Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 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
coed is to select a certain number Of
articles, those of standard values and
wellknown, 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 lowey 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 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 a certain rifle is al
ways sold in the g%unstores at $14 and
the catalogue house sells the same al
$11, the average man realizes that he
is getting a bargain, eve 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 tt
this trick. Then there is difference il
quality of goods. In the differen'
lines there are different grades. 1t is
not long ago that a United States
district court grand jury returned al
Indictment against a large mail-ordel
house on three different charges o
fraud. In each case there a mis-
representation. One of the charges
was that pure whit. lead paint, sup
posed to be manufactured by the con
Germ, did not contain a trace of whit
lead, and was manufactured by con
tract by another concern. The othe
charge was that ieWelry was misreI
resented. In the matter Of jewelr,
there is great chance for fraud. Tha
which is called solid gold may be no
over one-tenth gold, a little bette
than brass. Gold always has q Gel
tain value. Whether it is in jewelr
or in a coin of the realm, the valu
is just the same. It's purity an
weight is what counts. It is curiou
how intelligent people who know G
the fixed value of gold will take tn
word of a mail-order schemer as t
quality, when the article is sold at
less price than the metal which it /
claimed is represented in it can b
bought for in the markets.
Low prices are generally quote
upon goods which the average peopl
understand, and are acquainted will
and the loss is made up on the classe
OF goods which allow the practice
deception, of the value of which tn
people little know. People who patrol
ize mai1-order concerns should unde
stand that in the majority of case
they are paying more than they woul
be compelled to pay if they mad
their purchases at home. Then ther
is involved the principle of sendin
money away from the neighborhoo
where it is earned.
If the people who %patronize mai
order houses would only buy sue
goods as they know are priced belo
cost to the concern, the mail-ordt
houses could not continue in bushes
a year But these concerns know thi
Mr.. Barnum was about right when
said that the American people lii
to be humbugged." They transa'
their business accordingly. The hon
merchant must go ahead on a diffe
emit basis. He depends upon his rep
tation for square dealing. He know
that he must be honest, whether he
j, inclined to be or not, or that he wi
soon be compelled to get out of bus
ness for lack of patronage. The ma
order concerns look for a new Gre
/, of suckers every year, and they fir
: more or less of a crop.