The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1902-02-07
THE BOOK SOLD MOST OF ALL.
Even the Most Popular Novels Be-
hind Record of the Bible.

New York Sun: There is one thing
in the way of a Christmas gift that you
don't hear much about said the busy
book store man, but whose sales at
this time reach tremendous proper
tions-the Bible.
you may talk about your multitude
nous editions of popular novels. but
the Bible leads them year in and year
out. 1t is probably issued in more edi-
tons and got up in more styles and
shapes than any other book in the
world.
Every bookseller aims to keep as
large an assortment as his trade will
allow: and as the profits on them are
from % to 60 per cent, they're a de-
cidedly paying line of his business. In
most of the larger stores there Is a
man who does nothing else but buy and
sell these books. and as there are not
many men who are up on Bibles, they
command a good salary.
You'd be surprised at the different
kinds of people who buy Bibles at
Christmas time. The boy who is away
from home is one typical customer.
He is apt to say that his mother
gave him one. bu that he has read it
through many times and the print is a
little fine. 1t isn't improbable that
he'll buy another large, ~well-bound
voluiae to send home. just to show the
old folks that he hasn't forgotten.
He may not be living up to the
teachings of the book, but when one
Is shown to him he always softens and
rarely goes out of the store without 1t.
Young girls, whether working for
their living or the daughters of we'll
to-do or wealthy parents, are frequent
buyers of Bibles, either for themselves
Dr. for some friend, most often a girl
friend.
"Old women are perhaps the heaviest
buyers of all. 1t is the grandmother
Dr. the aged aunt, you know, in every
we'll regulated family, who considers it
Ter duty TO see that each child Of either
lex has a copy of the book.
at is the old women. too, who are
responsible for many of the Bibles to
be found in the prisons. Millions Of
Bibles are bought and sent to prisons
throughout the country every year.
Tract and other religious societies
buy many of these, but it is a fact that
the majority of them are sent by kind
ly~-disposed old women.
even the Chinese buy Bibles. 1t Is
remarkable how easily the Celestials
learn to read English, and hundreds of
them are learning every year in the
mission schools of the city.
when they have mastered the all
: phabet they begin reading the Bible.
SThey seem to understand it, and wheth-
! ein they believe in it or not, it inter
cts them.
Next to Christmas. Easter is the
briskest time of the year in the Bible
trade, and all the church holidays have
an effect upon it. But at Christmas
t people buy them in the most expen-
sive aress.
You would be amazed at the beauty
and richness of some of the editions II
you're not up on the subject. We have
one, for instance, that is bound in seal
full gilt, on India paper, that is a great
seller as a gift for women.
at is really a wonder in bookmak-
: ing. There are several thousand pages
printed on both sides. 1t is unabridged
@ in every particular, and the type /:
legible. yet it is not much larger thar
a Columbian stamp.
q From this the editions vary through
II every conceivable size, shape, binding
II type, to the great family-record Bi
A bles in one direction or the cheap
poorly-printe0 board-bound editions IL
= another.
70 Here is one final little popularity o
J. the trade that is an open secret to ev
n cry Bible salesman. A man may OBJ
n iect to the prices on all other books
but he will never question the price o
n a Bible. This is not true of women.