AMERICAN FRUIT AND PRODUCE AUCTIONS 
is 
display has been followed widely with shipments of juice grapes 
and watermelons and is said to have met with success. 
DISPLAY OF SAMPLES 
To display the goods and facilitate the sale the products are sepa- 
rated into lines, each line consisting of all packages of the same 
brand, grade, and size from a single car. Samples are then selected 
at random by representatives of the auction company and opened for 
the inspection of buyers. Typical displays are shown in figures 
5 and 6. If the fruit is wrapped, the wraps are removed from a num- 
ber of specimens to show the grade and condition. Usually in lines 
of 50 packages or less only 1 package is opened, but in larger lines 
2 or more are displayed. In lines of 500 to 1,000 packages as many 
as 15 may be opened. 
Fig. 6. — Several cars of oranges lined, stacked, and displayed in the auction warehouse 
These samples are known to the trade as " parts of marks." Most 
auction companies state specifically in their terms of sale that the 
sale is not being made by sample but that the package displayed is 
for the inspection of the buyer in forming his opinion as to the value 
of the product. It is usually understood in display rooms that pros- 
pective buyers may be granted the privilege of opening other pack- 
ages to determine whether the sample fairly represents the lot, pro- 
vided such packages are placed in their original condition after 
examination. In some cities it is found necessary to sell lines by 
samples without giving the buyer the privilege of further inspec- 
tion. Foreign lemons are sold strictly by sample, as are foreign 
grapes, which are displayed upon lifts or tables before the buyers. 
As soon as the sale begins the samples or " parts of marks " are nailed 
up and sold with the line, except where samples are not displayed 
