Bloomingdale's has been the most celebrated store in the world--and its style has been copied throughout the world. As Bloomingdale's chairman for nearly 20 years, Traub played an essential role in this success. Here he tells the story of how the art of selling moved into the modern world--and how Bloomingdale's became a mecca of high style. 16 pages of photos.

"'There is never a good sale for Neiman Marcus unless it's a good buy for the customer.' That was one of the first declarations of business philosophy I heard my father, Herbert Marcus, make soon after I came to work at Neiman Marcus in 1926." Thus began the 1974 edition of Minding the Store . Reprinted in hardcover in 1997 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Neiman Marcus, it is now available for the first time in paperback. Mr. Marcus spent most of his life not only in helping to create a retailing enterprise renowned throughout the world as the epitome of quality, but also in setting high standards for the level of taste of all who desire "the better things in life." In doing so he has played a key role in making Dallas itself a success. "Mr. Stanley," as he was affectionately called by all his Neiman Marcus friends and associates, made The Store a legendary success. Although he retired from active involvement in Neiman Marcus in 1977, the influences of the philosophies of business he developed remained an important part of the training of Neiman Marcus personnel. Those basic principles--best exemplified by his belief in his father's business philosophy--are the reasons Neiman Marcus is today recognized as the taste leader of American retailing. Minding the Store is a warm portrait of a man and an exuberant celebration of the store that has become the best-known landmark in Texas since the Alamo.

Here are the down-to-earth, hard headed facts and figures you need vto start and operate a profitable mail-order business. The material in this book promises no "pie-in-the-sky." Instead it gives you sound advice, reliable guidelines, and sensible suggestions to help you make money by mail. There are big profits to be made in the mail-order field-says the author-even for the man with limited time or capital. Of course, there are techniques to be learned. For instance, not all products will sell by mail. But after reading this book, you'll know which ones will sell-and sell well- and how to choose a product suitable to your particular situaton. You'll discover the least expensive and most effective ways to promote the products you select. You'll learn how to define it's market-where it is and how to create the kind of ad and the mail-order copy that will sell your product. After reading this book, you'll be able to start a mail-order business on a small or large scale and make it pay, because you'll understand how and when to apply the right business know-how to insure profitable business decisions.

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma on January 24, 1848, initiated one of the largest migrations in US history. Between 1849 and 1855, hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived in Northern California hoping to find gold in the foothills of th