The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-26


bring their wares 49,
and exhibit them = 49,
10 the representatives OF Santa Claus.
who journey from every country and
every cline. Each exhibitor tries TO
display his wares To the best advant-
age. and IL is safe To say that nowhere
else in the world may one behold such
a marvellous aggregation of playthings
The men who constitute the army
OF toy-buyers are without exception
men with big hearts and a thorough
understanding of child nature. They
must be able 10 forecast the desires of
children OF the world before they can
be successful toy-buycrs. II is a well
recognized fact that Santa Claus has n
species OF intuition which enables him
TO tell just what each child would like
To have. and this makes the desires or
children the final verdict as to what
kinds OF toys will find ready sale
The buyer who is unable TO approx
imately forecast the demands OF the
children will find himself overstocked
with unstable toys, and will there
fore be failure in the business.
The buyers who go TO the big Euro
who buy in vast quantities. Those
from the United States represent big
importing houses in New York and
other cities. After having made a
thorough study OF what proved popu-
lar with the boys and girls of the
country last year. the buyer tries TO
look into their hearts and inform him
self as TO any changes in their wishes.
Then he is ready for business. He
must be as careful TO buy toys
destined TO prove popular, as he must
be careful not TO buy too many toys
that are unpopular. for If he
found. when he came back TO the
United States, that certain toy was
good seller and that his house was
not adequately supplied TO meet the
demand, he will be a failure as a toy
buyer.
When the toys are brought TO New
York. sometimes almost by the ship
load. they are sent TO big warehouses.
"A reasonable number OF each kind OF
toy is selected and carried 10 the big
wholesale toy establishments. In the
toy-buying season the importers en-
tirely overrun the hotels of the trade
| centers, and hundreds OF large sample
=, rooms are converted into toy empor-
iums. The importers aim I, have
their supply of toys on hand by Febru'
airy, so that one Christmas is scarcely
passed before preparations for another
are begun. Buyers from all over the
/ United States flock TO these toy en-
poriums and make their selections for
the Deco 1ber trade Every device
known in the world of craftsmanship
is en-. loyed TO make these toy EN-.
porium exhibits attractive TO buyers.
Toy railroads are operated on SEIZED
ules that are perfectly wrought out.
and every kind Of toy is displayed in
the most attractive manner possible.
he toys are then" shipped to the re-
tail toy dealers of the country and they
begin. about the middle OF November
10 play their roles as aids TO Santa
f, Claus. The boys and girls OF the
! city come in and look over the stock
Of toys. and alert ears are kept open
TO hear their comment and 10 convey
them TO old Santa. Some toy dealers
are more interested in furthering the
work of Santa than others One deal
er has gone so far as TO place a letter
! box in his store. inviting the children
who come there to write their letters
and place them in this BOX He guar
antees that if names and addresses are
I furnished the letters will be delivered
in due time to Santa Claus AS the
agent of the good old Saint the dealer
opens these letters and makes a list
Of the names and addresses he finds
! He not only notes the desires OF the
children who write the letters for the
Z .tcstf, h,,t f,.t,
! track Of tn for the next year.
Another toy dealer. In order 10 get
| in touch with the boys and girls Of
his town. agreed TO give toy to every
child who ould come to his store
and leave his name and address.
Nearly every youngster in the town
came. and received toy which ordin-
arily retails for five cents. In this
way the dealer got large list Of
names and addresses. and made many
! friends who are expected to stand him
! in good stead in the years 10 come.
! He is one OF those farseeing business
men who believe IL to be good bust.
ness policy to win the friendship OF
children These children are to he
! the grownups OF tomorrow, aud they
will be a pulling power for the store
today and big factor in its tr de in
! the future.
4 merchant in Chicago who con.
| ducts one Of the most important toy
cmporiums of that city makes IL an
! invariahle rule never TO tell a child
il must not handle the TOYS on the
tables in his store. He SAYS that the
small amount which broken toys cost
him is the best advertising he can do,
and his clerks give a standing invi.
tation to every boy and girl TO play
with the toys on exhibition 10 their
hearts content. He charges all broken
toys to his advertising account and
Is thoroughly satisfied with the result.
A western toy dealer found last
Christmas that he had on hand a lot
OF toys OF the general class designated
az SLOW movers" He wanted to get
them off his shelves aud decided To
put them up at auction. With this
end I'm view he placed the entire lot
i'm his show windows and announced
that he would sell them 10 the highest
bidder. each bidder to mail his bid i'm
n sealed envelope for the given toy
desired. Upon the day announced the
bids were opened and II was found
that every one Of the TOYS had been
bid on. While some of them went for
a Song. the general average Of the
bids received was such that their total
selling price was II per cent above
their cost
Department store people always