Page Two Mr. Val A, Browning June 23, 1955 their Sporting would make Goods a big Department difference Manager, were that in Winchesters sales, they expected the They compared it to other financing program types of hardware which had suffered badly in recent years in lieu of chain store competition until financing plans were made available to independent hardware dealers to put them on a more comparable competitive basis. Kammeyer's Sporting Goods of but, of course, they already ¢6 a gun buyer was that this He stated that Ogden was not particularly enthusiastic about the plan, finance within their own company. The biggest criticism financing plan can only apply to Winchester products. on the majority of the sales they financed in which a rifle ve was involved you could expect a scope, a gun case, a gun sling and cartridges. Ona shotgun it usually involved a gun case and a few boxes of shells. Since the Winchester plan only permits financing of new Winchester products, such a purchase would involve two separate contracts and two separate carrying charges and other complexities he felt would be very much resented by the average customer. : Thus far St. Louis has only received two comments were inquiries to whether we were going provide from the trade which a From some checking locally, it appears that most favor upon gun financing. Family Finance, which smaller than Beneficial, do finance guns, similar finance companies do is one of the larger however, and in both instances arrangement. with very not but comparable look with considerably terms to those set up by Beneficial and Winchester, The local manager was very much interested in learning of Winchester's arrangement and felt offhand his company would be very anxious to work out some similar agreement, Household Finance, which appears to be larger than Beneficial but with many fewer outlets, ordinarily do not finance guns. Their local manager did feel, however, that with a reasonable volume that his company may be very much interested. were checked will not finance purchases of this sort, Two local banks were also $300.00 which they stated Two assurance other interviewed who limited personal is generally the case throughout local of sizeable companies | finance to a minimum the country. which of From what little time we have had to investigate up to this point, it appears that financing of a gun purchase independently by the purchaser may present more difficulties than we had originally expected, This being the case, we may find it necessary for competitive reasons to attempt to establish a similar arrangement with one of the other companies or possibly with Beneficial, if they have not already entered into some kind of an agreement with Winchester to prevent this, It is conceivable we should attempt to proceed other gun companies such arrangements which could Vighicelj I just found outAthrough set up which covers I do to not know without the local them up to 50% what too much delay if it is deemed advisable, since as Ithaca, Remington and tie up such companies as extent Olin Beneficial Savage may also be involved in Household or Family Finance, | office that a national reserve has of any they loss Industries is might involved take in through this been repossession, reserve,