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

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I Here, fully ten ASfr6A.J
| thousand toy.mak-
| ing establishments .sss.
bring their wares 49,
| and exhibit them
10 the representatives OF Santa Claus,
who journey from every country anu
every cline. Each exhibitor tries 10
| display his wares 10 the best advant-
age. aud il is safe 10 say that. nowhere
else i'm 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 tn forecast the desires or
children OF the world before they can
| be successful toy-buyers. IL Is a we'll
recognized fact that Santa Claus has a
species of intuition which enables him
| 10 tell Just what each child would like
10 have, and this makes the desires OF
children the final verdict as 10 what
kinds Of toys will find ready sale.
| The buyer who is unable To approx
| imately forecast the demands or the
children will find himself overstocked
with unstable toys, and will there
fore be a failure in the business.
The buyers who go TO the big Euro
pean expositions TO buy toys are men
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 10
look into their hearts and inform him
self as 10 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
he careful not 10 buy too many toys
that are unpopular: for If he
found. when he came back 10 the
United States. that a certain toy was
good seller and that his house was
not adequately supplied 10 meet the
demand, he will be a failure as toy
buyer.
When the toys are brought to New
York. sometimes almost by the snip
load. they are sent TO big warehouses.
A reasonable number OF each kind of
toy is selected and carried TO 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 q 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 10 these toy en-
poriums and make their selections fol-
the December trade. Every device
known in the world OF salesmanship
is EN- ,loyed 70 make Shese 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
to play their roles as aids 10 Santa
Claus. The boys and girls OF the
city come in and look over the stock
, of toys, and alert ears are kept open
10 hear their comment and TO convey
: them 10 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 il names and addresses are
l. furnished the letters will be delivered
| in due time to Santa Claus. AS the
l. agent of the good old Saint, the dealer
opens these letters and makes list
of the names and addresses he finds
!. He not only notes the desires of the
1 children who write the letters for the
present Christmas, but tries 10 keeI
track OF them for the next year
Another toy dealer, in order to gel
/. in touch with the boys and girls OF
2 his town, agreed TO give toy TO every
: child who you'd come to his store
and leave his name and address
Nearly every youngster in the town
came, and received toy which ordin
: arily retals for five cents. In this
!, way the dealer got a large list OF
n names and addresses. and made many
friends who are expected TO stand him
In good stead in the years to come
,. He is one OF those farseeing business
|, men who believe it to he good bust
= ness policy TO win the friendship OF
children. These children are to be
. the grownups Of tomorrow, and they
: VIII be a pulling power for the store
: today and big factor in its trade in
: the future.
merchant in Chicago who con
:, ducts one Of the most important toy
emporiums of that city makes II an
n invariable rule never to tell child
II 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 TO 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 LOT
OF toys of the general class designated
as SLOW movers. He wanted to get
them off his shelves and decided Il
put them up at auction. With this
end in view he placed the entire lot
in his show windows and announced
! that he would sell them To the highest
1 1{IInr .arb hiHIar IN mail his hid In