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THE MUSIC TRADE
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR.
•EDWARD LYMAN BILL.
Editor and Proprietor
~
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
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REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman BilK
i
Entered at the Nev Fork Pott Office a* Second Clan
fitter.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIGHTEENTH STREET.
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review will
contain a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review wil!
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
trade paper.
force why business in certain lines is
usually quiet from about the middle of
March until the middle of May.
We have not, as some who have written
to The Review during the last week affirm,
commenced upon the period of summer
dullness as yet. In our opinion there will
be an excellent trade up to the middle or
last of June. General business conditions
of the country are favorable, and the num-
ber of failures in every section according
to the different mercantile agencies, is ma-
terially smaller than a year ago. There is
increased conservatism in the making of
new ventures, and a disposition to digest
business already arranged for before mak-
ing new engagements. The basic condi-
tions of general business such as the out-
look of the crops, the export demard and
increased purchasing power of the people
at large, have actually improved according
to the latest advices.
An important feature of the situation is
the steadily increasing foreign demand for
TRADE CONDITIONS.
not only finished goods but also for raw
/CONDITIONS in musico-industrial af-
material. Manufacturers in many lines
fairs have been somewhat depressed
are finding their export business rapidly
during the past two weeks, and that trade
developing and American goods taking a
is not at all satisfactory is perfectly obvi-
place of recognized importance in the
ous to all who look below the surface.
world at large. The trade situation, there-
By this statement we do not mean that
fore, presents many features which may
all manufacturers and dealers are experi-
be regarded with satisfaction, both by the
encing dull conditions, but it must be ad-
piano manufacturer and piano dealer.
mitted that when we take the industry as
a whole, conditions have not been over
QUALITY LEADERSHIP.
active during the past two or three weeks. IT is quality rather than price which
Undoubtedly when we have passed the
places the business of the retail dealer
middle of May, business will have ma- upon a satisfactory and an enduring basis.
terially improved. If we trace back it If we scan the list of successful piano mer-
will be found that nearly every year in chants we will find that those who have
such lines as musical instruments, paint- won distinguished success have always con-
ings, furniture, there is usually a stag- sistently upheld the quality of their instru-
nancy in the retail department of the ments, and have never shown degeneracy
business from the middle of March un- in their advertising to the extent of sub-
til the middle of May. There are many ordinating a quality leader for a price
reasons for this, chief among which we leader. Recently while chatting in The
should mention the fact that the agri- Review office one of the well-known deal-
cultural element of America is busily en- ers of the West remarked: "My careful
gaged in putting in the new crops and observation leads me to believe that the
in general work, so that they have no time average piano dealer makes serious mis-
or inclination to consult with the feminine takes in the conduct of his business.
portion of the household relative to the Firstly, he does not keep his stock in suf-
purchase of musical instruments. Again, ficiently good shape to always be attrac-
the thrifty housewife usually assigns some tive. Secondly, he does not pay enough
date on or about the first of May to be de- attention to quality. The tendency to buy
voted to the annual house-cleaning, and and sell something very cheap appears to
during the period of renovation she does be dominant in these times, but it is better
not care to add new accessories of home to use one's strongest efforts at'all times to
comfort. Further, a large percentage of persuade customers to buy good pianos,
people seek new residences by May ist, knowing that they are cheapest in the end.
and naturally they are not over anxious to It is the high-grade piano, too, that adds a
add to their home possessions until they tone and dignity to the business. A sales-
are comfortably ensconced in their new man by the exercise of a little tact can sell
quarters. The united effect of these a really good piano just as well as a very
reasons forms a powerful contributory cheap one, and my motto through my en-
tire piano business has been, 'The recollec-
tion of quality remains long after the price
is forgotten.'"
And our friend might have added one
further point to his argument, by stating
that the absence of one price, or of nearly
a fixed price in the retailing of pianos has
been a very serious detriment to the busi-
ness in all parts of America.
It was not so very long ago that a little
incident occurred, of which we were cog-
nizant, which shows how much the matter
of vacillating piano price is contributing
to the belief in the public mind that,
aside from a limited few makes, there are
no fixed values in the piano world.
A gentleman obtained the price of a
grand piano, which was $800. His friend
visited the same store and obtained a price
concession which brought the instrument
down to $680. Still again he visited the
wareroom and after a discussion of per-
centages and rebates and confidential ad-
vice on the part of the piano merchant
never to disclose the wonderful conces-
sions which he had made, he at last se-
cured the instrument for $610.
When he related the incident to us, he
was in grave doubt as to whether he had
secured a real bargain or not, but assured-
ly neither the piano nor the merchant who
sold it to him occupied a position of es-
teem in his mind.
Now, it is just such illustrations which
have exercised a detrimental effect upon
the retailing department of the industry.
There is no reason, at least no good reason,
why a young girl should not obtain as fair
prices in the piano wareroom as a well-
developed expert.
When we reach the
position of rigidity of price in the retail
piano world, then the whole business will
have felt an inspiring impetus.
THE WOES OF TRADE.
T H E R E are troubles which constantly
beset the path of the piano manufac-
turer. For many months he has been try-
ing to adjust his prices to the rising tide of
everything which he purchases which en-
ters into his piano. This task he has
found far from pleasant and too frequently
lacking the results desired.
Then again, there are ridiculous claims
and concessions which pour in upon him
from dealers in all sections of the country.
The other day while discussing alleged
grievances with a local manufacturer, he
exhibited to us a letter received from one
of his dealers, claiming that he, the manu-
facturer, should reimburse him for a piano
wrecked by a railroad collision, and that
the manufacturer himself should look to
the road for damages; that he, the dealer,
did not want to bother with the expense