Two farm wagons stood in a public market, both loaded with potatoes. A housewife stopped beside the first wagon and asked, “How much are your potatoes today?”

 “A dollar and a quarter a bag,” replied the farmer.

“Oh, my!” protested the woman. “That’s pretty high, isn’t it? I gave only a dollar last time."

“Taters have gone up,” grunted the farmer, and turned aside.

At the next wagon, the housewife asked the same question, but Ma McGuire “knew her potatoes,” as the saying goes. She spoke with enthusiasm. “These are especially fine white potatoes, ma’am. We raise only the kind with small eyes so there will be no waste in peeling. Then we sort ‘em by sizes. In each bag you’ll find a large size for boiling and cutting up, and a smaller size for baking. The baking size cooks quickly and uniformly, which means a big savings in gas.”

“These potatoes are clean, too,” the woman continued. “You could put a bag in the parlor without soiling your carpet – you don’t pay for a lot of dirt. They’re a good buy at $1.65. Shall I have them put in your car?”

The woman who thought the first farmer’s potatoes were too dear, bought two bags from Ma McGuire at a higher price. All of which proves that it is more important to establish a value than to quote a price.

-- Bill Norment --