The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-04-10
WHAT ARE CHEAP GOODS !?

Northfeld News
The great attraction that goods
advertised by mail order houses have
for the majority of people is their
cheapness. Articles of "a m liar
brands in common use are some
times offered by these houses at as
low price as they can be purchased
by ordinary dealers from the manu-
facturers. To all appearances the
article offered and the one with
which the public is familiar is the
same. When put to an actual use,
however. it will generally be found
that appearances are deceptive and
that the article sold by the cheap
mail order house is cheap product
made to initiate one which has an
established reputation.
An instance of how this has been
done has been brought to the atten-
ton of the News. In one of the
towns of southern Minnesota, not a
hundred miles from Mortified, there
has been manufactured for a num-
Der of years a first-class tanning
mill We will call it the "Chal-
lenge,' tho that is not the name
it goes by 1t has acquired consider
able reputation turnout the north
west as a machine that can be de-
pended upon to do good work. An
agent of mail order house, finding
that there was a demand for this
machine, thot it was a good idea
for his firm to handle it, and made
arrangements with the manufacturer
for thousand tanning mills to be
called, let US say Challenge B."
which would be to all appearances
an exact counterpart of the original
Challenge" but which could be
sold at lower price.
The manufacturer is now turn
ing these out and at the same time
he is keeping on making the old
Challenge on which the reputa-
, ton of the tanning mill was built
, up. An examination of two finished
mills as they stand side by side is
instructive. They are as alike as
two peas. The framework is the
same. the design is the same, they
are painted alike and finished alike,
and the casual buyer wouldn't see
: any difference in them at all.
But the manufacturer knows that
Challenge B" cost HIM four dollars
less to make than the old "Chal-
lenge." The workmen know that
whereas one is made from sound,
clear stock, the wood in the other is
f wormy and shaky and in every way
| inferior. You can find out if you
> inquire that the machine could be
made for even less if it was not
necessary to use so much putty be-
fore putting on the paint which
: makes it so attractive The me-
: chanic will tell you that they don't
9 take the pains to put "Chal.
lenge b. together that they do the
Challenge" and that the workman
ship covered up is inferior. Wher
e you come to examine the two ma
s chimes it is found that Challenge b
r has not got many of the extra part'
which always go with the old "Chal
lenge" to fit it to separate thu
! different kinds of grain and seed
|. In order to make machine to sci
: at the lowest price the manufactur
er made cheaper machine. TIL,
value isn't in it. Indeed, the higher
} priced machine is the cheaper pur
} chase. 1t will not only outwea
"Challenge B." but it will do bette
} work while it is in service.
D For the truth Of the statement
! here made the News is in a position
: to vouch. And what is true of tn
! ''Challege b. tanning mill is true o
!. buggies and sewing machines, an
I washers and wringers, and most ev
erything else offered by mail orde
houses at such extraordinary loy
prices. They are cheap and nasty
They are to all appearances the res
thing, but they are shams. There
, no economy in buying them. The
, will not stand the test Of actus
, daily use. 1t is poor economy t
D buy them.