The amazingly informative and insightful magazine “The Repertory” from July 1925, Volume 1, number 8 has a fun anecdote that can apply to all of us today.

A man went into a store to buy a hatchet, and after being privileged to examine a large stock he selected one which met with his approval. He demurred at the price of $1, saying that he could buy the same identical make of tool from some far away concern for 87 cents. After he had agreed that he would be at an additional expense of some eight cents for postage, paper, envelopes, money order, etc., the storekeeper volunteered that if he would add the incidental expense to the mail order price he would meet the competition. The bargain was made, the 95 cents passed over, and the axe, neatly wrapped was placed on a high shelf with the remark: “Come into the store in about a week and I will give you the hatchet.” This produced some expletives from the customer, but after he had called down and the lesson gotten under his skin, the proprietor relented and delivered him his purchase.

The shop keeper who constantly maintains an extensive stock from which you may make suitable selections, at short notice, is to be encouraged and patronized to the exclusion of outsiders whose lover advertised prices price in most cases to be a delusion when the transition is honestly balanced.