Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-02
BEST GRADES Of
GOODS DEMANDED
IN ALBUQUERQUE

The charge has been made recently
that the particularly the sal
aried men and women-are response
BILE for the high cost of living and that
it was next to impossible to sell me-
dunn priced articles because the peo-
pie demand the best, regardless of the
price 1t is not the intention in this
article to argue over the correctness
or incorrectness of this assertion. But
investigation shows that there is an
Unprecedented demand locally for
high priced goods, particularly wear
ing apparel and that it is almost inn
possible to dispose of low priced arti-
cies.
leading clothing merchant stated
yesterday, in discussing this subject,
that he received a shipment Of twenty
one shirts few days before Christ
mas. There were two grades, retailing
$t4.30 and $3.50, respectively, luxury
tax included. He said .he was surprised
the day before Christmas when one of
his clerks reported the sale of one of
the higher priced shirts, and neck
tie, to native girl the two articles
costing $24. She evidently purchased
them as CT ristmas presents. The mer-
chant had in stock shirts and neckties
which he could have sold at much
lower prices, but the purchaser want
ed the best. Nine of these $193 80 shirts
were sold between Christmas and the
last day of the year.
TAKE sweaters, for instance" the
merchant said. I'VE have good sweat
ers that we can sell for So and $3.50,
but people demand sweaters retailing
at "a and So. Why, even messenger
boys come into our store and buy
overcoats costing from $50 to SAC,
when we have in stock very good
grades OF coats which we have priced
at SIS and $40.
There is the much discussed ques-
tien of shoes" he continued. I'VE have
o very good shoe retailing at So pair,
hat the average person will not buy
them. We sold a pair the other day
to a man, but he was not workman,
az the term is commonly applied these
days. He is reputed to be well to do
and could have afforded TO bug pair
of the highest priced shoes we had IN
stock. But as a rule we find that the
men of means are not as lavish spend
efs when it comes to buying goods IN
our line as those who work for mod
crate SalarleS.N
or course there is difference be-
tween buying a shoddy or inferior ar
ticle OF a low price and a good article
mt a higher price. But it is generaliy
the case that one who goes to the ex-
IRENE in purchasing wearables, for in
stance, pays a certain amount Tor the
name and other things which do not
add to it's durability or wearing quail
tiles.
A certain merchant was questioned
the other day regarding shoe sales:
lie said his firm sold many pairs oi
womens shoes at $40 a pair.
l''Will a person get twice as much
wear out of a $40 pair of shoes as
he win ont of a $40 pair" he was
asked. ,,.
"Decidedly not" he replied. "The
nnrchaser Of a $40 pair of shoes gets
q little better quality of leather ana
some extra frills in the way of finish-
ing hut a pair of $40 shoes will wear
hui very little longer than $40 pair
This illustrates how one may pay
hiph price for an article and literary
throw money away.
IN connection with the shoe situa'
lion and the prevailing high prices
merchant cited an interesting incldeh
which shows that perhaps much .t the
TAM about profiteering is untrue "A
travelling man, he said, started from
New York with certain lines of SHOES
priced at $4.25 pair Wholesaie. ~
arrival at Kansas City he received
message to increase the price 10 49,
pair. and was told that full lnstruc'
tlons would be mailed to MN mere
on reaching Albuquerque ne receives
n letter from his firm to the fact ina
visited
factory 80, e. .hoe.
shoes, the buyer inquired, ACCORDING
to the letter.
"Four dollars and twenty-five cent
n pair' he was told.
I'VE will give. you $4.I5 anu Tan
your entire output" he said. Natural
IL the factory Immediately raised IN
Arice to American buyers.
Much has been said about the mig
.ost of living. And while it probapi
10 true that some profiteering is pehi
done and the ultimate consumer Is pc
;np nreyed upon, it must also pc re
membered that the United States !
facing a situation unparalleled III y
history. Prior to the war Europe Pr
duced many of the articles Wnlch sii
now is compelled to buy IN the oP ,s
market, and she natuiaily ,ui 10
limited States. She is wllilng 10 "a
most any price TO get the wearing a. !
parel, foodstuffs and o'ner sI IIn,te
paaded consequently the unte
G,atoe' wholesalers and jobbers al
orone,,ad TO bid against foreign puy
o.s According to men who have mau
a ctudv of the situation, we neeu ne
avnect any appreciable decrease in tn
cost of living until Europe gets on ne
feet and is able to produce on pre-
war basis.
naAlN nEnEMnC llQ0M