Then he went on to tell me about some stores which had changed from a credit basis to cash through the use of Garter stamps. In my imagination I saw Fellows being driven into a corner by Bulder's bludgeon, his rapier beaten down and his defenses gone. Fellows kept trying to work a word in edgewise, but Bulder, by the continued force of his words, beat down all Fellows' attempts to break in. Finally Bulder leaned back and said: "Surely you are not going to stick to your foolish idea that trading stamps _are_ something for nothing. _All_ sensible people know that no one can give something for nothing and live, and I trust that the trading stamp concerns are sensible people. It is merely a cash discount." "Why couldn't I give a cash discount, instead?" I asked--and as soon as I said it I was sorry I had, because I noticed a look of annoyance in Fellows' face. "That is a _very_ sensible question," said Bulder. "Because if you did give the cash discount yourself it would be so _trifling_ that the people would not realize it was of any advantage to them. If somebody comes in and spends a dollar with you, and you give them two cents discount, what is it to them? It is nothing at all! But if you give them _trading stamps_, those have a _real_ value in their eyes." "Then why couldn't I give trading stamps of my own--just have them printed and give them out?" "Because _every_ trading stamp concern in the country could beat you on the value of _your_ premiums. Think of the _tremendous_ buying power that we have. It would be _absolutely_ impossible for you to give trading stamps of your own and have _any_ chance with competition. Now, I don't think for a moment that you are not as keen a business man as the next fellow, but the big concerns realize that it is _specialization_ that means success, and we have simply specialized in this one branch of marketing to help _you_ fellows do something which you could do yourselves, but not _nearly_ so effectively or cheaply as we can. Do you think the big department stores up and down the country would have trading stamps from us if they _could_ handle them as cheaply themselves? No, of _course_ not!"