Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-14
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without consulting her mother
so while the salesman waited
she called home and told al
the details. Mama said nothing
doing, no, no, no, absolutely
not, the stuff was priced way
too high. The girl hung up and
told the salesman she guessed
she wouldn't buy the pots and
pans.
At this point, deep in his
own end zone, a lesser man
might have conceded the game
But not this salesman. He took
a deep breath, picked up the
bali and ran for a touchdown
He sold the girl q 52-piece set
of stainless steel flatware for
$137-as a Christmas present
for her motherl
The canny, experienced
housewife, who will track loss
leaders and specials over half
q country to save q dollar or
two, may find it hard to under
stand how the shady peddlers
can sell things at such inflated
prices.
The evidence is that the SELL
ing isn't really difficult at all,
AS the first Connecticut YAM
kee with the first load Of
wooden nutmegs discovered
generations ago, Americans are
pretty trusting souls.
"This is especially true in
small towns" remarked an Of
ficial of a Federal agency that
each year hires hundreds Of
girls fresh out of high school.
where they come from, every
one trusts everyone else. They
can't understand that anyone
as friendly as these statesmen
may be out to steal them
blind"
Victim May Help
Sometimes the victim does
half the selling Job herself.
Take that airline stewardeSs,
for example. She was ready to
buy something - anything -
before the dinnerware agent
even walked in the door.
I'm terrible when 1t comes
to money" she said. 81 always
seem to just fritter it away,
and never have anything to
show for 1t. When this lady
came around with the china it
looked real nice, and even
though it was expensive, I
thought. well. at least I'll have
something to show for my
money. And it was only $i5.84
a month. Anyone can swing
that"
The saleswoman herself was
not very impressive, the girl
remembered.
"She was q messy looking
thing. I never saw such O
messy-looking person in my
life"
But when the woman spread
out q red velvet cloth and ar
ranged some china, glasses and
silver on it, the Hedging stew
ardess was really impressed.
"She told me the glasses
were the same as Jackie Ken
nedy's," the girl said. THAT
sold me right there"
As an added inducement, the
woman told her about the com
pany's little club" If sht
could give them the names o.
SO friends who might be In.
terested in buying some Of the
same lovely merchandise, and II
only six of them bought some
thing, the girl would get Q
beautiful hope chest.
Gave List Of Names
81 filled this big long sheet
Of paper with names. ! gave
her the names of all the girls
I flew with, and all the girls
I knew In the apartment build
ing, and the rest were people
I knew back in Missouri. She
said it didn't matter where the
people lived"
The saleSwoman only stayed
As minutes, but when she left
she had a $45 cash down pay
ment, and the girls signature
on an order for a 52-piece set
of Japanese china, a 32-piece
set of silver-plate flatware and
a 24-piece set of Jackie Ken
needy" stemware - plus, Of
course, the names Of SO more
prospects.
The retail price" for all this
there was no breakdown for
the different sets-is listed on
the girls copy Of the sales
contract as $299. Packing and
shipping ($9) made a total
price" Of 5000, but a carrying