The times., 1899-08-20
SECONDHAND BUREAUS
They Makes an Immense Profit on
Cast-off Finery.
Rich Women Now Sell Their FASH
ionabIy Made Clothes to Agents.
Who PeddIe Them to Others of
Less Exalted ScaIe-Poor Relations
No Longer Presented With Them.


Less Exalted ScaIe-Poor Relations
No Longer Presented With Them
New York, Aug. 19.-The poor relations
nose is out of joint. The Second hand Bu-
reau's agent scoops in everything worth
WHILE and the simple folks down TO the
Vineyard or up to Cooperstown never get
so much as a whiff or smiling of their fine
relations wardrobe. Business people of pre-
ception keen for the main chance and alive
to possibilities, have got hold of the second
hand clothing trade and are fast altering
its repute. The junk dealers and cheese
pairing lack-wits still carry on their plea
yune commission business in back alleys
and smeared window shops, offering crum-
pied up, bedraggled garments to un-
knowing and easily pleased clientele, but
the backbone of the trade that has big
profit in it. has gone UP into exclusive ac-
commodation fats and big -mirrowed bus
body need be ashamed to go, or feel COM
Function at buying. If the poor relation
and his tribe could visit some of these es-
adjustments, they would realize that they
were out of il once for ALL
Now there are art galleries" explains
one of these auctioneers. I'VE sell rare
mosaics, Carracca marbles, oil paintings,
Venus-Martin cabinets and rich bric-a-
! brac. But this morning l sold fifty hats and
! bonDets, the stock OF retiring first rank
milliner, and twenty-five lots of second
/ hand silk lined gowns and wraps, dinner,
| bali, and street costumes, the real crea-
| tions of world-famous modisteS. You saw
| that tall, rather distingushed-lo looking wo-
| man who went out moment ago? She
wouldn't strike one as second d-hand
| clothes dealer, would she? But she bid in
| nearly the whole consignment, and she'll
make a pretty figure out of il, and make a
| number of clients happy as the result of
her mornings work. That woman has as
many staff assistants at her beck and call
as any systematic business plant in Chi
cago or Philadelphia, or any old town. She
doesn't confne her operations TO one To-
cality or to two or three. She goes about
things in dignified, matter of-course way
that allays scruples and assures her trade.
Transactions confdentiaP Is prefaced
| with an asterisk at the foot of her an
nouncement cards-cards that she sees to
it reach the right people, and she bas
dressmakers, cleaners and remOdelers all
ready and at hand and strategic ways for
disposing of her goods that would do
credit to a great general or a skilled dip
lomat. know of four or five other nota-
bly, successful secondhand dealers in va
rious parts. The best of them do legiti-
mate business with people too wide awake
TO be taken in. The rising mark of lux
ury has put a distinct commercial value
ON clothes. A dress made of the best silk
| or cloth that can Sbe found, and lined,
trimmed and fitted out with costly mate
terial, has always value. The same thing
with good jewelry that is a little old-fash-
ioned; with dimity, linen, and fine white
goods only needing making over to be as
serviceable as ever; with shoes trife of
the latest tip, but scarcely worn; with
opera cloaks and furs only needing the
cleaners and remodeier's good graees;
with fiannels slightly shrunken and worr
but good for a long time still. All these
the dealer turns to good account. putting
the best foremost and choosing the righ
clientele TO show them to. A fashionable
woman now has to have so many and va
riously assorted appointments for differ
ent functions, and must needs eompl!
so strictly to the styles, that the clothes
don't get chance to wear out before be
ing thrown aside, and, moreover, they ar
SO costly, and those that must replac'
them are so costly, that any hard cash pu
, in the owners hand on their account L
not to be shifted at. The secondhand
dealer has evolved from these conditions
and to bring the people who could US
these cast-offs in sight and touch of tn
bargains is easy enough to those VIII
, | know how.
"A lady suddenly called into mourning
having distinctive new costumes, made b
first-class artists, will dispose Of same a
half value; seen between and 5. secon
floor apartment, No. $40 Blank Street.
will be the announcement In the "Fo
Sale" column OF a prominent daily Nc
519 is in a good neghborhood; the lad
: called into mourning must be fashion
= able person. with things worth seeing. tn
= readers conclude. They go to see an
price; madame knows how to display he
goods. The lady in mourning does not, G
: course appear and the cleansed and re
modelled costumes from the art gallerie
, sale find buyers.
q Lady going abroad for year will Sc
!, her scarcely used outfit of costly wraps an
: gowns, all bearing trademark OF wei
known makers" is another private sal
v announcement issuing from the sam
Il source. The address in this case prove
\ to be the parlors of a well-establishe
r dressmaker, the aide-de-camp who assiste
, In the refurnishiug, refining, and putin
in order of the garments.
That's an Arnaud gown worth 5000 IN
price now $685. says madam as the hnt
a figured young woman model reyolYeS SOW
ly in order to show off a superb peach bio
70 satin. en- train and trimmed with ehectis
o lace and floats of ribbons. Madam's custC
,r mer knows good stuff when she sees II. 81
# knows when a dress is built on good line
;. and although she may not swallow the eI
tire $500 fable, she realizes that whe
u madam has dropped $25 off the $50, 81
will be getting the worth OF her none
g She sits down in rocker to think 1t owe
lg while an attendant brings her a pick-me-t
l. and gets ready to show off other bargain
ly The women who go TO overhaul, price, al
TT size up madam's wares are OF the sort WI
< would never buy cheap things in sno
as and who never wear cheap clotnes' no'
st ever plain. but who, although ambition
is are limited in means and have to exert g
their energies in making out on
at skinny allowance.
lg They would never take a gown or
rt wrap with soiled lining in 1t, or ru
vs. bed and worn foot frill, or other ulre
pc give-away, but the bureau looks well
c. these details before offering, and in nea
at ly every case gives good value.
i'll The manager knows well when to p
at in word that will give romantic intere
st or additional Importance to her wares.
x THAT'S Vanderhouse gown, car
straight from the family" she says in r
be gard to the exclusive-looking black clio
Ill gown that pretty young woman custor
IS, er is trying on in the private rooms.
its happen to know just how and when it W
s. ordered from Robinson In London. Ia
r. year. Just see the quality OF that SILK II
he ing. and the cut Of the sleeve is exact
no what they are wearing now. That op
=" net effect on white on the yoke is nj
touch; suits your style. Some time
| tell Won how I happened to get this Il