The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-26
Topeka Merchants Expect Big
Business Next Month.
Christmas Buying to Begin in
Earnest Soon.
MORE INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS
Toys Show Falling OF, Accord
ing to TOpekans.
Biggest Holiday Business in
History Is Forecast.

December, 1921, will be the month
of gold" in the annals of Topeka
merchandising. according to the ex-
pectations of Topeka merchants of all
kinds
From time immemorial the holiday
month has been a banner month for
merchants Especially has this been
true in the last decade when the spirit
of Christmas has found expression in
gifts of the more useful type. In the
old days the gifts were mostly gew-
gaws and gim-cracks which served but
to clutter up the houses of home livers
or to be seen and thrown away by
those unhappy enough to live from the
confines of suitcase and trunk
Adopt Shop Early Practice.
The shop-early slogan adopted sew
where has had much to do with the
fading vogue for useless presents.
Nowadays those persons who heed the
advice do SO by the purchase of raw
materials which are then worked up
by hand into hundreds of articles of
everyday use.
According to the dope given out to-
day by the chiefs of the big Topeka
stores there has been but little Christ
mas shopping SO far. But the buy
early slogan is not intended to be OPP
eratiVe before Thanksgiving day, say
| forward to a prompt jump in sales be-
ginning next week.
Many Early Buyers.
Earl Williams, manager of the
Crosby Brothers company, stated that
more individual customers are buying
goods this year than last. altho the
total number of dollars involved in the
transaction do not reach the huge
totals of last year when the dollar
value was low and the goods value
thigh. This year dollar goods values
are more nearly on par, he said, and
while less actual dollars are being
spent by buyers, yet there is Il much
scriptions being sold.
A. p. McKOwn, manager of the Pei
letters company, does not entirely
agree with Williams. McKown de-
clares that just as many dollars are
being spent this year as last and that
the goods turnover is therefore pro-
portiOnately higher than last. He says
that there has been some advance
/ buying of Christmas presents so far
noted but not of sufficient volume to
mas rush. He also said that the gifts
| are general in character, the shop
pers taking advantage of sales bar
gains on standard articles to prepare
! for the annual giving fiesta.
Those merchants who pander to the
/
huge preparations for the holidays.
| Turkeys, geese and ducks will be high
in price, but purveyors of the food
stuffs are preparing on the theory that
such birds are the true expressions
of the holiday feast spirit and will
be much iE demand anyway.
Not So Many Toys.
| Toyes show a falling off In the wal
spirit and the displays this year will be
a reflection of the limitation of arms
| conference now being held in Wash
! ington Of course the drums and
trumpets, 0pop-guns and tin swords
will still bring joy to the heart OF
the small boy, but the other toys will
be more in keeping with the spirit OF
pre-war days than at any time since
| the signing of the Armistice.
| Society as a whole is nearly back
on the plane of the pre-conflict
period, say the merchants, and this
condition will be reflected in a renewal
of the family gifts''-presents bought
| by husband and wife Jointly, such as
articles of furniture. an automobile,
and such things.
1--WE expect one of the biggest De
| cembers in the history of Topeka
say the merchants as they go about
| their holiday preparations.