Evening star., 1955-11-27
/ Christmas Rocket Season
Now Getting Under Way
By LELAND s. MCCARTHY

Dy A4GA4fhANO "a NACNlAs - =
Managing Director, Better Business
Bureau OF Washington
The traditional period Of peace
to men Of good will, Christmas.
is the open season for a variety
Of rackets. fake charities and
chiselers.
The appeals usually are strong,
aIluring and often magnetic. The
advertisements they use seem
legitimate. and the bargains they
claim look attractive. but year
after year, experience proves
that the only person who bene-
flts is the promoter.
Our best advice can be summed
up as, DO your Christmas shop
ping with concerns you know are
reliable" If you do, you won't
have worries, because they stand
behind their products.
Some Schemes Listed
Some of the Christmas schemes
which sprout annually are:
Perfume-To trap the unwary,
25-year-old ads are blown up
and shown to prospects to make
them believe the product is q
nationally advertised $25 value.
Actually. the original company
has gone out Of business and
the product is often inferior
toilet water. In bars, business
Offices, factories, and even on
sidewalks. fast-talking statesmen
hawk the nationally advertised
$25 perfume" at from 50 to IS
per bottle or whatever price the
traffic will bear. Display of the
magazine advertisements is usu-
ally sufficient to convince the
intended victim that he is being
offered a great bargain.
Then there Is the scheme Of
selling 10 bottles Of perfume
at 81 plus 25c postage. Some
contain q drop Of perfume. some
none. The bottles are as thin as
a gnat Is between the eyes.
Tree decorations advertising
claims that 80 brilliantly COLI
ored luminous ornaments and IS
beautifully luminous icicles, de-
signed to turn your Christmas
tree into truly great winter won-
derland" would be supplied for
81. Respondents receive 10 thin
paper sheets with cutouts out
lined In luminous paint.
Animals Dramatic radio copy
conjures up visions Of animals
walking right out Of your radio
into your room. The advertising
lclaimed sensational five giant
inflated rubber toy animals"
that the kiddies will want to
ride all over the house and
around the neighborhood."
One dollar brought q small
envelope containing a number
Iof balloons to be inflated and
twisted into shapes supposed to
Hook like animals.
Racket In Toys
Toys ~ Certainly an electric
train set advertised for $3.98 is
intriguing. Well, here is what
you would get. The kit contains
tracks and boxcars made of
decorated paper, four tiny plastic
train cars that ordinarily sell
for 5 cents or 10 cents each. a
bag containing paperclps. bolts.
screws. ETC., and two small flash
light batteries which. In the
sellers mind at least. seems to
Justify the use Of the word "elec-
Itric. /" Most of us thing of an
electric train as q unit that can
be plugged in on house current.
Another firm advertised a play
house for children with sloping
roof, windows. shutters. curtains,
shingles, ruggedly durable, flame
proof. and pre-assembled to set
Iup without tools. 1t turned out
TO be a piece Of paper with a
house printed on it to be draped
over a chair or table.
Toy soldiers which were pre-
Isented as Of respectable size
could be accurately described as
samples in a box Of popcorn. "
Package Hoax-This is q
scheme that is worked on busi-
Inessmen and housewives. The
confidence man win call up be-
fore he comes to the business
mans office to find out II the
boss Is In. II he is not, then
the coast Is clear for his en-
trance. He arrives dressed like