Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 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 chespness-un.
thinking People Victims.

The theory upon which a great
number of mail order concerns pro-
coed 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 well
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 of the trade of local dealers,
and with hopes of selling other goods
at enormous profits. Then the ad.
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 compare.
son of goods of which they know the
selling price. If IA certain rife Is al.
ways sold in the gunstores at sl4 and
III tdNdlbkut IOlht btllN lllt Nhlllt oN
81, the average man realizes that he
is getting a bargain, even though the
concern may lose n 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.
II is knowing this fact that causes
the mail-order houses to resort to
this trick. Then there Is difference in
quality of goods. In the different
lines there are different grades. 1t is
not long ago that a United States
district court grand jury returned an
indictment against a 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
Germ, did not contain a trace of white
lead. and IA 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, n little better
than brass. Gold always has a GER.
tain value. Whether Il is in jewelry
or In a coin of the realm, the value
is Just the anne Its 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 1t is
claimed is represented in 1t 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
ize mail.order concerns should under.
stand that in the majority of cases
they are paying more than they would
be compelled to pay IL 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 p~atronize 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
a 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 a differ
n 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 win
loon be compelled to get out of bust
ness for lack Of patronage. The mail.
order concerns look for a new crop
Of suckers every year, and they find
more or less of a crop.