Judge, 1911-09-16 · page 13 of 28
Judge — September 16, 1911 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Harvey Peake satirical piece mocks the trading stamp craze of the early 1900s. Mrs. Fadd represents consumers obsessed with accumulating "free" premiums through stamps, despite the economic irrationality. She's purchased useless items—a hideous iron dog, plaques, an unwanted lamp requiring her to buy unnecessary curtains—simply because stamps made them seem "free." The satire targets the psychology of perceived value: she'd rather attend prayer meetings for church stamps than genuine faith. The cartoon exposes how trading stamps manipulate consumers into wasteful spending, disguising the actual cost. The joke is that getting something "for nothing" actually costs more money in unnecessary purchases. This reflects Progressive Era consumer skepticism about manipulative marketing tactics. The secondary cartoon, "Inverse Ratio," extends the theme: buying excess quantities (four yards instead of two) just because they're available, regardless of actual need.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TRADING STAMPS. By HARVEY PEAKE. ofS RRS. FADD had just shown f the minister's wife into her parlor. “I’m so glad you called, Mrs. Fourthly,’’ she said, “for I have so many new things to show you, and all obtained with trading stamps, too! Aren’t the new gold ones perfectly sweet? ‘*Mr. Fadd says I’m becoming a regu- lar fiend, but it is so delightful to get something for nothing, although there are some shortsighted people who de- clare that this isn’t the case. How I wish your husband would give stamps for attendance at church! Why, I'd even go to prayer-meeting then! “Well, first, you must look at this vase. Isn’t it pretty? And only a hun- dred and fifty stamps! They call it Sat- suma, but I don’t think it can be genu- ine at that price, do you? Then this rocking chair was only three hundred stamps. It doesn’t ‘match any of the them, and that seems rather foolish at the beginning of winter, when I shall soon have to buy cold-weather garments; but they weren't givingasmany stamps with the winter things, so I just took the summer ones for the sake of the greater number of stamps. “Yes, the punch bowl is rather pretty. Of course we will never use it, for we never have anything of that kind; but it was only eight hundred stamps, and it looks so very swell on the buffet! “How's that? You came to ask me to go with you to call on Sister Linger? Well, I don’t mind; but why? She's going to move to a mining camp in Idaho other furniture, but, then, who could resist it at three hundred stamps? “This iron dog was only eighty stamps. None of us know what it is for, and my husband says it is the ug- liest and most useless thing in the house; but Idon’t think so. I should say that pair of plaster plaques was much more useless and far more hid- eous; but they were only one hundred stamps, and as I had everything else they had at the premium bureau at the time, I just had to take them. “This lamp was the first thing I chose after I began. It was four hundred stamps, and I thought I would never be able to get them to- gether; but I did at last by buying a carpet and four pairs of curtains that I actually didn’t need and shouldn’t have thought of buying but for getting the lamp. And after it was sent home I found we didn’t need it at all, and it is only a trouble to keep clean; but just think of getting it for only four hundred stamps! “Then you must let me show you the dishes and things I have been getting for my dining-room. Those bright pink ones were the last. They’re hideous, I know; but they only required one book, and when one has to buy things anyhow, one may as well get the benefit in pre- miums. To be sure, I bought twelve suits of summer underwear to help get IN 1950. “ Now, by jinks, the cook can’t leave !"* to-morrow? -Is it possible? And just as she was about to get that mission dining table for a thousand stamps, too! She told me about it the last time I was there. To be sure I'll go. I want to know whether she won't turn over those unused stamps tome. Do you mind if I hurry you a little? Somebody else INVERSE RATIO, Salesman— Do you wish about two yards of this material, madam ?"" Lady—* No, U'll take four. It's not for myself, it''s for the baby."' might get them while we're waiting, you know. ‘What route is she going over? The P. U. N. K. line? Oh, I'm so glad, for Mr. Buzzle is the ticket agent for that road, and he is one of my husband's personal friends! I’m sure I can in- duce him to give Mrs. Linger stamps on her ticket if I go with her when she buys it, and as I don’t suppose she’ll ever have need for them in a wild and woolly mining camp, she'll naturally give them to me. “Let me see. Is there anything else she will have to spend money for? Did you ever hear of telegraph operators or baggage hustlers giving stamps?’’ Farm Limericks. ‘By JOE CONE. HERE was once a young farmer named Heap, Who spent all his mornings in sleep; He sowed all his grain In his mind, it was plain, So then he had nothing to reap. a The cabbage said to the tomato, “Although you’re above the potato, You belong to the group That gets in the soup, And your reading is nothing but ‘Plato.’ "" a A hoptoad sat under a harrow, And made goo-goo eyes at a sparrow; The sparrow looked down, With a dignified frown, Which chilled the poor toad to the mar- row. 'AKE care of thechildren, and civili- zation will take care of itself. comicbooks.com