Evening star., 1902-08-23
SHOPS ON COMMISSION
HOW A PHILADELPHIA WOMAN
MAKES A GOOD INCOME.
Loaning Money and Getting Twenty
Per Cent for Its Use Keeps
Her Rushing.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
A woman in Philadelphia is making a
comfortable income for herself by novel
phase of shopping on commission" AS a
matter of fact, she does shopping of any
kind herself, but she is registered at all the
first-class stores as a professional shopping
agent. and gets 10 per cent commission on
all goods purchased there in her name. She
began business in a modest way, having
saved $3.50, which she entered as security
at one department store as a start. Now
her business has grown to such proportions
that she has obtained credit at many shops,
and will take no more patrons upon her
list.
This list contains the names of women
drawing fair salaries in almost every pro-
fession and field of endeavor open to the
business woman Of today. Each patron
furnishes the agent with satisfactory ref
erences as to her reliability, and is there
upon given a list of the stores at which the
agent has accounts, and receives permission
to buy goods at any Of these in the agents
name and charge them to her.
If a large article, such as piece of fur
nfture, is bought the agent will accompany
the patron and arrange to have 1t sent at
once to it's final destination. But ordinarily
the patron goes shopping any day she
wishes and allows the packages to be sent
to the agents house, where she calls for
them later The agent keeps strict account
of everything bought by each patron-when
and where purchased At the end of each
month she pays up her bills at all the
stores promptly.
In the meantime her patrons are return
ing her the money they owe in weekly in
stalments varying from fifty cents to sew
eral dollars, according to the whole amount
due. In addition to this, each patron pays
the agent 10 per cent Of the amount ad-
vanced for her in return for the accommo-
dation. Thus the agent makes 20 per cent
on every article purchased in her name-10
from the store al which it is procured and
10 from the woman who ordered it. She
does not, however, lead an idle life, even
though she does no shopping for her money.
At present her list of patrons number 500,
and this entails such an amount of book
keeping that she is obliged to have the ser
vices of assistant for the work.
Must Be Shrewd
"The woman who would make a success
of this credit SYSTEM" the originator of the
scheme said In speaking of her work, must
be one of shrewd business ability, no nerves
and not too much heart. There are great
many dishonest people in this world. One
soon learns that. In spite of the trouble I
take to assure myself of the reliability of
every one l take upon my list, not half of
them pay up as they should. There is no
end to the tricks which even the women
holding the most responsible positions will
play one. And you have to be on the alert
and constantly investigate, or they may
lose their position and afterward run up
large bills with you without mentioning the
fact. Then you have to call week after
week on some of them to collect what is
owing you. When this happens once with
any patron, however, 1 promptly drop her
name from my list after collecting the first
amount due 1t doesn't pay to deal with
such people no matter how many custom
ers one loses. There are always plenty
more to take their place. l have as many
all the time as [ can possibly aecommo-
date and dozens waiting.
''It Is business which pays splendidly If
conducted on strictly business principles
On a bill amounting to s25 I ask IS down,
and the remaining $40. with the 50 added as
commission, Is paid in weekly installments
of 50 each So 1 gain 20 per cent on the
money advanced in eleven weeks time.
That is at the rate of % per cent on every
dollar invested for the year.
Last Christmastime netted over thou
sand dollars. l have to limit all my patrons
to certain amount during December, or the
bills which the stores would send on jan
uary 1 would be more than 1 could stand
for. I never allow any patron unlimited
credit at any time. l regulate the maxi
mum amount for which one can draw upon
me according to her work or position.
''The spring season. when the women lay
in their summer wardrobes, is another rush
season with me. Indeed I don't know of
any time which can be called dull for my
patrons are almost all business women who
are in town even in summer, except for
three or four weeks holiday