The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-06-01
SHOPPING
In LONDON
Methods Of the Big Stores In the
English Metropolis.
Al Ruse That Was Met by q Clever
Counter Ruse--The Agitatirs Ex-
psriences Of an American Woman
Who Was Looking For Bargains.


pericnces Of an American Woman
Who Was Looking For Bargains.
In American shops the establishment
nnd the customer are separate entities.
The firrn displays its wares; the buyers
examine them and purchase or not, as
they see tit.
In London II Is different. The mo-
tnent yon enter the door OF shop you
are accepted az part and parcel Of its
interests. member Of the family, as
it were. Then shopwaller pounces
upon you and insists Oh knowing what
you want. RI you hesitate as to your
reply, he plants himself sauarely In
front or you and waits. When, in
sheer desperation (for you had intend
ed q happy, almless sort Of looking
about, you say gloves he grasps
your arm, firmly marches you to the
glove counter. seats you at It and de-
tails salesperson to walt upon you.
All this happened to me. and In an
exasDerated frame Of mind bought a
pair of gloves merely to keep peace In
the family, but the bland and gentle
manly glove seller had no notion Of let
ting me on SO easily. lie took ii for
granted that that first pair was simply
BY way of preface, and he displayed
gloves OF thy size Of all styles and col
ors. The very foregoneness Of his con-
cluslon that l would buy them all irri-
fated me, and, briefly announcing that
wanted no more gloves, paid him
for the pair had bought. Surprised
and grievsd beyond expression, he
beckoned the shopwaIker, and together
they cross examined me as TO why
refused to buy more gloves. Did the
coIors not suit me7 We're the prices
not reasonable9 Disdalning to, answer
these questions, endeayored to stalk
haughtiIy away, but this was not al
lowed More in sorrow than In anger,
they told me must wait for my bin.
As the gloves were to be sent and I
had given the exact change deemed
this unnecessary but soon found II
to be one OK their memorable iaws
Bills, signed and countersigned, must
be waited for, no matter how triflng
tho purchase.
The next thing ! learned was that
the price asked Is far from being the
real selling price OF the article.
cringed at the thought OF Offering 3
guineas for seven guinea hat, but 1
soon learned that it was expected Of
a customer and that the marked prices
were merely amounts from which to
begin the dickering
And the ruses resorted to by these
wicked miIllners! In Mayfair is one
OF the most fashionable millinery shops
! in the world over the door gilt let
! tiers spell one OF the most famous
/ Partisan names To this shop / went
for a hat. Being very canny, ex-
pressed great interest in several hats
which l knew | should not buy. at
last earelessly inquired the price Of
hat which had really charmed me
from the first The price was 8 guineas.
As 1t bore four magnificent ostrich
! plumes. this price was not exorbitant;
but. knowing the game, bargained.
First / asked If they would call 1t
pounds instead Of guineas. This meant
a reduction In price OF only sshillings.
but tire indlgnity q discovered) was
beyond all words. With scathing
glance the saIeslady Informed me that
4 they never sold by pounds Ia that shop,
and / stored away the knowledge for
future use in swagger establishments.
Determined TO beat them at their
own game. | then offered guineas
/ for the hat This was met with ap;
propriate expressions of horrifed sur
prise. and as a great concession az
I guineas was proposed. remained
firm in my six guinea Offer and, after
d felnt Of leaving the shop without
buying hat It was reluctantly ac-
cepted
Then followed what considered a
ruse of extreme cleverness on my part.
/ / had been told that If left new hat
to be sent home the mllliner would
change the trimming for others that
! looked the same, but were OF inferior
quality. / had been advised, therefore,
on purchasing hat - carry II away
with me in order 10 prevent this. SO
/ remarked on paying for this hat that
as I wished to wear It that very after
noon would take 1t with me, the
large bandbox being easily managed in
my hanson cab, The saleslady kindly
agreed to this plan and sent the hat
upstairs 10 be boxed.
After waiting fifteen minutes for the
/ hat 70 return to me began to grow
/ suspicious. and when 1t did come /
deliberately united the box, removed
the tissue paper wraprings and ex-
nmmed the hat sure enough, the four
long, rich ostrich plumes had been re-
moved and replaced By four others Of
the same color, but Of distinctly
cheaper grade boldly declared this
fact, but the saeslady haughtily de-
MED It.
"FiutH said !, TOOK IN the hat See
the stitches. hastily put in TO hold
these feathers They were not there
when tile hat teri me-"
"AhM she said merely few
stitches 70 fasten bit Of trimming
that was loosew
And nothing remained for me but to
take the hat and depart could not
4 prove my case | could gel no redress.
But ! learned, when buying a hat to
I pin II firmly on my head and walk
away. leaving my own old hnt 10 be
4 sent home
think such an episode would not oc-
! cnr M nnN rnnlllnLln shNn HI Amnricn-