Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-29
GREAT SUCCESS
IN BIC AUCTION
$25O,OOO in Advertising Brought
Buyers for 3,O7l Lots-Amount
Involved $3,799,8O0.

NEW YORK. June 2S.-Facts and
figures regarding the Norris Park
sale which prove IT TO be the most
remarkable in the history OF this
CITY have been disclosed by J. Clar-
encc Davies, who, In conjuction with
JesapD p. Day. the aucuoneer. han
died the immense Offering.
II is a maxim Of the markets that
large quantities depress prices, and
never before was u attempted to hold
an auction running into a fortnight
and including 3,071 parcels at a time
when the ready market was some
what quiet
Under such discouragements an
average Of 1921 a lot was obtained,
or a total OF $3,799,S00 for the S.O7l,
is considered a marvel of salesman
ship with many important lessons.
Before the Morris Park sale the
general inquiry was: Where are the
BUYERS coming from2" Since the sue
cessful closing of the sale, after two
solid weeks of day and night ses-
sions, the market has lost only a
little of its curiosity, and its In
curry is put IN only slightly differ
ent form: Where did the buyers
come from2"
They came. however; they saw. and
they bought, and Mr.. Davies, In dis
cussing his advertising campaign
which was the largest ever attempted
from a real estate standpoint said;
Wide Publicity Given.
"The total amount spent for adver
Using OF all kinds in connection with
the Morris Park sale was between
100000 and S250.000. OF this grand
total. about $3.50, 900 went into news
paper advertising. Seventy-tive pei
cent roughly, OF this expenditure for
newspaper advertising was made In
this city and immediate vicinity and
the other 25 per cent in out of-town
papers to the number of about 40,
covering the whole Of the New Eng
land and Middle Atlantic States, and
as far West as Pittsburg and Buff
falo.
IN addition 10 the newspaper ad-
Vertising the same territory was
thoroughly covered so far as its cities
and large towns were concerned by
street car advertising. Here in New
York and vicinity II is safe to say
that there was no human being who
could read and who saw a news
paper or went outdoors anywhere for
a month prior TO May 81, but knew
that the Morris Park property was
10 be sold. In addition TO the car
cards. there were large billboard an
nouncements at prominent points
The theater crows saw the notice
Of the sale emblazoned against the
sky in electric signs and yead about
il in their programs. Even for the
homeward hurry Jersey commuteI
there was no escape, for the Morris
Park sale hit him in the eye as
ne descended TO his train through
the Hudson Terminal
What was practically the first def
mite announcement as 10 what the
States opportunity to make money
was to be was contained in a fac
siu.iie of a letter signed BY State
Banking superintendent Van Tuyl
setting forth the reasons why tht
property was 10 be sold or these
$4,000 were sent out through the
mail from my office, covering lists OF
.sossible purchasers from Boston K
Washington.
of the book maps OF the sale there
were printed 375,000, OF these $780,.
coo were distributed before the sale
AS 1t turned out there remained
barely enough for the sale itself WITH
it's 25 separate sessions, for there
we're only about 100 OF the book
maps lett. In the neighbcrhood OF
s10o, 600 was spent in opening streets
and other development work on the
property Thousands of feet Of lum-
Der were used in indicating street
lines and showing 10, and block mum
bers. so that no prospective buyer
need have the slightest doubt as "a
what ne vas buying. The extension
of the Morris Park Ave trolley line
from BronNdale Avenue to Williams
bridge Road at the expense Of the
sellers Of property was another in
stance Uf the thorouEhness which
narked all the preparations for the
&ale."