The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-08-08
COST FORTUNES TO SELL
statesmen SPEND $4,000 TO EN-
TERRAIN THE LADY BUYERS.
1t Has Come to Be Recognized Part
of the Business in New York to
Spend Money Lavishly.

Spend Money Lavishly,
The great influx of buyers from
the retail stores all over the country
is now on in New York city. From
far and near some 1000 people are
either in New York or on their way
there with thousands and millions TO
spend on the stocks for next spring.
OF the 1000 buyers about 100 are
young ladies.
1t costs money to buy goods in New
York and it costs money to sell them
The men who sell are usually under
commission. Since it has come to be
a recognized part of the business to
spend money ir entertaining buyers
from out OF the city nothing is
thought of an expenditure of $75,-
GEO, which, il is estimated, it costs
to the give the 1900 young ladies a
good time. A salesman who expects
to book an order of few thousand
dollars considers it good business to
spend $40 or $50 giving the buyer a
good time. He takes her to the the
atre, buys a dinner, sends her flowers
and gives the little attentions that
mean so much in New York city and
which are dear to every feminine
heart, whether she is on a wholesale
shopping trip or is just out for a
good time.
Then there is almost always little
golf which follows the booking of a
large order. The buyer may be ask
ed if she doesn't want enough of that
dress goods for a suit of this kind
of a hat or a dozen pairs of gloves or
anything in stock she may take fan
cy to. For the few days she is in
New York the best the city affords
is not too good for her. She has ex-
periences on which her memory will
dwell after she has reached home.
The whole year she thinks about that
lovely trip to New York and the per-
fectly gentlemanly salesman who en-
tertained her so nicely.
There is a story of young lady
who went to New FORK a year or so
ago for Western house, instructed
to buy furniture. She had thousands
of dollars to spend and booked her
orders among four statesmen. The
quartet went to the train to see her
off for home. What shall we send
your" they asked as she was about
to entrain. The young lady thought
moment. Then she told them she
was about to be married and that she
and her fiance had not selected a din
ing room set yet Enough said! That
same day there was shipped to her
address a fine set of mahogany which
cost the four $275.
Statesmen mostly work on commits
sion in New York and pay the fun
money out of their own pockets, but
it must not be supposed that the
1900 young ladies are hoodwinked
They would not be sent to New York
to spend thousands of dollars for
their respective houses if they were
not fitted to select goods and to know
values. They understand the market
in their respective lines about as well
as the wholesalers do and are pre-
pared to match their wits against the
sellers. No amount of entertainment
will make one of them buy bill of
goods unless she knows the quality
and price are all right. Other things
being equal, however, price and quail
ity being satisfactory, they will buy
of the young man who is most court
eous, who offers the best entertain
ment. But he may spend his good
money on supptrs, taxicabs and the
aires in vain unless he will come to
the other fellows price when it
comes to selling his goods.
Now is the hight of the season for
the buyers from all parts of the coun-
try. They reach New York about the
middle of July and the last one does
not go home until along in August.
The spending of $500 by 500
statesmen in entertaining 800 young
lady buyers will yield them perhaps
in commissions $4,5O0,OO0. That is
why it is considered a good invest
ment to use some fun money"
The increasing number of young
lady buyers is one of the features of
retail trade now. Here, as elsewhere,
women are exercising the prerogative
of their increasing equality of oppor-
tunity. A woman buyer of feminine
goods is considered better than
man, other things being equal, be-
cause nobody can buy to suit wo-
man as a woman can. Men may be
experts in judging quality and prices,
but when it comes to the fine points