West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-11-04
BUSINESS AT HOME.
Effective Method Of Fighting the
Catalogue House.
TWO PROMINENT FEATURES.
Retail Merchants Can Compete by
Buying In Bulk, Paying In Cash at
Bedrock Prices and Selling Strictly
For Cash.

c1y'nS IN BULK, Paying In Cash at
Bedrock Prices and Selling Strictly
For Cash.
Many retail merchants have found
that the most effective method OF fight.
Ing the catalogue houses IL TO meot
them with their own weapons. There
IL no question that the two great fca.
lures OF the mail order business nrc
publicity and price. The publicity is
gained through the catalogue, the
price through buying or manufactur-
ing I'm largo quantities and selling al.
rect. The small retail merchant can
compete with the big houses on both
lines. BY watching opportunities, buy.
ing I'm bulk and paying cash nj bed.
rock prices and, what is still more I'm.
portant, selling for cash he can match
tho mail order prices or sell under
thom. AZ for publicity. he can meet
catalogue with catalogue. Il method
that many merchants have found high
ly profitable.
l have before mo an account OF n
case I'm point. IL IL published In tho
National Hardware Bulletin and re.
counts the experience OF j. NJ. Thomp-
son & Sons, retail hardware firm of
Owatonna, MINI, In the spring OF
zoos this house issued It's first cntn-
logue and recently got out third one.
II has doubled It's business I'm that
short time, although it had n thriving
trade before. Its first catalogue was n
thirty-two page, costing $50 thou
sand; the last one, siNty-four pages,
costing $50 per thousand. by electro.
typing its pages IL avoids setting much
new matter. The general style OF the
catalogues follows that OF tho mail
order houses. Distribution is made
through the mails, although personal
inspection OF goods is invited rather
than orders by post, and the advan-
tage In pointed out that the customer
thus has the advantage OF seeing what
he gets and IL not buying n pig in n
poke, as with the big catalogue houses.
In the introduction to their second
catalogue tho Thompsons make the
following announcement:
I'VE are fully aware that this Is n
progressive age and time when near
~ every one Is well read and posted
ana knows exactly what he wants or
nearly 80 and wishes to buy and Will
buy where he can Mt the best value
for his money; also that the time has
gone by when one man wishes TO pay
another's bad debts or to pay big in
terest on his purchases by having
them charged for from three months
TO three years. For this reason we sell
hardware for cash, as It Is the only
way we can sell at the lowest prices
and at the prices at which we are con-
tlnually selling.
This store does for you what the
catalogue house does not For your
convenience we keep at all times n
carefully assorted stock of seasonable
hardware. You can come to our store
and make your selection from the ac-
tual goods and not by pictures. An
other advantage I'm buying from US IL
that IL you buy an article that Is not
what II should be, I'm your opinion, you
can come to us and talk 1t over person
ally, and 1t is one OF our in1exible
rules that we satisfy each customer
I'm the fullest sense OF the word, both
I'm regard to price and quality. We
can show only n small part OF our
stock In this catalogue. II Is enough,
however, for you to compare prices
with all other competition"
Insistence IS made on the cash fea-
ture, and to It Mr.. Thompson, the
senior member OF the irm, attributes
his success.
There is no reason why retail mer-
chants should not adopt this method
I'm other cities and villages not only
in the hardware line, but I'm all others.
It would require work, but what bust
ness man expects 20 succeed I'm this
age without work7 IL entails expense,
but SO does any sort OF advertising.
The only question is, VIII It pay for
itselff The mail order houses find
that II pays and pays big. Such small
retail merchants as have tried II have
come 10 the same conclusion. In tbls
light Il can be regarded like any other
advertising. as an Investment that
brings In more than the original cx-
pendlture.
The advantages OF the catalogue are
obvious. It Is a convenience TO the
housewife and will for this reason
usually be preserved. II creates de-
mand, as does any advertising that f.
worth while II can be consulted by
the family at the nresidc. and as
prices are given II slmpll1es shopping
and enables the customer 10 figure I'm
advance as TO his outlay. 1t brings in
trade. II famillarizes the public with
the firms name. It can be mailed to
ell possible customers in any radius
selected It may even result I'm mail
orders or in orders sent by one farmer
with another. IL cuts OF the orders
OF the distant houses, for the reason
that any purchaser, other things being
equal, would rather trade at home
than abroad. For one thing, he can
inspect goods; for another, deliveries
are quicker FOR third, he keeps the
money I'm his own community; Tor q
/ fourth. he knows with whom he Is
| dealing.
As n method Of winning home trade,
try the catalogue. If it does not pay
for Itself II can be abandoned But
feel certain that once given n fair test
| 10 will become n fixture with any up
10 date merchant. Give your local
printer an order, mali Il out judicious
ly and watch your trade grow.
J =. EDGERToN
Shake on the grip Of your old enemy. nasal
catauh. BY using Ely's Cream Balm. rhen
will all the swelling and soreness be driven
suf OF the tender fuHarnrd r.er,troo.e ~.