The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
CROWDS OF BUYERS IN TOWN.
NEW YORK WHOLESALERS NAVE
A RECORD BREAKING SEASON.

A RECORD BREAAlNu SEASON.
All Parts OF tho Country Buying More Goods
| and Better Goods Than Ever Bessre
Many women Among the Buyers
Proof OF tho COuntry's Prosperity.
There ia an unprecedented number OF
buyers in town just now. The Wholesale
merchants and the room clerks at the hotels
most patronized by buyers alike testify
to the fact. A manager Of the Merchants
Association gave the following statistics
on the subject:
an little more than month. and leaving
out part OF last week, more than $500
buyers representing nearly every State
in the Union, registered at this offioe,
about 20 per cent more than came during
the same length Of time last season.
"Of course, this association doesn't
come in contact with half the buyers who
visit New York. A lot Of them won't 60
through tho red tape, as they call 1t. neces-
sary to entitle them to excursion dates and
rates. They prefer coming ut their own
time and as they please.
"One thing il certain. there have never
been so many buyers in New York during
any six weeks before as in the last six
weeks Most Of the far West and far South
buyers have been here and gone, but just
now we are flooded with buyers from the
Middle West, Middle South. Northern and
Eastern States
At hotel in lower Broadway much
patronized by buyers the clerk said in
answer to question:
! hov hol mn hilvorR arriya
! in one week this season, and as many as
400 have registered in one day. Nearly
one-half the number were women"
The women buyers are about ten times
as many as they were ten years ago. Nova
days they come to buy almost everything
except perhaps mems clothing, and, ac-
cording to one prominent merchant quite
capable Of Judging, they show more taste
and better judgment at their work than
the average man buyer. Still there are
other merchants who insist that when it
comes to comparison the woman buyer
is not in it.
"To some extent" said a merchant.
'the really competent buyer Is born, not
made. have in mind right now buyers
who have been coming to New York for
many years, season after season, who can
tell with their eyes shut almost the precise
quality and price Of some kinds OF dress
goods They simply feel OF them.
Where il the woman who can do that!
Women buyers as rule cost less than
men, which Ia ono reason, think, for the
grea increase in their numbers; and an
other reason is the multiplication of de-
partment stores all over the country and
81. .,f rat
every one or two departments
Sometimes OF late q well known man
buyer comes in here with half dozen
women buyers in tow. to introduce them
They are all from the same establishment.
Afterward the women may buy here or
elsewhere. as they choose"
A visit Just now to any Of the big whole
sale houses into which few years ago .
woman seldom penetrated and then only
with msgivings, reveals the fact that most
Of the women buyers are comparatively
Young, that there are beves OF them in
every store, aud that they hang over the
counters and fondle the goods very much
after the fashion Of retail women shoppers
further uptown.
That they get lot more attention from
statesmen than uptown shoppers ever get
is also obvious. If, for instance, the lunch
hour comes around and finds woman
buyer still undecided as to her selection.
the salesman insists on carrying her on
to luncheon And that is not all. She
may also get an invitation TO dinner and %
the theatre, too.
Much depends on how far her purchases
have extended In the wholesale business
these days it is a poor salesman that let's
a customer escape to rival firm II little
! personal attention will prevent 1t.
Youth and good looks score come times
on the side of theatre invitations. but as a
rule the strongest etermining factor 10 the
order the buyer may be thereby influenced
to leave with the salesman. Plain or pretty,
/ the woman buyer Is sure to get her luncheo n
} given to her II she wants 1t.
The other day at a wholesale millinery
house woman buyer sat within rallied
off enclosure close to the firms private
Office. She was neither Young nor good
looking Her hair was gray, her face yell
low and wrinkled And yet the head OF the
, establishment hustled about to get her q
fan which she was loudly demanding in
, French, and the head salesman flew ( o bring
her glass Of water
, The woman, IL came out was from Mexico,
and represented firm that had dealt with
the New York house many years. After
= tanning herself vigorously for some time
she drew out a cigar case, lighted a
, cigarette put her feet up on the rungs
Of chair and contentedly blew great
rings Of smoke in the air-an act not man
: in the place would dare to initiate.
Not until the cigarette was finished did
she 20 to work to buy flowers and feathers
enough to stock town. A member of the
firm himself took the buyer from Mexico
to lunch,
During the last ten days there has bsen a
, general opening OF untrimmed and trimmed
millinery all over the city, which accounts
to some extent for the surprising number
Of women buyers on hand. 1t goes without
|, saving that this unusual influx OF buyers
makes glad the heart Of the VIII olesale
dealer. 1t means money, and plenty OF it
in his pocket,
Most merchants say also that 1t means
i, , a business boom to the wholesale district
Of New York. Sitting in his private Office
the senior member Of one OF the largest
oldest and best known wholesale Broad
way dry goods houses stopped sorting his