V. moersita of o 4 d (California . How to Advertise a Retail Store MAIL ORDER ADVERTISING AND GENERAL ADVERTISING A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE MANUAL FOR PROMOTING PUBLICITY BY A. E. EDGAR, MERCHANT Illustrated with over five hundred original newspaper advertisements SECOND EDITION THE OUTING PRESS DEPOSIT, N. Y. COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY THE OUTING PUBLISHING CO. Deposit, N. Y. Very truly yours, A. E. EDGAR PREFACE The writer is convinced that no apology is necessary for presenting a new book on advertising. He has done his best to make the present volume of practical use to both the small and the large advertiser, the novice and the expert. He considers it but fair that he should acknowledge the fact that the trade and adver- tising papers of America have been of great assistance to him in preparing this volume. Where extracts have been reprinted from these, due credit has been given. In most cases, however, single ideas have been taken and incorporated with others, and these of course it is impossible to trace to the original source. An apology is due those advertisers whose advertisements and advertising methods have been adversely criticised. In these cases the individual has to suffer for the com- mon good. It was found necessary to use examples to illustrate the different ideas and it was decided that actual advertisements were more valuable for this purpose than spe- cially prepared models. The advertisements selected for this purpose were clipped from newspapers published in all parts of the United States and Canada. Some of these examples were prepared by the merchant in the country store, while others were prepared by the highest salaried advertising men in the world. The writer asks that the faults of the book be not magnified and that the book be judged as a whole rather than any part of it be selected for criticism. A. E. EDGAR, 23 Sandwich St. East, Windsor, Ont. December 7, 1907. ADVERTISEMENTS never quit work on holidays. Fame. The modern store lives on new ideas, new ways, new methods. Dry Goods Ectmom/ui, Spurt advertising, like a short-winded race horse, never wins the race. Age of SteeL Spasmodic advertising, even when made on a large scale, is disappointing. Dry Goods Chronicle. Advertisements that pay make money easier than any other way known to sell goods. Profitable A dvert ixiny . We have never advised anybody to spend one penny on advertising, save in the man- ner of investment. Brains. Every advertiser must hoe his own row in his own way, but the experience of others will reveal many short cuts.- Advertinng Experience. Artistic advertising may be admired for its beauty, but the kind that is full of ideas is the kind that secures results. Advertisers' Guide. The most successful advertiser is not the man who spends the most money, but the man who spends his money in the best way. Printers' Ink. It is not the amount of money you spend in advertising, but it is the amount of adver- tising you buy for your money that tells. The Ad-Writer. CONTENTS PART I NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING CHAPTER 1 1 A FEW WORDS ABOUT ADVERTISING II THE Dr.MMY OR LAYOUT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT III How MUCH SPACE TO USE IV FIRM NAME AND ADDRESS V THE HEADLINE OR CATCH-PHRASE .... VI ILLUSTRATIONS .... VII THE INTRODUCTION OR ARGUMENT .... VIII THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED IX PRICES ......... X DISPLAY ........ XI PUFFS, READING NOTICES, WANT ADVERTISEMENTS, ETC. XII CLASSES OF BUYERS ..... XIII TIMELINESS IN ADVERTISING XIV THE "TALKING POINTS" OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED PART II SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS TO NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING XV STORE PAPERS ....... XVI BOOKLETS, LEAFLETS, FOLDERS, ETC. XVII CIRCULARS, ADVERTISING LETTERS, MAILING CARDS, ETC. XVIII A FOLLOW-UP CAMPAIGN FOR THE RETAILER XIX CALENDARS, BLOTTERS, PICTURE CARDS, ETC. . XX ADVERTISING NOVELTIES ...... XXI PACKAGE INSERTS AND ENVELOPE ENCLOSURES XXII DODGERS AND HANDBILLS . . . XXIII WINDOW ADVERTISING ...... XXIV OUTDOOR ADVERTISING ...... XXV ADVERTISING AT COUNTRY FAIRS .... XXVI OPENING A NEW STORE . . . . . . --, XXVII SPRING AND FALL OPENINGS ..... PART III SCHEMES AND SELLING PLANS XXVIII LITTLE SELLING HELPS ...... XXIX GUESSING AND VOTING CONTESTS .... XXX DRAWING CONTESTS ...... XXXI SCHEMES THAT HAVE BROUGHT BUSINESS XXXII SCHEMES TO ATTRACT BOYS AND GIRLS . ' . XXXIII THE GREATEST SCHEME OF ALL PREMIUMS . xi PAGE 3 5 . 10 . 14 . 20 . 26 . 37 . 42 . 47 . 51 . 56 . 60 68 77 85 03 98 102 104 109 1.12 116 125 135 145 151 155 158 187 196 Xll CONTENTS CHAPTER XXXIV XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII PART IV SALES ADVERTISING ADVERTISING SPECIAL SALES THE SPECIAL SALE CLEARANCE SALES LEADERS AND BARGAINS NOVEL SALES PLANS PAGE 203 . 205 . 211 223 226 PART V ADVERTISING OF SPECIFIC LINES XXXIX BANKS AND TRUST COMPANIES . ... . 261 XL CARPETS, RUGS, ETC. ...... . 2CG XLI CIGARS AND TOBACCO ...... . 2G9 XLII MEN'S AND BOYS' CLOTHING .... . 272 XLIII WOMEN'S CLOTHING ...... . 277 XLIV COAL ......... 283 XLV DEPARTMENT STORES ...... . 280 XLVI DRUG STORES ....... . 313 XLVII FURNITURE ........ . 315 XLVIII GAS AND ELECTRICITY ...... . 319 XLIX HARDWARE, PAINTS, ETC. ..... . 322 L HABERDASHERY ....... . 325 LI HATS AND CAPS ....... . 330 LII JEWELRY, PRECIOUS STONES, ETC. . 333 LIII LAUNDRIES ........ .336 LIV MILLINERY ........ . 340 LV Music AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS . 342 LVI REAL ESTATE ....... . 345 LVII SHOES ......... . 348 LVIII THINGS TO EAT ....... . 352 LIX TRUNKS AND BAGS .... . 356 PART VI MAIL ORDER ADVERTISING LX MAIL ORDER ADVERTISING . LXI THE BIG CATALOGUE HOUSES LXII A RETAILER'S MAIL ORDER DEPARTMENT 361 363 367 PART VII GENERAL ADVERTISING LXIII THE GENERAL ADVERTISER ...... LXFV THE GENERAL ADVERTISER'S CAMPAIGN LXV THE VALUE OF AN INQUIRY AND THE FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM LXVI THE VALUE OF A TRADE MARK OR TRADE NAME 379 384 388 393 CONTENTS xin PART VIII TECHNICAL CH APT Kit LXVII POINTS ABOUT TYPES ...... LXVIII BORDERS AND ORNAMENTS ..... 1AIX SOMETHING ABOUT Curs ..... IA\ l'i;\< ricAL HINTS ON "How TO PREPARE COPY" . LXXI I low TO READ AND MARK PROOF .... LXXII THE GRAMMATICAL USE OF WORDS AND SENTENCES LXXIII MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION .... LXXIV TECHNICAL TERMS PAGE . 399 . 411 . 414 . 418 . 429 . 435 . 443 . 448 PART IX MISCELLANEOUS LXXV ADVERTISING THE NEIGHBORHOOD STORE LXXVI AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN . I AX VI I WHAT SHALL A BUSINESS MAN READ . LXXVI1I HEADLINES AND CATCH-PHRASES . LXXIX INTRODUCTIONS AND STORE LOCALS TOPICAL INDEX ....... TOPICAL INDEX OF ADVERTISEMENTS REPRODUCED . INDEX OF ADVERTISEMENTS REPRODUCED . 455 . 458 . 462 . 471 . 474 . 489 . 498 . 501 Part iDnr NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING CHAPTER I A FEW WORDS ABOUT ADVERTISING A'VERTISING is not, as some suppose, a modern art. It was practiced by the ancients of Egypt and Babylon as far back as there are records of the customs of these peoples. It is true that the style of advertisements has materially changed since that time, and the modes of gaining publicity have been enlarged, but the aim of the advertisement has always been the same, and will always be the same to disseminate information. With the retail merchant it is information of what he has for sale. Every merchant should keep that aim in view, first, last and all the time. The progress of advertising in our own day has been so great that the amount of money invested in publicity is greater perhaps than that invested in any other single commodity. Advertising is so broad a subject that it is seemingly impossible to decide where it begins and where it ends. Every action of a merchant, or of his employees, advertises the firm. How long the effect of the action goes on before it ceases operations merely offers food for speculation. So it is with a merchant's printed publicity, which we are now to deal with. It 'is known in many cases that years and years after an advertisement was printed that sales were made from it. The three objects involved in advertising are worthy of close attention; first, to famil- iarize the public with the name of the firm or individual; second, to acquaint them with the class, quality and style of goods; third, to make sales. The local retailer must learn the difference between advertisements adapted to the general advertiser, and those suited to his own business. There are principles in advertising that must be recognized and appreciated before success can be expected. A good advertisement is a good salesman. It takes the sub- ject in hand, and presents it to a large audience, explaining the merits of the article to many people over a given territory. One of the foremost advertisers in New York has said, that "the art of advertising is merely presenting attractively the absolute truth concerning goods to be sold." When the proposition is carefully thought out, its aptness will be fully realized. W T hat should be sought in the use of any medium of advertising is the relating of facts concerning that which the merchant has for sale. There is no luck nor chance in advertising. It is a straightforward business proposi- tion from beginning to end. Advertising is a legitimate, reasonable means of gaining an end. The advertisement that appeals most is that which is planned with the greatest intelligence, contains the greatest volume of honest intention, and speaks in frank, unequivocal words about reliable goods, and about the painstaking methods of those who are handling the business, and presents in the best way logical arguments for the purchase of the goods from the merchant in question. There are many ways of advertising, but newspaper advertising is the best and most efficient for the retailer. He can talk to its readers, daily or weekly, and if his speech is intelligent, convincing and attractive, it is sure to amply repay him for what it costs. The following quotation entitled "Ideals," gives a very good description of what an advertisement should be. 4 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE "Ideals are seldom reached in any line of work. Their chief value lies in the trend they give to what is accomplished. The ideal advertisement is short, yet comprehensive. It grasps the essentials, and in a simple manner lays them before the reader. It does not take up his time; it does not omit features that would specially interest him, features which he should have before he decides to buy. It does not exaggerate. It does not weave senseless words into a cloak to throw around the article advertised, but rather with a few bold strokes it uncovers it to show its beauty and worth. It inspires confidence. It seems true and good, but not too good to be true. It leaves a little unsaid, for the cus- tomer to learn when he comes to buy. It takes proper classification and leaves some- thing to say the next time. It talks of quality first, then the price, It usually quote* (lie price. It is the work of a salesman holding up the goods for the best view, telling its merits simply, giving the price. If it talks to a person who has no need for it, it makes so good an impression that this person will regard it only as a type of the other things in the store which he does want, whether they are advertised or not. It will leave with him an impression that when he wants such an article, that is the one to buy, and that is the place to buy it." It sometimes happens that dealers advertise their competitors more than they do their own goods. It is not a prudent method of advertising to so advertise as to attract atten- tion to a competitor's merchandise rather than to one's own lines. The retailer should have an eye single to his own needs and wants, and free himself from drawing odious comparisons between his goods and those of his competitor. He can push the good qualities of his goods to the front so as to make them appear the best in the market, with- out allusion to what his competitor has, or is doing. Every reference to a competitor advertises that competitor more than it does the goods intended to be advertised. The retailer wishes to advertise himself and his own goods, not his competitors and their wares. There are subjects to be most religiously avoided in advertisements. Sometimes cir- cumstances will tempt a man to introduce into his announcements matter that sober thought ought to convince him would be better untouched. Everything that borders on controversy, especially of that kind where people take sides with any degree of warmth, should be kept out of advertisements. Political and religion; issues should be particularly avoided, as people are usually touchy on these subjects. Even harmless allusions may be wrongly interpreted to the disadvantage of the advertiser. Prejudice is a nasty thing to arouse, and a very difficult thing to dissipate. Let tin- advertiser be original, catchy and interesting, but by all means let him steer clear of sar- casm, innuendo, venom, and all that kind of thing. We all make mistakes, and the man who never does anything foolish is to be regarded with suspicion, as either too good for this planet or as an arrant hypocrite. In advertising there is abundant opportunity for a man to discover how absolutely he can violate every principle of common sense. A smart advertisement is not always a good one. The man who writes advertise- ments merely to set people talking or to show how clever he is, misses his mark. An advertisement should sell goods, and when it fails on this one point it is not worth the paper it is printed on. An advertisement may be as sharp as a steel trap, but if it is not built to catch it is a waste of thought. Combine smartness with effectiveness and an advertisement will serve its purpose well. Advertisements should be as smart and clever as possible, but they should not merely be blank cartridges with only flash and report. Successful advertising is not that which is done by fits and starts; neither is it that which is prepared because the space has been purchased and must be used. Space filling is not advertising. There should be something to advertise before the merchant sits down to write an advertisement. The merchant who spends too much time in producing a real literary gem is as apt to miss the mark as the one who grabs up a piece of wrapping paper and rapidly scribbles Illi; DIM MY OU LAY-OUT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT 5 olf an advertisement while tlie parcel boy looks on and admires his dexterous handling of the pen. The merchant who cannot afford to hire an ad-writer must get down -to study unless he wishes to drop behind in the race for business. The more advertising there is being done the more there will have to be done by all merchants. The one who docs the most advertising intelligently is sure to get the most business. His gain in most cases is some other merchant's loss, although advertising creates a great deal of new business. The time has come when the merchant must advertise or retire from business. He must not only advertise but he must do what he advertises he will; he must offer the same values at the same prices that he says he will in his advertisements. "We do as we advertise" is almost as familiar nowadays as "Your money back if you want it." Both are new features in modern merchandising. With their advent came many other new and really good ideas that are helping to make the merchant's life an easier one. Quicker methods of doing things mean shorter hours to do them in. Easier ways of doing things mean pleasanter relations between customer and salesman. Modern publicity must be given the credit for the inception of the new life in com- mercial circles. Advertising is the parent of every modern method. Advertising is forcing new methods and new ideas into existence every day. No one can adequately estimate the future of advertising. It would be foolish to undertake to do so. As it has advanced in the last decade so will it advance in the decade to come, increasing in force and power as it becomes more scientific and its principles become more generally known. CHAPTER II THE DUMMY OR LAY-OUT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT NEWSPAPER advertising offers the best field to the retailer for promoting busi- ness. It is through the medium of the daily and weekly press that most adver- tising successes have been made. A persistent and judicious use of space, daily or weekly, as the case may be, will always prove more resultful than spasmodic efforts, no matter upon what scale they are carried out. Not only must advertising be persistent but it must be a persistent use of plain, com- mon sense statements and arguments in favor of the goods for sale and the store, or firm that has them for sale. For the purpose of aiding advertisers in preparing their own advertisements we will proceed to analyze the newspaper advertisement and make an effort to point out the way in which they should be presented to the public. There are eight distinct parts to the perfect retail advertisement, viz.: 1. Size of space to be used. 2. Firm name and address. 3. Headline or catch phrase. 4. Illus- trations. 5. Introduction and argument. 6. Description of articles advertised. 7. Prices. 8. Display. In constructing an advertisement the merchant must take all of these parts into consideration. Sometimes the illustrations can be dispensed with without impairing the productiveness of an advertisement, but when any of the other parts are omitted the advertisement must necessarily be imperfect. It is our purpose to show here the process, whether consciously followed or not by the advertiser, of preparing a retail advertisement. In following chapters, each f 6 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE the component parts of an advertisement will be taken up separately and discussed at length. As a usual thing, the retail merchant has a yearly contract with his newspapers for a certain number of inches in each issue. In that case he must construct his advertise mriit to fit his space. We will presume, then, that a shoe dealer uses ten inches of space in his weekly paper, and wishes to write an advertisement to fit that space. In nearly all cases the ten inches will be used to cover two columns in width, making the advertisement five inches deep. The first thing he does is to make a dummy, showing the exact size of the advertisement as it is to appear in the paper. This is done by ruling off a space 44 inches wide by 5 deep. Newspaper columns vary from 2 to 2j inches in width. In all cases a rule should be used, so that the advertiser can make his dummy exact. Having ruled off his dummy he proceeds to indicate where the firm name is to appear. The name and address is the most important feature of an advertisement. If this is omitted, the advertisement is practically valueless, although it is stated on good authority, that when, through an oversight of some one, the name plate of a large department store was omitted in a New York daily, the style of the advertising done by this firm was so well known to the public that a large crowd responded to the advertisement. This is probably the only case on record where an advertisement has not suffered through an oversight of this kind. Whether the name and address should appear at the top or bottom of the advertise- ment is a debatable question. Some experts maintain that the top position only should be used by retailers, while others, equally as expert, prefer the bottom of the advertisement. Custom seems to have favored the bottom position for the name and address for advertisements of this size, so the merchant in question follows in custom's footsteps and places it there. ^ The space allotted to the name and address should not be too large, as it is then a waste of valuable space; at the same time it should have sufficient space to make it promi- nent. A distinctive name-plate, to be used in all announcements, can be procured for a small sum, and its distinctive features, in contrast with ordinary type, will make it .stand out well, while occupying considerably less space than is usually devoted to the names set in type. When illustrations are used in an advertisement their position should be the next thing to decide. Type matter can be compressed into small space, but an illustration cannot. The necessary space then must be marked off in the position it is to occupy. In this case, an illustration of a lady's shoe is used. As it faces toward the left it is placed on the right- hand side. It is always better to have illustrations facing the reading matter of an ad- vertisement than away from it. After the space is marked off on the dummy for the name and address, and for what illustrations are to be used, it shows just how much space there is for the reading matter. The advertiser should govern himself accordingly. It is far better to drop out a point or two, and take it up in a future advertisement than to try to get in all the good points of an article, and by doing so crowd the advertisement. The head-line comes next. Here is where a great many merchants fail in making an attractive advertisement. A head-line should be full of meaning. It should convey some definite thought to the reader of the advertisement. Of course the real function of the head-line is to be a catch-phrase to catch the eye. It should not be lengthy. Three or four words are better than eight or more. But it should also mean something and should convey that meaning at a glance. "Faultless Fitting Fall Footwear" has been chosen as a fitting head-line, suitable to the object of the advertisement, and as having a message for the public complete in itself. THE DUMMY OR LAY-OUT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT The head-line is usually written or printed on the dummy, showing just how much space it is to occupy. After the head-line follows the introduction or argument of an advertisement. The introduction should be made as meaty with argument, or "reason why," as it is possible. It should be so convincing that the reader will become persuaded of its truthfulness, and so impressed that he will remember it. As "fit" is the keynote of the advertise- ment, the following introduction will serve. It will harmonize with the head-line very nicely : "If a woman's shoes look well her feet will look well, but a handsome foot counts for nothing in an ill-fitting shoe. It's the fit of a shoe that produces foot beauty and comfort. "In our fall selections of Peerless shoes every size and width possible to procure are shown in all the new styles. It's so easy to get a proper fitting shoe at our store, because our expert salesmen have such a large number of different si/.es and widths to draw from." As this portion of an advertisement is generally too lengthy to write on the dummy, without crowding and making it illegible to the compositor, it is usually written on a separate sheet of paper. Whenever the introduction or description, or any other portion of an advertisement is written on a separate sheet of paper, it should be numbered, either with letters Peeress ? 3 JHot '.w s > 4r .,--"" LAYOUT FOR ADVERTISEMENT Reduced from 4J x 5 Inches 8 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE or figures, and the space it is to occupy correspondingly marked on the dunmiv. Jn this case the introduction is lettered "(a)" an< ^ the space on the dummy is marked to correspond. Descriptions of merchandise should never be made too general. The more particu- lars that are given the better, providing they are in favor of the article being described. In the advertisement under construction the merchant is endeavoring to paint a word picture of the line known as "Peerless Brand." He cannot, in this case, go into particu- lars as he would if he was advertising a particular shoe. But he does particularize bv telling how the shoes are made, the materials used and then compares them with other lines of shoes at a higher price. Here is what he says: "(ioodyear welts and hand-turned soles. "All leathers Vici Kid, Patent Kid, Gun Metal Calf, Velours Calf, etc. "Fifteen different snappy styles. "As stylish as any $3. .50 shoe." This description is indicated on the dummy by "(!>)/' and is so marked on the sepa- rate sheet on which it is written. Now comes I IK- price. An advertisement without a price is lacking in one of its most convincing features. It is not necessary that the price be a reduced one to be published. It is not even necessary that it be a low price. It is just as necessary to print the price in an advertisement o.f $.3 or $7 shoes, as it is of a $2 slim-. If the shoe is worth $7 it is right to tell the public that it is a $7 shoe and worth it. If automobile manufacturers are not afraid to advertise their $f space while another uses twenty inches. The former always gets good results, while' the lalte-r meets with only indifferent success. It isn't the amount of space, then, but the way the- spaev is used. It is the cold type set into burning words that count. Where a retailer is so situated that he has onlv the- wee-kly papers to advertise in, it is usually an easy matter to decide upon what space- will be used, and in what papers. Usually, however, where there are twe> e>r more weekly papers circulating in the- territory from which the merchant may expect to draw traele he should use both or all. In the be'tter one's his space shoulel be larger, but he shoulel make extra efforts to make the small space in the- poore-r pape % r attractive'. The way some merchant* use- space in these country papers is simply appalling te> a retailer, who has te> pay dollars per inch in a city daily paper, instead of cents, as it is in these weeklies. It is no trouble what- ever to find a ten-inch space containing the following : "TOO BUSY TO WRITE ADS.," THIS SPACE IS RESERVED FOR JOHN SMITH & CO. NO. 1. :: FOR B/VRG/XIIVS INT Summer Goods Summer has come art last and yon should dress as comfortably as possible. We have a rice line of Summer Goods all to be sold at a big reduction. or to see advertisements similar to that of John Smith & Co., shown as Exhibit No. 1. Another form of this willful waste is to be found in "Watch this space next week." This is certainly a misuse of space, because it is not advertising at all. But, then, there is a large amount of space misused where there is a semblance of an advertisement, and one perhaps that the merchant thinks is good advertising, because it is keeping his name before the public. This "keeping the name before the public" idea is one of the biggest mistakes in advertising for this reason : Where a merchant uses space for that purpose it will be found in every case that he is known to ever} 7 possible customer around. He does not need to keep his name before the public because they are not likely to forget him. But he should in that case try to create a demand for something that the public are not buying every day, and thus increase his trade. The advertisement of Blank & Blank, show r n as Exhibit No. 2, is newly clipped from a country weekly and reproduced as it appeared word for word. "Shoes" are mentioned once, "Summer Goods "twice. Beyond the fact that they are offering bargains, and every merchant is supposed to be doing that, there is no information given to the reader at all. If the advertisement had read as shown in Exhibit No. 3 it would have meant the same thing. There is one other way in which space is misused, and that is when it is used as a catalogue of the different lines carried. Note the way it is usually done in Exhibit No. 4. SEE OUR LINE MEN, WOMEN OF SHOES FOR AND CHILDREN We want all the business you can bring to us, for which we will pay the highest prii.e. BLANK & BLANK No. 2. 12 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE This is a favorite style of advertisement with many country general storekeepers. They seem to pride themselves upon the large variety of lines they carry. The writer remembers having seen a two-column advertisement, with no more introduction than in No. 3, and then a catalogue of the different lines laid out in two parallel leaning columns. Not contented, however, to mention each line once, the merchant had it men- tioned five times, no doubt thinking that repetition is impressive. Just think of an advertisement composed of a dozen or more different items displayed like this: SLIPPERS AND RUBBERS, SLIPPERS AND RUBBERS, SLIPPERS AND RUBBERS, SLIPPERS AND RUBBERS, BOOTS AND SHOES. BOOTS AND SHOES. BOOTS AND SHOES. BOOTS AND SHOES. SLIPPERS AND RUBBERS, BOOTS AND SHOES. Very impressive, isn't it? It isn't only the country merchants who are wasting their space in this way. There are very many instances just as glaring to be found in city dailies. Any space is wasted Great Reductions In Shoes! FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN BLANK & BLANK Our Fall stocks have arrived. They are larger and more select than ever. Call and see our offerings in Fall, 19O6 Boots and SHoes Dry Goods Groceries CrocKery Glass-ware Hardware Furniture Hats and Caps -'- Etc., Etc., Etc. V No. 3. No. 4. that does not produce sales, directly or indirectly, and what is more, it is wasted unless it produces the maximum number of sales. Weak copy of any sort wastes space. Take the Lyon-McKinney-Smith Co. advertisement as an. example. Here we have an advertisement that is particularly striking in display. Typographically it is about per- fect, but the copy is very weak. It merely says what the country dealer says in his advertisement, viz. : "Immense stock of Furniture, Carpets, Draperies, etc., at prices that will surprise you. We cater to your trade, etc." The only value there is in the adv< r- tisement is given to it by the position the firm holds in Los Angeles. Such an advertise- ment from an unknown firm is absolutely worthless. Some merchants are still of the opinion that they are wasting their money by using space in country weeklies. But then they are the ones who say advertising doesn't pay, so their opinion is practically valueless. The country weekly covers a field that cannot be covered as easily or as cheaply by any other medium. The country weeklies of to-day are either better for advertising purposes or decidedly worse than ever before. Where the publisher has advanced with the times, and publishes an up-to-date paper, the merchant will find good results from advertisements inserted in it. But where the daily paper has crowded a weak weekly in a certain field, causing it to grow weaker and weaker, it should be used merely as a last chance, when there is really none better to use. HOW MUCH SPACE TO USE 13 Those country weeklies that have any semblance of circulation among the farmers can be used \er\ Miccessl'ully by city retailers. Where a city has a farming community sur- rounding it then- is sure to be three or four good live country weeklies. Space in these costs from five to ten cents |>er inch, so that the city merchant can talk to the ruralite at comparatively small cost. The growth of the daily newspaper is simply marvelous. Not only in our larger cities and towns, but in small villages where one would hardly expect a weekly paper to be very profitable the daily will be found to flourish. The establishment of the rural free delivery routes has made it possi- ble for the small dailies to grow and mul- tiply. The tendency of retail advertising in towns and cities where dailies are to be found, is toward moderate spaces. Then- is not nearly so much of the "spread ea^le" style of advertising now as there used to be a short time ago. This may be accounted for in the increased cost of space, and in the better education of the retailer. The younger retailers are studying more they are learning from the experi- ence of others what their fathers had to learn by experiment. In the larger cities the retailer is given but little choice. Unless he has a large store "dbwntown" or in the shopping district, he cannot afford to use the dailies. And as there are none others, he is compelled to find other methods of advertising. Even the large merchants in the metropolitan centers find it better to have a daily advertisement, though small, than to spread out once a week or so. Take the Rogers, Peet & Com- pany advertisements. They are extremely small, five inches usually, but they are so attractive and so informing that the public have got into the habit of looking for them, and reading them, from picture to name- plate. Department stores use page spaces, and will continue to do so as long as it pays them, but it pays them only because the department store is a combination of a dozen or more stores under one roof. Di- vide a page up among from fifteen to twenty advertisers, and their space will be normal. Take a tenth of a page for a department store advertisement, and only one department could be advertised in that space. A great deal can be said in a small space if the words are aptly chosen. Writ- ing ten-word telegraphic messages is a good practice for brevity of expression. Every word that is necessary is retained, and the rest eliminated. Let it be the same with an advertisement, only don't be abrupt. Give all the information possible, but don't crowd. Position counts for much. The merchant whose advertisement appears on the most Sun shelters. Straw hats of alt good vari- eties, and if you can find a yel- lowed old straw here, you're better than we are. $2 to $4. Low shoes stand high in the scale of summer comforts. Russets especially. $3.50 and $5. Boys' straw hats and russet Oxfords, too! ROGERS. PEET * COMPACT Tire* Broadway Store* "Batiste" is the best weapon we know for beating Hot weather. A featherweight worsted fabric that holds its shape. , ' Our friends in Cuba and Pan- ama buy it regularly for summer comfort, while iiroadway wears batiste as the smartest of real {summer suits. Hair line patterns in grays single and double breasted coats with trousers, $18 to $29. Rooc Tire , Broadway Slore* 14 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE interesting page of the paper has advantage over his competitor whose advertisement does not. Likewise, the merchant whose advertisement appears at the top of the page has an advantage over him whose advertisement appears at the bottom. The merchant should never take "run of paper." In some cases the cost is less, but it usually pays less. The merchant has his own store. He pays rent for it. He pays more rent than his competitor on the side street for the purpose of being where the most people do their trad- ing. Everyone knows just where to find his store. If he was moving around every three months from one store to another the people would never know where to look for him. It is just the same with position in a newspaper. The merchant rents it. He pays more to have it in a certain place. He can be found there at all times. 1 he public turn to that space every time to see what he has to say that is, if what he says is interesting. Advertising costs money. It is an expense, only in the same sense as salaries of sales- men are expenses. Modern merchants are beginning to speak now of advertising invest- ments, instead of advertising expenses. Let it be an expense, but not an expense that can be tampered with at will. An appropriation should be laid out each season, according to past experience. It may be two or it may be five per cent, of the season's turnover, calculated, of course, from last season's record. Some experts say "Spend as much on your advertising as you do on rent." In most cases we are inclined to think this might be the proper portion for advertising expenses. The exceptions may l>e said to prove the rule, for there are sure to be exceptions to this. For instance, the merchant who is just outside of the shopping district has less expense for rent, but he will have to spend more on advertising if he wants to do as much business as he would if he was in the heart of that district. A new store will find it necessary to spend a larger percentage in making itself acquainted than the old store does in keeping itself to the fore. And the old store that has new opposition will have to increase its advertising appropriation to enable it to hold its own. CHAPTER IV FIRM NAME AND ADDRESS MANY advertisements are spoiled by the manner in which the firm's name is dis- played. Many a merchant is so fond of seeing his name in print that he runs it in twice in the same advertisement once at the top and once at the bottom. In fact, the writer remembers seeing an advertisement that had the merchant's name IIH-JI- tioned just twenty-three times. Every time it was printed it was displayed in bold-faced type, too. This was not only a great waste of advertising space, but it was not in good taste. One's name does not look nearly so pretty to other people as it does to one's srlf. The object of printing the firm name in an advertisement is to let the public know who is offering the articles described at the prices quoted. It is not necessary then to have it occupy half the space of the whole advertisement. It is unnecessary for the firm name to appear twice in the same advertisement unless it is a full column in length, or nearly so, in which case it may be advisable to have it * appear at both top and bottom. The only reason for this is to be found in the way the paper is held when reading. It is sometimes folded across the middle, in which case it would cause the reader some trouble to locate the firm name if it did not appear at both top and bottom. When the firm name does appear twice in this manner, it is unnecessary that it be dis- played largely. It should appear just large enough to show at a glance whose advertise- ment it is. FIRM NAME AND ADDRESS 15 1 leaders who find interest in an advertisement want to digest the offerings the mer- chant is giving as quickly as possible. If they find anything they want or that arouses their curiosity, rely upon it, they will soon discover who the advertiser is. In fcill-puge advertisements some advertisers think it necessary to repeat the name OCCaswMlj throughout the advertisement. Strawbridge & Clothier of Philadelphia have a very neat way of doing this. They have dividing rules made with the name of the firm appearing within a rule box. This is small and takes up but little more room rus than a rule would ordinarily occupy. The firm name is displayed modestly at both top and bottom of their page advertisements, taking up but little of their valuable space. Opinions differ as to whether the firm name should appear at the top or bottom of the retail advertisement. There is considerable to be said in favor of either position. Some experts have laid down the following rule: "Manufacturers and wholesalers should place their names at the bottom of their announcements; retail advertisers should place their names at the top." They base this rule on the usage of the greatest advertisers HEAD-TO-FOOT OUTFITTERS. in the world the department stores of the metropolitan cities and the large advertising manufacturers who are creating a demand for their wares through the use of newspaper space. The reason given by the department store advertising men for using the top position for the firm name is that people get used to trading at a certain store, and when they get their paper the first thing they want to do is to turn to the advertisement of their favorite store. As it is natural to look at the top of the paper first, they place the firm name there 710-718 SOUTH MAIN STREET. NEAR SEVENTH to help the reader find what he or she is looking for with the least possible trouble and delay. This reasoning is good, and department store advertisers are in nearly all cases follow- ing this rule. They find it pays, or they would make a change. But, because the rule works out rightly in department store advertising, it does not necessarily follow that it is right for the exclusive retailer. Where the department stores use whole and half-page spaces the exclusive retailer uses from five to ten or twenty inches. 16 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE In a small advertisement the firm name should always appear at the bottom. Here is a good and sufficient reason why : The headline should be the most prominent portion of the advertisement and should appear at the top of the advertisement. If the firm name OUTERGARMENT SHC 69>695 BROAD ST., NEWARK. "THE DEPENDABLE STORE. Llaatr-i will oat be undersold -money refunded on may mrttu - ., M\ l*rart.N. his store front a different color each time it is done. This leads to confusion to many persons, who recognize the store from the color it is painted. If a merchant should change the position of his sign every few days people would think he was crazy. There is no more necessity for changing the position of the name- plate in an advertisement than there is for changing the position of the sign over the door. I I KM NAME AND ADDRESS 17 Every merchant should liavc a name-cut made for use in his advertising. There is no way in which a reader accustomed to seeing a distinctive name-plate can locate an adver- tisement quicker than by the name-plate. When different size spaces are used, plates of corresponding si/e should he ordered at the same time, viz: Single column, double column, and one for full-page advertisements. The double-column size may answer for full-page advertisements if it is a good legible one. Name-plates should be so designed that they do not occupy too much space. They should be distinctive and by all means plain enough for a child to read. One of the greatest mistakes an advertiser can make Illinois &fceBift White Store is in choosing a design for a name-plate because it looks pretty. Beauty is an essential, but legibility is of far more importance. A good way to use a name-plate is after the manner of a trade mark. It should be used in all newspaper advertisements, on stationery and circulars. It should be pro- U duced in an enlarged form and used on the wrapping paper. It should be painted on the street signs, appear in street cars and, in fact, everywhere where advertising in any shape is used by the firm. Its distinctiveness then becomes a valuable asset to the retailer and aids in distinguishing his advertisements from others. 5POKA15 (JREATE5T u STORE It often happens that retailers advertising in local papers leave off their address, thinking, no doubt, that the name is sufficient. This is a mistake. A business firm may have a local acquaintance, and the people within a given range of trade may know where 18 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE to go to take advantage of the firm's offerings, but it should not be forgotten that one object of publicity is to widen one's range of trade, and introduce the firm to persons that hitherto knew nothing about them. Even the local papers of small villages and towns get into the hands of strangers and visitors. BOSJ.5SRE REMEMBER! * loir, or lower, than the article on be boujht in Mil.aukee. If an advertiser is doing business in a very small town where there are but few stores, and they are all bunched together, the name of the town should appear in all his announcements; but if he is doing business in a larger town or city, the street address should also appear. A business house may have grown old in a community, and on that account may conclude that they are too well known to even advertise; it may consider the name of the firm sufficient when advertising is done and the address is omitted. This theory of being too well known to print location might work, provided old customers would live always, or never move away, but when the fact is taken into consideration that the old and familiar faces are gradually disappearing and younger generations taking their places, the importance of keeping the firm and location before the eyes of the people through continuous publicity is at once apparent. New faces are replacing the old, and an adver- SEKO OS TOUR HAH. ORDERS. KONBTS WORTH OR MOHCTBACK T H nTirVxufi rt nflYt rt h TJ f' >l Jf> V* H ft n ft n ri?i_r*.ci-ri ffci.u i THE BESrClOTHES.ALWAYS BERNSTEIN & CO. tiser should so present his advertisements that the reader could take advantage of his offer- ings with the least possible trouble. Even the large department stores in some cases have fallen into this error. Of course, almost every resident of a city can tell where the big stores are to be found, they could go II KM NA.MK AND ADDRESS 19 to tlirm blindfolded. But there are always thousands and thousands of strangers coming and going, and they must ask strangers where to find such and such a store. This is a distasteful thing for some sensitive ones to do, and, perhaps, the larger stores are the losers by neglecting this simple thing. Few advertisers appreciate the immense value of repetition in advertising. IJy repetition we do not mean that form of advertis- ing one sees in the Knglish papers, of a word or sentence repeated a do/en or more times, hut we have a theory that an advertiser should repeat some phrase or sentence, that will in time become indissolubly associated with his name or the particular article he sells. Fverybody remembers "Sunny Jim," but everyone does not remember what lie advertised. None can forget, however, that "Royal Raking Powder is Absolutely Pure." or that "Children Cry for Castoria." By the continual repetition of these phrases they have become household words. If a retailer in some city should choose the following phrase: "Blank's is the store of quality," and use it continuously, the idea would soon become so fixed in the minds of the readers that they would at last accept it as a demonstrated truth. The advertiser shouldn't stop to reason, or prove it, for if he does his authority is gone. There is no surer way of planting an idea in the popular mind than by simple atlirmation. Dogmatism may not be popular to-day in theology, but there cannot be too much of it used in puffing one's goods, provided always the same is done in good taste and with a dash of style. All great ideas in the past have been spread through continual and positive affirmation. Millions of orientals blindly sum up their belief in the simple assertion, "There is but one God, and Mohammed is his Prophet." It is well, therefore, for the advertiser to originate a motto or phrase for continual use in connection with his business. It should be short and crisp; it should have a definite meaning, and it should be absolutely true. If a motto of this kind is used it should appear in every advertisement, it should ap- pear on every piece of printing used by the firm, everywhere, in fact, where it can be seen, and in time the store may become better known through the store motto than by the firm name. The name-plates which are reproduced with this , chapter show how attractive these name-plates can be made. They show how distinctly they will stand out from a page of type. Some of these reproduced are good, some are very good, some are not as good and ought to be better. Look them over and you can easily pick out the best of them, remembering always that legibility should be given first place in any de- sign of this character. If you have to study over the plate, or spell out a name, you may set it down as certain that others will have to do the same. If the design is so intricate that it requires study to de- cipher it like a puzzle, it may be called a bad design for a name-plate. The name-plate used by Thos. J. Porte, Ltd., is not a good one although it is very attractive. It makes the advertisement stand out prominently upon a printed page. It I The Young Man and His Clothes Can we please (he young iimn? Certainly we can no question about it. Young men are particular. We know that styles muftt be right fit, perfect and all the liule kinks must be looked after. The fabrics are young uieus (fabrics, especially selected fof their Suits and are iu bright and fob'ftiou- able patterns and -luiable iu Crtler to secure satisfactory wear. r young rflt Canada's Best Clofhiers. 17. Sandwich St.E. 20 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STOKE cannot be missed no matter how many advertisements surround it but it is a failure from the standpoint of legibility. The writer puzzled over it many times before he recog- nized the large "P." The name-plate of Oak Hall is not so bad, for it is readable, but it is a great space- waster. Such a name-plate used in a large daily would cost its user thousands of dollars per annum. The object of this illustration is obvious when one reads, "Neck and Shoulder above All Competitors." At the same time it is a poor attempt at illustrating the phrase. CHAPTER V THE HEADLINE OR CATCH PHRASE THE headline is the most important feature of any advertisement. It is usually used as an eye-catcher, and should be strong enough to rivet attention to the advertisement. It should be set in display type sufficiently large to attract attention. This di>plav line should be set in larger type than any other line in the advertisement. It should be made the central eye-attracting point of the advertisement. Evrn when large illustra- tions are used to both illustrate and attract the eye the headline should be the special feature of the advertisement. If it is not forceful it is apt to be passed over with but a casual glance. Rogers, Peet & Company, New York Cjty, use a series of small advertisements, set without a headline, that are apparently very successful iu attracting attention. In lieu of a headline they use small outline cuts to attract the eye. These cuts are of the car- toon order and are only partly comic. T 1 1 < y are original with the firm and continue to attract considerable attention. The space used is usually four or five inches, single column, with occasional double column ad- vertisements, set single column, thus pre- serving their identity. They use no display lines whatever, depending entirely upon the style of the advertisement to catch the atten- tion of the reader. That they are successful in this, cannot be denied, for the firm have used this style of advertisement for many years and are satisfied with results obtained by their use. *. u ." n . ja^ In this way the headline as an eye-catcher cZTSu u.J'sU* oJ~^> and attention-riveter could be and has been in this case dispensed with without nullifying the power of the advertisement. Never- theless, it could not be denied that a short and forceful headline would add to the value of these advertisements. A writer in Printer's Ink some time ago, said that, "the whole duty of a headline is to be a catch-line to catch the reader's eye by echoing one of his thoughts." To fit a person's thoughts with an echo is a process much simpler than it seems. " Do You Intend to Build This Spring?" is a headline that fits a mood, and it can be depended upon to interest the man who is thinking of building a house. Placed in the newspaper it will find each reader who has any thought of building, interest him, and secure a reading of the advertisement. When a man is thinking or planning along a certain line he will Business suits. For ex-custom tailor men who want fine quality and individu- ality our higher price mixture suits hit the mark. Every pattern confined to u|. Silk and serge Union many half-lined. M to $35. ROGERS. P*rr-& COMPANY. Bathing suits. Patterns as different as possi- ble from the ordinary sort. All worsteds. AH fast colors : guaranteed. " Swimming " and "bathing"* rtyles. Bathing belts, white, 50 cents. ROGERS, PZET & COMTAXT. TIIK 1 1 KA DUNE OR CATCH PHRASE 21 read everything tliat he sees in the papers concerning it. There are always enough people thinking of most advertised things to make publicity pay when it reaches them. As for other readers, they do not enter into the advertiser's plans at all. He might dra\v their attention by some vague, mysterious headline, but their attention is not worth while, lie does not want them to read his advertisements until they are thinking of building. In the main, this explanation of the duty of a headline is correct. It should be remem- bered by the retailer, however, that he is not only looking for those who are intending to purchase an article, but he is trying to convince those who have no such thoughts that they should have. Seasonable goods will always find seasonable thoughts among readers heavy shoes in wet weather, slippers in the parly and wedding season, straw hats in the summer, overcoats in winter. At their proper time seasonable moods surge through the minds of the population in great waves, and the advertiser ought to take advantage of them. A direct business proposition is usually the best headline the retailer can use, although occasionally it is desirable to have some variety. The price itself, in connection with the name of the article'to be sold, is often the very best headline that can be used. "Panama Hats, $'2.50" would attract attention anywhere. It would interest every man who ever wears a straw hat because the price quoted is very low. It would be the same with a headline reading, "Men's $3.50 Shoes." ^_^___^________ This headline would interest many men who usually pay more for their shoes, and some who habitually pay less. If the argument in connection with this headline is sufficiently strong it might induce many who had no intention of buying at that time to make a purchase then. The merchant selling something to wear has an advantage over some others, because often the public can be induced to lay in a supply ahead of the actual need. In this way the direct business proposition will bring results that could not be expected by a merchant selling some commodity that is little used and then only at certain seasons of the year. Y\ hen an advertiser is endeavoring to create a de- mand for an article among a class of people who are not using it, or who are using it only in small quanti- ties, a headline calling attention to one of its particular uses, or some peculiar feature about it which would recommend its use, would be more likely to attract attention than a mere mention of the article itself. Take, for instance, the merchant who is trying to introduce the cushion sole shoe to his community. If he should use "Cushion Sole Shoes," as a headline, he would not attract nearly so many readers as if he had said: "No Need Now of Tired Feet," or "Sure Comfort for Aching Feet in Our Cushion Sole Shoes." By taking advantage of the discomforts the public are compelled to undergo he attracts their attention at once. They will then read the balance of the advertisement to see just what the merchant is announcing. It will appeal especially to those troubled with sore or tired feet. In the same way the grocer, trying to interest the public in a new food product, would add to his list of readers by using a headline discriptive of the food. The direct command as a headline is recognized by advertising experts as a powerful factor in modern advertising. It is a factor in getting people to make up their minds at once. The dealer who takes advantage of the first chilly days of fall and comes out strongly with Panama Hats $ 2.50 rGenuine one-piece Panamas; In the popular squire* [top, ridge-crown atyle shown hi the illustration; trimmed, ready to wear. Just 12.50! ' Think of itl Lowest price ever made in Louisville on Panama hats. Shown in vestibule case. Naval Reserve White. Ducks, 25c Men's, boys' and children 'i Naval Reserve white duck hats; the regular 50: kind; we're closing 'em out at 25c. Mini Textile P.n.mn; YrfU tnd cool ; re|u- Ur SOc good, for 35c. Levy' Third and Market. BUY AN OVERCOAT TO-DAY. 22 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE is likely to reach more readers than the one who says simply, "Overcoats." This style of headline has made business, good business. All will remember the phrase, "Let the Gold Bust Twins do your work." That is a good headline because of its direct command. In the advertisement of the Pittsburgh Bank the command, "Place Your Money in Safe Hands," is made stronger by the further assurance that "it will earn four per cent, interest." Pick up any ancient copy of a magazine and look over the advertising pages and you will find headlines of all kinds, some good, some bad, some indifferent mostly indifferent. Pick up a recent copy and the headlines will stand out from each page as prominently as modern brains and science can force them to. These headlines are a good study for the retail advertiser. From them he should be able to glean a great deal of informa- tion. He can easily recognize those that appeal to him and those that don't, and a comparative study of the two classes should teach him just the kind he ought to use to get good results. "Wear a Cowboy Hat" is another illustration of a headline wherein the direct com- mand is predominant. "Wear a Cowboy Hat on that Vacation or Outing Trip" is a sen- sible command and one that many of the readers of that advertisement would be likely to follow. "You Want a Hat To-day" and "Deposit Here" are both good strong headlines. The peculiar display of the Buffalo Loan, Trust and Sale Deposit Company advertisement shows how strongly two words can be made to stand out from the body of even so small an advertisement. Headlines should be as short as possible. The fewer words ux-d the better. It should contain the gist of the whole advertisement when it is practical to crowd it into a few words. The most important thought should be there at any rate. PEERLESS $3.50 SHOES FIT AND WEAR. is a headline that will convey a thought to most readers' minds. The reader may have had an experience with these shoes that was not entirely satisfactory. It may have been that he had a pair of shoes from the firm advertising these shoes that were not satisfactory . He needs a new pair, and seeing this positive assertion decides that he will give the shoe man another trial. If the shoes are as the advertisement states, good ones, which have style and wear in them, the man's trade is retained. A positive assertion then is a good headline. One authority has asserted: "The business of the headline is to convince the reader at sight that the advertisement concerns him, and if the advertisement is what the headline promises, it will do it's work." Blind and mysterious headlines have seen their day and have gone with the medical advertisements of a decade or more ago, that were disguised as read- ing notices under misleading headings. "We may be Crazy WILL EARN 411 $14.500.000.00 BANK BY MAIL. PITTSBURGH SAVINGS we aim to encourage bank ac- counts with us by giving our patrons the most efficient and prompt service possible deposit here our especially convenient location is appreciated by busy people Buffalo Loan. Trust & Safe Deposit Co. But we ain't no fools." THE HEADLINE OR CATCH PHRASE 23 is a headline used by a firm in California, and shows to what lengths some advertisers will go for the purpose of being original. The headline does not show what the adver- tisement is about. There is no clue to the kind of goods sold nothing to connect it with any kind of business. This kind of advertising is more harmful than otherwise to the linn using it. If you're Willing to Pay $5 Extra to Get "Trusted" for a $15 Suit, Don't Come to Blach's for Clothes. Blach is here trying to take a fall out of the credit stores, but is merely calling attention to them. It may be true that stores giving credit charge more for their goods even when they advertise that they do not. But there are a lot of men who are willing to pay more if they can have their own time to pay in, and this slap in the face will only advertise the instalment stores more thoroughly than ever. 500 MEN WANTED To buy Peerless Safety Razors. These Razors are the Latest, etc., etc. This is a modern example of a sensational headline. It is a blind or misleading headline, and as such should be avoided. It will never sell razors and it will never bring the five hundred men wanted to that store. There is another kind of headline that is sensational and misleading in character, and much more repugnant to the finer sensibilities of the reader. That is the scare-crow headlines, such as, "Instant Death," or, "Horrible Accident," etc. Some advertisers are fond of these disgusting exhibitions of poor taste, but fortunately as they become educated in the gentle art of ad- vertising, they abandon their ill-timed humor. The Cunningham advertisement reproduced here is a sample of this senseless style of advertising. The merchant who tries to be funny in his ad- vertisements is sure to make a fool of himself, sooner or later. He may think a thing very laugh- able, but the public is fickle-minded and often fail to remember the perpetrators of some of the funny things told in advertising. The retail advertiser should avoid the use of too many adjectives, and choose only those that are full of meaning. Just note this attempt at effectiveness: Our Grand and Intelligently Selected Stock is Superbly and Enormously Large. Such a screed as this conveys no meaning to the reader, except that the advertiser is feeble minded. It is too general a statement anyway to be impressive. "Largest Stock in Town," "Best Goods at Lowest Prices," and such phrases are worthless as headlines. Let the retailer put lots of ginger and snap into his headline. Let him season it with common sense. Let him boil it down. Then serve it attractively in a suitable dress of type and it will catch the reader's eyes from the midst of dozens of other advertisements commonplace in construction and display. De Vault Stock Salc'.H THE WIND-UP! THE WIND-UP!! To-Day and To-Morrow! Slaughter of Odds and Ends ] DON'T Slaughter of Odds and Ends I MICO Slaughter of Odds and Ends [ "Jl 1 ?? Slaughter of Odds and Ends] IT!! A Dime Bays a Dollar 's Worth. In This List Scramble for Odds and Endsl Come! ud Ttfl Tow Neigbbors and Friends to ( cTi^ y *vr' w '"wi *;"" ** SSffiW-S 67c {^^"S'tirVTe ~^96c ' fr^SK CUNNINGHAM'S- r^vcrrlSEHrsz' w 24 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE WORTH ".."-: Einr-: UO Runy clkim DOK * tib*y wt! Wr.tcb.MM4 JWkrr O Ulanr frier. th.va M-om U. Uuu'o-n >tt* toptnaJ. TlM wine togi^. *iwytyft^ tbouN.M.; Of MUtlM CMtMM... itt fM. ,T *0 M J lb.t .* ., mp. Are You Intending to Buy Furniture This Spring' ? Say "Yes" to this inquiry and you owe it to yourself to tome to this store this weed before this semi-annual Sale closes. Hen is a twice-a-year opportunity to make big interest on your money by buying NOW when tbe actual saving on handsome and well made Furniture is from 20* to 50*. Why wait a few weeks and pay the regular prices when will uecupj the nne-l J.lkij Sum in AitMnJi*- Wo will vJd to our preterit blora two nwr* Bbom *J>| M or4w (o 4o w w. eltrjiMty.* f ...fi.r. fceMyiiM. Ttv^f *l.l MUM* OM liM ''* - '* ^iMd.^l/.fWjoMM.TbZ MeMrCT V this price saving opportunity is knocking at your door. is to waste. and pay To buy now is to benefit, to wait Odd Divans and Tetea in Real Mahogany Only 97.4O FURNITURE When'you think of FURNITURE think of STICKLCY'S Avoid the use of meaning- less phrases. Make the headline tell some part of the story of the advertisement so that the reader will have something to remember. As the title of a book should give the public some idea of its contents, so the title, or headline, or catch-phrase of an advertisement should indicate the character of the advertisement. Illustrated headlines are not usually very common nor very good. That used by Stewart Da\v- son & Co., Melbourne. Australia, is very good., it is full of meaning. As a store motto it should prove even more useful than as a headline. We also reproduce a page of illustrated headlines. These were all clipped from page advertix nit lit-, and while not very bad are not very good either. That illus- trating the ".Inne liride Sale" is perliaji- the best of the lot. The headline of The Nebraska, Kansas City, advertisement, ".lust Like Finding Money" is not at all bad. It being one 1 1 13 -HIS Main Street KANSAS CITY MO. Just Like Finding Money If You Come Here For Your Christmas Choosing Neckwear Night Shirts Seal Plush Caps Mufflers fancy Vests Suit Cases, etc. Suspenders Handkerchiefs Gloves Smoking Jackets Bath Robes There's No TJst Talking They're AD Here. Which One Do You Like? YOU CAN HAVE THE PAIR YOU MOST FANCY FOR M. rifU. TIx * jvU Wnfht *- Ihj '. I hi nine. Ao4 thcr ft* fa/11 MT K> Tmdf twa you*** wora a piir Fwtbcr-A'i the kxijtil v jluc lot row u*>i*T o> tb< Sue Muh loiir- * "iul x in loU. Aid W on', mutb 10 rtt > Killr rxxl Low Quulcf. Very liUf row*** oflfeo pftid u much u $6 And $7 fax a pair that you won't like A bit brllo that tbc )uat Tn(ht. lo> row KlKtno. anJ it un't ou laull U rJ don't lino out all aboul t j< luit Wn,hi Shoe. Bullock Shoe Co. 26 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE of the popular sayings of the day makes it easily understood. But this is a case of fit- ting the headline to a cut whicTi usually is disastrous to good advertising. The adver- tisement as a whole is a poor one. The advertisement of the Stickley-Brandt Furni- ture Company gives us a very good headline. "Are You Intending to Buy Fur- niture This Spring?" re- quires an answer, and there can be but little doubt that every reader of that head- line answered it "yes" or "no," as the circumstances demanded. Those who answered it affirmatively would read the whole ad- vertisement closely to see whether the offerings inter- ested them. In the Marshall & Ball MARSHALL BALL Announce the sale of Doc Thousand pairs of Manufac- turers' Sample Shoes, made to sell at $4, $5, $6 and $T, SPECIAL PRICE, These shoes were made by the J. S. Turner Shoe Co., one of the oldest and best makers of Men's High Grade Shoes in the country. The public has come to rccot- nlzc the fact that a Marshall & Ball Shoe Sale is an event worth long: awaiting. This is by far the most remarkable tffcr we have ever made. All leathers. All sizes. All perfect On salt tomorrow at 8 A. M. MARSHALL & BALL M9 to 813 BROAD STREET. NEWARK. N. J. advertisement there is no headline used, used conjointly to attract attention to the top name-plate and displayed the words: The cut, the price and the name-plate an- all advertisement. If this firm had dropped the 1000 Pairs Manufacturers' Sample Shoes reduced to $2.85 the advertisement would have been a more powerful puller. As it stands there is nothing about this advertisement to show that it is other than an ordinary shoe advertisement, if we exclude the one line "Special Price, $.85." "Which One do You Like I-" is not a bad headline used in connection with the illus- tration shown in Bullock Shoe Company's advertisement. The use of white space as here shown is very good. Such a use of white space is by no means waste. In fact it is about the best possible kind of investment. It contrasts the type matter and throws it out from the page in such a manner that no one could help seeing it. This advertisement is reduced from six inches by three columns. CHAPTER VI ILLUSTRATIONS IT is not our intention in this chapter to explain the processes by which each kind of engraving is done. We are going to pass over the technical side of the question altogether and deal merely with the effects that illustrations have on the value of the advertisement. The force of a good cut in an advertisement is its power to centralize the general idea of the composition. It is to the advertisement what the bud of the rose is to the flower. The bud, gradually unfolding, brings to view the fullness of the flower, with all its variations and adaptations. So with the picture in the advertisement it first attracts ILLUSTRATIONS 27 Perfect $222 Shoemaking Mr 00 -Helen- Shoo fat perfection to UOO The new .trio to both "Helen" boot! oJ oiford. 00. 00 or ibelm M* H MM to the mart Mrfiafc SV50 ihoe mooek u infcexjitr ad tkiU cu mike them. The button booti, lor miunce. the mind, which, in its study, gradually expands along the outlined ideas until the product in the whole extent of its meaning opens up in full bloom and significance. Some advertisers seem to have an idea that a picture in an advertisement is nothing more than a little embellishment added to it, and by reason of that fact catches the eye of the reader. A good forceful illustration will catch the eye of the reader because the mind is ever glad of a change. It usually rests first upon the most attractive spot on a printed page. For that reason alone it pays the advertiser to illustrate his advertise- ments. . These eye-catching advertisements must be pleasant and may^be partly humorous. They must never offend the good tastes of the reader, nor hurt the feelings of the most sensitive. In the Millanl advertisement, here shown, the illustration is used purely for the purpose of attracting attention to the advertisement. It serves its purpose well, for the picture is |>lea>:int and attractive. As an eye-catcher, pure and sim- ple, an illustration is not a very good investment. A good typographical display of types and rules will do the same thing at less expense. If a picture cannot be made to bring into united conception the promi- nent features of an advertisement, it might better, in most cases, be omit- ted. The picture in an advertisement may help to strengthen the impres- sion one gets from the headline upon first sight, but unless it is capable of impressing the thought the advertiser wishes to convey it is little better than an eye-catcher, and is occupy- ing space that might better be given over to type matter or white space. Many advertisements are spoiled by poor and inapt illustrations. Anyone critically inclined will be side-tracked on seeing a " jack-knife " cut of a shoe, or an abortive attempt at illustrating a hat shape. An engraving is apt to be misleading, unless designed very carefully, and in this way damage may result instead of good. W r hen comic or suggestive cuts, other than those that illustrate the goods, are used, greater caution still must be exercised in their selection, as an incongruity may result that will prove disastrous to the purpose of the advertisement." In most cases good, catchy advertisements, cleverly worded and attractively displayed, without illustrations of any form will be found quite as effective, and frequently they may be made to convey the thought of the advertiser more clearly to the mind of the reader. Not long ago a jeweler used a cut, representing a bushel basket of diamonds over- turned, and showing the diamonds strewn around, much as potatoes would be if some- one had upset a basket of them. The advertiser stated in flaring headline, "We Buy Them That Way." Now, what thought did he mean to convey to the public? The public would know that he was deliberately lying if he meant he bought diamonds by the bushel, for they know that they are not marketed in that manner. But one conclusion can be drawn from this advertisement, and that is that he meant to be humorous. It was a poor and ill-advised attempt at humor at that. top pattern that row vtviUr bin to Mr *JJO for. Brerr little eta n "Helen- .econi with new ideal Thi whr ounr women wea, -Helen- iho MUJard, 'Broa.dtuay. Troy 28 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE There are too many merchants wasting their money in buying illustrated advertise- ments from some "syndicate" which is turning out advertisements and illustrations to use with them by the thousands, utterly regardless of the proper fitness of things. If the merchant, who is subscribing all the way from fifty cents to two dollars a week for this trashy sort of illustrations, would I'll 3 and 1115 Main St. Boys' School Shoes That Speak for Themselves. They tell of comfort lontf and perfect character no argument between us -we guarantee every & BOYS' SCHOOL SHOES $1.00. $1.25. $1.50. $1.75. $2.00. Don't Blame the CooK alwayi if the mfat part of your meal lit't fr* right -It may be the full of the botcher. Tbere'a where we may ran Into trouble, for we ro purveyor! of frh and salt meats. Yet we inrlu ft trial of oar ssfrice, confident that we can rait you at to the meat* themselves, their cutting, handling, price* and deliv- ery. Fair offer. Isn't It, to try DI once! Kling'stein $ Co. 318 Booth Union AT*. _ use the same amount of money in the purchase of good, sensible stock cuts from a reli- able engraver, they could illustrate their advertise!; cuts to much better advantage. The Nebraska advertisement gives a fairly good idea of what these illustration! amount to. There is always some attempt made to illustrate the article advertised or to illustrate the headline to be used with the cut. The Klingstein & Co. advertisement is another of these "extremely attractive syndicate advertisements." It cannot be denied that some of the illustrations turned out by some "syndicate cut" firms are very fair specimens and of some value. It becomes a matter of selection however, for the purpose of picking out the good ones from the hundreds of bad ones. The Sam Freund advertisement is humorously illustrated. This is one ca.se where humor is in its right place. The advertisement is intended for male readers exclusively. Such attempts at humor, however, are seldom very successful. A shade of humor in cuts is good when not overdone. But right here is generally where the trouble comes in it is usually overdone. Some rising young illustrator fur- nishes some cut "syndicate" with a few original ideas at an originally small price, and that is where the trouble begins. The illustrator has ideas, but they are too original for advertising purposes. They should appear in Judge, not in retail advertisements. They do less harm there, at any rate. Then there is so much bad taste shown in many of these "syndicate" cuts. Take, for instance, a cut of a blind man being led by a poor excuse for a dog, the purport of the aw*********f*fcL m 8 i Man in TowruUff. The Proudest Unco, Gloria, Selectos, Prince George ,, $ At Sam Freund's j &. UNDER THE METROPOLE ff "ALWAYS THE GORDON" advertisement being, that a man must be blind who cannot see the advantages of dealing with the advertiser. It is not only an advertisement in bad taste, but sordid in its general import. ILLUSTRATIONS 29 tow Cut Blacken. $2.07 ton. Mrf* by " ^.HM > .. .., II , I.J. .lit - The object of the illustration is to vivify or give emphasis to the composition, as well as the goods advertised. This being the case, harmony between the cut and the matter should be considered of first importance. . ( i real care should be taken in using an illustration that there are no objectionable features in it. A few years ago a merchant used a comic cut illustrating an old negro, nearly bald, with mouth wide open as if crying out at the top of his voice. The head- line used with it was, "Much Cry and Little Wool." As an illustration of that old saw, it was a success, but it -had this objectionable feature: In the town in which the adver- tisement appeared there was a large colored population, and the merchant numbered among his customers a great many of them who were intelligent and industrious. Some of them very properly took offense at the advertisement. It was used in good faith by the merchant, perhaps a little thought- lessly, but it took years to live down the bad impression he had made. The best illustrations that can pos- sibly be used are those that illustrate the goods advertised. Here are two examples of illustrations (See opposite page) that illustrate the goods. The hat advertisement show the article advertised in actual use while the shoe advertisement shows merely a cut of the shoe. Of the two styles of illus- trating the one which illustrates the article in use is no doubt the better. But it is almost impossible to illustrate shoes in use by showing a cut of a man or woman. The best at- tempts at showing shoes in use are represented by the cuts in Kennedy's and Dalsimer's ad- vertisements here reproduced. There are other articles in the same class with shoes, such as gloves, hose, ties, etc. that cannot very well be illustrated in actual use. Furniture lends itself to illustration in either way. A chair may be illustrated as simply a chair, or it may be illustrated as part of a room. There is one thing that should be carefully observed in selecting illustrations, and that is in selecting ones that do illustrate. Take the illustration in the "Hub" advertisement: Clothing or Furniture, Which? Could you tell at a glance. It is equally suitable for either and suitable for neither, from that very fact. Only good, clear cuts should be used ; they cost a little more than the poorer ones, and are worth very much more. Care should be taken to select cuts suitable for the work intended to be done. Half-tones make fine illustrations in booklets that are properly printed on calendered paper, but they produce mere blotches on newspaper stock. Newspaper cuts should be cut deeply; the outlines should be strong and heavy; there should be but little detail, and that should be coarse and rugged, so that every line will be brought out faithfully upon the rough and porous newspaper stock. Half-tones are now being made with very coarse screens, especially for newspaper work, but on the whole they are not as satisfactory as ordinary line drawings. They are apt to become filled with ink and give but a poor impression. We have seen many a good Down Here We're Cutting the Life Out of Prices! 30 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE Paint man is brother to paper hanger. We have paint man's brushes and paper hanger's tools. Paper hanger's tools please paper hanger. They're right. They do- work just as paper hang- er wants them tot Are you a. paper-hanger? Come 'and see us. The Lawrence Paint Co. 1 1 5 Court St.. Binf taatofl. If. T. advertisement impaired in its effective- ness by a half-tone illustration, show- ing up without any sign of detail at all. Good outline and silhouette cuts are much the better for newspaper work. Good black and white cuts will attract as much attention or more than poor half-tones. Better the cut should be lacking in artistic details than have its whole effect spoiled in the printing. Cuts are so cheap now that there is no excuse for any merchant using old- fashioned ones. Just think of a mer- chant advertising 1907 styles, and showing a cut of styles in vogue ten or fifteen years ago. The result is simply ludicrous; it is also harmful to the advertiser. The clever use of the small cut in the Lawrence Paint Co. advertisement shows how attractive a cut is in an ad- vertisement. It proves conclusively that cuts are sure to attract attention. This little cut of a painter, half humorous as it is, tells us at once that the advertisement is about paint. If we are interested we will read the advertisement. The full page reproduction shows three different types of cuts. The strong black and white illustrations used by C. A. Weed & Co. shows up strongly in contrast with the gray effect made by the type matter. The "stipple" effect in the illii>trati* nprlwr.it.wd omr ck o( "'$5.00 " quilt ir. ind with nor* ji od fi<"b tbu jrou would tijxct at ttw prtc*. It would "Clalfiti of Quality " '' Clothes Sa.tisfa.c and fe. Summer UofJerwear (roo foe, [aroent up. M>avr>> */** ;OC to $ Negligee Sbirn 1 1 to 13.50 and every other item in Haberdaahny. -' The beat S.t Ca >j to carry the otat in. Browning, King & Co A Second Crop. Browning, King & Co vanec*. when moat eletbiers arc Ram Coals aod Top Coata. A condition that never occur, here. , - - . We have jc.t received* from our own ^ factory* rwcood. crop of Paddock., Swag grra and Covert, in full aiiorlmenL . No Fabric far Me.' _____ etoaabf aod comfortable a. Serge. Oor owarto-Uoed Coat, are practically aa cool a. rho akeletoo-lioed and ai abapafy a. the fulUioed. Every Other Day There' 1 ! b a holiday every other day the in half ol ant week, and perh.p. >. are ong tto tacky Do Negligee SfcirU istenat yo? J to St. Every thread i. warranted true hlaie wool or black or gray, u the caae may be. Browning, King & Co Browning, King & Co The Time and Place: Now and Here. True Blue Serges Browning, Kinf & Co The Maxn call i for Sergei. Blue. Black and Gray. Single Breasted or Double. fnto|>$. Two piece Outing Suiti of serges, worsted, and cheviots. Coats half or quarter lined, til. i} and tit. Straw Han. 11.50. (> and J. Negligee Shirta for as much is you pay, but especially strong OB the It and i.50. Honc'.t worsteds are the boats of our New Style Serge Sui whether blue, black or the new wide waae gray. They are nude to endure, awd whether fully or party lined, an designed to hold shape and give comfort and atyle to the wearer. Summer Serges Serge, we've wh.t you want, .ingle or doubTc-brcuted. and a* littlt lined u will bo!4 hape. aad perfectly well-made. ic to jj. Negligee Shim 1 1 to J 5=. awl Hat. <1 Our Furnishings Department a. fuJi of auggesuODS for the nun- wardrobe. Illi: DESCRIPTION OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 37 fare on a ten-point hotly can easily be read, but when space permits a twelve-point face is much more preferable. Sometimes the first two or three lines are set in twelve-point and the following in eight- or nine-point, as in the following argument: Comfort and durability in shoes are first consideration with people careful about their health; and they are our first thought in designing our shoes, no matter how low the price or how dainty the design. And the stocks of shoes that we have here at the present time prove that these qualities need not be costly; nor need they he absent from the smartest and mo>t stylish shoes that are made. CHAPTER VIII THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED SOME merchants seem to think that the important object to be gained in advertising is to let the public know that they keep certain commodities for sale, such as shoes, hats, clothing, etc. They do not think it is necessary to tell the kind of shoes they have. They just say, "Shoes," and expect the anxious public to rush in and buy. Some will add a claim to have "the largest stock at lowest prices." That in itself isn't much of an inducement to the public. Each purchaser may be presumed to want only one pair at a time, but they want a certain kind. They have made up their minds before- hand as to just what they want. When a merchant's advertisement shows the reader of it that he will likely find the kind he wants at that store, he will go there to see. If he finds what he wants he buys it if the salesman is a good one he buys anyway. There are usually several merchants in a town handling the same kind of goods. If one merchant has an especially good article he will gain the confidence of the public by telling something about it. If he has exactly the same line as his competitors he can make the public think that his line is better by fully describing it* "We have Groceries for Sale" is a better advertisement than none at all, but it is practically valueless. If to this information the merchant says, "Our Groceries are Good Groceries," he is adding value to the advertisement. If he adds, "Our Groceries are Low in Price" he adds more value and information. But take the whole and what have you? Simply a statement that every dealer in groceries in the United States will make about his wares. Suppose the shoe merchant makes an offer of Ladies' Tan and Chocolate Gibson Ties, Six Large Eyelets,' tied with Broad Ribbon Ties, made by the Famous Goodyear Welt Process, Perfect Fitting, with Spanish Arch, and Cuban Heel, $3.00. Now, every woman who reads that advertisement may not want Gibson ties, but they do want descriptions of goods. They like to read about them. If it wasn't for that 38 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE A Trouser Sale. #2.75. We won't go Into details as to the values, 'etc Every pair Is wonh considerable more than the price, and this means a big saving to you. These trousers are on separate tables, and sizes are conveniently assorted, and mjny of them are mad* odd by the coats and vests being told from the suit and the $1.7$ price will make them ready sellers. trait in women half the fashion journals would have to go out of business. Then the woman who is needing shoes of any kind who reads a description like that will say to herself, "That's a pretty style, and if they have those they are likely to have , just what I have been wanting for ever so long. I'll go there and see anyway." That is the style of reasoning that is done, and the man who describes his natty styles will get the reputation of keeping nothing but natty goods a reputation worth thousands of dol- lars to any merchant. Some advertising experts say. "Tell your story quickly, and allow plenty of white space to make the advertisement stand out." That is very good advice, but the trouble is some merchants carry it to extremes. Lengthen the sentences, and sacri- fice white space if necessary, for at any cost the advertiser should make himself plain. The advertisement may, as the result of a little crowd- ing, be a trifle less conspicuous, but it is far better to convince a few than to mystify a thousand. In the advertisement of the Capitol Clothing Store we find an excellent display. The use of white space brings out the advertisement very nicely, but it is an advertisement without description. "Trousers, Extra Value, $2.75," is really all we are told about them. If in place of some of the white space so lavishly used there had been a few words of description, or details, the sale of trousers would surely have been greater. Advertisers should never lose sight of the fact that they are trying in their advertise- ments to show people why they should spend their money for certain goods the adver- tiser has for sale, rather than go elsewhere for them. This is a far harder thing to do than many seem to think. Let us ask ourselves whether we buy articles unless we are pretty sure of what we are getting:' No, we do not. Then, will others? No. The advertiser then must be explicit. If the merchant who is about to advertise will place himself in the position of the people he wants to attract, the result will be that he will prepare his advertisements much more carefully and convincingly. Bald statements do not belong to present-day advertising. It might have done a dozen years ago, but the present-day advertiser has to get a mental move on him if he wants to interest the masses. That's it to inter- est the masses. If John Smith has anything they want and will sell it for little money they are in- terested at once. But other merchants, as well as John Smith, are trying to coax them to buy, so John Smith must do something more than they. He must convince them that he is not only selling at the low price, but that the article is better value. Don't say your goods are "the best in the world," for that is a bald statement, and of no value; tell the people why they are the best. In the Dominion Umbrella Store advertisement we have a very good example of an advertisement containing nothing but bald statements. If the word "shoes" should be UMBRELLAS To suit all usles *nA .ill purses. Thousands to select from at all THE DOMINION ( UMBRELLA STORE, 2305 ST. CATHERINE ST. " U9 ST. PETER ST. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 39 29-31-33 South 5th Street. substituted for the word "umbrellas," it would make just as good advertising for a shoe >tore as it did for the umbrella store. The \Yinslow & Hull' advertisement is another style of advertisement that is often used by retail merchants. The advice given is good. The illustration is good. But one has to look pretty closely to find out what kind of a store is making the oll'er. '1 hat is found in the name-plate if anyone should eare to know. The R. II. Edmunds Co.'s advertisement is a sample of the advertising that is being done by a great number of country merchants. They fry to tell their whole story in one little advertisement. They think it necessary to mention the fact that they have a stock of hosiery, handkerchiefs, neck- wear, negligee shirts, underwear and hats as well as clothing. The advertisement thus becomes a mere catalogue or list of the articles sold in the store. There is not room enough left for descrip- tions and they are omitted. These merchants forget that if one style of hat is advertised that it is a clear indication to the reader that other styles are also to be found there. If neckwear is advertised one naturally supposes that shirts, collars, underwear and such like articles may also be found in the same estab- lishment. The whole advertisement is merely a business card with a few commonplace generali- ties thrown in by way of adornment. If you study the advertisements of the largest retail houses in the world the first thing that such a study will show is that they go into details regarding quality, make and price. A person must be interested before he will buy, and he cannot become interested until he gets a clear idea of what it is the merchant has for sale. Here are a few thoughts expressed only recently by one of the highest salaried advertising managers of one of New York's largest department stores: "Description of goods will bring more people to a store than prices. "People of a better class come to see the offer- ings. "Unless the advertiser knows his goods and values he is in danger of over-rating the value in his adver- tising. "Advertising description should tell humanly in- teresting things about the goods. "The greatest amount of fact must be compressed into small space. "Description must be interesting as well as reli- able. "Description must stimulate interest. "Merchandise must be described in a bright, snappy way. "An examination of store advertising day by day will show a great deal of description that does not describe the goods. "Adjectives cannot be substituted for information. "Advertisements should educate the public in grades of goods and real values." FOR MEN, YOUTHS and BOYS. IT PAYS TO BIIY OUR KIND. Tbc man we ai-c looking for is the one who finds it hard to find just what he wants. To such we sav HAKE YOURSELF AT HOME in our "Right Dress" shop, and we feel sure you will find just what you arc lookuiR for. We feel tins is true with every man's, youth's or hoy's want. IN ADDITION TO OUR CLOTHING we want you to inspect our superb lints of Hosiery, Negligee Shirts, Handkerchiefs, Underwear, Neckwear, Hats. TiTe R. H. EDMUNDS CO. 40 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE These are the convictions of an expert, one who has not only had experience in one store in one city, but in many stores in many cities. He says that "descriptions will bring more people to a store than prices," but by combining description and price the maximum of pulling power has been reached. Not long ago an advertiser set forth in an advertisement nine separate bargains. One of them was "Velvet Slippers at 19 Cents Per Pair." The advertisement read simply : VELVET SLIPPERS 19c. Genuine Panamas One pair was sold. Is it any wonder? There was no description at all, except so far as "velvet" would describe. The public were allowed to guess whether they were men's, women's or children's; whether thev had leather soles or string soles; whether they were all one size or whether there were all sizes. The price was ridiculously low, but it did not draw trade for the slippers. If an adequate description had ac- companied the price there would have been few of those slippers left by the evening of the day upon which the advertisement appeared. Contrast the advertisement of S. N. Wood & Co. with that of Colman's. In the one we find a full description of the styles, following a very inter- esting introduction. The man who needs a Pana- ma would be interested in that advertisement. His curiosity would be aroused by the interesting information about, these particular Panamas, and this curiosity would most likely lead him to investi- gate the offering. In Colman's advertisement the bald statement is made that "we are selling a raft of $5 Panamas." This might lead a man, who had already determined to buy one, to go to Colman's for it, but it would never force investigation from one who had not already determined to buy. A merchant cannot write a trade-pulling advertisement unless he knows the goods he advertises. The salesman who makes it a point to know about the dyes in coloring the cloth, or about the weaves of the goods, or about the reputation of the makers of the article, will sell more goods by telling his customers what he knows about the material and explaining to them why the line he offers is better than that offered by others. It is the same in advertising. Tell the public all about the wares for sale, and the sales will go up. Advertising is coming more and more to be re- garded as salesmanship. The advertiser must study to tell the reader just the proper points to make him interested. Then when he calls at the store and ex- amines the article, and finds it as represented the sale is concluded. Smith & Climie have produced here an excellent COLMAN5 f-t 4 naa 848 Till: 1)KS( H1PT10N OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 41 SMITH & "Tin start that ttickt to fbrti" A Business Stroke For Shrewd Fellows- A STROKE WHEKEBY YOU SHOVn. I* dolUr. down into your pocket on the purchu* of uil of good rlotlx*. Tne next week will be de- voted to >perul rllinx of good . lothe. it tl.i. itore, und It n opportunity no really iihrewd nun wrtl Ignore. The price, and v.lue* wliich gonititute the magnet i.m r* .u, h an will convert the mo.t eitreme p~.imi.t into i. believer of -8. * C.~ f,,. I. Theee clothe, nre new nnd ty!i.h. The value* rou'U not qunlion. Be mi early vUitor. You'll get Ju.t what * EN '.S SINGLE irf ot.rfl.to .(Iel K.bnc. I. Wl o-M w w.lh AM wo~ud Bm.r. i.-.l .,ih rxtd aM)!t r l*tlM MtaM BtKMl.fer .r. UMOTKUb ly pwUJ .nd bq.u brad .nrt ro*.M CotUr. u, *f)r clo.. fllunt nd Up.ll .itHf.1 in On -rtd,h Th-.lii>-.u^,t,-i. 7, 9.50 UGHT GREY SLM- *-T^"i .T.!?.7??.'!7.."?" / 12.00 SUITS MADE FROM $11.50 SUITS OF DARK r* bomwnio Vllli MMttoir^ Th*M trv UotnwNM ilk n*i (Kip*. ThrM J Uikwvl tliroaflionl. b*Mim N lb*> fan " T>>ubMt orr M ihoroochlj' aoaaUuelMt ih*l tiwv will ^; u ^r u Lts''r i p:s':'.r^' u J 1 "KK in 50 aiM bo*)U not U*t km* !.... ...... ............... AV ;i(l\t-rti>fint'iit, our tliat is Ixmiul to si-11 goods. The honest intention of this tinn is evident from the whole tone of the ;id\ertisciiieiit. The deseriptions are i^iven in a popular way. all teehnieal terms have been discarded, and there is an t asy smoothness in the reading thai imitcs the reader to read on. Ad- vertisers will do well to study this advertisement carefully and use it as a model from which to pre- pare their own. The advertising columns of the newspapers are being conned eagerly, day by day, by readers, and they really vie with the news columns in interest to the public. 1'eople are getting into the habit of looking for store news as for anything else, and even men \\lio sneer at their wives for their habit of bargain hunting, find themselves unconsciously run- ning over the advertisements to see what induce- ments are being offered in shoes, negligee shirts, clothing, etc. Talk is cheap, so give the public facts. Encour- age them to look for your announcements by refusing to cheat them with blandishments, funnyisms, gener- alities, bald statements, or other substitutes for actual information about your goods or prices. Aim at educating your constituents fn regard to your store and its goods. A flaring announcement will not accomplish this; neither will general ad- vertising of the most modern type. You must inter- est people by making definite statements about the goods and prices. If you try to tell them everything in one advertisement they will remember nothing. Pick out specialties that are representative of their special class and push them from time to time. Remember, also, that it is not mere cheapness that catches people. You have to convince them that you have what they want, better, as well as cheaper, than your neighbor. The public have grown very discriminating, and it is surprising how familiar people are becoming with the stocks of the local merchants and how readily they recognize their relative merits. Women will read descriptions of articles by the page, but men are not so ready to store away such knowledge for future use. In writing descriptions, then, of artiples of men's attire, or for men's use, they should be shortened as far as possible without impairing the picture that is intended to be conveyed to the reader's mind. A good rule to follow when in doubt is: Describe the article fully, in popular language ; technical terms are not known to all readers. The J. R. Libby Go's advertising man knows how to set forth the firm's offerings in a most tempting manner. This advertisement is worth studying. The manner in which the wording at the bottom and sides of the advertisement appears is open to criticism. They are rather disconnected when taken separately, and one has to study them out a little before one becomes convinced it is the intention of the firm to have them read con- nectively. These side-heads, or whatever you wish to call them,. are used in most of this firm's advertisements. They are used presumedly for the purpose of telling in black-faced type the gist of the whole advertisement. The effect is sometimes startling. Read in the right hand column about the millinery department and connect it with "Tuesday at 12|." Rather incongruous, isn't it? IN THE LINES ABOVE MENTIONED we haven't the full range. of sizes and cannot guarantee these value* for any specified time. The only sure way to reap this benefit is to let us clothe you to-day. I S .AC. I 42 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE Whit* Detail* of the Sale, 12>/,c. S^lfl Trt 1 Tuesday. 5^ J"""M*!*'* """ D J. R. LIBBY CO. Matchless Sale Tuesday. Me 4000 TIRMI Of THI IALI. CAIM (not Ihit .nyfeodr-* ir.Jit 'i'./i.,'.,'.',;/,',""'' "'" '" * io I ono lot All LIMM" tCrt.nt'/*!! Women'a Suit Department. TUtSDAV (ALL M*. fM* Do. The most important sale we have held this winter. More value for the money than in any previous sale. Six Thousand Yards Mercerized Voile, White Satin Brocade, Striped Lawns, Nouveautes de Champagne, Highly Mercerized Oxfords, Canvas Weaves, Coin Spots, Open Work Lace and Satin Stripes. Lawns and Muslins. Most of the lot are white, maybe one-third have colored spots, stripes or figures. SO, 39, 2Sc Dress and Waist .Goods. Price Tuesday, The Bargainist Bargain of the year. See them in windows Nos. 4 and S. r ! KM ^TuS lt Miln lind A* r WM n Trimnud ui4 l'ninmiw.1 Hn B*. * Coot. Bad Tag Clearance Sale at Furniture ContinoM One Week More. CIO (ARCAINt LIFT. Iron Brt. IMfO. ..r. Ill .M It*. 0*k bfnur. (MM. ..r. |7I BfM Bode IMA, .. IUM Read over any of the descriptions and see if you do not have a picture of the goods before you. That is what description should be word pictures of the goods offered for sale. CHAPTER IX PRICES THE most interesting part of any retailer's advertisement is the price of the article advertised. Unless the price is mentioned its value cannot be compared with other articles. The article may be so glowingly described and so forcibly praised that one reader out of ten may be able to judge its real value. The other nine may place its cost much higher than it is and decide that it is not within their means. Purchasers should be told the price it is necessary if values are to be compared. Advertising means telling things, giving information, all the information. There are some merchants who are evidently of a different opinion, and who believe in telling some things and leaving others untold until they get the customer into the store. Perhaps the idea of only telling half would be all right if the advertisement would bring people to the store, as easily as the telling of the whole. But it will not. It will interest some, while others who are looking for just the information omitted will go to the store that adver- tises the full information about its goods. It is telling things that really brings the public in search of the articles they have been told about. That being true, as much information as possible should be forthcoming in a merchant's advertisement. 43 Nickel Plate 30T NICOUET AVE. Telling things pays. The more out- tells the more one sells. Other merchants there are who like to describe their wares fully, but would rather have the price left out. They say, "The price is pretty high, and folks might think it was too dear, and not come to the store to see the article at all. If they come to the store \vc can show the good points of the articles, and their good qualities, and then the price won't seem so high. Then again, if we can't sell them that article, we can, perhaps, sell them another and cheaper one." That manner of argument sounds right, but it is really wrong. To become interested in the description of an article, only to find in the end that the price, one of the most important pieces of information, has been omitted, is, to say the least, disappointing and it is suspicious, too. "The price of that must be away up" will be the first thought of the reader, who is not likely to seek further information, while under that impression. But suppose they are sufficiently interested to seek the article, only to find that the price is be- yond one's means. The result is likely to be more than disappointing. One cannot help feeling that a trick has been worked, and every one hates to be tricked. Certain it is that the next announcement of that merchant will be given but scant attention. In the advertisement of the Nickel Plate the price is emphasized by being set in large black-faced type. The prices stand out in a manner to attract atten- tion. The descriptions are meagre and barely state what the offerings are. The prices, in this case, might better have been set in smaller type and the descriptions been made more complete and tempt- ing. It is hardly necessary to display prices in such large type unless they are bargain prices. Even then one or two prices displayed are sufficient. Once attention is gained by an advertisement it will be read without further urging. In the Swift & Son's adver- tisement we have an illus- tration taking up, in the original, five inches across two columns, and the advertisement below it informs us that January is a good time to purchase a dress suit or Tuxedo suit, because in January a decided saving can be made in price. If Swift & Son are offer- ing $50 dress suits for $40 it would be much bet- ter policy to say so than to beat about the bush in the way they do. Even if they are advertising $50 dress suits at $50, it is better to say so, and at the same time^ tell why they are desirable at that price. No store ever lost its dignity by advertising prices. If the prices are honest prices any store Come to us for your FALL SHOES Here you will find (he largest I stocks, best styles, newest lasts. $4.00 Oloi-lm Bool*- Handsome new lasts. 1 In doU calfskin and RaUton H . waterproof, weight Wylea , I Stmoy JeteiM leather lined, hoi calf I 1 W kid. fall weights. Most satis ory shoes made $5.00- $6.00 ists in dull calf- $3.50 New ihapM and new lasts in dull calf- skin and patent colt blucher. buttom and lace style* Now is the accepted time to put in that order for a Dress or Tuxedo Suit at Swift & Son s for three reasons: 1. January is practically the beginning of the social season. prompt delivery. 3. In January a decided saving can be made in price. 307 NICOLLET AVt. 44 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE Fin& Clothes Little Cost at The Best Suit Values inTown may state them with dignity. In fact, honest prices lend dignity to any store's adver- tisements. Price is one of the most important things a reader wants to know about an article. No one buys anything without first getting the price. More than half the merchandise sold is sold on account of the price alone. As long as the price is low and the purchaser must decide that the sale is made. If the price is too high, the merchant should lower it. If the price is right, there is no need to hide it. On the contrary, he should place the quality before the people so that the price will seem a reasonable one. If the quality of an article advertised is sufficiently de- scribed, the price should follow, for price in itself is a power, but when its influence combines with that of qual- ity, style and make, an incentive is presented to the mind of the reader which persuades and leads to a definite con- clusion. If the mere name of the article is given with the price tacked on of course half the effect is gone. Quoting a high price never yet lost a customer. If the price is too high, whether it is stated in an advertisement or by a salesman, the sale will not be made. If the price isn't quoted it is taken for granted by some as a pretty sure indication that it is too high for the article described. A low price is undoubtedly a trade bringer, but one can't always be quoting bargain prices. If he does, people will soon put him down as a Cheap John or a Itar. It does not hurt any business to quote high prices on high quality goods. People expect high class wares to be high priced. They are usually willing to pay a good price for a good article, and will do so without quibbling over it. But it is not policy for a store catering to all classes to advertise high class goods all the time, for then the store may gain a reputation of being high-priced. Such an impression often prevails where there are no real grounds for it. By advertising high class goods part of the time and the lower priced varieties at other times the store gains a reputation of being large and of carrying a great range of values. When advertising high grade goods the quality of the article should be particularly empha- sized, and when advertising cheap or low grade goods the keynote of low price should be sounded loudly. In the Scotch Tailors' advertisement we have an example of an "eye-catcher" made by the prominent and peculiar character of the price. It would catch the eye from any portion of a densely printed page. In the Mullen & Bluett Clothing Co's advertisement we have a form of quoting prices that is seen very often in both city and country papers. The same idea is carried out in the Strange & Skinner advertisement, only the prices are printed in the same size type as the body of the advertise- ment. In quoting prices 'the merchant should be specific. He gains nothing by quoting prices that are practically mean- ingless. Suits at $10, $12, $15 and $18 are quoted in the Mullen & Bluett advertisement. The same quotations may be found in any paper that you may pick up. Most clothing stores carry suits that sell at from $10 to $18. The same may be said of school shoes at $1.00, $1.25, $1.50 and $2.00 that are offered by Strange &' Skinner. tlMtt.U5.ua Mullen & Bluett Clothing Co. - Great Strength It Ik* CUtl Oitriatrtxic of om School Shoes^ Strange & Skinner CoptStKd t7 4UFORiX PRICES 45 In advertising a retail store it is always the best policy to advertise some specific line, (jive a full description and quote the price. If the advertisement occupies sufficient space more than one item may he specialized in this manner. If it is a shoe store that is advertising a school shoe that is particular value at $1.50, am man or woman with common gumption will know that the store carries other grades of >hocs. More than that they will know that the store handles men's and women's shoes also. If the shoe dealer fears that the public will believe he has only one grade of school shoes he might still advertise his $1.50 grade as a type of his school shoes and add "other grades $1,00 $1,5, and $2." He might also tack on to his name the phrase, "The Family Shoe Store." Bv advertising a different line each time the advertisement appears he can thoroughly advertise a larger number of articles than he can by merely mentioning a long list of arti- cles and quoting prices that are meaningless without adequate descriptions of the articles listed. The larger portion of the readers of any merchant's advertisements are people who read the papers regularly and who read the advertisements as regularly as they read the papers. It is likely then that every advertisement is read, and where articles are (fully mentioned and priced the stock soon becomes fairly well advertised to every reader of the paper. Advertising meant to appeal to the better classes need not proclaim the price in quite the >:>"ie manner as that intended to reach the eyes of the class in which price represents the important factor. The better class of people appreciate beauty, quality and style as the first essential; then comes price as a secondary consideration. The other class reiranl the price first, and then the quality. They have just so much money to spend for M certain article, and no matter how much they would prefer a higher priced one they must [purchase the one within their means. In advertising special sales, or leaders, the price should receive prominent display. .'The advertisement in which prices stand out boldly will attract attention from the class iwho are always looking for bargains. On the other hand, a prominent display of prices [is looked upon with doubt and distrust unless explicit reasons are given for the low prices. In advertising prices all semblance to the sensational should he avoided. The merchant who to-day advertises a $5 shoe I for 98 cents, and the clothier who sells $15 suits for $3.98 are * looked down upon as sharks awaiting the unwary with wide [open, hungry maws. There are times when a merchant may wish to sell $5 shoes I for 98 cents. But there is always a good reason behind it. I They are out of date, they are soiled, or they are all one size. 5 The wise merchant says so and sells the goods, the foolish I merchant loses hours of time explaining why they are good I value at 98 cents to a lot of people who would not have them at 1 10 cents a pair. Quarter-off sales are very frequent these days. In the I advertisement of Sanders & Barrows a cut of twenty-five per I cent, is advertised in trousers. This is meaningless to a great I many people. The merchant should remember that there are I many men who have not had the advantages of a good school education. They can read sufficiently to understand our lan- I guage, but they would be unable to figure anything on a per- I centage basis. For this reason the original and the cut price I should be mentioned in such an advertisement. Cutting prices to undersell a competitor is a bad practice, and should always be accompanied with some good explanation, such as a "lucky purchase," etc., or some plausible explanation entirely foreign to the real fact. It depreciates a store and establishes a reputation for handling the poorer grades of goods. The better course for a merchant to pursue who is unfortunate enough CUT TMM WCIK OH MOT* TROUSERS! Worsteds. Homespuns* Cheviots, White ind Brown Uoen, and Outing trousers, it a; per cent HV many In stock, ind we know of nothing like price cutting (o quick- en sties. Every man must wttt SANDERS & BARROWS CLOTHIIM CO., 67. 69, 73 Wffl-iam Street 46 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE THE HOUSE OF QUALITY Wiby Sacrifice duality for price est Quality lowest pricesl Our Drapery Department to find himself in a locality where this practice prevails is to handle, if possible, better grades, and never deviate from the truth in his adver- tisements. He should then advertise quality; emphasize quality; talk quality. Quality and not price, should be the keynote of all his ad- vertising. He should not neglect to quote prices, however, but that should be merely in- cidental. Let the other fellow bellow "low price! low price!" and he will soon exhaust himself, his resources and his credit. Prices should nearly always be displayed. Black type, two or three sixes larger than that used in the body of the text is very effective. As before stated, in advertising cut prices, or leaders, the price should be emphasized by being displayed in at least hvo lines' space. Some- times even more if the offering is very special. In the Lyon-McKinney Smith Co. adver- tisement there is an attempt to prove thej dignity of the firm by not quoting prices. In fact the firm have used a very primitive form of argument for the purpose of engaging the attention of possible buyers. "Best Quality at Lowest Prices" is an anomaly. It is a much used phrase, but a very false one. The best was never sold at the lowest price and never will be, and what is more, evervone knows it. The style of display, both in description and prices shown in the Hudson Bay Com- pany's advertisement is adaptable to any line of business, or to any advertisement where a number of items are offered at one time. The manner in which the prices are displayed in the twin panels advertising drawers and corset covers is very attractive. This feature of telling the price first and then naming the article offered afterward has more in it than appears on the surface. This style is very attractive in full-page advertisements, of which this reproduction is a pait. LYOfHt KIR REY- SMITH G 652 i BROADWAY AT SEVENTH ST I Specials in Wall Papers GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAVING Onr 1,000 roll* of Ugh grade Will Papera are to be cleared out at rt turkabla reduction* during the Deft six d> t. Our alterations include tba nlire removal of ow Wall Paper Section to another part of tne store. Kether Uun take Into the new department anything but tie new wort nswlgniieill we would Mil every roll now. U'e are prepared to take an iw- nenee loee to eecomjilish thu Wednesday we eommeao a reduction awn- ment In Wall Papers, which, for price rule are unheard of ia popular papere of euperior quality, ie 'bound to create a wonderful etlr In Winnipeg. Every ' extraordinary value very cboice aw room 701 Ike houae at a big earing In net ROOM COMBINATIONS Tneae eompriee ateortinent* of flnt de papera, U whleh we have only aufticient quantitiei left for one or two room. A eplendid lot of high grade paper* here In tbll lot, In very fine pattern* of many deecriptlona. Regular prleee, none left than 30c, all the way up to 60c per roll. WedneadaT CltariDf Sale 1 UC Hall Papera, 'Art Naveau, Tapectry, Conventional and etripe deetgne. Ke- r ,l*r 2fK- to 3V per n.ll. ] n p Sale Frin WednMaay ' *JC GOOD. HAIL PAPER 100 Roll. He.l Hall Paper, with complete combination. A fool dcelgn. Rerular Me. , A A deatinc Sale 1 OC American Wall Paper New de- elgne. Floral, in stripe effect; yel- low, pink, green grounds. Regular vVedneeaay Only 1 3C Sitting Room and Bedroom Papera grounda Selling regularly at ItViO to l&c. Wednesday^ r Clearing Price JC Knibotid Papera, editable for pur- ori. iitting roomj, bedroonn; flonl and etripe deelgna. Begular Me and O.v. Wednesday e o_ edice4 to .... IOC TWO TONE PAPERS For Rails, Drawing Rooms, Sitting Rooms. A big variety of colorings end patterns. 1*. Unequalled Taiga. 1 / C Drawers it 1 O/ n-AIN MUSLIM A, 1 7C DBA IT BR8 Thm if O^4- MI-SUN DRAWERS f\l 4*JG u,.n ruffle. hcnutiichM if 'I Qf. fMBRELLA DRAWKR8 f\ I *.? 7V~Wtdt> ruffle. dulrr of if Cft VMimFI.I.A DRAWERS rtl ,n/\7V _ ciu.rtfr of Av IIK...V if 7Cf f\l <**V lu< h *i>d i At $1. Af Cl A[ $ I , ELLA DRAWERS Corset Covers At I Or ro " T nl 1 W Square neck heaer cottoti. French etjrte it I Of roMET C Al * ~C UMe of niiel if "i>^f COKSE *l *JC M .3 or if ^Q/>. CORBET COVERS l v7V Kmbroldrry t' HiuixJ. At ^Lft-"> ,-TlENCTf CO'^'ER Pmn. rtl large a tvpe as that space will permit. This is obviously a wrong method to follow. It often means that an undue prominence is given to a display heading that makes the body of the advertisement look long and uninteresting. An advertisement of this character can be made one hundred per cent, more attractive, and at the same time more readable if the headline is set in half the space, and the body leaded. (By leaded is meant to have thin strips of metal, called leads, put between the lines, so as to give the printed matter a more open look). When an advertisement is printed in ordinary newspaper type, across two or more columns, it should be leaded, as it makes it much easier to read. When it is only the width of one column it does not matter so much, as the eye is accustomed to the close lines, but even then when space permits it is better leaded. An advertisement should never be left to the tender mercies of the printer regarding display. Some indication of the style of display should be given in a dummy. When a merchant does this he must make some effort to master the principles of display, for there is nothing so aggravating to a printer as to be asked to do impossible things with rules and types. He should compare advertisements he sees in his daily reading. He should carefully analyze those that seem good to him to find out just the point that has made the display attractive. He must also carefully calculate the number of words required to fill a certain space, and see that he is not asking his printer to put fifty words in a space capable of containing only half that number. All display lines should be set in the same style of type, although several different sizes may be used. Many printers, if left to decide this question, will use as many different faces of type as they can, and think that they are doing the merchant a favor by doing so. This kind of hodge-podge is not display, and is really a detraction rather than an attrac- tion in an advertisement. When too many styles of type are used, none are prominent, all seeking prominence. An advertisement that has too many display lines or sub-heads will present a gray appearance to the eye. One good strong headline, with the body of the advertisement set solid is much more attractive. In the Utley advertisement there are too many display lines. The whole advertise- ment gives one an impression that there were so many things to be emphasized that in the end none were given prominence. 48 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE buying that * jndicwl *gia deprmag your children ol mUfietl daomtioa bwt y_m. Don't infer, bat iavwtig-t* < tomct (8w below.*) SPECIAL JANUARY PRICES IN ALL OUR LINES TERMS 110 Down. I* Monil.lv nd Upwrd NEW PIANOS 1167 Up-ud. | ^. . ^. USED PIANOS II.-'. !,,..-. , " THE GENUINE CHICKERING & SONS OF BOSTON EVERETT w,,;ri-:-o"'ir.'mV, m EMERSON _,..., 82.000 Homes HUNTINGTON A ""STSi-rKS" " -rOUT-OP-TOWM TRADE SOLICITED PRBIOHT PAID OUR TIME PAYMENT PLAN Sf filvlffi.^.?!* *'" COME IN AND TALK IT OVER 80-82 Pearl Street For the Boys ! Boys' Solid 1 School Shoes? The same might be said of the Rightway Shoe Co's advertisement. The style of the cut is not suited to the shape of the advertisement. A two-column advertisement having a cut running across the columns instead of up and down, as in this case, makes the more attractive dis- play. Had the same number of inches of space been used and covering three columns across, this cut would have been more effec- tively used. The ad-writer, too, has made it worse by dividing the remaining column into two with the display adopted. White space is as attractive as type mat- ter, but should never be used at the expense of interesting and ed- ifying reading matter. In the olden time the printer would allow no little white spaces to show. If there hap- pened !to be any of III M' little white spots appearing he promptly filled tin m up with some kind of fancy figure or curlicue. The-e often detracted the reader's atten- tion from the text. In the Simon Ixmg's Sons' advertisement there is excellent use made of white spare. In the first place it is used to set out the illustration. In the second place it is used to throw the firm name into prominence. This is an ideal display. An advertisement will usually reflect the ideas prevailing in the store, and when it shows taste in its preparation one is sure to find taste in the selection and arrangement of the goods the advertise- ment represents. A neat article of pub- licity is stronger than one showing a slovenly make-up. The more attractive a merchant makes his advertisements the more effective they will be as money- makers. In the Jaccard advertisement we have a tone and dignity that proclaims the store as a store of quality. We have in this advertisement an announcement of a special sale so different from the "Slap! Bang!" style used so often by most stores. The display in this adver- tisement could not be improved. In Samter Bros.' advertisement there is a use of white space that is out of the ordinary. The body of the advertisement is placed in one solid column which merely emphasizes the white space alongside of it. Keely Co. have a very neat display and one that will attract much attention. The Fall Hats For Men Simon Long's Sons DISPLAY 49 WHO'S YOUR BAITER? Ikon I, tl to U * ,>. use of rules for borders sets off the text The Armstrong advertisement is almost a meaningless waste of space as it appears here. The message might have been just as attractively told in one-third the space and the other two-thirds used to ([note items, giving the reader some idea of what the "Gossip of the Town" really was. Every style of type used in an advertisement should be perfectly legible lo the untrained eye. Plain types are best for advertising pur- MTClDn* SAMTER O ur Princeton Shoes FOR MEN AND BOYS. EVERY PAIR HAS "ROCK OAK" SOLES. Hen's Princetons, . . 5.150 Bovs' Sizes, 21 lo t. . S2.M namental styles should be left for artistie printing. How many readers with an average edu- eation could read an advertisement printed in Old English style type!- A great many of them would have to puzzle over some of the capital let- ters before they could make them out. It is because they are not sufficiently acquainted wilh the style of letter. Too many display - set in capital letters should be avoided, because they, too, are hard to read. Lower case letters (small letters) are much more easily read at a glance and should be used wherever possible. For the same reason condensed styles of type should not be used to any extent, although they effect a saving of space where space is valuable. There used to be some cunning adver- tisers who sought notice by having their advertisements printed upside down. Now, a generation ago it would attract the at- tention of children (did it ever sell goods, do you think?), but to-day even the chil- dren would pass it by. The same remarks ^^ apply to the advertisement set sideways. ^J The merchant should be as original as he aw can, but in newer ways than these. A border is a very effective means of __ giving display to a small advertisement, ft and should always be used. These borders should never be of the fancy order. Plainer ^M and heavier borders are best for newspaper \& advertisements. Bkl Italics, moderately used, denote empha- |^ sis. But when every other word of a story ^^ is printed in italics the effect is neutral, since the words in Roman are as prominent as those printed in italics. The same ap- ^^% plies to the use of display words in the body ^^ of an advertisement. When used moder- Removal Sale ately, the effect is to give certain parts of Good Fumtur* the advertisement more emphasis than the ** J **' J """" Hundreds of Atlanta's wise buyers havesecured*3.ooaiul*3.5o Shoes at (2.48 during this special sale The offer will be continued bal- ance of this week. The collection includes the best and latest styles in Shoes of vici kid with plain or patent tip. of patent kid and pat- ent colt, of tan Russia calf and brown vici kid 1 here are heavy weights for bad weather, medium weights for street and general wear, light weights for dress blucher cut and plain lace welt soles and turned soles. Every pair in the entire line is new, fresh stock all are from leading manufacturers and the assortment is complete, including all sizes and all widths. Closing Out All Felt Slippers at Cost FREELY co. 50 others. When immoderately used, their use in effect amounts to no display whatever, since the parts not intended to be displayed receive as much prominence as the parts intended to be displayed. In the Mabley & Carew Go's advertisement there is an extravagant use of rules. Every line in the advertisement is underscored. The style of display would have been excellent if these rules had been omitted from the body of the advertisement and used only under the headlines. Compare the advertisements of Cammeyer and the Duff & Repp Furniture Co. In the shoe advertisement there is nothing for the eye to catch hold of except the name. CAMMEYER Olh A.. Cor. 2OIK St. Stock-Moving Bargains We Continue Thii Week Our Cre.l Opportunity S.I. IN THE BASEMENT of Fine High and Low Cut Shoes Women's $2.50 $3.00 Oxfords In Pilml Leather. Black Kid. Rusia Call inJ B-own Kid: MiliUiy. Cubin ind Louis XV Herts: welted lid turn soles. WoBflTl 13 00. MOD nd MM Patent Leather Button, Lace and Blue her ind Black Kid Bi and Licr. Mililiry i Cubm heels, $0 00 .' Mkpali Men's $3 OO. $4.OO and 55.OO Lace and Oxfords, Black Kid. Rusui Till ind Pilrnl Lrathn S'VOO * . p.lr Men's Oxfords, inPil-niCollsk.n. HusiuCjH jnj Brown Kid. $1.50 T Boys' and Children's Shoes. . .... .,,,,.,1.1 l 00 ""Y. 1 . , . ...L.,,, .,,., i.5 ,..... .JIL.. . w o^..' 1.00 I.t5 At Prices Usually Asked for the Ordinary Designs We show an attractive variety the largest doubtless In the West among them are: -~ $32.00 ". ...S38JO " .$40.00 -....$45.00 : $45.00 ... $50.00 " $55.00 $57.50 - $58.50 wo.oo . $60.00 $62.00 $65.00 $68.50 .$75.00 $75.00 $95.00 Special exhibition of these beds this -week 1210-1224 Main Sired Those who are in want of shoes and know of this establishment might try to read this advertisement from the beginning, and then again they might not. There arc so manv display lines all socking prominence that none are prominent. In the Furniture Co.'s advertisement the headline stands out good and clear, and no one glancing over the page could miss it. The prices are well displayed and the offerings plainly stated. Attractiveness does not always mean elaborate design, variety in type faces, nor gingerbread ornamentation. Advertisements should be written and displayed so that they, from their simplicity, the style of type, position and everything else invite perusal. This is the secret of technical attractiveness, not gingerbread type effects. "The ideal display of an advertisement," says one writer, "is one in which the sequence of thought is preserved; the point which first appeals to the reader will first meet his eye. It tells the best part of the story in the first few lines. It brings in the subordinate points in proper order and size, according to their importance. It is easily read, not tiresome, not too light, but to a certain extent it agrees with the weight of the subject. It treats of dainty things in dainty displays, of sterner things in bolder type. It has no useless divisions, no superfluous panels, nothing that detracts from the advertising value of the advertisement. It does not emphasize the price beyond all reason, as if that were all the reader cared for. It does not emphasize every important word, as if the reader could not otherwise understand. It is always dignified, never flippant, never peculiar. It PUFFS, READING NOTICES, WANT ADVERTISEMENTS 51 A M A N PUTS HIS FOOT HJA. f.AJt '^"'^t.'"< ( '!i"f ."'A'UJ^X. *.,VS'"'.w'Tm& h sm'ct has margins, spaces, and distances that reflect thought and convey a meaning to the artistic sense, but never thrown in at random." Kvery writerof advertisements should read and re-read the above paragraph. Even it' he learned it "oil" by heart," as we used to say in our younger days, lie would never know its truths too well. Fortunately for the wholesale houses there are but few merchants left who advertise corn cures by stating that "a man puts his foot in his ear." Little need be said of this, and that little is it is all wrong. This method of display is obsolete. AYy///r.vre it and you'll soon say good-by to catarrh. PUFFS, READING NOTICES, WANT ADVERTISEMENTS 53 GOT HIS HAIR BACK. WAS PERFECTLY BALD WIIKV Hi: STAKTKD TO USE NEWBRO'S HERPICIDE.. Frederick Manuell. Maryland block, Butte, Montana, bought a bottle of Newbro's Herpicide. April (i, '!)!), and began to use it for entire bald- ness. The hair follicles in his scalp were not dead, and in twenty days he had hair all over his head. On July 2 he writes, "and to-day my hair is as thick and luxuriant as any one could wish." Newbro's Herpicide works on an old principle and with a new discovery destroy the cause and you remove the effect. Herpicide destroys the germ that causes dandruff, falling hair, and finally baldness, so that with the cause gone I lie effect cannot remain. Stops falling hair at once and a new growth starts. Sold by leading druggists. Send lOc. in stamps for sample to the Herpicide Co., Detroit, Mich. F. H. Laing, druggist, No. 7 Sandwich street, west, special agent. The retailer might safely use items similar to the last two shown above, but it is hardly wise to use one in which the heading disguises the advertisement. Considerable care should be used in preparing "readers" that are to appear as news matter that the personal pronouns do not give the advertiser away. All news items are written in the third person, and one written in the first person will be immediately "spotted" as an advertisement. Take the following: "Mr. Geo. W r hite, who has lately come to Detroit from Washington, has opened up a shoe store at 83 Main street. Mr. White has an almost national reputation as manager of the celebrated Royal Shoe Store in Washington, where he sold footwear to many of the leading statesmen of the country, and established a reputation of being a thorough shoe man. People in Detroit who want exactly fitting shoes will do well to give me a call." The one little "me " in the last sentence gives the whole thing away and marks this as a paid advertisement. Mr. White is a stranger in Detroit, and as a stranger his statements have little weight. Had the word "him" appeared instead of "me" the advertisement would have passed as a news item and the public would have taken the word of the paper at its full value. The prestige of the paper would have been behind the whole statement. Some of the smaller papers make considerable revenue out of "readers" or "puffs." In one paper there will be a column headed "Briefs and Brevities." Into this column all the local reading notices are dumped. A few stale jokes are then interspersed among them. Keep out of that column if you have to pay double rates. It's sure to be a column of the newspaper that is never read. Readers of papers do not approve of paid adver- tising appearing among news items, so don't go against their wishes. The notice that appears among good, live local happenings has far more value, but even here if the "local happenings" column is usually two-thirds advertising matter and the other third news items the advertiser will derive but little value. Readers have become so used to looking for those little advertisements so that they can skip them- that they have arrived at an adeptness that would be scarcely credited. They can skip the advertising item and read the news item without the least trouble or hesitation. Here is a portion of a column taken from a country weekly which is made up of live news items and paid advertisements for local merchants. The advertising items are of the newsy sort, and will be read along with the rest of the news. Are they of any value? 54 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE TOWN AND VICINITY Fresh bread at the Klondike. New bulk and package seeds. C. P. Powell. Town council meets on Monday evening next. Ivan J. Russell, of Toronto, visited in town on Friday. Ernest Maxwell, of Windsor, was in town on Monday. Mr. and Mrs. I. Fisher, of Kingsville, spent Sunday with friends in town. The Just Wright shoe, the correct American shape and style, at Chat- terton's. A good second-hand organ for sale cheap. Inquire of L. L. Barber, Essex. Crossley & Hunter, evangelists, are now conducting revival services in Kingsvillc. Spring opening of bonnets and hats for children all ages up to 10 years. May's Bazaar. William, son of Rev. W. F. Cuthbert, has been quite ill with pneumonia but is improving. Comber and Harrow will celebrate Dominion Day while Leamington and Windsor will celebrate Victoria Day. Chatterton has just received a large stock of Winn & Co's shoes for children. These goods cannot be beaten for good wearing qualities. Half a do/en shoe corn planters, taken in exchange loc.i t ii Houses Furnished complete, FURNITURE of the Best Grades Only $1.00 a week. PART or ologani I..MM M. (O tit K. No 72. Fr RIVAHD. i:-'7 brick tenac BROS. ROSEDAT.E CO decorated rcsid< nace. GEO. Bldg. t RUSSELL ST.. 6 Ing: hot rfnt fro WERP. HOVSE. SOS Champlain St.. nea Canipuu ave.. 8 rooms, modern. IJ.irn. 4 stalls: large varriaue room PUFFS, READING NOTICES, WANT ADVERTISEMENTS 55 The items apixaring in the local column are of more value because they at least will be read. In the larger cities merchants can use the classified advertising columns of the news- papers of the city with considerable certainty of getting an adequate return upon their FOR SA1,R MISCEM,A\KOl ; .S. FOR SAI.K MISCELLANEOUS. There's tho mouth with the tfire-o or four broken tooth that needs the care of our Bridge .specialist, which work hus never been beaten. We insist on the most exacting, painstaking care with every patient. Bridge Work from JZ.50 to J3.50. really worth $1 to $& the prices charged in most parlors. Twenty years' hona flde guarantee. If you're short of money and want us to arrange easy payments we're willing to do so. Won't try to argue you into anything you don't want. BEST DENTISTS CO., (toe.) 54 Grand River Avenue. cost. Usually advertisements in these columns are accepted at about one cent per word so that considerable advertising can be done there for little money. Where Sunday editions are printed these should always be used. It is not necessary to disguise a liner advertisement, although it sometimes pays to do so. The "For Sale" column can always be used to offer special values. They can be u.-ed as bait to bring customers to the store. When that is accomplished the merchant must rely upon his treatment of the customer and the worth of the article sold as sufficient inducement for him to return and make further purchases. Many of the metropolitan papers allow a certain amount of display in their advertising columns. We reproduce a display advertisement of Owen & Co., Ltd., that appeared in a Sun- day issue of the Detroit Free Press. Note how it stands out from among the classified reading advertisements. The two inches used there is likely to be more often read than six inches would be that was hidden among several col- umns of display advertising. In the same paper there also appeared the advertisements of Best Dentist's Co. and Hau- ger's. These also appeared among the liner columns and shows how easily these columns can be used by retailers situated in the larger cities. The Best Dentists' Go's advertisement is an excellent one both from the point of display and text matter. The Hauger's advertisement is rather uninviting because it is set solid. Had this same amount of space been used and made up into about three advertisements instead of one, the same information could have been given three times in three different places on the page. Hanger's offerings for t!il.< -neck comprise .sonic -of 'the best wo havfl ever shown, and person* who ha\o never investigated our proposition certainly have -little, con- sideration, for us. But if you would take time you would certainly place your busi- ness with us. \Ve give you values at J!> !>9 that down- Iowa merchants aiust get $15 or niore for in order -to pay their high running ex- penses. TVK KCOXOMIX.K IN EVERY- THING}. QCIOK SAbES and SMALL, PROFITS. AVe sni ft j ?i> money on every purchase-. so get wise with the thousands \\lio arc I ready wearing our clothes. \\> -manufacture all my own Clothes, DlKHi'T FROM MAKER TO WF7ARKR. \\ f are showing a RUte Kulton Serge, rut. in duuW and flinglc breaied. that is worth SI"' in uny .sother store. Jn your city. Ours ?9 #. The only r.loOiinr house in Den-oft where- you" arr r.o- ROBPFTD EVKRY- OXK BUYS AL.IKK. Se* the many pat- tern* we sVicnv O^t the saving habit and trade, at >I auger'*. AUGER'S |9.99 Suit and Overcoat House, 15). OHATIOT AVK. Otiier stores: IndianHDolli'. Dayton. Co I.oi.lsvill<\ 56 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE "Write-ups" are of little value when appearing in special editions. When prepared by fakirs who do not reside in the town or city they should be frowned down on. When they are to be written for a special edition that the publishers are bringing out themselves, the advertiser owes it to himself to be represented there even if little value in returns can be expected. A genuine write-up of the store every three or four months, if made newsy and readable, will prove good advertising, as it will help to make the readers of the paper feel as though they were better acquainted with the firm whose business is being laid before them from time to time. No direct returns can be expected from this kind of advertising. It is merely helping to make the firm better known and widening the range of prospective customers. Direct returns may be had from readers that appear as direct advertisements, such as "Brown Bros, are offering 500 pairs of men's shoes in sixes and 7 only at one-half the regular selling prices. Only 2 pairs to any one customer. Regular $5, $1 and $3 shoes at half price." Such an advertisement will sell shoes whether it appears in the classified columns. as a reading notice, or as a display advertisement. Disguised advertising must never be expected to bring direct returns. In time the returns will come, but the merchant must not depend upon the reading notice alone. If he does he is losing an opportunity to do more business. CHAPTER XII CLASSES OF BUYERS THE newspaper advertisement should perform the functions of a salesman it should sell goods. We are presuming now that the advertisement is one intended to influence direct trade. It is complete, in headline, introduction, description of article and price. It is written for the special purpose of selling the particular article advertised. If such an advertisement does not sell the goods it is a flat failure. It is a failure for one of three reasons: It does not advertise salable goods; the price is not right; it does not reach the right class of buyers. If a merchant advertises mining shoes at a seaside resort he is advertising unsalable goods. If he advertises an article that usually sells for $2.50, and asks $3.50 for it the price is not right. If he advertises women's clothing in a clubman's paper he is advertising to the wrong class of buyers, even though men may occasionally buy women's clothing. The argument used to influence one class of buyers will not convince another. It is necessary then for the advertiser to study closely the class of buyers he wishes to reach, and determine just the kind of arguments that will appeal most strongly to them. A salesman will not use the same tactics in conducting a sale with all his customers. If he did he would hardly be considered a good salesman. With one class he will point out the beautiful and artistic points of the article, and appeal to their tastes, with another he will dilate upon the wearing qualities, and appeal to their sense of economy, and to still another class he will point out just how becoming the article in question will be for them, and appeal to their vanity. One class he will flatter, another he will coax and still another he will drive. The advertiser must follow these lines pretty closely in his advertisements. The class of buyers who must be coaxed will not be influenced by an advertisement intended to drive the timid into making a purchase. CLASSES OF BUYERS 57 SPECIAL Women's Oxfords The New Sprinf Stylei-Juit In "Wt FIT ALL FEET" CASPARI & VIRMOND There are two very distinct classes an advertiser desires to reach those who need goods and must have them, and those who do not but may be persuaded to purchase. It is not difficult to advertise to the former class; low prices and high quality will gnu-rally iiitliienee them. They are looking for necessities and want a certain quality at the lowest possible price. The advertiser's share of their business will depend largely upon what competition he has and how he meets it. It' he emphasizes the quality and price in stronger and more convincing terms than his competitors do, the business is his, providing always that he has the goods to back up his printed statements. It is not difficult to sell an article of necessity for which then- is a regular demand. It must be tastily shown in the store: it must be fully described in the advertisement; its value and price must be temptingly told that is all. The class that has to be persuaded that they require a certain article is the hardest to reach. A demand for the article must be created by educational advertising. They must be told how desirable the article is and why it is desir- able. They must be shown that they really require such an article even though up to that time they had not realized that fact. In the case of some article of a newer style, such as vesting top oxfords and shoes, the advertisement of Caspari & Virmond has struck the right note. The desirability of these shoes is shown and the curiosity of woman is aroused. An investigation is sure to result in a sale. Special values can be so convincingly put forth that the reader, though not requiring the articles at the time, will see the advisability of buying them. The future need will arise, and a saving on price will induce many to purchase before the actual need arises. This is easily illustrated by the methods of department stores. Many of them will have a woolen blanket sale in midsummer. The housewife, knowing the usefulness of the article, and being convinced that she is saving by purchasing against future needs makes her purchases. Perhaps if the purchase had been delayed until the winter season had arrived, the circumstances would have been so altered that she could not have made the purchase at all. Almost any kind of an advertisement will sell $3 hats at a dollar. Only let the people know of it, and produce the goods, and sales will be plentiful. But it is more difficult to sell $3 hats for three dollars in hard cash. It is adver- tising that will do that, in the face of competition trying to do the same thing, that the retailer should write. He cannot write paying advertisements without the proper study of the different classes he intends to reach. A prosperous merchant once said, "Anyone can sell a man what he wants, but it takes a salesman to sell him what he does not want." The aim of many of the best advertisements is to sell a man what he does not need or thinks he does not want. The advertisement that will reach the pockets of the class that has to be persuaded that they require a certain w s i x sNGN p 5Sb* ND A"S N sL article must be worded with considerable skill. It must give substantial reasons why the reader needs the article advertised. If no such reasons exist they must be created, so far as to convince him that he ought to buy. Unless the advertisement is convincing it is of little use in drawing trade. Take the Goddard, Kelly Shoe Go's advertisement. Here is an advertisement that is intended JTftlTk Tffl A7UT* CHILDREN'S ^ FOOTWEAR wr dren's Welt Shoes are the best k< id made for ser- vice. Thty are smooth and flexible and do not burn or tire tbr feet _ . . 58 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE Dainty Wash Goods "THE SILK STORE" showing of Wash Goods for spring * and summer wear embraces a large variety of beauti- ful materials In exclusive Interpretations of UK fashion- able colorings and patterns. Here in ilry Muilliu, OginJUi. Itatliir,, silk Mullj, .nd Tl>oej. In lh dalntfeit id* lnu(lMM<- 1 tompltu line l WhltMercefU*d'abflcforwibtiin Cao. uUrs to plain shades-look tte linen -wM. n. (,. Mn. CU MM. MKI |M Fine batiste an] mpunfd dimities, fcral rHects XUetrlce. ./....:;. ttt fint t , S> Oambrays, food coloring, 37 inches wide Silk nrpodies newest French. t* tnlrnt o vh'U lnnj^l - mn, cv,->- ie> J-iencti pruned tfiess nets yard (-ml 4n,r-- T WO Mdn -inon and Penan lawn . . Dotted iilMI Ibo fanc *-1*t Pviftt\ duck suitings ,Vj.st materials tn mediui rat ..; 25* s.iv out/ i ^on- quoted should always be made to appear as extremely low for the quality, for women are jnveterate bargain hunters. The Simpson Crawford Co's advertise- ment is a fair example of the kind of adver- tisements women like to read. Every word of such an advertisement will be devoured before breakfast every price mentally commented upon. The advertisements of the Freeman-Church Company and of the Palace Clothing Co. are the kind men will read and put their faith in. They give enough detail and enough information for most men. The advertisement of the Freeman-Church Com- pany is written in a snappy manner, while the Palace Clothing Co. stick closely to a plain statement of facts. Both styles are good. It is perhaps more difficult to ad- vertise successfully to women than to men. They are much more critical of both the articles offered and the manner in which the offering is presented. The advertiser who wishes to suc- ceed in advertising to women must study women. He must not only study her from a social standpoint, but from behind the counter in the store. He must note the points of the articles to be offered that draws her attention to them. He must note her impressions of the style, how she regards the price, etc. There will be many readers of this chapter who will say, "If a man adver- tises an article in a plain, straightforward way it is all that is necessary." They are wrong, and with but little study of the matter they can soon convince themselves that advertising is more than plain statements. In fact, the writer is convinced that there is more in this subject of "classes of buyers" than is usually believed, even among experts. a thine ai :sty" effect. Then il I overdoing the. Our styles avoid these comic extremes. Here is the njht lit not exaiferated lor iht modem, proxrtssive, athletic To-day we mention < spec- ial Black Suit at $15. It it a wonder. Yes, It's soft, noo-shinable, durable, and fait black. Rcad>that line again. Some would call it t chev- iot nail It Isn't. It's better, better appearing and more durable. Sells (or ilS. No, It wasn't marked down from $20. But it's worth $20. Style with us is. as great a factor in January as it Is Octo- ber 1. Remember that Buy $1 Shirts Here To-Day Only 55c 00 HOW TO ADVERTISE A HETAIL STORE sriiooi SHOES ALL PRICES $1.50 } CHAPTER XIII TIMELINESS IN ADVERTISING ADVERTISING is no exception to the rule that there is "a time for everything." To be effective and operative an advertisement must !>< timely. We can pick up almost any newspaper and find one or more untimely advertisements. It is surprising the number that are so ill-timed. Chritsmas advertisements may be found in January papers, summer floods are advertised as cool and comfortable in October. An advertisement that appeared in a Burlington, N. J. paper dated January 10th, read: "Holiday buying is now well under way at Blank Bros.' store, 201 High street, Burlington. They offer Morris chairs, rockers, hall racks, hand- some framed engravings, pictures and frames, oil heaters, conches, and a great big list of other articles suitable for holiday gifts. Special offer 25 trolley tickets free to every customer who buys $10 worth. A pound of fine candy free to every customer who buys $1 worth of Christmas toys." This advertisement occupied ten good inches of space which Blank Bros, were paying for. It was not only a waste of money but a positive detriment to that store. Many of the readers of that paper, no doubt, made a mental note of the "unprogressiveness" of that firm. Such a method of advertising is more harmful than otherwise. The good it may have done before the holidays was more than counterbalanced by the harm it did after that time. There are certain lines of goods that can only be exploited profitably in their season. Straw hats can- not be sold in winter no matter what the price set upon them. The season for selling straw hats is usually short. The advertising of straw hats must be done during that season or not at all. This is only one instance of lines that can only be profitably advertised in their season. There are several others. But there are many lines that can be profitably advertised at any time, although of use only in certain seasons of the year. Coal, for instance, is used principally for heating purposes during the cold weather, yet coal can be sold at any time of the year. During the "strike talk" in the spring of 1906 there were many tons of coal sold, at advanced prices, for consumption during the following winter. The coal dealers who seized the opportunity that presented itself for timely advertising profited from the fact that a strike was imminent. Sometimes public events of a quiet nature lend themselves to the demand for certain articles that are little called for when these events have passed. The advertiser of these articles who follows the example of the "early worm" on such occasions is apt to find his account in it. When Lord Beaconsfield's birthday arrives in England the demand for the primrose, which was his favorite flower, is great. Presumably the enterprising florists are prepared to meet it, but those who sell the most primroses will be the ones who have chosen the proper moment in which to publish and parade their goods. SCHOOL AGAIN 'LMELIXESS IN ADVERTISING To put for\v;>nl another instance: Suppose some great occasion brought thousands together to engage in a special programme of exercises at Lincoln's grave. All the papers in the country would be obliged to make prominent news of the event. A publisher, therefore, who bas either an old or a new life of Lincoln should make a prompt effort to catch the force of this public attention not only in disseminating publicity concerning this vol- ume among the assembled cili/.ens but in the press at large, for the whole country when such an affair is upper- most could then be most effectively reached. In retail advertising there are six great seasons to be considered. They are, in the order named, Easter, Spring, Summer, Kail, Winter and Christmas. These seasons require special efforts on the part of the advertiser. His Easter advertisements should proclaim the idea of something new. His spring advertisements should herald the opening of new goods. Summer ad- vertisements should impress upon tired and perspiring humanity the beauty and comfort of the summer lines. Kail and winter advertisements should remark the sta- bility and wear-resisting qualities of the goods, and Christmas advertisements should burst forth with thoughts of "peace 61 Correct Easter Millinery AN EASTER LILY Diamonds for the Bride OiMUH Sllilim ftlqi. W5 Tllllf KtCing RIIJJ, ill elgtiti. I3.SO II SIO mb>. Sari PlM. 01 E. J. SCHEER & CO, 144 Muin Street East A JUNE BRIDE on earth, good will towards man." Some merchants seem to think that because they do a good business at these seasons of the year that they need pay but scant attention to their advertisements between sea- sons. While we believe it is far more profitable for the merchant to do more advertising at a season when people are in a buying mood, we think it just as advisable to make an extra effort when it requires a club to make them buy. The best club to use is advertising. The Easter season should be made the most of by retailers of everything wearable, as it is a general time for new things. Nearly every one has some lurking superstition about the luck of having some- thing new to wear at Easter. It's the advertising retailer who does the largest Easter business. He gets the cream of the trade at that time, the non- advertiser gets the skim milk, and mighty blue it is sometimes. Selling a woman her Easter footwear means to the retailer more than the profit he may make on the single transaction, for the merchant who sells Easter shoes to a woman stands the biggest kind of a chance of selling her every shoe she wears during the whole year. Still more than that, he may capture the trade of the customer's dearest friends, for a woman will talk about the things she buys. "A satisfied customer is a store's best advertisement." The spring season is sometimes dwarfed by the 62 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE fact that Easter comes so close to it, nevertheless, after the Easter campaign is over, then comes that of spring. During this season the merchant should keep the beauties of the new styles continually before the people. He should present some new thing in each To Day Children's Day and the last day 0/*" ExpqsitionWeele The Birtjiday of Old Glory Honor in bndred W.Bl>-nhtb birthtU)-. "Lrt it rat, Irt it ri til It ml UK SOD m hn comiT>; In tor cdrt.frt lijlit of th. nj'iriimg r l.l II and th. parting dy lisr txi piny on Hi , urn- tut " It h Dominion ptrraanrat ijrfml and will er R lh .t.mlnnj of liberty and fmxIxm-UM Uontr of th. fan-most utioo of Uwrirth. Itwui bom hm-M n no! for- ft thn. b.iv .11 otben, M obxm lU binbdar. Hug out your Flij AWrshall Field &Gmpany WILLIAM H. WANAMAKER OolblnJ M jnulac tnrer for Old ud Young Amcrxli 1 w.-ltlh and Market Streets CHILDREN!? DAY Tl IK GIjORIOUS FOlK'l'II advertisciiKMit, and if he runs short of new styles to tell about, he should present them all over again, one at a time, in a new liglit. During the summer he must use all the ingenuity at his command. He must dilute upon the sc;is()ii:il)leiicss of his summer lines; tell how comfortable and cool they are, and how sightly. He should make special inducements during the dog days. At that time he should let prices talk. Where he relied upon seasonableness for his Easter and spring arguments he must now rely upon cheapness of price. May 29th. What's on for Decoration Day? No better day made to put on a new straw hat, no better straws made than YOUNG'S. Eight Young's stores at your service all day Tuesday (Stores closed Wednesday). $2.00 and up. 605-7-9 Bco.dw, m BroidwlT. nur Ocy St. 4 Broadway, nur MthSt. 1177 BroidwjT, our 23th St. *r Houston St. 1354 BroidVav. cxu JSth St. 500 Filth Ave., nor 424 Si. ar F.ltoo St. THE HORSE SHOW Only Brooklyn 3 >a> 37t F I>aa Sk > "Pt- Ci " DECORATION DAY The fall season is more marked in the advertising campaigns of some merchants than in others. The nature of the goods carried makes this necessary. The weather often has a great deal to do with it. TIMELINESS IN ADVERTISING 63 In September the dry goods merchant is busy cutting dress lengths, whether the season be line or wet. The shoe merchant quietly awaits his turn, while the weather continues fine and dry. Hut let the mouth set in cold and wet, and the canvas oxfords and tan outing shoes arc quickly exchanged for the new fall styles. While it depends upon the weather, to a certain extent, when the fall selling sets in, the shocmun cannot afford to be backward with his ^advertising. He must follow it up day by day, with his story of the new styles, their nobby appearance, and their fitting qualities. In the winter season, too, the character of the merchandise carried affects the sales. Kurs sell on sight, while wall paper must be particularly required or it must wait till spring for a purchaser. Yet continued and convincing advertising will -sell the most unseasonable goods. Not in large quantities, but for small favors let us be thankful. Shoes for evening wear and heavv lines for heavy weather are the lines for the foot-furnisher to push. The clothier pushes overcoats now almost to the exclusion of suits. The department store exploits cloaks and furs and tailored suits almost forgetting goods and kindred lines. He will be fare to ap- preciate it. Our stock was never larger and we are sure we can save your purchase A JOLLY "SANTA" The Christmas and Holidav season is one that most retailers find particularly resultful in sales. There is hardly any line that cannot be pushed at this season of the year as gifts. The camera man may not sell many cameras during November, but with the coming of December his business becomes brisk again provided he takes advantage of the timeliness of the season and advertises cameras as suitable Christmas gifts. At this season both young and old are on the lookout for something appropriate for the season. Useful gifts of late years are taking the place of the useless things that were formerly exchanged among friends as a re- membrance of the season. Advertising brought about the change. At this season particularly should extra' large spaces be used in the newspapers by the retailer. His story is long and he has so short a time in which to tell it that he cannot afford to have any of it missed. There should be a lot of life thrown into the holi- day advertising campaign. It is at best crowded into a few days' selling. The public should be continually urged to make early purchases, the argument of "bet- ter choice" being presented. In this way, the selling season for holiday goods can be expanded by a few days. But few will make purchases before De- cember 1st, but from then until midnight on Christ- mas Eve the purchasing crowd will gradually increase until congestion comes on the 24th, and then it's all over. But even then the merchant should make a last effort to clean up on holiday lines by cutting the price deeply for those desiring to purchase gifts for New Year's. The average merchant in the smaller cities is backward about spending money for advertising space in what he is pleased to term the dull seasons of the year. He has been led to believe that there is a dull season; it has been bred into his bone, and taught him from his youth up and he does his best to carry out the tradition. He tells everyone that "business is flat." He stops advertising. He becomes lax in THANKSGIVING 64 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY the conduct of his business. He and his clerks are list- less. Everything soon points to inactivity. He waits until business prospects are better before using the newspapers again in the hope that he will get a larger return for his investment. Some there are who do not entirely cease advertising but they might better ddi so. They will leave an untimely advertisement standing for weeks at a time. This class expect to do a little all the time and are out for all they can get. But tin y do not take much interest in telling the people what to buy. They are even forgetful that the public needs reminding constantly of the store and its merchandise. When he expects a busy season he takes a large space to try to overcome the effect of his apathy during his dull season. This sort of adver- tising is as expensive as continuous advertising and not so effective. N<>\\ that the newspaper will allow advertisements to be changed every issue the merchant should s'low enough interest in them to tell his story in a bright and cheerful way. He should get his store talked about. He should make it the headquarters for those seeking values. Methods of advertising have materially changed in the past few years. Ten years ago the summer season, beginning in June, saw a reduction in ad- vertising space. The feeling prevailed that it was the dull season of the year and that people would not buy, as they were about to begin the vaca- tion season. Shrewd advertis- ers saw their chance and ad- vertised more liberally than had been the custom. Competition was sharp and there was a struggle for what money there was afloat. The idea has grown, and now the man who wants the buyers to come to him has to be as sharp in calling attention to his wares during the summer season, as he has at any other time of the year. Given a good medium, the man who advertises all the year around is the man who has the largest measure of success. Besides the seasons mentioned above the retail advertiser has other important events worthy of his attention. Public holidays are being more regularly celebrated than ever before, and the retailers of many lines can make capital out of them. The principal holidays and events of importance are: HANKSGIVING Ik* b in tnaa i huT OIK- in our ti i an nele.-t.nit Ih. ir tifra-nu 1. and an thru liv cnaUcd to , Hupj.lv auitaM. . pvuit; fr all |TOX, a ourv V. liaw jut ^_ UK niriil thin* for nenoav. HUMOMM n.1 ' I IKS.. I KWKI.KV, ri/X-KK. OilNAMKNTS. ( L'T lil.AKS. MI.VKKWAHK. HKMC AllTI- fl.KN, TOII.KT AltTin.KH. I SIUKKI.LAH. OI'EHA (.LASsKS, LKATH- KU CKKMIK. JOTTEHY, Kir. Kvrrymw I- MI"" IA bur until* 1 gift! f^r niritini W>ir i"rt Wk around Mir f ',' //, _ t Wt will (Udly l> th in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida; May l()th in North and South Carolina; second Friday in May in Tennes- see). Jefferson Davis's Birthday (June 3d). Massachusetts observes Patriots' Day (April 19th). Pioneer's Day (July 24th) is a holiday in Utah. In Vermont the Battle of Bennington (Aug. Kith) is generally observed." The same writer in commenting upon "The Holiday in Advertising" says: "Some of these events could be made the topics of advertisements outside their own sections. It would be rather a pretty thing to call attention to Confederate Memor- ial Day in Northern States, for example. "Besides these, there are the birthdays of great authors, artists, musicians, statesmen, soldiers, patriots and celebrities generally. The birthdays of Shakespeare, Milton, Bee- thoven, Wagner, MiciijUAngelo, Rembrandt, Napoleon, Frederick the Great, and other great men whose names are known every- where, could be utilized, and it would not be bad policy to observe the birthdays of living rulers, as King Edward, Emperor Wilhelm and the President of France. "Robert "Burns' birthday (Jan. 25th) will not be overlooked by the ad- writer who would stand well with Scotch patrons. Such atten- tion will make friends among the foreign- born elements in the community without antagonizing factions. Search of a good bi- ographical dictionary will reveal ample ma- terial, and it is quite possible to run a series of advertisements in which each day is distinguished by some such event, commemorated in a brief paragraph. Perhaps portraits could be used for illustrations. "As an educational feature such advertisements would command atten- ST. VALENTINE'S DAY 66 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE tion from school children, while every person of intelligence would soon fall into the habit of reading the advertisement daily for this interesting feature. The feature need occupy but a few lines of space. Where space in dailies is out of the question the feature can be worked up into daily window cajds, with portraits. After a week or two for the public to grasp the idea such a window would attract attention regularly, even in the crowded business districts of New York City." Here is an example of timely advertising that appeared recently in a Marshall, Mich., paper, and shows how passing events may be taken hold of by the advertiser. "If Mrs. Touse had had a gas range, this would not have happened. GASOLINE STOVE EXPLODED HILLSDALE, July 12. The dwelling house of Ira Touse, on Railroad street, was burned this morning. The fire was caused l>v an explosion of a gasoline stove, which Mrs. Touse was using in her work. In attempting to extinguish the flames Mrs. Touse was badly burned on the hands, and her clothes were also considerably burned. The loss is total, and will reach $1,000, with $700 insurance. A gas range is cheaper, etc., etc. Gas Company." This advertisement makes use of an event that all had heard of and which, no doubt, was fresh in the minds of most of the readers of the papers. There are many news items of that nature that might be used as examples of why certain articles should be used or why they should not l><- used. Here is another way of taking advantage of outside matters in advertising one's store. This advertisement appeared in a Canadian paper: NO WONDER SHE DID! A lady visiting one of our customers, who has two Marshall Ventilated Mattresses in his house, said: "I woke up this morning and thought I was at the 'King Edward,' where we stopped last week, my mattress was so luxurious." The "King Edward" uses the Marshall Mattress in all its best rooms, and it undoubtedly is the most luxurious mattress in the world. The "Rossin House" is replacing the mattresses in their swell rooms with the Marshall Mattress. The C. P. R. uses them in all their "crack" hotels. It is also the cheapest mattress in the world, if you do not mind a few dollars extra when you are buying, as they last a lifetime. No other mattress is 1-2-3 with them. The price is $25.00 no more, no less. The J. W. Drake Furniture Co. By way of explanation we might say that the " King Edward " mentioned is the King Edward Hotel, of Toronto, the finest equipped hotel in Canada. The C. P. R. is the Canadian Pacific Railway, the great trunk line of the country that operates many hotels along its route from coast to coast. It can easily be seen then that the prestige these cor- porations have in the country is utilized to its fullest extent in an effort to convince the people that the Marshall mattress is the best to be had. The reader of the local daily newspaper, if he is wide-awake, can frequently find reports of events which will serve as a text on which to write a good advertisement. For instance, a short time ago an accident occurred on a street railway in Los Angeles, Cal., WlLLIA OODSCO. 68 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE because a cast-off shoe was wedged in the track. The shoe threw one car from the rails, which collided with another, causing considerable damage to the railroad property and some injuries to the passengers. If one of the shoe dealers there had claimed that this shoe was a fair sample of the solidity and durability of his shoes, the event could have been used to advantage as an advertisement. Once in a while there is a report from some city near or remote that a person has found money or lost money through the custom of using a shoe as a secret bank of de- posit; and by taking advantage of such a report, a shoe dealer can state: "There is Always Money in Our Shoes." The alert advertiser keeps his eyes and ears open fc passing events, and then times his advertising to suit the occasion. Popular sentiment and social events are care- fully watched for cues on which to hang advertising ideas. Of course, tact and judgment must be used, not to offend people's prejudices or sympathies. Some sad and instructive mistakes have been made along this line by many retailers. Even' word in the advertisement should be looked at and considered from the standpoint' of the people who are to read it. If it is going to impress them favorably, then it should be printed. Throughout the text of this chapter will be found a number of advertisements showing the typical manner in which some of our holidays are taken advantage of in the advertising of retail stores. The William Barr Dry Goods Co. have taken advan- tage, as do most large stores, of their anniversaries. "Our 50th Birthday Cake" is an orignial design, but one that was hardly worthy of its object. The advertisement was rendered much less readable by having it set in such a manner that the paper had to be turned around before it could be read. The Wanamaker advertisement is out of the ordinary, and while not intended as an advertisement of the store must have advertised it in a .manner that no other kind of adver- li sen icnt could have done. CHAPTER XIV THE "TALKING POINTS" OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED THE retail merchant who does his own advertising has one advantage over the gen- eral run of advertising managers in the larger stores. He is handling every day the articles he is advertising; he usually buys them himself and knows the reason why he selected those particular ones from many. Those reasons sometimes are the very best to place before the public. The advertising manager of a large retail store may be well versed in a general way with the goods he is advertising, but his duties are far too onerous to allow him to keep posted on the newest styles, and with the fluctuations of prices from time to time. He usually has to depend upon the buyer's or department manager's word for the facts given him. Buyers are usually enthusiastic about their own purchases, and it is little wonder that they are sometimes led to exaggerate in the information given to the advertising man. The details given are accepted as facts, and if not correct the error almost invariably creeps into the newspaper. THE "TALKING POINTS" OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 69 The retailor then has the advantage of knowing absolutely that his statements are truthful unless he deliberately tells a falsehood. The merchant who sets out to gain business by misrepresentation will soon find that he is losing, instead of gaining it. Busi- ness integrity is the retailer's greatest asset. He should at all times be cautious not to abuse this asset, or he will find some day a great shrinkage in its value. It is one thing, however, for a merchant to know all about his goods, and quite another thing to l>e able to tell the prospective customer "about them. The reason for this is not far to seek. The retailer, at a glance, knows the value of the article, the good points, the poor ones, what kind of trade it will suit, and so on. He knows this by intuition, by comparison with others, and from his experience with others. He does not take time to begin at the beginning, and take up each point at a time. It is not necessary, because he is so used to judging articles of similar make and style that one glance unconsciously takes in all. Hut the customer must be told about the article from his or her standpoint. They cannot judge as readily as the merchant, so the process must be treated point by point. The merchant, perhaps, would not make a very good analysis of an article in regard to its selling qualities, without some thought, yet the minute he sets his eyes on it he can declare, almost infallibly, that it is a good selling article, or that it is not a good one for his trade. The advertiser should learn to analyze the article, so that he can present the best points in his advertisements. Every article has some good points, and many have some verv superior ones over others of similar make. To analyze an article he should first of all know the following facts: 1. What the article is. 2. What it is used for. 3. Why it should be used. 4. Who uses, or who can use it. 5. The price, in comparison with other prices. 6. Where and how the article is made. 7. What it is made of. 8. Its advantages over similar articles. Suppose, then, for the purpose of illustrating how this analysis may be made, that we take a line of shoes and analyze them. We will at the same time pick out good talking points about them and note any phrases that may present themselves as of advertising value. Suppose we take a line of shoes that are advertised as Peerless brand and which sell at $3 per pair. They are made only for women. ANALYSIS 1. THE ARTICLE TO BE ADVERTISED. (a) Peerless $3 shoe for women. Comfort in every step. 2. WHAT IT is USED FOR. (a) Protection for the feet. All women must wear shoes of some kind; why not Peerless? (b) Style. The newest fads and fancies. The sensible every-ddy styles. Comfort styles for elderly ladies. A stylish shoe sets off a pretty costume. 70 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE (c) Fit. Many sizes and widths. Measurements always accurate. Special measurements for special cases. It's tfie fit that gives a shoe style. (d) Comfort. Easy walking. Pliable and flexible soles. Special care in lasting. No roughness in linings or soles. No tacks nor threads. A perfect fitting shoe makes walking easy. 3. WHY THEY SHOULD BE WOHN. (a) Because they are stylish For Dress wear. For Street wear. For Any wear. (6) Because they are reasonable in price. (c) Because they fit j>erfectly. (d) Because they are comfortable. // a woman's shoes look well her feet will look well. 4. WHO WEAR THEM, OR WHO CAN WEAR THEM. (a) The woman of fashion. (6) The comfort loving woman. The particular woman. The rich and the poor. The maid and the mistress. A style for every walk in life. 5. THE PRICE. (a) Always $3. (6) Same style and comfort as higher priced shoes. (c) Any woman can afford $3 for Peerless shoes because she always gets $3 value. (d) Many higher priced shoes wear no better. (e) Cheaper than lower priced shoes because always full value for the price. $4 Wear, $5 Style, for $3 cash. 6. WHERE AND How MADE. (a) Rochester, N. Y. Leading city in America in the manufacture of ladies' fine shoes. (6) Sanitary factory. Light and airy surroundings. Skilled workmen. (c) Thorough inspection. Must be up to the Peerless standard, or the Peerless brand is not placed on them. (d) Goodyear welts. Equal to hand sewed. Smooth inner soles. Soles more flexible than machine sewed. llli; -TALKING POINTS" OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 71 (r) Hand turned. Lightest soles made. Flexible soli's. Dainty appearance. Walking made easy and graceful. 7. WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF. (a) Uppers. Best obtainable leathers. Ideal kid. Ijex patent kid. White's box calf. Velours calf. Kangaroo. Vici kid. Dongola kid. Gnu calf. Gun metal calf. , Proper leathers used for proper occasions. (6) Linings and trimmings. Wear-proof linings. Perfection circlettes. Diamond fast-color eyelets. Silk stitching, (c) Bottom stock. Solid leather insoles. Solid leather counters and boxes. Oak and union outer soles. Sewn with well waxed threads. No nails or tacks. " There s nothing like leather when its well put together." 8. ADVANTAGES OVER OTHERS. (a) Better made. A specialty that must be kept up to the Peerless standard. (b) More comfortable. Greatest caution taken to keep inside of shoes smooth and linings without wrinkles. Leathers used are perfectly tanned so as to afford proper air circulation to the feet. No burning sensation. Do not get out of shape and become uncomfortable because they are properly lasted. (c) Wear longer. Leathers specially selected. Honest workmanship. (d) Look better. Perfect in finish. Perfect in shape. More stylish. New fads and fancies added as soon as developed by special high class designers. Not an experiment, but a shoe of proven value. In the above analysis there is material for a thousand advertisements. The lines or phrases set in italics could be used as catch lines, headlines or mottoes. The analysis is 72 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE of a brand of shoes and not of any particular shoe. When some particular shoe is to be analyzed the following special points should be developed: 1. Style of shoe. 2. For what kind of wear. 3. Who wears them. 4. Price. 5. How made. 6. What made of. 7. Advantages over others. These several points should then be sub-divided as found necessary. For instance. under the style of shoe would be taken up, (a) the style of toe; (6) the style of heel; (r) the arch of shank; ((/) particular cut; (e) etc., etc. It is just possible that some merchants would profit greatly with an analysis similar to the above. A critical survey of any article will give the merchant abundant idea for advertising it. If something like this method was used oftener there would be fewer advertisements like this: NEWEST FALL STYLES. All the latest styles and leathers. All the best values at the lowest prices. All sizes and widths, etc., etc., Any article can be analyzed in this manner. Some analyses will bring out more points than others, but each will bring forth abundant material for a good sensible advertising campaign. The deeper and more carefully the advertiser goes into the analysis tin- more light will be thrown on the article to be advertised. There are often other "talking points" about a brand than are apparent in the article itself. The packing or method of finishing may afford more talking points than the goods themselves. There has been a mint of money spent in exploiting the "Inner Seal" package. In this case the cracker is made by the same process as other manufacturers use but the "Inner Seal" package protects the biscuits from losing their crispness and becoming tainted by handling. The package is a good "talking point." "We Couldn't Improve the Powder so we Improved the Box" is the way a soap manufacturer exploits a new style of package. This new style of package was the talking point used in advertising that brand of powder. A clothing firm seeing that the piling of clothing on counters, one coat above another, must inevitably wrinkle them and cause them to loose much of the shape they received by pressing in the factory, designed a cabinet and racks upon which to hang the clothes. This led to one firm adopting the name of "Fit-Reform" and the cabinet became the talking point. Another clothing firm, knowing the prejudice there is against ready-made clothing, finished their product "up to the trying-on stage" as they termed it. This probably only extends to the basting in of the "turn in" of the hem at the sleeves and at the bottom of the trousers. An elaborate style of basting threads are also run through collar and shoulder. The firm adopted the name of "Semi-Ready." They exploit the fact that the clothing is merely ready to try on and will be finished to order in two hours, and have largely overcome the prejudice against ready-to-wear garments. That feature of their clothing furnishes their best talking point. THE "TALKING POINTS" OF THE ARTICLE ADVERTISED 73 A shoe firm placet! a buzz-saw in their window and displayed shoes of their own and their competitors make cut up so that the material used in their manufacture could he seen and compared. This became a talking point with this firm, and was so thoroughly exploited that one can hardly see a picture of a buzz-saw without coupling it with the name of "Regal Shoes." The merchant who will ever strive to put information into the description of his goods, and reason into his arguments will surely sell more goods. The merchant who always says the same thing, this season the same as last, and the same things that his neighbors are saying all the year around, will not sell much of his wares through his advertising, lie cannot expect to reap a harvest from old seed bald statements. The field may be fairly well covered by the newspaper circulation and the public may be anxious to buy just such goods as the merchant has to sell, but the seed is too poor and old to germinate any idea of the facts in the reader's mind. Newspaper advertising is made profitable only by those who know how to use news- paper space properly. One must know his wares, and be able to tell the public all about them. It is not necessary to use high sounding phrases or polysyllabic words. In fact, simple words and honest, straightforward logic is more easily understood, and more convincing when read. Avoid all such worn-out expressions as: An inspection of our stock is solicited. Our goods stand on their merits. Prices always the cheapest. Fine goods a specialty. We have the best facilities, etc. Headquarters for . Marvels of popularity. Give us a call and be convinced. All are cordially invited to call and in- From their sterling worth. spect, etc. A most enviable position. Our stock is complete. Largest assortment, lowest prices. We have a grand collection, etc. Largest range in - county. Everything first-class. A well selected stock. The best goods at the lowest prices. Call and get our prices. Cannot be beat. See us before buying elsewhere. Best in the land. Your trade is solicited. Our stock compares well with any to be None but the best for sale here. found. We have a large stock to select from. Some of these phrases, such as "See us before buying elsewhere" and " Prices always the cheapest," are so common and are so bad that the newspapers ought to refuse to print them. Some of the phrases represent proper sentiments, but one should get away from the stilted style of our forefathers, who were merely experimenters in advertising. If a man wants to say his stock is the largest in his city he can do so without saying "Largest range in - city." He surely can find a more acceptable way of expressing himself. When a man begins to talk of having the largest "range" or "stock" in any place, you may make sure his statement will bear looking into. If he says "Come, look over the large variety of styles we offer you in " then you may make sure the variety is large. Some men imagine that literature and composition have nothing to do with advertise- ment writing. They would fling grammar to the dogs and say what they wish to say in the very first words that come along. The untrained man would make a bad mess of it if he followed such a proceeding. Every word should be made to have but one meaning. If it can be read in any other way another word should be selected that will express the particular shade of meaning intended and no other. Slora Paper Mora News. Hems of Interest. jUTaocatf Style Grocery News. Dry Goods Items. _jff Select the name (or jour j>tpr. [&~ Stem Items HonUly. Store Magazine. Store Bollelln. Mow to SaYe Honey. I-.rg.ln Kews Bargain Counter Faanioa Items. WeeKI/. WeeHly Bulletin. Published """"I" 1 by Vol. I. Montgomery, Ala., October, 1904. No. 1. Golden Nuggets. Spontaneous enthusiasm is the kind down lone. Every man gravitates to where he belong*. The New Boy. Space for a short announcement. A ort of editorial praising your store. that wins. The manufactured sort U never "just as good." There Is more happiness In a humble home paid for tlun there Is In a floe mansion whose roof sags with the weight " Now. Tom." Mid the ceeeral mana- ffer whan the ne4 buy reported for duty, ' let me impresa upon you that thla la ft for doing wronfr, nd overlook the rea- of a mortgage. Ta Commoner. You can climb to the lop." eal the son for doing right. The ability to turn stumbling block* Into stepping stones U often worth Always take tie "sho'rt cut, and that Is the rational one. Therefore ssr and do everything according to soundest chair. ' or you car fall to the tomcat depths All depend, on youraeU. Do you underhand me. Tomf " If you are honest, smart, truthful. more In a pinch limn a fat purse. reason. tidy, dllluem and pleaaant to evr>idy Vrry often the man who has achieved the reputaUon of being a "good fellow" did it at the sacrifice of his family'., welfare. It Is, better to be pi iclil than acid. 'Ihe quickest way tn gel everybody sour on you u to he sour on everybody yourself. People turn, to a cheerful man instinctively, as chickens flock to You nuiy not stop short of Coneres* Vjto may even ah. let me sea where ere you born?" " li that in Iraekeywr aakad the man- Yea. yea Very ood Well. Tun. y.>u may even become President. Yea. my lad. Water rises to the height of its the south side of a bam on a day In President of the Unite States Do roll source and no coroli 1 nation can keep it winter. ltd Sctrbtn. i. replied Tom. beclnninf to general manager, '" your wares Are 12 a SINKC for yor L peel onions We u>e barrel, of em In" the plckllnr. buslneea New York Praaa. Humor in Ads. There u a great deal of humor to be KiiKlith dullv papers fur thotve who have the eyes ana will take the trouble to dts- ....! U Tlt-HlU recently published the following example* Take, f .r Instance this announcement. which excited amich p>.-cula.1..n and mwr- ' Five Pounds Reword This sum will h glaiy paid by the advertiser to any Other page, arrange! 1 ta aunilet saaMsver. one who. before the last day of thla fleas, which he requires fur the purpoa* of a wager Smaller sums will be paid sects to make up the required quantity. The Weather Prophet Give eofer to All this space fat fee, pafaa, assti.lsi lae eaesc. not know, but If hVdTd. It *! *rta'ln the reward was well earned. A few weeka ago an equally amusing weather bureau the other day He h*d advertisement appeared In severs! of our London dallies " To Thoae in Want of a " Where'* the guy wot runs this office?" he asked. - He's out," Mid the office boy "How lona: haa he bin oul?" i Note This sum can be earned by any one who will supply a thousand fine. Urge cuc.roac4i.M to the advertiser who I* rt-.jim.-d by his landlord to put his houM "Three or four days," " Well. Where's the geesrr who** bin tellln every day that It wus guln' to be tn the sam* condition as when his tenancy commenced Liberal it-tins are also of- fered for an aaaortment of spiders, mice. cooler with showaraT" * B Thla Advertisement, how'ever. must have " Well, sonny, how did you do Iff " This 'er way. We can't five out any been the work of a w'ag. for when persona In want of thai 1 note pre*nl-J them- aelvea at the addrewa given ihe lisjaM waxed very Indignant and refused to lak* predictions tllMr hear from Washington. ^Amona^tyvinfse^'enui of this kind " Washington finds out what kinder weather we're oln p ter have, and telc- ^^j^wia'S'..^^! W is offered for the recovery of a 'thre*.- " Then all we have ter do Is to eay tb* . penny bit dated 172. with ihe lttle- W loi-i In t he Strand, between finmerm4ri hev ter depend on lust what the folks Home and Charing Cross" A llille latw tn Washington aay aboul what weather's Coin' to be around here?" li^T'Sc'ul.Vfma^^.T'e'o'.ai'l'ie dinVnml from what Washington sajra and we ain't rlcht there's a kick" .0 .m.11 a coin such s. value In the eyee of It. former owner, but -It 1* safe to eay that Its history. If It could be known. WOUM be even more Interesting than the " Nothing; dolnjt " ad Tne t 'f*o < ilow n |n advertisement, which ap- derstIr.d T that we Bit *."r r^iyTro Wash- come 1 to all^to n *he P unreeenerale for it. ington Kin ye understand that?" for tha evident reformation In the habit. aaw" of tha advertiser which It presuppose.- " Herr Otto Broetoammer. who la rlvlnc up Drink, wlshea to dlirpoM of an excel- lent mlium-alaed barrel, of a capacity ^rh^E^b^T^mH't' ^.S of 1H lltrea." "I lost all my money In Wall Street," rendlnlt f.om'.f'of this hnV'a" *The*pa^15 romplains the lamb. -Too bad. Why don't you advertise* for it?" asks the friend air latry than is good for my fjnm. and.1 think I'll let the wenlher predictions go. and put In an Irrigation plant. -The other fellow Mbertlaed for It horn one. with a eexed air. fttoo SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS TO NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING CHAPTER XV STORE PAPERS % STORE PAPERS, or "house organs," as they are sometimes called, should be care- fully considered by every retail advertiser. When the conditions under which the merchant finds himself are such that extensive newspaper advertising is not profitable, it is altogether likely that a store paper could be published to advantage. The retailer who has a small store in some isolated part of a large city cannot use the newspapers, because the expense of advertising in large dailies is more than he could expect the returns would be. This is so, because in his case he has to pay for thousands of circulation from which there is absolutely no possibility of getting returns. He can- not expect to draw trade from all parts of the city, nor from the number of small towns surrounding the city in which the paper circulates. He can only draw trade from the immediate vicinity of his store. His possible customers live within a few blocks of his location. To reach these possible customers by advertising in the daily papers is an absurdity. He must find other means of reaching them besides the daily. For the retailer so situated there is no better medium than his own store paper. The merchant who is situated in some small country town, or who has perhaps a "cross-roads" store, could advertise very effectually with a store paper. There are many localities where there are one or two stores and a small cluster of houses that make up some village or town. There is no paper, weekly or daily that is published -there, although it will usually be found that some particular local paper circulates very largely among its inhabitants. Sometimes it will pay the merchant to use these papers and sometimes it will not. The question of cost of space enters very largely into this proposition, as it does with the small merchant in the large city. A store paper circulating in the village, and among the farmers whose homes surround it, would serve the same purposes of the store as a regular newspaper. But it must not be inferred from the above that the store paper is merely a substitute for the daily or the weekly newspaper. It is, in the cases mentioned, but there is no store, large or small, that could not profitably use a store paper of some kind. It should not be looked upon as a substitute for the regular news- paper but as a supplement to it. As such it can be made a powerful medium for reaching new and old customers alike. The store paper can be made quite elaborate and costly or it can be made plain and inexpensive. It can be made to cost as much as five or ten cents a copy or the cost can be kept down to about one cent. Even if the cost of such a paper published monthly should be three cents per copy, including mailing, it is not too expensive for a very small store. It is a direct message from the store to those to whom it is sent, and at three cents per copy costs about the same as a circular letter. But where the store paper is issued regularly each month it takes the place of all circular letters; it takes the place of booklets, leaflets, and such other printed matter that most stores send out occasionally. With it can be mailed such cir- culars, booklets, leaflets, etc., that manufacturers and wholesalers send out in consider- able quantities for retailers to distribute. In some cases the manufacturers and wholesalers would willingly pay for a card in such a paper for the purpose of advertising some one or more of its specialties. By doing so they would be sure of having those specialites stocked and pushed by the merchant issuing the store paper. W 7 hen cards of this nature are obtained it helps to lower the cost of getting out the store paper. 78 HOW TO ADVERTISE A RETAIL STORE The store paper has many advantages over the regular newspaper. It gives the mer- chant plenty of space in which to tell his story. In a newspaper his space is limited to a certain extent by its cost. In the store paper he can make his advertisements more lengthy and chatty. He can be more familiar with his readers. He can get closer to them with little "heart to heart" talks. In the newspaper he must be brief. He must tell his story in the most direct manner, using the fewest words possible. The advertisement in the store paper can be more confidential, as it were, for the mer- chant is talking to readers who know of the store. In the newspaper advertisement the message of the retailer is intended to reach if possible all classes and conditions of men. People who know the store, people who never heard of the store, all read the newsj>:ip