The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-01-23
TRAPS FOR UNWARY
ADVERTISING TRICKS OF MAIL
ORDER HOUSES.
GOODS PRICED BELOW COST
Articles of Standard Value Frequently
Sold at Cost to Create False I'm
preston of cheapness-Un-
thinking People Victims.

The theory upon which a great
number of mail order concerns pro-
ceed is to select a certain number of
articles, those of standard values and
well-known, and mark them down to
wholesale prices or lower. This is
for the purpose of batting" as we'll
as to give the impression that regular
dealers are selling goods at prices
too high. On many widely advertised
goods which are in constant demand
the mail order house advertises prices
much lower than the actual cost of
the goods to the house. This is done
with a view of catching customers,
killing off the trade of local dealers,
and with hopes of selling other goods
at enormous profits. Then the adj
vertising part of the deal is of some
value.
People like to buy goods at the
lowest possible cost. They get i'm
pressions of low prices from compari-
son Of goods of which they know the
selling price. If a certain rifle is al
ways sold in the gunstores at $14 and
the catalogue house sells the same at
S11, the average man realizes that he
is getting bargain, even though the
concern may lose a half dollar in the
transaction. But the man is also i'm
pressed with the idea that prices are
just as low on other goods of which
he has little information as to values.
1t is knowing this fact that causes
the mail-order houses to resort to
this trick. Then there is difference in
lines there are different grades. 1t is
not long ago that a United States
district court grand jury returned an
Indictment against large mail-order
house on three different charges of
fraud. In each case there was mis-
representation. One of the charges
was that pure white lead" paint, sup
posed to be manufactured by the con-
Cern, did not contain trace of white
lead. and was manufactured by con-
tract by another concern. The other
charge was that jewelry was misrep-
resented. In the matter of jeWelry
there is great chance for fraud. That
which is called solid gold may be not
over one-tenth gold, a little better
than brass. Gold always has a GER
tain value. Whether it is in jewelry
or in a coin of the realm, the value
is just the same. It's purity and
weight is what counts. 1t is curious
how intelligent people who know of
the fixed value of gold will take the
word of a mail-order schemer as to
quality, when the article is sold at a
less price than the metal which it is
claimed is represented in it can be
bought for in the markets.
Low prices are generally quoted
upon goods which the average people
understand, and are acquainted with,
and the loss is made up on the classes
Of goods which allow the practice of
deception, of the value Of which the
people little know. People who patron
lze mail-order concerns should under
stand that in the majority of cases
they are paying more than they would
be compelled to pay if they made
their purchases at home. Then there
is involved the principle of sending
money away from the neighborhood
where it is earned.
If the people who patronize mail.
order houses would only buy such
goods as they know are priced below
cost to the concern, the mail-order
houses could not continue in business
year. But these concerns know that
Mr.. Barnum was about right when he
said that the American people like
to be humbugged." They transact
their business accordingly. The home
merchant must go ahead on differ
ent basis. He depends upon his repu-
tation for square dealing. He knows
that he must be honest whether he is
inclined to be or not, or that he will
soon be compelled to get out of busi-
ness for lack Of patronage. The mail
order concerns look for new crop
of suckers" every year, and they find
more or less of a crop.