154 THE MODEL STOCK PLAN 
that the Model Stock Plan will bring us greater total profits 
than we could get by using out-of-date methods. OQut-of- 
date methods can only result in reducing the total profits. 
The records, then, cannot possibly show the buyer the 
details of the style features involved. They cannot show 
him whether all his garments are still in the height of fashion. 
They cannot show him whether they are still worth the price 
at which they were originally intended to sell. It may 
happen that on going over his merchandise he will find some 
of the coats he bought a month ago to sell at $50 are quite 
similar to those being offered by manufacturers today at a 
price which would make them sell for $42.50, which means 
that they are worth to him the next lower full-line price, 
say, $40. His records will not show that fact. They will 
show the coats still worth $so. 
Furthermore, on going into the market with a clear, fresh 
picture in mind of what his stock actually is, he will judge 
better the offerings of manufacturers. Again, he may see 
a coat at a price to retail for $42.50 that he is carrying in 
stock to sell for $s0. He knows that his competitors will 
eventually be selling this coat for less. If he is wise, he will 
at once mark these $50 coats to his next full-line price, 
$40, thereby not only selling them more quickly but also 
creating a greater demand for them so that he can perhaps 
place a large order that will enable him to sell them for $40 
at a profit. Thus his total profit on the coats may be larger 
than if he had slowly sold out only the first lot at $50. 
By examination of his stock records the buyer may see that 
$40 coats are needed, and that he has plenty of coats at $30, 
his next full-line price. On actual inspection of the merchan- 
dise he may see that his $50 coats are really worth only $40 
at today’s prices, that he should mark them down to that 
figure, and, in reality, should buy not $40 coats but $30 
coats, because the mark-down would fill his need at $40, leav- 
ing him an undersupply at $50. 
By this time we are certainly ready to agree that buying 
well under the Model Stock Plan is an orderly, scientific 
process. It is not based on opinion or inspiration. The