UNDERGROUND SHOPPER

If you’re one of those folks who still shy away from underground bargain hunting because you a) think you don’t know enough about it, or b) simply don’t believe in it, a great place to get your feet wet is right on your doorstep every day: the newspaper classified ads.

We’re fortunate here in Dallas. Both daily newspapers offer wide-ranging, concisely-presented classified sections. We can attest from first hand experience that the “merchandise for sale” columns in New Orleans, Seattle or St. Louis don’t hold a candle to those in The Dallas Morning News or The Dallas Times Herald for the buying, selling or recycling of merchandise. Not only do both Dallas papers feature seemingly endless listings in the usual categories -homes, used cars, furniture, rentals -but ample offerings of more esoteric merchandise-everything from Rolex watches to furs to Straight 8 Pack-ards.

To help you discover a whole new world of shopping and selling, we’ve developed a brief list of do’s and don’ts of dealing in the classified marketplace.



Selling

First, the time it takes you to sell a big-cash item like a car or a home via the want ads is usually worth it. If you’re selling a car -particularly a Cadillac, Mercedes, Porsche, or other sport/luxury car -you may well gain as much as $400 to $1,000 by selling through the classifieds, and about half that by purchasing there.

By moving your home through the want ads, you can save the six per cent realtor’s fee, which on a $40,000 to $60,000 house can be a lot of dollars.

In selecting a paper to use, forget about circulation figures as a criterion. The circulation of the two dailies is roughly the same -the Morning News, 263,175 daily, 308,664 Sunday; the Herald, 245,206 daily, 309,043 Sunday and the rates almost identical. And since it’s a waste of money to advertise in both papers, you should base your decision on the respective demographics of each paper’s readership, the nature of the item you’re selling, and the quality and breadth of merchandise normally listed in each paper’s classified section.

Overall, our vote goes to the News. Its demographics are better in the more affluent, “buying” sectors of town (especially the Park Cities), and it is particularly strong in the “big” classified ad categories: autos (especially its imported car section), “merchandise for sale,” with wide varieties of antiques, fine clothing and sporting goods, and “homes for sale.” The high quality of merchandise normally offered, and the ease of shopping the News’ classified pages are its key advantages.

The Times Herald’s section is adequate, but does not match the News in range and depth. The Herald does have an excellent “help wanted” section, superior to the News because the listings are more concise and organized. Its “merchandise for sale” category is generally weak; its “auto for sale” section is passable, but does not have the wide selection of foreign cars available in the News.

Not only is it not necessary to run your advertisement in both papers, but you probably are better off just running your ad on the weekends. Unless you’re selling a home, weekday classifieds, though generally cheaper, do not yield nearly as much response.

Once you’ve selected a paper, there are a few guidelines you should follow in writing your ad for the paper. First, be sure to have the ad written before you call to place it. Ad-libbing normally leads to a much more expensive and less effective ad. Secondly, don’t depend on the newspaper’s classified ad sales people for advice on how to write your advertisement. Classified ads are priced by the word and line, so it’s to the rep’s advantage to solicit wordy ads. Indeed, we’ve dealt with a number of reps at both papers who contend “the longer the ad, the faster you sell your merchandise.”

This is, by and large, hogwash. Merchandise moves in the classifieds because of demand for the item and its price, not the length of the ad. For our money-and yours-brevity is the best policy; make certain every word makes a substantial contribution to the reader’s understanding of what you’re selling. An over-abundance of superfluous adjectives is a waste. Example:

Wrong Way

For sale 1972 Starcraft Holiday, 18 foot. Immaculate condition. Perfect for family. Big and safe. Inboard-outboard. Mercruiser. Well maintained. Dilly drive-on trailer. Cleanest boat on lake. 336-6666. (This was taken from an actual ad.)

Right Way

18’ Starcraft Holiday. 120 hp. I/0 Mercruiser. Sleeps 4. Water system. Radio. Trailer. $ 1500. 336-6666.

By eliminating useless adjectives and descriptive phrases, and emphasizing only the crucially important data -price, brand name, accessories, size, etc.-you save lineage fees and have a punchier ad.

Use abbreviations whenever possible. The “autos for sale” and “homes for sale” sections have a number of accepted abbreviations, indeed, their own lingo (see box on page 101) which will help shorten your ad.

If you’re selling high-value merchandise such as cameras, furs, jewelry, put only your phone number in the ad. An address will invite burglars. Always put the price in the advertisement. The price is one of the key sales catalysts in classified advertising; without it, your ad may be passed over, or worse, you may receive a lot of annoying phone calls from shoppers simply wanting to know the price.

Once you have a prospective buyer, ask for a deposit if you can’t get cash on the barrelhead. A ten per cent deposit is appropriate. With a deposit in hand your efforts are not totally lost should the prospective buyer renege.



Buying

The key to finding great deals in the classifieds is very simple: keep your eyes peeled. As soon as you are in the market for a particular item, begin scanning the appropriate listings in each paper. This will quickly educate you to the range of items available and the current price range. When and if you see what you want, call immediately. Good values go fast. It’s probably advisable to pick up the Sunday paper on Saturday night (it’s available downtown at about 10 p.m. each Saturday night). Don’t worry about calling a stranger late on a Saturday night. If he wants to sell the item badly enough, he won’t mind getting a late call.

When you take a look at the merchandise-and you should always look at it before buying -examine it closely. A little extra effort here may save your picking up a lemon. With an auto, go ahead and invest $10 or so to have your mechanic give it a test drive. It’s well worth it.

Don’t be timid about haggling over the price. The seller fully expects it. A good way to start the bidding is to offer about 75 per cent of the advertised price.

Shopping the classifieds regularly can also provide you with some windfall finds. We recently stumbled across an ad for original signed and numbered graphics being sold by a gallery owner who had closed her business a few months before. We bought several of them for half-price, and a few weeks later, were offered the remaining two prints at one-fourth price by the seller. This kind of merchandise can rarely be had at any discount, let alone half and fourth price. The classifieds are chock full of these kinds of bargains, so it’s well worth perusing all the categories on a daily basis, even if you’re not in the market for anything in particular.

If you’re interested in learning more about using the classifieds, an excellent book on the subject, A Consumer’s Guide to Buying and Selling in the Classified Ads, by Steve Leflet, $1.95, is available. The book is on sale at most Dallas area bookstores and newsstands.

Comparing Cos

The Dallas Morning News

Phone: 745-8123

Circulation

Daily: 263,175 Sunday: 308,664

Rates: Daily and/or Sunday per word (10 word minimum per consecutive day. There is no maximum number of words at rates listed below.)

1 day 17￠/wd.

4 day 11.5￠/wd.

7 day 10￠/wd.

15 day 9.5￠/wd.

30 day 9￠/wd.

P.O. Box Charge: $3.

(Special treatment – headings, boldface, italics, boxes, etc. – additional charges.)

The Dallas Times Herald

Phone:748-1414

Circulation

Daily: 245,206 Sunday: 309,043

Rates: Daily and/or Sunday per word (10 word minimum per consecutive day. Rates below apply to a maximum of 34 words.)

1 day 17￠/wd.

3 day 11.5￠/wd.

6 day 10￠/wd.

14 day 9.5￠/wd.

30 day 9￠/wd.

P.O. Box Charge: $3.

(For ads of 35 or more words or special treatment -headings, boldface, italics, boxes, etc.- additional charges will be levied.)

Glossary of Classified-ese

Homes

4-2-2 – 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage

living-dining- living room, dining room

living-den – living room, den

central air (and heat)-central air conditioning and heating

bdrm. – bedroom

small down – minimal down payment

all built-ins, or built-ins -kitchen appliances included

Autos

PSPB – power steering, power brakes

AT – automatic transmission

R&H – radio and heater

AC – air conditioning

AM/FM – AM/FM radio

WWT-whitewall tires

HT-hardtop

vinyl -vinyl top

loaded -all accessories, usually including air conditioning, AM/FM radio, power brakes and steering,etc.

SMOH -since major overhaul

all power- power brakes, power steering