If the plumbing contractor rents a store for his place of business he wants to get out of it all the value that is possible, and no better means can be found to that end than to put in a good display of plumbing fixtures, both in the store proper and in the show window.

An attractive window display calls attention to the fact that a plumber's place of business is located at that number, and if a workman is needed in a hurry the place of business will be immediately remembered while less pretentious places will be forgotten. Further, exhibiting attractive fixtures in an artistic manner creates a desire in those who observe to possess like conveniences in their homes, and the first part of a sale, the creating of a desire and attracting to the place of business, is accomplished.

If people who contemplate improvements are impressed with the display they will call at the store for further information, and, while they may not purchase at that time, if the impression made is good they will bear the place in mind when ready to buy and will talk of it to their friends in the meantime.

In order to interest these prospective purchasers the shop must be made attractive inside so that the goods will show off to the best advantage. Bear in mind that a jeweler never shows an uncut diamond to a prospective purchaser, expecting to sell it to him by describing how it will look when cut. On the contrary, he cuts the diamond and places it on a background of the right kind of cloth, or shows it off in an attractive setting. They know, as the plumber must learn, that most people lack imagination, and, to sell them, they must be shown the goods as they will actually look when finished, not as they are in the rough, with a verbal description of how they will look when finished. It will pay the plumber to fit up two or more bath rooms complete, with tiled walls and floors and decorated ceilings, then place in position all the necessary bath-room accessories, such as towel racks, cup holders, scales and other articles that add to the attractiveness of a display. Seeing these bath rooms, the desire to possess is irresistible to most women, and it is the women who have the purchasing of supplies and furnishings for the household.

The aim, then, should be to attract the women, and most assuredly a lot of old junk, obsolete pan closets, defective joints and bar solder piled in the window will not attract - it will repel. And not only will it repel the women, but likewise the men. It is all very well for the plumber to be interested in curiosities of workmanship he has taken out of old buildings, but those things are not understood by those outside of the trade and do not appeal to them. A clothier might be interested and amused by the ragged clothes of a beggar and consider them the most ragged and interesting he had ever seen, but, if he were to fill his show windows full of such curiosities, together with all kinds of misfit and out-of-style clothes, he would soon drive away all his trade. Show windows are supposed to exhibit what the shopman has for sale, and if he exhibits old clothes or old pipe joints the public will look upon the place as a curiosity shop or junk shop. The plumber-merchant can well copy after the merchant-clothier, and whatever methods the latter finds valuable for attracting trade may well be adopted by the plumbing contractor. In the show windows of clothiers are displayed the best of his stock, and he keeps a high-salaried decorator or window trimmer to do nothing else but make the window attractive The plumbing contractor should, therefore, do likewise so far as making his show window and shop attractive and appealing.

The value of artificial light in making show windows bright and attractive after dark should not be overlooked. There are many people go down town at night who cannot easily get away during the daytime, and if show windows are not brilliantly lighted this class of people will never see the display, and part of the advertising value of a show window will be lost. Further, the streets are not so crowded with busy people in the evening and those who are out have more leisure to look about and examine the various attractive show windows. Lights need not be kept burning in the shop and show windows later than 10.30 P. M., and arrangements can easily be made with the watchman on that beat, the janitor of the building or some other person to turn off the lights at that hour.