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INVENTORIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]  
INVENTORIES
INVENTORIES

Inventories primarily consist of merchandise purchased for resale. Inventories would have been $394 million and $382 million higher than reported at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, if the FIFO method of inventory accounting had been used for all the Company inventories. Net earnings would have increased by $8 million, and decreased by $1 million and $3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, using the FIFO method of accounting. Inventory values using the FIFO method of accounting approximate replacement cost.

The following table shows the activity in the reserves for excess and obsolete inventory (in millions of dollars):
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Balance at beginning of period
$
(193
)
 
$
(191
)
Provision for excess and obsolete inventory
(20
)
 
(25
)
Disposal of unsaleable inventory
55

 
29

Other
4

 
(6
)
Balance at end of period
$
(154
)
 
$
(193
)