Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-12-29
BOUGHT BETTER GOODS
Than EVER BEFORE
Merchants Report of Holiday
Trade This Year.

The local merchants had all caught
their breath by yesterday and had be-
gun the study of the holiday trade,
which means the December trade as
whole. as many shoppers began the
purohasc of purely holiday goods in
the very first days of the month.
Not a dissenting voice is heard TO
the proposition that the trade for 1910
was excellent, with many merchants
it SURPRISING in volume that of any
previous December, and the total for
Americus unquestionably considerably
exceeding that of any previous De-
cember. This is all the more gratify-
ing as there had been some misgiy-
lngs that owing to the shortness of
the cotton crop the trade this year
would tend to show some shrinkage.
One of the most gratifying features
OF the trade this year, as voiced by
several merchants with whom a
Ilmes+RecOrder representative talk
ed yesterday, was the fact that the de-
mand was for superior line of goods.
The cheaper classes of articles in all
lines were passed by to a greater ex-
tent than ever before for those ot
finer workmanship and generally bet
ter quality.
This was especially noticeable
M. Ta, III.
discussing the changes that each year
seems to bring in local business CON
ditiOns. "All through our stock / find
the signs that the people this year
were intent on securing the higher
class of goods. Even the small items
show 1t. In gentlemens tie clasps,
for instance, the sales were largely of
the sterling silver and solid gold. in
stead of the cheaper lines. Take Thin
bles, for instance, and we find that
The sales of gold thimbles exceeded
anything we have known before. In
silVerWare the demand was for sterl-
ing goods of the choicest patterns. In
mesh bags the plated articles did not
sell as we'll as the sterling ones. So
it was through our entire stock. While
We find that our trade showed a hand
some increase the fact that it was
along such lines as these was even
more pleasing"
Across the way, at the Allison Fur
niture Co.'S store, the same informa-
ton was furnished. Our trade as a
whole showed a substantial increase
over the previous December" said Mr.
Allison. And it is due, i think, &c
the fact that the public sought a
finer quality of goods, not perhaps the
very expensive, but the solid, substan-
tial, lOnglived articles that are a per-
manent addition to the home and not
the cheap, easily worn out stuff The
trend this way is becoming more and
more noticeable, and is an indica-
ton of prosperity and of an awak-
enlng among the people to the fact
that cheapness is not always a desir-
able quality, that durability and beau
ty are the elements that should be
first considered. / am studying the
December sales with great interest as
governing our future course with re-
gard to stock supplies, and this fact
has already been forced home upon
me-"
Down at the store of the w. D. Bal
ley Co. there was further unsolicft-
ed reiteration of similar sentiments
Without knowing what others had
said, Mr.. Bailey remarked that one of
the pronounced features of the trade
had been the numerous calls for fine
goods and the evident desire of the
patrons to consider the quality and
beauty above cheapness of price "Our
trade" said Mr.. aBiley, exceeded an
ticipations in every respect, and we
can we'll afford to look back upon De-
cember as a whole with peculiar sat
isfaction.
Mr.. Charles L.. Ansley also gave
voice to expressions along this line.
'We were better able to display our
finer goods this year than ever be-
fore, having them so much better ar
ranged in our new store said he,
"and we find that our trade was much
greater than ever before. In the la
dies and gentlemens departments
there were heavy inroads made on all
lines suitable for gifts. We found that
the people wanted good goods, that
quality and artistic merit were the
factors that told in making sales, and
that there was continued depletion
of everything that was especially at
tractive in these respects. We find
that the demand here is every year
tending more and more toward higher
quality in goods in every department
and that the buying public has become
aware of the fact that quality gov
erns now more than ever before"
The Warlick Bros Co. store had 9
similar experience and expressions OF
satisfaction were equally as pronounc-
ed there, as also with the RylandeI
Shoe Co, the Pinkston Co, the Smith
furniture Co, at Bells, the jewelers.
and Daniels, the jewelers., and Other
stores that were so thronged witt
customers throughout last week. Ev'
Sterling Silver