[22 ~~ THE MODEL STOCK PLAN 
easiest way to be sure we know a thing is to put it down 
concisely in black and white. In the Model Stock Plan 
buying and selling calendars consist of written dates. 
In one calendar we set down the dates of manufacturers’ 
seasons, to aid in buying the goods to the best advantage.? 
In the other, the selling calendar, we set down the decisive 
dates of consumer demand, to aid in having the merchandise 
on the counters when it is called for, in the quantities needed, 
and not in too great quantities when it is not needed. The 
difference between writing down the dates and not writing 
them down, the difference between having records and not 
having them to give us facts instead of opinions and guesses 
as to the dates, may be just the difference between large 
and small total profits, or, perhaps, no profits at all. 
In the selling calendar the following are the dates it is 
important to have clearly before us: 
1. First showing, 
2. Opening. 
3. Mass selling. 
4. Closing out and end of season. 
Each of these four dates on the selling calendar presents a 
distinct set of merchandising problems. Let us consider 
them in turn. 
First, what are the principles to be used as a guide during 
the period of the first showing? This is, in fact, one of the 
most important dates on the selling calendar. Let us under- 
stand clearly that it should not be confused with the time 
when the manufacturer makes his first showing, which is 
another thing entirely. 
It is well to bear in mind that manufacturers, as a rule, 
know as little as retailers which styles and new kinds of 
goods are going to win favor with customers. Much is 
being done at present to make guesses right but much more 
will have to be done in the future. Manufacturers’ first 
sample lines are now, to a considerable extent, guesses. 
1 The buying calendar as a merchandising tool under the Model Stock 
Plan, with its especially significant dates, is explained in detail in Chap. X, 
p. 137, along iy the other phases of the plan which apply most specifically 
to buying activities.