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ID
cheap piano grated so harshly on your bus-
iness nerve?"
"Well," he said, " I purchased the pi-
anos, got them in my warerooms, and—"
"Pardon me," I again interrupted, "did
you mark these very cheap pianos at the
same percentage of profit which you have
usually figured on your higher price instru-
ments?"
"Well, no; the profit was a trifle higher."
"A trifle higher," I said; "that's been
the trouble of the whole piano business.
You men leave your solid, reliable medium
grade instruments, jump in and purchase a
cheap piano, mark it at a profit twice ex-
ceeding the Dutchman's one per cent., and
push it to the exclusion of your other
makes. Therein is the bone of contention
of the whole cheap piano business, the in-
struments have not been sold under their
proper colors. But the original profit on
these cheap goods has been subsequently
cut down by expenses, by looking after the
instruments, and furthermore, the purchas-
ers of the pianos have naturally become
dissatisfied and their influence is having
considerable effect upon their own circle
of acquaintances."
"The reason of the decline of the very
cheap piano as a prominent trade factor
lies chiefly in the fact that many of you
dealers are not finding in it that beautiful,
smooth, oily profit which was so seductive
at the start. You are learning that it
pays better to pin your energies to in-
struments of sufficient merit that you can
put out, knowing that instead of acting as
a detriment to your business, they will
assist it."
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Salesmen who have been careful observ-
ers of the trend of retail trade have been
lately remarking that greater care and judg-
ment is shown by dealers in the purchase
of stock. That there was room for 'great
improvement in this regard goes without
saying. No doubt bad storekeeping has
been responsible for more or less trouble
among manufacturers. The events and
snarls of the past three years have—on the
salesmen's say so—transformed a good
many indifferent dealers into good ones.
Buying and selling involve a good deal
more than appears on the surface. A good
buyer, especially of pianos, has to know the
peculiar and especial needs of the people in
his territory. He must know a good deal
about them and their affairs, and supple-
ment that knowledge by a vigorous fprose-
cution of his business, for as a rule all hon-
est buyers need to be urged to purchase
what they ought to have, a little sooner than
they would voluntarily purchase. It is
pleasing to note this advancing standard of
the retailer's ability, and to the salesmen is
due much of the credit of the result. They
are the school-masters.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
One of flason & Hamlin Co.'s Latest Styles,
There is to-day a decided
tendency towards simplicity
and treatment of design, both
in pianos and organs. The
above case is built in accord-
ance with this spirit, and
forms a worthy illustration
of the prevailing feeling.
It is one of the latest styles
of the Mason & Hamlin new
chapel organs, and can be
had in either walnut or oak
case. It contains eleven
stops, besides full organ
knee stop; five octaves, F
scale.
The organs made by the
Mason & Hamlin Co. have
always maintained their su-
premacy as the best of this
class of instruments in the
world, excelling in the more
important qualities gener-
ally. At all of the great
world's exhibitions they have always ob-
tained the highest honors in competition
with the leading makers, while the fact
that the most eminent musicians have tes-
tified to their unequaled musical qualities,
is equally significant and conclusive.
The latest styles of organs which the
Mason & Hamlin Co. are producing, are
Superb Steck Styles.
We have frequently referred to the mag-
nificent line of instruments on exhibition
at the warerooms of Geo. Steck & Co.,
ii East Fourteenth' street. They are
further interesting now by reason of the
fact that a new Steck concert grand is
being displayed, which is a credit and an
honor to a firm who have played such an
honorable and progressive part in the his-
tory of piano making in this city.
The scale of the new Steck grand is a
marvelously fine one; large in volume,
powerful in the bass, brilliant and full in
the treble—a scale that reflects the Steck
characteristics—and that explains every-
thing.
The new Steck concert grand is not,
however, the only novelty on view in the
Steck warerooms, for there are a number of
new style uprights, which are wonderfully
handsome instruments in design, and de-
lightful to the ear.
We would advise our musical friends and
dealers not to overlook dropping in to see
these Steck creations, and also enjoy a chat
with these estimable gentlemen, Messrs.
Nembach, Kammerer and Grass.
Dolgeville as an industrial center seems
to be making steady advancement. The
"An Attractive Window.'
latest addition to the industries of this
thriving little town is the American Glove
Under the above caption our esteemed
Co. which will commence operations at London contemporary Music treats of a
once.
subject as important to music dealers in
NEW CHAPEL STYLE CASE l 8 6 .
splendid testimony to their progressive-
ness and a credit to their skill and judg-
ment. This is particularly evident in the
smaller styles of chapel organs, one of
which we reproduce herewith. For thor-
oughness of workmanship and material,
tonal quality and effects, and quiet ele-
gance of cases they can hardly be excelled.
this country as to our cousins across the
big pond. There is nothing, perhaps,
which demonstrates the dealer's business
ability or lack of ability so forcibly as
the appearance of his window. If it
is unattractive, ill-arranged, dusty, you
may depend upon it that the trades-
man is a careless, inert and unpro-
gressive person. On the other hand,
if his window display is striking, you may
accept that fact as evidence of a wise and
an energetic regard for the success of his
undertaking. People take a good deal of
notice of shop windows. They look in
them with the hope of finding something to
interest them. If they don't find anything
that interests them, they naturally con-
clude that the proprietor of the shop hasn't
got anything interesting. Tradesmen
should realize this. And as it is not pos-
sible to exhibit everything in the window,
the wisest policy is to show what is most
in demand and novelties of all descrip-
tions. Constant re-arrangement of the
window is essential. People take a hasty
survey of familiar shops, and if there is
nothing fresh to catch the eye, pass on.
Don't let them pass on—if you can help it.
Make your window display compel atten-
tion by ingenious arrangement, neatness
and orderliness. There are few things
which lend themselves to better disposition
than musical instruments and sheet music.
And there is no shop that the public take
more interest in, provided the proprietor
has acumen enough to set it out attrac-
tively.