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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Others were too conservative and would
not take the risk.
Business has resulted just about as we
predicted, and the manufacturers who
have had the completed stock on hand
have been the ones who have knocked
. >• > EDWARD LYMAN BILL-*—?
down the ripe, large, rich trade persim-
Editor and Proprietor
mons.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
There will be undoubtedly a steady de-
~
3 East 14th St., New York
mand from this time on, but we are facing
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States,
Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per year ; all other countries,
changed conditions from those of a few
$3.00.
ADVERTISEnFNTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
years ago, and every business man can re-
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
call the failure of some important house in
ing matter $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
his particular line on account of its meth-
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
ods not being varied to suit the changing
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Was* Matter.
conditions of trade. Perhaps it may have
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 26, 1898.
dated from the days when the manufac-
turer was accustomed to sit in his office
TELEPHONE NUMBER, I745-.EI0HTEENTH STREET.
and await the approach of buyers, hats in
THE KEYNOTE.
hand, begging the favor of having their
The first week of each month, The Review wil)
contain a supplement embodying the literary
orders filled. When newer houses began
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
sending out men to solicit orders, the con-
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
servatives, regarding their methods as un-
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
dignified, refused to see that any good
trade paper.
could come from them until it was found,
when too late, that the new methods had
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
/"^VN'E of the beneficial effects upon in- gained a large hold upon the trade.
Whatever is true of individuals in busi-
dustrial affairs of the hard times which
we have undergone for the past two years ness, is in a sense true of nations, and the
is that they have fairly beaten into the com- quicker we remove the prejudice of the
munity a healthy conservatism which in- new methods from our minds, the better it
The
sures a certain stability to business, which, will be for our business future.
to a large degree, has been previously whole industrial condition of the world has
noticeable on account of its absence. changed as well as the methods of market-
Business is healthier this fall than ever ing goods. We recollect in the days of
before, and there is an element of conserv- Tom Metz, who was chief salesman at
atism which will lead men to be a little Weber's for many years, that customers
more careful of their credits. In other used to roll up in their, carriages, and Tom
words, there will be a little tightening of the used to say in his quiet style, while de-
purse strings all round. The remainder scribing some sales, that he would rise
of this year and next year promise to be from his desk, receive the lady politely,
more than usually satisfactory to all legiti- bow her to some subordinate, at the same
time repeating in well modulated tones,
mate enterprises.
Conservatism is necessary to the safe "When you have finished the purchase,
conduct of business. It is true over-con- Madam, leave your check at the office,"
servatism is quite as injurious as plung- and then- he would politely bow her out
ing, but due conservatism is a safeguard while the coachman opened the door to ad-
to business which cannot be practised too mit her to her waiting carriage.
liberally. Still, there are risks which men
Now those days have passed, and there
must take in business. There is nothing is not enough of that trade left to make it
certain in a business way.
either a pleasure or a profit in doing busi-
In this trade many were loath to devote ness. The successful retailer to-day must
their time and energies to the accumulation work up trade on the outside whether it is
of much manufactured stock during the distasteful to him or not, or whether he
summer months. They felt that the busi- considers it lowering to his dignity or not,
ness was problematical, and that it would it must be done. Dignity doesn't pay ma-
hardly do for them to tie up a great deal turing bills. If you don't hustle for trade
in this way your neighbor will. The im-
of capital in finished stock.
The Review urged manufacturers dur- portance of accepting the new regime is
ing the early summer months to prepare recognized by many, but there are a few
for a demand which would surely be made who refuse to believe that the new order of
upon them during the early fall months. things has come to stay, and they speak
Some manufacturers heeded our warning slightingly, even sneeringly, of the mod-
and prepared themselves accordingly. ern methods. We must face conditions as
they are and not as we wish they were,
and no matter whether the merchant con-
siders it undignified to have his salesmen
out hustling for trade or not, that has noth-
ing to do with the question. If he does
not do it he loses the trade, that's all, and
he soon becomes a back number. All the
little fancy frills in the world, all the trad-
ing under the alleged glamour of a great
name will not save him from business dis-
aster unless he joins in and becomes a fac-
tor in the modern business life. Either
that or he immediately belongs to that
class who are known as respectable busi-
ness nonentities.
The successful merchant of to-day must
be thoroughly practical. There is no use
of talking to the gallery—talking for ap-
plause—there should be work in a straight-
forward, honest sledge-hammer fashion.
What do the purchasing masses care for
this or that particular article of merchan-
dise or commodity of any form, unless
their attention is persistently and intel-
ligently called to it. It is all well enough
to talk about lines of beauty, of curves
of circles, technically and scientifically
correct, but all the beautiful attributes
in the world will not attract the at-
tention of the purchasing public unless
there is some element brought to bear to
call their attention specifically to them.
While we are on the subject of business
changes we must throw out one more note
of warning and that, older houses should not
trust to a past reputation; they should
understand that newer houses are filled
with the enthusiasm of beginners and im-
pressed by the knowledge that their for-
tune and reputation is yet to be made.
Dangerous competition that.
\ I 7E have received from leading members
of the trade, including some of the
best-known dealers, sufficient endorsement
of our advocacy of certain suggestions to
offset the encroachment of the department
stores to justify our continuing the subject.
Thinking members of the trade are fully
alive to the fact that the department store,
as a distributing point for musical instru-
ments, has come to stay, and it is neces-
sary to adopt some measures to offset its
encroachments.
One writer suggests that manufacturers
themselves are to blame in selling to the
stores. They say that the only correct way
to stop the growth of the department store
as a factor in our trade is to stop selling
to them.
That remedy sounds very simple, but
there is that little bit of selfishness inter-
jected at that point which is so common
in the make-up of the ordinary mortal.