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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



January 10, 1922 



Grand Rapids Market Opens Satisfactorily 



Both Buyers and Sellers Are Gratified at the Normal Aspect of the Market; 

 Unpleasant Features of Immediately Preceding Markets Are Not Evident 



By Our Special (! orrcspondent 



The January Furniture Market for the year 1922 opened on the 

 second day of the year, in Grand Rapids, with an influx of some 

 three hundred buyers. Awaiting them w^as the largest exposition 

 of furniture w^hich Grand Rapids has ever had, there being in all 

 four hundred and eighty-six lines presented for their inspection; in 

 the twenty-one factory show^ rooms of Grand Rapids manufac- 

 turers, and in the eight exclusive exposition buildings occupied, in 

 the main, by the lines brought from outside Grand Rapids for the 

 Exposition. 



A new building. The Gilbert, on Monroe avenue, takes its place 

 alongside the older exposition buildings and is already filled, having 

 among its tenants some of the established, well-known lines of 

 the Market. 



The McMullen Building, within a block or two of the old group of 

 buildings, is being rapidly altered to satisfy the growing demand 

 for f-xhibitors' space. 



The question of accommodation for buyers is again a pressing 

 one and the Grand Rapids Market Association, organized to foster 

 and promote the Market, is doing valuable service in finding rooms 

 in private homes for those buyers who represent the excess over 

 the city's hotel capacity. The immediate filling up of all the hotels 

 shows the wisdom of those who have recently completed the or- 

 ganization and plans for the new Hotel Rowe, to be built on Monroe 

 avenue, a few blocks north of the Pantlind Hotel. This organiza- 



tion is headed by furniture manufacturers and will be largely sup- 

 ported by furniture manufacturers from within and w^ithout the 

 city, who realize how rapidly the Market is outgrowing the hotel 

 capacity of the city. 



Buyers Better Distributed 



This year the Market Association has done everything in its 

 power to secure a more even distribution of the buyers through- 

 out the entire market period, and among other things it has ar- 

 ranged that the Convention of the National Retail Furniture Deal- 

 ers Association shall be held during the second w^eek of the 

 Market. This will operate to hold a large number of dealers who 

 are actively interested in the Association, and those who wish to 

 avail themselves of the program, away from the Market during 

 the first week, which has usually been the period of greatest stress. 

 In spite of this the present market is about one hundred buyers 

 ahead of the record for the corresponding period of a year ago. 



On the other hand, an arrangement has been made to grant a 

 reduction of 50 per cent of the railroad fare to members of the 

 Association, with the privilege of joining the Association at the 

 Convention, and this will undoubtedly stimulate attendance. 



The tone of the Market at this writing (near the close of the 

 first week) is a relief and a satisfaction to both buyers and sellers. 

 The offerings and the buying are normal and free from that spot- 

 (Contimud on pof/c '/(t) 



