Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12
ODD AID" MEDIA
! FOUND IN EUROPE
Theater and Railway Tickets.
Even Public Mirrors,
Used by Dealers.

"AnnOunC ement by the BRITISH post !
office that firms may buy advertising !
space on dies used for postal stamp |
cancellations calls attention to some |
unusual phases Of European advertis- |
ing and selling Methods says bulle- |
tin from the local headquarters Of |
the National Geographic Society.
"ProprietorS of the great Partisan |
department stores hemoan the lack Of !
advertising media. such as our great |
daily papers. 1t is not possible for |
them. as il is for our merchants. to |
2 cover their city by using space in /
two, three or four daily papers; there. /
fore they resort to whatever substi- /
tuteS are available They use theater
tickets. menu cards in cafes. and en- /
gage men to distribute eaflets among /
the ppatrons OF the sidewalk cafes. /,
ITO display their high grade GOWNS, I
furs ieWelry cloaks and other mer- /
Chandisc they have show cases in i
the theater Hobbies and in hotel lob
bies. Their own windows are largely
lost to them because they place thel .
bargain tables on the sidewalks out !
side the stores one thinks he is /
coming upon some market when he /
sees crowds of women gathered about !
stands. and then the visitor realizes
II is dry goods tina: is being sold and
goes closer to see one of the unusual I
sights Of Paris thousands of women /
lingering over the bargain stockings. |
waists, ribbons and other articles of /
the sidewalk tables.
Few Articles in Gases.
Inside the huge Paris department I
stores the goods must tell their own /
stories, therefore they are spread out |
in profusion and confusion on tables. !
Only the most valuable articles. such |
as Jewels are In the show eases.
incidentally. d visit to one of these !
stores is II Paris experience that even
the male visitor should not miss. ,
There are five department stores that I
are reputed TO do q larger gross bust .
ness than the busiest American store ,
"a business amounting to more than !
the equivalent OF 500, 600 600 a year
for each of them.
And some Of them do il in spite Of
sales methods that seem crcuitous to
the American. One makes a pur
chase from sales clerk. and the sales
clerk conducts the buyer to the ac-
countant Of her department. There
seems to he no central cashier desk
This accountant makes out the bill of
sale and the price. and next. still with /
the customer in tow, the sales clerk /
proceeds to the cashier for her de- !,
partment. Then, and not until then, /
does she accept the customers money.
the sales bill. obtains the chance and
gives it TO her customer. 81 may
have heen away from her counter or
table > or 10 minutes.
Store Like Opera House.
zone of the newest Of these huge
Paris emporiuns has only galleries
instead of upper floors, and resem-
hles. in architecture. a large, stageless
opera house. StairWayS are affixed I'm
what seems 10 he airy fashion outside
the galleries. and they spiral around
the tiers of balconies. Elevators also
are suspended outside the edges of the
galleries and since the curved sides
Of these tiny elevators. facing the
great court of the store. are made
emtil elk OF glass. one has curious
sensation of ben> carried a m a
platform from which he may tumble
AT any moment INTO Vast pit OF
merchandise below.
Electric signs, both in London and
Paris are not so elaborate as those
in America. but the lettering is much
larger as ii is on the unlighted sign
boards \ department store in Paris
announces its name in letters that
cover the greatat part of one side of
an cght-Story building. From OF
London buildings are occupied by
signs with only + few words which
spread over tue entne T'I space.
Nor are the, less spectacular than
American signs IN th"6 locations. a
series of signs flashes nightly from
the famous Eiffel Tower
London uses the outside OF LIS !
street cars and busses for signs as
we'll as the inside. The government !
also sells advertising space IN sta
lions. on railroad trains and III the |
station lunch rooms 10 advertisers |
There is much less excuse for IN +
slightly outdoor advertising IN London .
than in Paris. because in London .
newspaper advertising is deNelope@ /
along the lines employed in the /
United States and newspapers with /
enormous circulations reach every .
strata of society. {
Bulletins Cry" Papers.
Newspapers in London do not EN-
ploy newsboys who cry their wares
instead the newSboys and newsStands
are provided with bulletins which an
nounce the leading stories in huge
black type Even sandwich men. /
who do rot themselves sell papers. |
are employed to stroll the busy streets /
with announcements of the features .
In latest editions.
"One surprising continental adNer- /
tiSing medium is the sleeper ticket. .
When one obtains a reservation ne /
receives what looks like half a tabloid /
newspaper. Only the left-hand col !
umn constitutes the ticket proper The |
remaining nine-tenths Of the broad /
side save for brief bilingual official
notices. consists of announcements or |
cigarettes railways and automobiles !
or of statements of the comforts OF !
hotels from Paris 20 COnstantinopie. /
Even the bills on the continental am |
ing cars have their liqueur advertise
ments tucked away at the bottom.
In Italy the tirst-class compart- /
nnents have various advertisements |
affixed behind glass on the walls |
somewhat after the manner of our /
street car advertising cards. The |
feminine passenger who wishes to /
epplv powder to a dainty nose before /
The mirror of a first class compart- !
ment in Italy must dodge the ever ,
present liQueur advertisements. They /
are not posted on the surface. but are I
built in. so TO speak. behind the glass.