The Snowflake herald., 1921-09-16
Mark Prices in
Plain Figures

mated appears to be not clearly known.
The reason why it was adopted is also
something of puzzle, although plaus-
ible solutions are offered About the
definite is that it came into being
years ago, when it was the custom of
I the manufacturers and wholesalers TO
build kind of Chinese wall around
their business and station u regiment
OF soldiers at every gate. In those
days. according to trade veterans,
commercial spying was high art,
and more than one man had his palm
crossed with silver for posing as
buyer and thus obtaining price data
of the competitors of the merchant
who hired him. In those days any
thing approaching the open-price as
SociatiOnS that had their being here
during the war would have been
looked upon as madness, for then, TO
all intents and purposes, every mer-
chant regarded his competitors rs per-
sOnal enemies.
the early days. it is said, was the one
based on the old motto, "In God We
Trust" This had the advantage of
containing but twelve letters, with no
Implications in the first ten Thus,
by dropping the final ST." something
Ike this was arrived at:
INGOD WE TRU
123 3 $3.50
With this arrangement worked out.
the rest was easy. If man were sell
ing broadcloth at $3.50 yard, on his
price ticket would appear the more
or less crytic sign O D e. Were he
selling an overcoat at $37 %, the mark
on the ticket would be G EN- D. Some
times the code would be varied by
placing the figure ] under the u and
numbering in sequence to the left in
stead of to the right. Thousands of
codes and variations of original ones
have since been devised
Frequently Abused.
While there seems to be little doubt
that the code system was adopted orig
inally as protective measure. it was
not long before it began to be used for
more ulterior purposes. What was
there. somebody evidently argued, to
prevent the use of the code to fool
buyers as to the real price? In its
early days, at least, wholesale busi-
ness was no more conducted on
strictly one-price basis than was re-
tail selling. Therefore, not only did
code price frequently mean differ.
ent quotations to different buyers.
but it often meant the minimum fig
ure at which yard of goods or a
garment could be sold The sales
men were permitted to get anything
they could above the figure indicated
by the code. and as they were paid
in comparison with what they sold,
they tried to get all the traffic would
bear. That way of doing business pre-
vailed in one of the biggest wholesale
houses in the country for years, it is
said, and the gentle art of buying
there was rendered more difficult by
the fact that practically every kind
of merchandise sold by the concern
had a different code.
Instances like those noted above
have been pai, eed many times, ac-
cOrding to the buyers heretofore men
toned. In late years, however. sales
men have had less leeway, if any at
all. in connection with fixing prices.
Because of this the dOuble-price sys-
tenn to different buyers is worked"
more in the salesrooms than on the
road. Also, it is asserted, the prac
tice referred to is now very largely
confined to the garment trades In
the hands of smooth worker, usual
ly member of the firm or the So
called general representative, the
cryptic code letters can mean S37. 80
to one buyer and $37.25 to another.
To really favored buyer it might
mean even lese.