Part 37 (1/2)

They didn't leave anything undone. They didn't make any false moves; while I--I was almost a joke!

CHAPTER x.x.xII

SOME IDEAS ON WINDOW Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g

We had been increasing our sales on men's toilet articles, and were selling anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 worth of those goods a week. Mind you, not razors, but soap, and talc.u.m powder, and such-like.

La.r.s.en had been studying a book on window tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, and had learned that there were two ways of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g windows. One way was to put in a lot of goods that were a.s.sociated with each other, and another was to put in just one cla.s.s of goods to make a forceful appeal. So, La.r.s.en conceived the idea of a special window trim, using the second idea. We had been in the habit of mixing a number of different kinds of goods in our window.

His idea was just the opposite.

The display was to be of the Middle's razor, which I sold exclusively in our town, and which I thought was the best of all the dollar razors.

Well, La.r.s.en started to tell me his idea; but I told him to go ahead and work it out in his own way.

He got some cheap, dark-blue cloth, and hung it in a semi-circle in the window from top to bottom. Then he covered the floor of the window with the same material. He then got a piece of cardboard and bent it into the shape of a cone about 2 ft. 6 in. at the base, and not above half an inch at the top. This he also covered with the same cloth, placing it in the center of the window. About a foot above the cone he hung a single electric bulb, with a shade over it made of cardboard, and again covered with the cloth. The light was therefore directed full on the top of the cone, and the bulb itself was out of sight. There was no other light in the window. On the apex of the cone he placed one Middle's razor--not in the box--oh, no. He took the razor out of the box, fitted a blade into it and rested it on the top of the cone. On the floor, resting against the cone, was a card which read as follows:

This is the Middle's Razor--the safety razor that really shaves. It is quick, clean, and comfortable to use. I consider this razor such good value that one is sufficient to fill the window. One dollar each.

Come inside and I'll tell you why A Middle's Razor you should buy.

--DAWSON BLACK.

When I saw that window it looked to me like a joke. My looks evidently indicated that to La.r.s.en. I had never been much of a believer in stunts for window tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. I had thought it better to have people come into the store and buy something, than just say what a clever window display we had--and walk by. I was standing outside the window, looking at it, when La.r.s.en joined me.

”You don't like it, no?”

”Well,” I said, ”it looks to me too--oh, what's the word I want?--oh, you know what I mean--too smart-alecky!” We both laughed. ”It isn't dignified enough, you know.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE WINDOW”]

”Say, Boss,” said La.r.s.en, and then he couldn't continue on account of a coughing spell. Poor old La.r.s.en. For several weeks he hadn't been feeling right. He had caught a hard cold and wouldn't rest, and it didn't seem to get any better. It had worried me sometimes, because he wasn't as young as he used to be. I suggested to him that he lay off work for a little while, but he wouldn't hear of it.

When he had recovered from his coughing spell, he said:

”Say, Boss, that book on window tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. It say trim with one line of goods. All razors, or all scissors, make folks stop. If a lot make 'em stop, just one by itself will. Folks'll come across the road to see what it is.”

Well, we used the window trim as it was, except that, at the last minute, we changed the sign.

”Do you remember that pencil sharpener salesman that came here?” I asked La.r.s.en. ”Remember him telling us about that sale of women's hats, where they could get in only by ticket?”

”No.”

”Well, it was a Chicago store. They sold women's hats. On certain days you could get into the store only by ticket, and the store was swamped with people then, because--oh, I don't know why, but they thought that they were favored by getting the ticket. Why not put on the sign that these razors won't be sold until Sat.u.r.day?”

”That's good. But nothing special here-- No new style like in women's hats.”

”Well,” I said, defending my idea, ”the drug stores sell regular candy, special on Sat.u.r.day.”

”Yep, but they give special price. We ain't cutting it.”