HOW EGGS ARE MARKETED 
By loss off, or “rots out,” is meant the subtraction of the 
bad eggs from the number to be paid for. Buying ona candled 
or graded basis, usually not only means rots cut, but that a 
variation of the price is made for two or more grades of mer- 
chantable eggs. 
Much discussion prevails among the western egg buyers 
as to whether eggs should be bought loss off or case count. 
Loss off buying seems to be more desirable and just, but in 
practice is fraught with difficulties. 
If the loss off buyer feels he is losing business, he may 
instruct his candler to grade more closely, which means he 
will pay less. Whether done with honest or dishonest inten- 
tion, the buyer thus sets the price to be paid after he has the 
goods in his own hands, and this is an obviously difficult com- 
mercial system. 
Where the buyer in one case changes the grading basis to 
protect himself, there are probably ten cases where the eggs 
really deserve the loss charged; but the tenth chance gives 
the seller an opportunity to nurse his loss with the belief that 
he has been robbed by the buyer. Such an uncertain feeling 
is disagreeable, and the results are that where one or two 
competing egg dealers buys loss off, and the other case count, 
the case count man will get most of the business. 
The case count method being the path of least resistance, 
the loss off system can only succeed where there is some fac- 
tor that overcomes the disinclination of a shipper to let the 
other man set the price. This factor may be: lst—An excep- 
tional reputation of a particular firm for honesty and fair 
dealing. 2d—EHxceptional opportunities for selling fancy 
goods, enabling the loss off buyer to pay much higher rates 
for good stuff. 3d—A condition that prevails in the South in 
the summer, where the losses are so heavy that the dealers 
will not take the risk involved in case count buying. 4th— 
Some sort of a monopoly. 
A monopoly for enforcing the loss off system of buying has 
been brought about in some sections of the West by agree- 
ment among egg dealers. In such cases the usual experience 
has been that some one would get anxious for more business, 
and begin quoting case count, the result being that he would 
get the business of the disgruntled shippers in his section. 
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