The Jasper news., 1908-01-30
TRAPS FOR UNWARY'|
Z. ~ ~ Es AeS -
ADVERTISING tricks or MAIL
!. ORDER HOUSES.
GOODS PRICED BELOW COST
Articles of Standard Value Frequently
4 Sold at coststo Create False Inn 4
preston Of Cheapress--uR
thinking PcopIs Nlotinss.

number of mail aorder concerns 1bror-
coed is to select a certain number OF
articles, those of standard values and
well-known, and mark them down tol
wholesale prices or lower. This n,
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 adyertises prices
much. lower than the. actual cost OF
the goods to the house This is done
with view of catching customers,
killing off the trade of local dealers,
and with hopes Of selling other goods
at enormous profits. Then the ad-
yertising part Of the deal is Of some;
value. a.. q. .s,ts -. =. ~
ps5pits like to buy goodsS',at the
lowest possible cost They get ims
pressiols Of low prices from, Somtari,
son. OF goods OF which they, know" the
selling price. II certain rifle is al
ways solfin the. gunstores at $14fapd
the catalogue. house sells the same at
$11, the average man realizes that he
is, getting bargain, even though. the
concern may lose a half dollar In the
transaction But the man isaalso I'm
pressed with the fdeaI that gSices are
just as low on other goodse6f which
he has little Information as to values.
It is knowing this fact that causes
the maiiorder houses. to resort to
xl&s~t,l, nt,o,, Al o,.<> a., dtffA ra,, M, IN
quality Of goods: In the different
lines there are different grades. It's
not long. ago that a United States
district court grand Jury returned AIN
Indictment sgainst large mail-order
house on three different charges of
fraud In each cNsesI 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 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, little better
than brass Gold always has a GER
tain value. Whether It is in jewelry
or in 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 mail-order schemer as tc
quality, when the article Is sold at Q
! less price than the metal which 1t IL
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
Z goods which allow Nhe practice o.
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 casei
they are paying more than they woult
be compelled to pay If they mad,
their purchases. at home. Then ther'
Is involved the principle of sendinl
money away from the neighborhoot
where 1t is earned.
II the people who patronize mall
4 order houses would only buy sucl
goods as they know are. priced below
cost to the concern, the mail-orde
houses could not continue in business
Z year. Bit these concerns know tina
Mr.. Barnum was about right when h
said that the American people lik
to be humbugged." They transac
their business accordingly. The hom
merchant must 60 ahead on a differ
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