Great Falls tribune., 1922-03-11

Workers will buy almost anything, be
it ever SO worthless, if they are only
made to believe that they are getting
a bargain. This well-known human
4 weakness accounts for the large num-
Der of prosperous secondhand shops
throughout the city, and for the exist
ence Of wide spread, unique business
which actually sells new goods under
the misleading representation that they
are worn or damaged.
On the West Side there are numer-
GUS 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 through small and in
/ conspicuous advertisements in the
newspapers.
The advertisements usually read
something like this: ''Going South;
must scarifice lovely walnut bedroom
set Or, Am giving up my, town
reasonable prices" Again it is Lady
/ furniture cheap" Sometimes, it is not
| furniture that is offered for sale, but
clothes. in which case the advertise
ments announce the offer Of an actress
| wardrobe for sale, or the frocks and
furs of presumably wealthy woman
who for reasons given is willing to
scarifice her personal belongings. There
is one man in the neighborhood of
Columbia University, moreover, who
has been on the eve Of departure and
hence under the necessity Of disposing
Of his library of rare books for the
past year and half.
of these gentlemen and ladies has any
intention Of leaving town. They are
making entirely too much money
precisely 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
woman. often sold fifteen hundred
dollars worth of furniture in day.
DrIfted Into the Business
This woman. according to his ac-
count, was 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
never been trained for any kind of
work. and she had not the slightest
idea how she and her family were 60
ing to survive. Fortunately for her.
however. a business friend Of her late
husband had some ideas on the subject.
He was an antique dealer. and he told
her that often in attending auction
sales of large estates be had an OPP
pOrtunity to secure a lot of good but
hopelessly modern furniture at very
low price. He could not use such stuff
himself, be said, but he believed that it
could be handled at handsome profit
by a private individual. At any rate.
he suggested that she buy few pieces
at sale that was to take place soon;
advertise them as private household
er and see how the public responded
The widow followed his advice and
was amazed at the results. She not
only sold the furunuit1Ire she bought at
the sale, but some of her own fur
niture as well. On this first transaction
she made $500. After that, she attended
ing the large wholesale houses and buy
ing up odd lots Of portieres and tapes
tries at low prices. She disposed of
these at such large profit that a new
idea occurred to her "Why not" she
thought. "buy directly from the big
furniture factories?" Her business
was growing so rapidly that she could
no longer take the time to attend
auction sales in distant parts Of the
city. and furthermore. she had observ-
ed that the new. unblemished portieres.
described as slightly used" had sold
to much better advantage than the
really damaged furniture that came
from the auction rooms.
New Secondhand Furniture
You see. the whole thing is very
simple" she explained to her tenant /
The people who come to buy these /
factory goods expect to find them con
siderably damaged. Any furniture
which has been used at all generally !