The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-04-26
SMALL ORDERS NOT
PROFITABLE TO The
MAIL ORDER HOUSES
BY o. A, CHARLES.

tCopyright by o. A. Charles, 1901
Practically every mail order house
In the country tells you that .hey do
not want your small orders. WhyY
Here is the reason. 1t takes about
as much time to handle an order for
so cents as 1t does a So order. Both
small and large orders go through the
same routine, the only difference is
that it takes little more time to fill
large order.
Now we want you to see the ingen-
uity with which the mail order houses
get around this troublesome point
the handling Of Improbable orders
improbable to them, mind you, not
to you.
Here Is what one mail order house
says: "We never claim that our Gus
toners can buy single items advan-
tageously from us. In fact, we advise
them not to, because freight on small
orders generally gets in the way"
They confess that 1t is Improbable
to handle small orders, but they try
to make 1t appear that they are anx'
ious to save the customers money.
Here Is what another mail order
house says on the same subject: mo
order will be accepted for less than
so cents" This house doesn't even
say please don't send small orders"
they simply say, 1--WE won't fill them.'
Quoting the mail order house fur
ther we find this statement: III you
want to make a real test, do what
we do when we make comparisons
make up list of $50 worth Of general
merchandise, send some stranger
around your town to buy the goods
over tn ecounter, then let us have the
same list and place the goods side by
side, then compare them"
See the point? They want you, In
making a comparison, to buy $50
worth of goods from them In one or
der, but they want you to send some
stranger to buy from the home mer-
chant, on or two articles at a time
over the counter.
Let me suggest comparison for
you to make. Make up an order for
$50 worth of merchandise. Present it
to one, two or three home merchants.
Get their prices on the order deliv-
cred to your home. Then select the
same articles from a mail order house
catalogue, add the freight, postage,
money order fee, drayage on your own
time for going to the station for the
onado Thar baua onynn dicipta od
party examine both lots of goods,
comparing them as to quality, price,
etc, and see what the verdict will be.
Everybody knows that you can get
more for your money by spending $50
at on time than by buying one dol.
lars worth so times. 1t isn't neces-
sary to send your money to Chicago
to prove that.
Here is phase of buying In guam
tity" that may have escaped your no.
tice: You surely can buy cheaper by
purchasing in quantity, but are you
sure 1t is profitable?
When you make up an order for
what you actually need and find that
you could get a lower price by in
creasing your order, won't you add to
your list articles that you really do
not need? The purchase of an article
that isn't an actual necessity is not
economy, 1t is extravaganza at any
time, and to buy useless merchandise
simply to get lower price is folly.
unless you can save enough on the
articles needed to pay for the extra
ones, and that is impossible.
Real economy Is to buy what yon
need, when you need 1t. Always buy.
ing the very best grade at the lowest
price you can get.
You will find that It will he real
economy to buy at home, from home
merchants = merchants you know.
whom you can trust for a square deal