The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-01-25
TRAPS FOR UNWARY
ADVERTISING TRICKS OF MAIL
ORDER HOUSES.
GOODS PRICED BELOW COST
Articles Of Standard Value Frequently
Sold at Cost 10 Create False i'm
preston Of Championships
thinking People Victims.

The theory upon which great
number OF mail order concerns pro-
coed Is 10 select 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 10 the house. This is done
with a view OF catching customers.
killing on 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 compari-
son OF goods OF which they know the
selling price II certain rife is al
ways sold in the gunstores at sl4 and
the catalogue house sells the same at
s11, the average man realizes that he
is getting a bargain, even though the
concern may lose half dollar In the
transaction. But the man is also Inn
pressed with the idea that prices are
Just as low on other GOODS OF which
he has little information as TO values
IL is knowing this fact that causes
the mail-order houses 20 resort to
this trick Then there Is difference in
quality OF goods. In the different
lines there are different grades IL 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 10 be manufactured by the con.
cern, did not contain a trace or white
lead, and was manufactured by CON
tract by another concern The other
charge was that jewelry was misrep-
resented In the matter Of iewery
there is great chance for fraud That
which Is called solid gold may be not
over one-tenth gold little better
than brass Gold always has Ger
tain value whether 81 IS IN iewelry
or In coin OF the realm the value
is just the same It's purity and
weight IS what counts II Is curious
how Intelligent people who know Of
the fixed value of gold viii take the
word OF mail.order schemer as 20
quality, when the article IS sold at
less price than the metal which IL f.
claimed Is represented IN II can be
bought for in the markets
Low prices arc 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.
lie mallorder concerns should under
stand that IN the majority OF cases
they are paying more than they would
be compelled 70 pay II they made
their purchases AZ home Then there
Is involved the principle or sending
money away from the neighborhood
where II Is earned
II the people who patronize mail
order houses would only buy such
goods as they know are priced below
cost 10 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
10 be humbugged They transact
their business accordingly The home
merchant must SO ahead on a differ.
ent basis lie depends upon his repu
tatlon for square dealing He knows
that he must be honest, whether he IL
Inclined 10 be or not or that he will
soon be compelled 20 get out OF bust
ness for lack OF patronage The mail
order concerns look for new crop
OF suckers" every year. and they find
more or less OF crop.