Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-01
A COUNTRY ADVERTISER.
Interview With West Union Merchant.
Every Business Man Should
Read it.

Printers INK IL conceded TO De one OF
the best publications on advei tising and
like subjects. 1t reporter called on
Thomas & Magner, of West Union,
recently, and the last issue Publishes
the interview as follows:
West Union, Ia, has population of
1000. One of it's progressive firms Is
the dry goods establishment of Thomas
& Magner, the latter a young man
with training gained in selling goods
for Carson, Prize, Scott & Co., of Chi
cago. The writer called upon Mr..
Magner recently, and found him en-
gagged in preparing 6-column adver-
tisement to appear in each of the three
county seat papers.
II have noticed, Mr. Magner," said
the writer, "that you are departing
somewhat from the usual lines in
country advertising. Do you find that
the regular use of page ads is helping
your business?"
"Well, yes" said Mr.. Magner,
Something is helping it, and / don't
know what else to blame for it. We
have been compelled to put on extra
clerks this week, and still people have
been kept waiting"
"What do you find to bt the taxing
feature of your ads?"
"Prices," said Mr.. Magner promptly
"Our advertising is all prices. We
quote low figures on goods of known
quality, and we set apart certain
hour of the day when we will sell a
certain sort of goods at a cut price.
We also have special sales, from week
to month, at which we offer special
inducements on special lines"
"Do you find that the trade result
ing from this is largely confined to
the special lines, or is it general?"
General. We seldom sell a GUS
tcmer-especially a customer from a
distance-only the goods used as q
leader. 1t is my idea that when far.
meI comes to town to buy dry goods
he has a little list that has been in
process for weeks, perhaps months.
If we can induce him to come to our
store, we check of the entire list"
"Then it is your opinion that the
making of leaders ia as good plan In
the country as in the city,"
"Better. We don't have swarms OF
bargain. hunters to contend with. A
man doesn't hitch up and drive ten Oh
fifteen miles to buy only few yards
of prints. But he does buy the prints. u
"Do you do any advertising apart
from newspapers"
] "Some. We have had our ads print
ed as circulars and have mailed them
to list OF good people. 1t has its eff
feet where the newspaper fails, for the
reason, 1 suppose, that it is gratifying
to some natures to be appealed to per.
sonally. They like to feel that they
have been especially remembered, and
they come in and tell us that they got
our letter and we tell them we thought
they wouldn't like to miss the good
things we are offering, and all is love
ly."
"Where did you learn to advertise
Mr.. Magner?"
"Bless you! / don't know how t.
advertise. / am an Interested reader
of the advertising columns of the Chi
cago dailies. We have goods that thu
people want and we try to make 1t t.
their advantage to buy ofus. To tell {
plain story of the goods and the ad
vantage is all try to do"
"Then you consider the so-called ad
vertising expert Unnecessary"
"Not at all; he is all right in hi
place. But the most expert exper
can't sit in New York Office and tall
about my goods to my trade as well a
I can do it myself. If that be egotisn
make the most of it. / receive cir
culars every day from young men VIII
tell me they can increase my trade b.
telling me how to advertise. Perhap
they can. But they can't tell tn
plain truth ih any less time than Cal
do it myself, and they don't know on
stock nor our people. They know
everything else though. They must O
they wouldn't dare say so so often"