BARGAINS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 11, 1903

Immediately after the holiday season, the counters of the various stores are piled high with the leftovers from the holiday trade, and the daily papers come out in regular placard style, telling of the wonderful values simply given away “at your own price,” at these marked-down, midwinter sales.

If you are a judge of values, now and then a real bargain may be secured, but the most of the goods are of a cheap quality, or in some way damaged, and simply “marked down” from previously inflated prices which always obtain during the hurly-burly shopping of “the season.” A really good article will always bring a good price, and such things, if not disposed of at something near their value, may be laid away, or sold to smaller merchants to very good advantage, and merchants are not often found giving dollars for dimes. Sometimes, a really good article, from the fact of its having been used in display windows, or as a sample, and thus soiled by the dust, smoke, or much handling, or not having found favor in the eyes of purchasers from some cause of color, weave, etc., is put upon the counter at reduced price, and if the article or goods is washable, or otherwise cleanable, or even if it may be dyed, it is as well to buy it. But unless you are a judge of quality, it is safe not to invest too heavily in “bargain goods.”

A great many women—and men, too—buy things for which they have not, and, in all probability, never will have, the slightest use, simply because it is cheap, and they think they may want it at some future time. Such people have any quantity of odds and ends lying around, going to waste, and when they really do need something of the kind, find that what they have will not suit the need of the hour, and have, at last, to buy new to fit the purpose, while the “unavailable” is still taking up room and will eventually find its way to the waste heap.

It is not always economy to buy new goods with which to piece out an old garment, but if one must buy, it is just as well to buy a cheaper grade, and thus the whole garment, new and old, will wear out together.—The Commoner.