New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17
CHRISTMAS 81 STRETCHED.
Valuable Gift Nag Be Made on
Small Holiday Outlay.

Hon, n make a dollar GO furthest is a problem
which ma ority of the people Of the United STATES
are considering earnestly at this particular VIC
Of the wear. at no other time does dollar !ooh
80 small when it IS IN your purse or so big wheh
il is marked upon tie price Tag OF soinethlhe you
would really like get fer some one toT
Al Chr.straast time a dollar is gone 9eio'e you
know it, YOU haven't made half your purchases ana
there are not any dollars where that last one
came from
A good many people have learned how 10 stretch
that last dollar that il looks many times laIse'
and II YOU VIII drop into the right department
store some day ard find tie night counter you wa!
see them performing tbs seemingly imposs'oie
operation.
There are sets Of ten big books on that counter
in fine morocco bindings. They rest in arlsuc
c1ser some OF them in polished oak. some OF tfleH
in that dark wea;hered oak which is now SO
popular. All in all, they comprise Christmas pres
ent which thousands have declared 10 be as sooo
as be offered II is hard TO conceive OF a re-
cipient who would not be happy 10 find them ms
own Christmas morning 1t would be oilhcuL'
for q g5ver TO find anything the giving of when
would reflect greater credit upon himself
These ten beautiful books are not sold for 81
that goes without saying But this department
store q few years ago. introduced a plan which
should bring these valuable books within the reach
Of almost every one particularly the man OF lin
tied income 70 whom they were likely TO De OF the
greatest help IN lettering his condition Frlor 10
the plan II was figured that the distribution Woua
rnanv times than had ever before been attempted
by any publishing house. 1t was figured 100 tha'
II these books. already well known and desired py
thousands could be sold material reducuoh
from the regular price, the demand would De IN
Simultaneous and the cost of preliminary adverus-
ing campo gn might be saved. The risk was great
but large edition ordered and the price was
cut squarey in TWO.
Even at this the distributing plan did not stop
II was foreseen that thousands Of people VINO want
ed these books would hesitate before they would
feel like expanding in one lump even nan me re-
ular price. So big book club was orsanlzeaLthhee
plan OF which provided that any member might
have the books delivered TO him on payment OF the
to the privilege of paying for the books in monthly
JAZZ Of he BOOKS as 70 Be almost insignificant
This wanamaker Century Dictionary and CYCLIC
e oTganization Of its kind Thousands and thou
sands Of people have found throHgh II ~ Ihe Teat
been able to secure il at just half the publishers
3rice Tie Wanarnal1er club has saved them sum
which aggregates nearly 100000 II. ,.,, 90
The club continued ndenteiy Is OF course,
little monthly payment privilege is TO be a! aDro
soon as the present edition (now coming from the
This fact accounts TO some extent, for the very
large number of people who this year are sfretGn1g
present. All day long the visitors to The Century
counter are numerous. and the young woman IN
charge is busy securing the enrolment OF many
women and gooa many men to the GgR, aG of
taking shipping instructions. the borrowing OF
which viii bring joy to many on Christmas morn
ing.
Judging from the remarks of many OF the new
club members this solution of a Christmas problem
is giving them fully much JOY as the books are
destined TO give the recipient Nearly every one
declares that The Century is something desired
for months by the person for whom it has been Sc
lected but that its purchase, just at Christmas
time and particularly this Christmas" would
hsve been OF the question if the entire cost had
TO be met at once. But the first payment does
not come due until after the holiday pressure has
vanished and the monthly payments are so small
its purchase is In way q burden 80
The fact too that the Wanamaker contract with
tho publishers ENDS with the sale OF this last edl-
ton has caused unusually large number TO
ma Ike the selection this season. Christmas morn
Ing therefore. viii md d good many happy owners
OF The Century