Page 2 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue XXIV, 11 June 1904, Page 2

A Rise of more than 100 per \T EXT week, on Saturday, June 18th, at latest. The Times withdraws its * * offer of the recently completed Encyclopaedia Britannica at less than half price, and upon the instalment system. Thereafter the work will never again be procurable direct from The Times, but only through the booksellers in the ordinary way of trade, without the option of payment by instalments, and at the full catalogue price—which is more than double the present price. So extraordinary is the enterprise in connexion with the Encyclopaedia Britannica from which The Times is on the eve of withdrawing that no one should be left in doubt as to the precise effects of an action which so seriously concerns the interests of the thousands of people in this country who have been attracted by the offer and have given some thoughts to the book itself. It is in order to make the situation perfectly clear that The Times here prints the accompanying letter. This letter is printed from a reply written to a correspondent, and The Times offers to send a> signed copy of it to any subscriber who wishes to be sure that in subscribing for the volumes now, by making a single payment of 215., he is indeed taking the last chance of securing at less than half price a work which is, in less than a fortnight, to be sold at more than double that price—namely, at £57 for the cloth binding, and correspondingly higher prices for the more expensive bindings. The time during which the offer can still remain open is short, and it 4. When the present offer has been withdrawn you will not be able to is growing shorter every day, not merely because each day as it passes purchase the Encyclopaedia Britannica direct from The Times at all, but brings us closer to the date fixed for the withdrawal (June 18th), but also only from the booksellers, who, even if they were permitted, could not because each day means so many orders booked for copies out of a limited afford to sell the thirty-five volumes at less than its full price, £57 (more stock—orders which increase as the end is approached. It is imperative, than double the present price), for they themselves will have to pay £57 for therefore, that all who are interested should come at once to a clear under- the book, less a trade discount of only 10 per cent., and so small a discount standing of the points made in the accompanying letter. A minute or two does not leave sufficient margin for a possible sale at a lower price. Indeed spent now may save much regret later. the work will be delivered to booksellers only on the stipulation that they do not sell it at either more or less than its full catalogue price. The importance of the guarantee contained in this letter is twofold. In the first place it shews that those who do not subscribe at once will rhe imminent withdrawal and the rise of more than 100 per cent never again have the chance to purchase the latest edition of the standard * n P’’ ce are necessarj factors in the enterprise. Only by booking its hunf n • ,• , ~ , ,) . dreds of low price orders all within a very short period, and thenceforward work at less than the full prices—which are more than double the present 1 J r > ucoveioi warn . selling the work at a more profitable price, could The Times have made the prices In the second place it assures those who do now purchase that present less than half price possible. The Times, therefore, does not intend their possession is immediately to rise in value more than 100 per cent. , , , ~ , 1 ' that the Encyclopaedia Britannica shall become an object of speculation The Times will deliver no copies at the present price to booksellers for sale, I he special points to be noted are as follows and not more than one copy to any one. subscriber unless they are specially described as intended for gifts or presentations. 1. June 18th, the end of next week, is the day fixed for the retirement of The Times from its enterprise in distributing the Encyclopedia Britan- le nc y e l°paedia Bi itannica is absolutely up to date in respect of nica direct to the public in New Zealand, and the consequent withdrawal of subjects. It is, indeed, more fully abreast of the times than any other the present offer. encyclopaedia, or any previous edition of the national work of reference, has ever been, and it is destined long to remain the standard edition of the , . .i, . ■ .e . i i ii greatest encyclopaedia in the world. So convinced is The Times of the 2. While lhe I imes guarantees that in any event Saturday week will r rimes oi me . , i,, , u- tl i .l . .i. a- standard nature of the volumes that it further guarantees that no chan see the end of the piesent offer, the limes makes no promise that the offer vnav no cnange i- . ... , c ~ of any kind will be made in connexion with them until 1910 at the verv may not be withdrawn even earlier, ami without further notice. •’ ' er .y earliest. 3. The effect of the withdrawal of the offer, which has from the first 7 I„ view o f the fact that The Times has entire control of the been announced as temporary, will be the reversion of the Encyclopaedia Encyclopaedia Britannica, it can make these promises with absolute assur Britannica to the ordinary methods of sale. The exceptional nature of the alice> and is prepared to refund all his expenses to any one who can show present offer and the extraordinary cheapness of the piesent price are that it has in any way departed from these engagements. brought out by the fact that the return to ordinary methods of sale and to a normal price means a more than doubling of the present price. 8 The aU ention of the reader must be called to one further point—a