Pueblo chieftain., 1922-03-11
BY FREDERIC J. HAsK1N

NEW YORK CITY, March s.-New
Workers will buy almost anything. be
it ever SO worthless, ii they are only
made to believe that they are getting
| bargain. This well-known human
weakness accounts for the large num-
ber of prosperous second hand shops
thruout the city, and for the existence
OF a widespread, unique business
which actually sells new goods under
the misleading representation that they
arc worn or damaged.
On the West Side there are numer-
Gus private dwellings whose first
floors are given over to the display Of
furniture, yet from the outside you
would never guess that the residents
were furniture dealers. There is no
sign, printed or otherwise, indicating
that such Is the case. The business is
carried on privately with customers
who are reached thru small and incon-
spicuous advertisements In the news
papers.
The Advertisements usually read
something like this: "Going South;
must sacrifice lovely walnut bedroom
set" Or. Am giving up my town
house; will sell furniture at lowest
| reasonable prices Again it is a Lady
going to California will sell mahog-
any furniture cheap" Sometimes, it
is not furniture that is offered for
Sdlc, DuI ClolHeS, III WHICH CdSe INC du-
vertisements announce the offer Of an
actresses wardrobe for sale, or the
frocks and furs of a presumably veal
thy woman who for reasons given is
willing to sacrifice her personal be-
longings. There is one man in the
neighborhood of Columbia University
moreover, who has been on the eve OF
departure and hence under the neces-
sity of disposing of his library OF
| rare books for the past year and a
half.
| AS a matter OF fact. however. none
OF these gentlemen and ladies' has any
intention of leaving town. They are
| making entirely too much money pre-
cisely where they are. They have the
public rushing to their doors and buying
goods as fast as they can be supplied.
One man who lived in an apartment
| above one OF these private furniture
establishments for several months,
says that the dealer, who was q wom-
an. often sold fifteen hundred dollars
worth of furniture in day.
DRIFTED INTO THE BUSINESS
This woman. according to his ac-
count. was a widow who. at the age of
thirty-five. had been left with several
, children to support on the small pro-
ceeds OF an insurance policy. She had
\
work. and she had not the slightest
idea how she and her family were
going to survive. Fortunately for her,
however, business friend OF her late
husband had some ideas on the sub
ject. He was an antique dealer, and
he told her that often in attending
auction sales of large estates he had
al opportunity to secure a lot of good
but hopclessly modern furniture at a
very low price. He could not use such
stuff himself. he said. but he believed
| that 1t could be handled at a hand
some profit by a private Individual.
At any rate. no suggested that she buy
a few pieces at sale that was to
take place soon: advertise them as a
private householder and SEQ how the
public responded.
The widow followed his advice and
was amazed at the results She not
only sold tho furniture she bought
at the SALE but some of her own furni-
turc as we'll. On this first transactio
she made $500. After that, sho at
tended rales regularly and also start
ed visiting the large wholesale houses