Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
TRICKS IN TRADING
WARNED AGAINST
PERSUASIVE sHoPKEEPERS.
limitations Given for Genuine Articles
by London Trades
men.

Like most old sayings, 1t Is only partially
true that men have their will. but women
have their way. In the question of shop
ping it is the reverse of this saying which
may be taken to fit the real facts OF the
case. One may say that too frequently
when a woman has desire to purchase
one thing the shopkeeper too often per-
suades her to purchase another. always TO
his profit and to her loss. 1t must have
been frequently noticed In advertisements
that such phrases as the following often
occur: See that you get 1t" beware OK
substitutes Avoid limitations" Insist
on so-and-so's." There is only one gem
uine such-and-such and other similar
cautions So often have these warnings
been given that they are in danger OF losing
their force. Those who shop are apt 10
let themselves be too easily persuaded 10
purchase, instead Of what they ask 1or'
these very limitations and substitutes
against which they have been warned:
When shopping it is well to bear In mlno
two points; firstly, that shop exists for
the purposes of providing you with what
you want; secondly. that the shopkeeper is
not above human weakness. and therefore
desires rather to sell you the goods on
which he makes the largest proht tnan
those which are most likely to suit your
requirements.
Example VS.. Precept.
An ounce of example is worth pound of
precept. Here some incidents. all OF
which must be matters of common expert
ence with the vast majority of those VINO
frequent the linen-drapers' shops Let US
imagine, and these imaginations are based
upon facts, that you have gone into a linen
Diapers with pattern of cloth which
you wish to have matched. not only in color
but in actual make this cloth bearing the
name and trade mark of particular manu-
oof,,r hnc
only good but exactly suited to your re-
quirements. You hand your pattern to the
assistant and tell him that you want so
many yards of this particular CLOTH Even
If you take the precaution to tell him the
name of it, he will in too many cases bring
you some cloth made by another manufac-
turer often enough deliberately made TO
look exactly like the well-known and popu-
lar cloth that you have asked for, and this
he will display to you, saying: Thls 49,
think, what you want.
You WILL in all probability. casually look
at it, see that it is apparently what you
have asked for, and purchase. II you were
wise, however, you would see that 1t was
marked with the makers name or trade
mark. Take another case: You go into a
shop and ask to see some of Brown, Jones
& Robinson's double velvetine. You will be
shown the proper goods but you may find
that you are not pleased with the colors of
those displayed You will say. Haven't
you got any light green?"
Substitution.
Here Is the shopkeeper's opportunity. He
will answer: Light green? Oh, yes! We
have something that will exactly suit you.
I think" He will unroll before you a
length of light green. but he will not tell
you that this is not Brown. Jones & Rob-
inson's double velvetine. but an imitation
Of it. or something similar to it. You, in
your innocence. will say, Yes. that's what
/ want" and will retire for the time con-
tented. In both these cases a wrong has
been done to you as well as to the manu-
facturer.
at various samples of some particular make
of flannel for which you have asked by
name. knowing from experience that 1t Is
of good quality and substance You are
not exactly pleased with what is shown
you, the pattern on it or the color not be-
ing quite what you want, and your eye
catches roll of flannel on the shelf behind
the assistant which looks exactly like that
you wish to have, and you say There Is
some up there" pointing to the shelf,
(which seems exactly the color 1 want"
The shopman says, "Oh, yes" hands the
roll down for your inspection but does not
tell you that though in appearance it is
exactly the same as the make Of flannel for
which you have asked, 1t is in reality quite
different make. Here, again. both you
and the manufacturer suffer, and the shop
profits. These tricks are played upon one
not only in small shops. but in some of the
largest and most reputable. The shopkeep-
err who does not run his business entirely
for your benefit, nevertheless forgets an i'm
portant thing. He does not realize that his
is short-sighted policy; that it best bene-
fits him to please and to keep his customers
rather than to disgust them for the sake of
an extra immediate profit. In some meas
ure, however, he counts upon the chance
that when Disguised with what he has sold
them they may lay the blame. not upon
his shoulders. but upon those Of the manu-
facturer of the genuine goods, for which
his customers asked and which they be-
lieved they purchased.