European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Consumer watch searching out the bargain outlets by Mary Neth consumer editor he Dollar drop has hit Many americans overseas with the Impact of an Avalanche. They re stunned with budgets in Smithereens in Germany Lor example As the Dollar has dropped in value irom 3 to 2.05 Marks a simple 8 50 Mark lunch has soared from $283loi4 14 for Many members of the military this sudden inflation has Mccanl avoiding downtown stores others however Are searching Tor and finding bargain outlets that they had t realized existed some of these stores Oiler secondhand goods others sell seconds some offer mixed lots from numerous sources the fund grub a Chain is an an example of one of the latter the stores which Are spread All Over Germany from Hamburg to Limburg on the Lahn and in Between feature an Ever changing selection of Hodgepodge wares you la find piles of canned Wurst next of childrens toys. Finnish shoes in a Corner near costs of italian wine ceramics stacked next to picture frames the line of goods is never the same. Where does it All come from Rudolf Leister head of the Chain which numbers More than 15. Says that the mainly of goods Are made up of slightly damaged cargo shipments from the free Harbor in Hamburg a Trion and i came up with the idea of buying up and retailing these goods about 17 years  he says. Leister who runs the Chain from an office near the store at Gernsheimer Strasse 6 in Friedstadt wolfs Ehlen about 10 Kilometres from a a slant. Says that since the Dollar has gone Down about 10 percent of his customers Are american. We have a particularly Large american clientele in areas near us. Bases such As Pir Masens a lot of americans also visit the outlet at Tor 2 of the old Frankfurt Airport besides goods from the Hamburg Harbor. Leister deals in unsold seasonal merchandise from Catalon companies goods from fire sales and firms that have gone bankrupt. For a while customers noted Many items from the East bloc including wooden toys and canned goods i Don t handle anymore food items from the East notes Leister. The Only left Are those i purchased before the chernobyl nuclear disaster. My German customers no longer will touch such foods at any Price " a word of caution. Many of the canned goods Are badly dented. Follow the advice of consumer groups and avoid them. The seams could be broken allowing bacteria to enter. Stores similar to the fund Ruben Chain in the Hamburg area carry the name of Mohr and in North Hessen that of Becker. We work together buy in Large quantities and then Divide the goods says Leister. Not far away in the town of Griesheim another store Neumann s lager Vernaul is offering a somewhat similar collection of changing goods located at Wilhelm Leuschner str 255, the town s main Street next to a secondhand furniture shop it opened its doors just six months ago and is carrying merchandise mostly irom firms that have gone Mlo bankruptcy. Margot Bradshaw wife of a master sergeant and Mother of four found the childrens socks five pair for 11.60 Marks or $5 65 a Good buy. She had been walking by the store and dropped in out of curiosity. People have told me How expensive things have become since the Dollar dropped says Bradshaw who recently arrived in Germany. Margot Bradshaw above with her Lour youngsters look Over merchandise at the lager Vernaul. Damaged cargo Stock is sold at the fund Ruben right. Some of the canned goods Are very badly dented. Below customers look Over the varied selection of hems at the lager Vernaul. Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday August 29,1986