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Show ! OPINIONS "n- j : editorials j Beware the flim-flam man! . ,. It's the time of the big 'come on', and like the 1920's, everybody's getting into the act. The problem is two -fold in that most people have too much cash, and are insecure about what to do with it. They also are cautious about the future stability of the American way of life as we have grown to know it. ' This generates an atmosphere for the I flim-flam or con-man. However, this time, ! .unlike the '20's when the con -man went door-to-door peddling everything from the j Brooklyn Bridge to phoney shares in a gold mine today's flim -flam most often comes . through the mails or over the telephone. ! Instead of fast talk and slight -of -hand j the average homeowner each day opens ;: mail offering fantastic bargains on price - ' , - less Bicentennial souvenirs "at pre -general sale prices" far reduced from what the j regular price will be. Or if you're on the list and who I isn't you receive free sweepstakes j tickets, with no obligation to buy the mer- i chandise, just place the form in the "yes" j or no envelope you may already have ! won valuable prizes. !i Unlike the film -flam of the '20's, most 'j ', of today's "come on's" are inside the law, j' ;. and postal regulations. And they amount to only a few dollars each so no one loses much. However, the populace is being bilked out of thousands of dollars daily, just by the sheer bulk of opportunities presented, and the small percentage accepted. The mail order flim -flam ranges from books and records to cheeses and nuts. In most instances, you can buy better cheese at the local supermarket at about one -third the mail order cost. We recently bought nuts from a local supplier at less than half of the mail order cost in the Christmas Christ-mas flyers. The big item during 1975, and we're sure it will continue through 1976, are Bicentennial Bi-centennial souvenirs. Everyone is on the bandwagon books, plates, silverware, flags, coins, medallions you name it. Some items are excellent investments, but unfortunately, far too many are cheap, shoddy merchandise which only capitalize on the 200th birthday of our nation, and are worth only a fraction of their cost, and are made in such quantities that they will never have value as collector's items. No writer or lecturer, no dealer or authority, can guide you on the good or bad. Be cautious get your money's worth. You'll stand a better chance dealing with reputable merchants you know, whether you buy cheese, fruitcake or a pictorial history of the first 200 years of the United States of America. "Red" |