European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes tuesday March 25,1986 Poland Young couple sales plan by Michael t. Kaufman new York times s suppose a woman in Warsaw decides Toby an Iron or a refrigerator or a hair dryer or a vacuum cleaner. How does she do it a newcomer to Poland might imagine the buyer simply goes to one of the Large government department stores in the Center of the City and buys any of the appliances that Are on display. The real situation however is much More intricate and the Mission much More challenging. In the stores next to the prices of the appliances is the designation my which stands for the polish words for Young couple. This Means the items can Only be purchased by people who have been married within the last three years provided both husband and wife Are under 35 years old earn at least 10,000 zlotys about $59 at the official rate a month own their apartment and have obtained a special Bank credit for the appliance to be paid off in three years with interest charges of 9 percent a year. The items must be purchased on credit. All the requirements must be proved with documents that Are presented first to the Bank where the credit is obtained and then to the Salesman. There is a further test if a washing machine is to be purchased couples with two children or More qualify for a machine with fully automatic settings other couples can Only buy models with manual settings. The Young couple plan was introduced five years ago when the Scarcity of consumer goods was far greater than it is now. The idea was to ration Access to the goods and at the same time appease Young people who were judged to be the most actively discontented sector in Poland s then broiling society. The plan with some refinements remains in Force since there Are still far from enough household appliances to meet consumer demand. It also covers some types of furniture curtains and bedding. It is the method of purchasing appliances that these Days generates the most grumbling. At first they let any Young couple buy these things but now they insist you have to own your own apartment a Young woman said. Who owns an apartment i have been waiting for one for 14  an accountant Shook his head As he passed the appliance Section. What a country he said to another Man. Where in the world do you have to prove that you qualify for an Iron a photographer who was married three Days after he is photo by Leah Larkin bridal couple leaving Monument of unknown Soldier in Warsaw. Turned 35 years old and so missed out on qualifying complained that the system of Access to appliances is another instance where the polish experience reverses that of the rest of the world. Some staff members at the Warsaw department store Complex said there Are ways for other people to buy appliances but conceded that Success depends on Luck or guile. Say we receive 100 Irons from the factory a manager said. We Reserve 55 for the Young married couples and place the 45 on Sale  asked How Long it takes to sell the 45 Irons the manager said As Long As it takes to wrap  when such items Are suddenly made available word spreads through the store that something is being  it is regarded As a stroke of Good Fortune if a buyer is in the store when refrigerators or washing machines Are thrown. As elsewhere people with Money can make their own Luck. A few weeks ago a Young polish employee of a foreign company who had been married More than three years and who rented rather than owned his apartment found that his old refrigerator was breaking Down. He did not qualify for the Young couples plan and neither he nor his working wife had the time to wait in stores for a refrigerator to be thrown. The Young Man contracted a private entrepreneur known Here As a slander. This is a person who makes his living standing around department stores buying up things As they Are thrown then passing them on to his clients at a profit. In this Case the customer Felt himself very Lucky. Within three Days i had a new refrigerator he said. It was the Model i wanted which sold for 50,000 zlotys but i had to pay the Stander 70,000, for which he delivered the refrigerator to my  the 50,000 zlotys is about 10 weeks salary for an average worker. Professional standers buy on order but Ordinary passers by will often buy things that Are thrown whether they need them or not. For example Irons when they Are available Are sold for 1,200 zlotys which is $7 at the official rate of Exchange 170 zlotys to $1 or about $2 at the Black Market rate. On weekends the purchasers can take these same Irons to Flea markets and sell them without difficulty for twice the Price. The color per alot of folks have been seems Fla Tel a especially Thos living a j  Southern tip of Texas Herb inharlin6en, the Santinis Tasaree taken very seriously. When it Buchanan Kepi step pi�60,fou s Here Hoor pupa storm. San pie60, my0utt" and that s a pretty typical reaction Here in the town thefts just. Two pays Prev chg 77mb from Managua of / 17$ quiet out there. Too quiet. 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