The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-03-11
SENDING away
FOR GOODS
A READER TELLSOF
HIS EXPERIENCE

More Energy on the Part Of the Local
Business Man Needed. People do
NotILike to Buy From Catalogues.
Editors Review; Dear Sirs:-In
company doubtless with hundreds Of
others, read the article in your last
issue, telling the experience OF Farmer
Bings. realize that this was meant
for roast" for those people who
prefer to spend their money abroad
rather than at home. and feel that it
is we'll deserved. There is hardly q
man who has not had similar expert
ences. Some one said that sucker
was born every minute, and from all
appearances the crop was not over
estimated. Nevertheless there are
two sides to this question, and believe
that the Review as fair newspaper
will be willing to present them both.
The farmers are not the only people
who buy out of town. How often do
we see the item in our county papers
that Mrs. So-and-So has gone to Omaha,
Chicago, Des Moines or Sioux City for
q weeks shopping. These people are
wealthy. They can afford to go and
see for themselves the things which
the farmer orders from the catalogue
Again, how often do we see merchants,
handling for instance dry-goods,
jewelry or clothing, give q sly wink
and say they order goods in other
lines for themselves because they can
get them at wholesale prices. If they
expect to sell their goods at a profit
why should they not give the merchant
handling another line q chance to
make a profit too. What is sauce for
the goose is sauce for the gander. If
it is against good policy for the farmer
to send to the mail order houses, it is
equally against good policy for the
wealthy business men to have his
family make trips to the large cities
to make purchases of goods, and for
merchants to take advantage of their
Wholesale connections to purchase
family supplies outside OF the line
which they carry.
There is another thing which the
merchants in our small towns should
consider. and that is that if they want
trade, and want to build up trade they
must go after it. People buy two
classes of things, those things which
they need, and those things which they
do not need. 1t is natural that the
first class should be bought at the near.
est point, and it is also natural that as
these are necessities they represent
the goods which give the lowest profit
to the dealer. 1t is said that the i'm.
mense stores in the large cities could
not live if they sold to the people only
that which they had to have. Bymeans
LOT handsome display windows, by
special attractions, by liberal advertis-
ing and by pei sonal letters and
circulars they induce the people to buy
many things which they do not absolute
~ need but which they would like to
have. In other words, they create a
desire for the things they have for
sale. What desire to buy is created
by the merchant who sits back of his
counter all day grumbling because
trade is not better, whose show win
ows are full OF wormy apples and last
year So goods, dirt, and who advertises
in the newspapers that he carries a
stock of general merchandise? What
is there about the man, or his store, or
his advertising announcement which
creates want that he can fill? He
may have the goods stored away on his
shelves, he may be able to send for the
particular thing which you desire, but
he does not present it to you in an APP
petizing and attractive way. The
farmer goes into his store and swaps
his butter and eggs for necessities, and
then goes home and reads in the illus-
trated catalogue about the special
merits OF this, that or the other thing
described at length, told in glittering
phrases with all the glibness OF the
best statesmen, and he buys these goods
of the mail order houses, of course he
does, The country merchant gives
the mail order houses cards and spades
and then wonders why he does not
win the game. l have been looking
through the columns of the county
papers which ] take, and I find that
there are buifew merchants who have
grasped the idea of modern advertising
and who really tell the people about
the things they have for sale and the
price for which they can be bought,
who create desire on the part of the
possible purchaser for the goods they
have in stock. 1t is well enough for a