY should that prejudice
nim| interrupted the reporter.
because it destroys the individual
ity Of the communication. Every man
likes to feel that he is addressed per-
aonslly, and if he knows in advance
that he isn't o bad effect is made. It
is the difference between talking to
him in his private Office and talking to
him as one Of o crowd from q platform.
This may seem like splitting hairs,
but advertising has become such an
art at present that absolutely nothing
must be overlooked. We put two
cent stamp ON the envelope, which in
sures'it at least being opened. Then
wemust depend on the attractiveness
Of tho folder to interest the recipient,
eve have reduced the matter to q
very exact business basis" continued
the merchant. "Tako, for instance,
this particular BUNCH of mail. The
folders are gotten up quite hand
Bomely and cost us 1926 for the 5000,
or q cents apiece. I calculate that
four-ffths of them would be thrown
away if they went out with one-cent
stamps. That would be clear loss
OF 800 fGF the enclosures, $40 for
postage%and, say, SO for envelopes,
Sddrl sssing and so on, making o total
Of 1855. The increased cost of the
tEo-esnt stamps is $50, but we are
certain that they will land one Of the
folders in the hands Of each person on
the list. The net saving is $1O5.
There is no sentiment or imagination
about the transaction. It is q clear,
cold matter of arithmetic. We
formerly used the one-cent stamp
wherever we could, but experience and
close observation have taught us that
it was bad policy"
The reporter talked to several other
business men on the subject and found
them Of practically the same opinion.
1.-THE change is largely DUE" said q
well-known wholesaler, "to the in
creased cost of advertising matter in
tended for distribution through the
mails. Not long age most business
houses contented themselves with very
simple pamphlets giving prices and
perhaps embellished with q few small
cuts. The whole thing was cheaply
gotten up, printed on very ordinary
paper and cost q mere trife. The
modern booklet rs it is generally
called, is quite different affair. The
cover design is drawn by 8 frst-class
ARTIST, the Illustrations are frequently
equal to those of the magazines, and
the matter is probably prepared by
high priced expert. Needless to say,
the mechanical work must be in
accord, and the expense Of such a
publication is q serious item. Here,
for instance, is one of our special
catalogues, with pictures Autographed
in six colors. The silk ribbon drawn
through the back alone cost more than
the old-time price list, all told. When
we incur such an outlay we must be
reasonably certain that the booklet'is
at least seen by the people to whom
it is addressed, aud under the circum-
stances it would be foolish to use a
one-cent stamp. That would at once
suggest something cheap and com
mon.
"But we use o two-cent stamp at
present." he. continued, ''to carry
even simple little slip giving certain
shipping directions to our customers.
Our idea is that it catches the eye of
the man we are after. A good many
busy men have their mail sorted by a
clerk before they see 1t,
and unsealed envelopes with one-cent
postage are apt to be thrown aside
then and there as of no Importance.
If it has two-cent stamp, it is fairly
certain to remain in the batch that
reaches the head of the house.
Samples of dress goods were formerly
sent in unsealed envelopes, almost in
variably, but they were so apt to slip
out and get lost that the practice has
N>su generally abandoned. Some of
thess Samples are quite expensive ana
it doesn<pay to take chances"
A theacf agent contributed =
fragment OF cSSus information to
10 sIorn G'Tha 6fsAS ~. -.