The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1912-08-23
Advertising Tricks of the
Mail Order Houses
GOODS ARE PRICED BELOW
COST
Articles of Standard Value Are Often Sold
at Cost in Order TO Create False I'm
pressiOns of Cheapness-Unthink.
ing People Are the Victims.

number of mail order concerns
proceed is to select a certain
number of articles, those of
standard values and well-knOwn,
and mark them down to whole
sale prices or lower. This is
FOR the purpose of "bait-
ing" as well as to give the i'm
preston that regular dealers are
selling goods at prices too high.
On many widely advertised
goods which are in constant de-
mand the mail order house ad-
vertises prices much lower than
the actual cost of the goods to
the house. This is done with
a view of catering customers,
killing off the trade of local
dealers, and with hopes of sell
ing other goods at enormous
profits. Then the advertising
part of the deal is of some value.
People like to buy goods at
the lowest possible cost. They
get impressions Of low prices
from comparison of goods of
which they know the selling
price. If a certain rifle is
always sold in the gunstorcs at
$14 and the catalogue house sells
the same at 81, the average
man realizes that he is getting
a bargain, even though the con
Germ may lose half dollar in the
transaction. But the man is
also impressed with the idea
that prices are just as low on
other goods of which he has lit
tie information as to values. 1t
is knowing this fact that causes
the mail order houses to resort
to This trick. Then there is
difference in quality of goods.
In the different lines there are
HHAM
different grades. 1t is not long
ago that a United States dis
trict court grand jury returned
an Indictment against a large
mail order house on three diff.
ferent charges of fraud. In each
case there was misrepresenta-
ton. One of the charges was
that "pure white lead" paint
supposed to be manufactured by
the concern, did not contain a
trace Of white lead, and was
manufactured by contract by an
other concern. The other charge.
was that jewelry was misrepre-
sented, In the matter of jewelry
there is great chance for fraud.
That which is called solid gold
may be not over one-tenth gold,
a little better than brass. Gold
always has a certain value.
Whether it is in jewelry or in a
coin of the realm, the value is
Just the same. Its purity and
weight is what counts. 1t is
curious how intelligent people
who know of the fixed value of
gold will take the word of a mail
order schemer as to quality,
where the article is sold at a
less price than the metal which
it is claimed is represented in it
can be bought for in the markets
Low prices are generally quot
ed upon goods which the aver
age people understand, and are
acquainted with, and the loss is
made up on the classes of goods
which allow the practice of de-
ception, Of the value of which
the people little know. People
who patronize mail order con-
Germs should understand that in
the majority Of cases they are
paying more than they would be
compelled to pay if they made
their purchases at home. Then
there is involved the principle
of sending money away from
the neighborhood where it is
earned.
If the people who patronize
mail ordel houses would only
such goods as they know
are priced below cost to the
concern, the mail order houses
could NOT continue in business