The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-21
TELLS WHERE CUT-RATE
AUTO TIRES COME FROM
The origin of most of the tires
bought that are supposed to
save money for the owner.
r., II Il Rlanch:rl

What happens to your old tire
when you sell it to the junkman!
Where do a lot Of cheap, cut-rate
tires come from? The fellow with a
dilapidated cart who is ready to buy
anything from an old iron bed spring
to an empty whisky bottle; where
does he take it and what eventually
becomes of it?
The chances are that toward the
end of the day this junk collector
makes his way to some junk yard
where he sells the whole load con-
sisting Of a mixture of half dozen
tires, a bed spring, three dozen bot
ties, 400 pounds Of old papers, 10
pounds of scrap metal, a bushel of
feathers, some old pots and cans,
an assortment of ancient framed pic
lures, and two broken down black
walnut horsehair chairs.
The junR yard owner buys the
rubber at SO much per pound. If the
Junk collector paid you 3 cents a
pound, probably he sold your tires to
the junk yard proprietor for cents.
The latter in turn may retail these
tires after sorting them-if tires
form large part of his business.
But usually he waits until some rep
resentative from a big scrap tire con-
Germ drops in and makes him salts
factory offer. If he buys many tires
he may sell out the accumulation
every week or so; then again he may
keep collecting them for a year or
two, waiting for a satisfactory mar
ket price.
In many cases, pickers in search
of tires with special qualifications
visit his place frequently, possibly
every day, and comb over the new
arrivals.
There is the adjustment gyp for
example. This man makes living
adjusting tires that motorists throw
away as worthless. Everybody knows
his tricks but no one knows how to
stop his low game. He picks over the
pile and suddenly his expert eye
detects tire that is palpably good
for an adjustment. Some owner has
thrown it away or sold it for Junk
in ignorance that it was possible to
obtain a good adjustment on it. But
the gyp will profit by this mistake.
If it is very good adjustment tire
he may pay as high as 25 or 80
cents a pound for it, or IS or Sc,
considering the weight of the aver
age worn tire as 20 pounds. Where
fore, it is plain that the junk yard
owner makes as much as &c cents a
pound on deal of this sort, since
he paid cents pound.
Assume that the list price of this
tire new is $40, and that it can actu-
ally be bought at most tire stores for
SGT. The gyp's working margin lies
between Sc and $37.
Some men do nothing else but adj
just tires in this way for a living.
Sometimes they work as individuals,
and then again the gyp tire store
may hire, man to collect tires that
arc suitable for adjustment. just so
not become too familiar at tho adj
justment counter of some popular
tire company, various men in the
employ of the gyp tire man, or
friends, may be used for this work.
In many cases the tire adjusters OF
certain companies arc subsidized SO
that they will give more favorable
adjustments.
AS long as tire adjustments are
made, the only way of stamping out
the adjustment gyp is for every mo-
torist to see that he obtains an adj
justment when an adjustment is due
him:
When the tires reach the junk rub
Der dealer they are carefully inspect
ed and sorted. Not only is the ex-
terror looked over but the interior is
pried open and examined for all sorts
of defects.
4 The way the tires are classified is J
best understood by describing the e 4.
quirements of men who come to buy.
A few men want adjustment tires.
Retreaders want tires with good car
cases, that is to say, sound fabric
that is the thec-y. Actually tires with
carcasses or. bottoms" good enough
to justify retreading are few and far
between. Therefore, they get the best
bottoms they can, and sometimes the
? { T. 81 ~ p