The New York herald., 1922-08-13
$4,000 ATTEND FAIR
IN GRAND CENTRAL
First Week of National Mer-
chandise Exhibit a Phe-
nOmenal Success.

More than 5000 persons visited the
first National Merchandise Fair dur
ing the last week in Grand Central
Palace and many more are expected
to pass through the gates in the second
week. which starts at s:i5 A. M. to-
morrow. The concentrated sales and
exhibit center has proved successful be-
yond the most sanguine hopes OF It's
organizers. So successful has 1t been,
in fact that it will be held twice
year, probably, in the future.
Four floors of the building are given
over entirely to booths. Of which there
are 673. and in most of which actuai
sales are made to the army of buyers
now here for their seasons work. There
are a greater number of foreign buy
ers in the city to attend the fair than
have ever been noted before, according
to those, in charge of registrations.
Even if they have not come especially
to see the fair they make a point OF
going there to find out what IS peing
offered Among the unusual roreign
countries represented are Egypt Japan
Holland. Australia, Argentina, China
and Central America
In order to get the sentiment OF tne
visiting buyer, who was represented py
II. 900 out of town men and women our
ing the first five days OF the Iair, d
questionnaire was passed around. An
swers showed that exhibitors consld-
cred the fair an immense success IRON
every point of view. some pooths soiu
in the first two days more than IN tne
three months preceding the falr.
"Tbe outstanding fact about the first
National Merchandise Fair Is that IT is
a success from every viewpoint" SAID
Ira NJ. Younker, chairman OF the ways
and means committee. AN experiment
of this kind must necessarily De paseo
upon some fundamentally sounu iuea
in order to be successful, and that is
exactly what this fair was paseu on.
The underlying motivating thougnt pacK
Of IL is service.
..It IS remarkable indeed to find SO
many thousands of buyers in New York
who have come especially Tor this
event. The present influx of buyers IS
undoubtedly the greatest on record,
and. considering that this is our iirst
attempt at staging fair, certainly tne
res,,Its are phenomenal. The fair ~
nroying a decided benefit and stimulus
n business, not only for those exhibit
ing at the fair but to those outside as
well. During the last thirty days every
thing possible has been done TO lnduce
the buyer from distant cities, as Wen
as from nearby localities, 10 come.
In fact nothing was left undone tnat
seemed worth doing to make the buyers
of the country see the advantages Oh
visiting New York for this great enter
prise.
"of course extensive advertising has
pIayed it's part, and an effort has been
made to keep 1t truthful and sincere
from the very beginning. News or the
fair has been syndicated to newspapers
and other publications throughout the
country for months.
The nightly fashion show at tne sew
entv-first Regiment Armory, which is
being held under the auspices OF the
National Retail Dry Goods Association
and the National Garment Retailers AS
sociation, and which has turned away
thousands at every showing, VIII intro
duce n new lot of dresses. wraps ana
Dress accessories beginning tomorrow.
Ft,rs will be shown in all their winter
beauty and 'luxuriousness. The fashion
show is put on at 9 o'clock. During
the day the various booths which fill
the armory floor display all sorts or
~oadv to wear garments.