The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-08-06
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GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN
THE PRICES WE'RE HIGH

Unusually large reductions" pro
nounced reductions" "pre-inventory
SALE" extraordinary clearance" and
final clearance" are some OF the
phrases to be CLEANED from a survey
Of store advertising that appeared dur
ing July and August in 1913, the year
before the war. One-t third to one
half off were among the reductions
announced, but the offer of discounts
in those amounts does not appear.
cost of living. The main issue then
was the tariff. 1t was handled this
way by large concern under the
heading of Tariff Year Inventory
Clearaway":
Taking the bull by the horns is the
only wise and courageous course for
the men threatened or the merchant
who looks forward to such radical
change as is envitably coming when
the new tariff bill is passed. And so
all this month-there will be i'm
portant news and bulletins telling of
the stirring price reductions that are
made to distribute vast quantities of
our six million dollar stock"
Another store told Of the effort be-
ing made to clean up stocks even
earlier than usual that summer, as an
explanation of it's libertl deructions.
About that time several of the large
retail stores were on the point Of NOV
ing from the downtown retail district
to the uptown section, and the pre-
inventory and clearance sales were
also described as removal sales. But
with the many good reasons the stores
found then to attach unusual si3nifi-
canoe to their reductions, neither the
headlines nor the body matter of the
advertisements were reproduced in
exceptionally large type or as large
In fact as that used now for simple
appeals. The usual Sunday advertise
ment, featuring reductions for Mon
day, ran about one half page. In one
announcement describing furniture at
exactly half price" only medium
size body type was used. In this Of
fering was a mahogany chiffonier at
$3.50. The article was "a inches wide.
lower drawer cedar lined
In quarter page lad" the follow
ing values were announced by a lead
ing specially store: Summer dresses,
81 to $15, formerly $5.95 to $32; street
dresses, $12.45 to $19.75, formerly
$19.75 to $35; suits, $40 to $24, for
merly $19.75 to $55; coats, $3.50 to
SIS. formerly SIS to $3.50; silk blous-
es, $2.75 to $3.50, formerly So to $11.50;
tan walking boots, $3.50, formerly SIS
and Sc; sweater coats. S., So and $3.50
formerly $7.S5 and $12.75; trimmed
hats, So to $50, formerly Sc to $50;
muslin underwear, SO cents to $10.50
formerly $3.50 to SIS.
"At the greatest known reductions
another specially store was closing
out cloth coats and silk wraps at the
flat price of $40, former values hav-
ing been up to S49.50. The same store
advertised a well known brand OF
womeu's silk underwear at $3.50
priced previously at $3.50 and 1895
Still another offering was pure thread
silk hose, with deep Isle top, garter
welt and Isle sole, at the special
price of As cents.
The reduction sale of a lower Broad
way specially store named values that
even in these days would be consider
laed>as stiff prices. They announced
for instance, embroidered waists
which regularly sold at from SIS to
$125, at from $40 to $75. Tailored
suits comprised another offering
Former prices were from $75 to $3.50
and sale prices S35 to $50.
Lingerie dresses were featured in a
good deal Of the advertising. One
store reduced it's crepe and wolfe
dresses to 1915, describing former
prices as $3.50 to $2450. F1axon,
tissue and voiles were offered by an