The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-06-14
COSTS MARKS USED
IN MARKING GOODS
Secret Cipher System OF Mer
chants Is PuzzIing to
Customers.
Intended 1T SHOULD BE
Most Systems Now in Use Arc tmprae,
ticabIe, Being Too Easy of So
luton or Too I'm
wieidy.
Intended 1T SHOULD BE

Speaking of old fashioned COZ
marks, says a writer In the jewelers.
Circular, a majority of the cost mark
ing systems now in use are imprac,
ticable, being either unwieldy or TOD
asy to solve.
The first systems were based on the
use of words containing ten letters, no
two alike. each letter representing a
mineral. Probably the most venerable
of the words still in use is:
w A S H 1 N CT OK
1234567S90
Another. somewhat less easily de-
c%ipherable by the customer, is:
ONT GIVE UP
Another n is:
b e A mi KOST
123456789O
Such marks as these are no secret II
one sets himself to pick them out. Us.
ually all that is necessary Is to find
out what several Of the ten letters are,
and then fix upon the ones most likely
to represent 1, 5 and o. Such secret
cost marks can be figured out In this
way IN five minutes sometimes. Other
merchants use the letters in this way:
A B c d e f G HIJ
Or, as follows:
x w v DTSR q
234567S90
oNAAA OShS SolClI dhC eNSIH SGCOnO
etter In the alphabet or every third
'etter, beginning at either end
The browning argument against
these systems is that all betray the
fact that they are cost marka B I
on a tag can mean nothing but cost.
What does it matter? Only this,
that the more the customers mind Ia
diverted from thoughts of what the ar
ticle costs the dealer. the more likely
he is to be favorably Impressed with
the article itself.
The solution of the problem lies in
using q cost mark which will appear to
be something else. An ideal cost mark
bered key; that may be transmitted by
voice; that Is so simple In form as to
minimize chances of error in writing
and reading. and that Is not what it
seems. The following is such & one:
Il 2 3 A."
To use it: 1 doubles the figure.
placed after it, 2 adds so per GER to
h figures placed after it, 3 deducts q
third, 4 deducts a half. The cost mari
key is always the initial letter. To II.
lustrate its use:
In marking the cost on an article
costing 60 cents, one may write It in
four ways-13O, 24O, 800, 42o-as the
figures. the initial Q means to add 50
per cent. To the following figures, the
initial 8 means to deduct a third from
the following figures. etc. thus: 100
(2x3o) is 60; 240 Gao plus SO per cent?
Is 60; 800 600 minus a third) is 60, and
t120 Q20 minus a half is GO.
In writing the cost on the goods I'M
der this system the ~abbreviation mo"
or the sign-is placed before the cost.
Thus the customer is led to believe that
1t is the number of the article, instead
Of h cost mark. This makes it q
great advantage in a conversation be-
tween the clerk and the manager OF
proprietor before a customer.
For instance, the customer is pro-
testing against the price. The clerk
nay think a reduction wise, and that II.
will be granted by the manager, or he
nay desire the managers Endorsement
Of the price.
The manager does not have to ex.
anime the tag or ask it's price to Learn
the cost. He simply asks: What
number is it?" The letter or hero.
glyphic system would not permit this
simplicity in such a case.