American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1916-09-30
Confessions ST a
Mail Order Man
By MIR. M. o. X.
Revelations by One Whose Experience IN
the Business Covers a Range From
Once Boy 20 General Manager
SOME TRICKS OF THE GAME.

unless there is a payment for It
In other words, nobody gives any.
thing for nothing.
1t isn't possible TO give more than
a commercial value in merchandise
for the amount paid It isn't possible
TO do a profitable business unless mer-
chandiso is sold for price that is
greater than the cost and the expense
of hanIling A profit must be added
in all cases
Some concerns can buy goods at a
slight advantage over others Il de-
pends on the quantity ordered at one
time more than ANYTHING else. No
manufacturer viii sell merchandise to
one concern cheaper than to another
unless there is some compensation.
These price concessions generally
consist Of small cash discount or a
small discount for large quantities.
II was always my custom when con.
tracing for any article to make a
price contract for an enormous guam.
tity | always paid cash. with your
money, therefore this was possible,
and | obtained also a cash discount.
In this way the manufacturer. or the
jobber, had no selling expense. in
many instances the manufacturer dis.
posing on this sort Of contract to my
concern of his entire output. These
discounts and price concessions on
small articles frequently did not
amount to more than fraction of
cent on single article But in buy
ing | was out to got the very best
prices and make the very best deals
] could
But ! worked out ways for making
even more money for my mail order
concern. | cut down the value Of the
/ article I'm the making arranged
| with the manufacturer to produce an
/ article, looking in every way TO the
| person who knew no better, like the
genuine article, but il wasn't
produced what we're practically
counterfeits. | cheated the people
who bought those articles.
Here's how | did it. Take, for eX.
ample. tin cup. a tin pail or a tin
plate-in fact any article made of tin.
would figure it out like this. In
the first place we would use tin of u
certain less weight, thinner and not
so good. Where the top curls over
the manufacturer formerly put a
wire around, hidden from view, but 1t
was there. This wire made the ar.
ticle stronger II would stand wear
better and longer.
would take the wire out. | would
make a lighter handle or, In some
way cut down both the quality and
the quantity of material used in max.
ing the article.
So in this way | cheapencd the
article. | lessened the cost Of max.
ing, which made better profit for me,
OF course, the article was not so good,
and would not wear so long as the
honest, old.fashioned kind-such as
your local dealer buys for his stock.
But in my catalogue the illustration
made 1t look Just as good" and that
was all that | cared for
Certainly, the sooner ii wore out, or
got smashed or broken, the sooner you
would be compelled TO send for an
other. oh, yes. | thought that al
out, too.
In wooden ware | figdred the same.
would order a quantity, making
them up from a cheaper grade OF
wood. II II had hoops | would have
II made with hoop less The sides
and bottom would be thinner In
some way | would cut down the guam
THY and value of the material used
Tor the making, so II would cost less,
SO this Is how could cut prices
on such things, did cut prices
on some articles, things like these
and because of the manner In which
they we're made But the manufacture
or would not put his brand on such
stuff. Not he. lie would say: I'll
put your brand on that article. I'd
be ashamed to have my brand on It,
I'd be ashamed to let anybody think
that I'd turn out that kind OF junk,
Then he would stamp my brand
IN II.
What did care, got your money
In advance rs payment LOT NlS al
ticle and what would you, way out
IN the little country town, know
about how II should be made? II
would last all the quicker and then
Won would order another Surely
| thars how Il was figured,
Now, think 10 over Look on some
OF the articles you have bought and
see if the name of the manufactures
is stamped on IT,
+ nearly forgot one thing. / beat
that game, too In a certain clever
manner, because there's more than
one way of foOling you
/ would create a fancy name for
fake manufacturer There would be
no such concern would stamp
BLANK Mig. Co" or Moon MFG. CO.
or some Ntcn fancy name, because
was kind Of ashamed to have even
my name stamped on some of the stun
sent out