[40 THE MODEL STOCK PLAN 
lines marks the beginning of the main body of the buying 
season, after which the volume of orders increases until it 
finally reaches the rush-season peak. 
In placing all quantity orders, and especially in style goods, 
the buyer should take care not to be governed entirely by 
current prices either wholesale or retail. The careful buyer 
will precede his visit to the manufacturers with a careful 
study of the outlook for raw materials, He should decide 
whether prices are likely to go higher or lower. He should 
try to foresee whether there is likely to be, later on, a surplus 
or shortage of raw materials or finished goods, labor, trans- 
portation facilities, credit, or any of the many other factors 
which may influence either the value of the merchandise 
after it is bought or the terms upon which it can be replaced 
later. Ina word, he must see a fairly complete picture of the 
season ahead. The most steadily successful merchants do 
not speculate even in buying staples but buy only such 
quantities as they really need—only such quantities as will 
be reasonably sure to sell quickly enough to help a profitable 
turnover of their stock. 
This second date on the buying calendar, the date when 
manufacturers show complete sample lines of the approved 
styles, is also the time when they are ready to dispose of the 
samples which were not favorably received.! This is an 
important time for the buyers, for by a study of both the 
complete sample lines and other samples which are not 
adopted for development, a buyer can make a direct com- 
parison between the acceptable and the unacceptable, 
between the approved and the disapproved, and get a con- 
siderable insight into the style demand for the coming 
season—at least as interpreted by the consensus of buvers. 
tient i — 
L1t is frequently possible to buy some of the manufacturer’s sample lines 
at prices that will yield a good profit when sold at our regular full-line prices, 
These exceptional goods in our regular lines constitute real bargains of the 
type that convinces customers that we are leaders both in styles and values. 
Moreover, it is possible that in selling the sample lines we may get additional 
information about customers’ tastes so that, at this comparatively dull manu- 
facturing season, we can place some additional orders for the same articles 
at advantageous prices.