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THE m\JS\G TRRDE
TWENTY-THIRD
YEAR.
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
EBITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J . B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR.
THOS. OAMPRKLL-OOPELAND
EMILIE FRANCIS BAUER
WALDO E. LADI)
Executive Staff:
GEO. W. QUER1PEL,
A. J. NICKLIN
PnDMal
EYCTT
Satnrday at 3 East 14th Street, New Yon
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~ T ^
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On the first Saturday of each month
THE
The Review contains in its "Artists' De-
ARTISTS
partment" all the current musical news.
DEPARTMENT This U effected without In any way tres-
passing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. I t has a special circulation, and
therefore augments materially the value of The Review
to advertisers.
DIRECTORY OF
The directory of piano manufac-
PIANO
turing firms and corporations found
MANUFACTURERS on page 26 will be of great value as
a reference for dealers and others.
EDITORIAL
A WORD AS TO
PREPARATION.
HE month of Octo-
ber just closed will
stand in the history of
pianodom as a h i g h
peak in the volume of
business*—a regular Mt. Hood—not only in
point of orders received and shipped during
the month, but on account of satisfactory
sales in the retail department of the business.
Entering the month of November, it might
be said in a general way that manufacturers
are now facing the liveliest kind of business
conditions, and we know of a great many,
particularly the high-grade makers, who are
parceling out their instruments in order to
temporarily satisfy the demands, hoping a
little later to fill more promptly the orders
which are pouring in upon them.
One high-grade piano maker of the West
wrote to The Review this week, stating that
he.was more than three hundred orders be-
hind, and he was trying his best to keep his
customers in good humor, but he really could
not accept another order before Jan. ist.
Such conditions would seem to emphasize
the fact that we will have perhaps the most
prosperous fall and holiday season ever ex-
perienced in this trade.
In such times as these it pays to keep the
quality standard well in the foreground.
Dealers are not only getting in shape for
holiday trade, but the people themselves are
already planning to buy presents, of course
including pianos—good pianos—for their
kith and kin. They will plan for weeks
Satisfying c o n d i -
tions in manufactur-
ing and retail depart-
ments—Getting ready
for holiday trade—
The necessity of hav-
ing attractive estab-
lishments.
T
ahead and save every penny. It is, therefore,
up to the piano merchant to make his stock
as attractive as possible and have his rooms
arranged in the most approved manner, not
forgetting to talk quality rather than price.
It is characteristic of the American peo-
ple to make much of the great festal period.
The spirit of buying and giving pervades
the land. It is also true that this observa-
tion is turning more and more to sensible
gift-giving, rather than to the light and use-
less things that used to be features of the
occasion. Pianos, organs, music boxes and
musical instruments of all kinds make the
most acceptable holiday gifts, and that buy-
ing spirit should be encouraged, so far as
music trade influence can be extended. There
should be a greater tendency on the part of
music trade men to get their holiday lines
into shape earlier. It is going to be a lively
season, and the wise business men will pre-
pare for it. They should not make the mis-
take of figuring, either, that the holiday trade
will come without any advertising whatever.
It is all very well to suppose that people will
buy pianos during the holidays, but they will
buy very many more if their attention is per-
sistently drawn to the advantage of making
musical gifts.
The music trade merchant will find that
his advertising expenditures will be well
made if he begins his educational work right
now. There is no use of putting this matter
off for a week or a month. Good, bright
business times are with us and should be
improved to the utmost.
THE PRIZE CONTEST.
•y O-DAY closes the
last of The Re-
view prize contests, as
no manuscript can be re-
ceived hereafter which
will be considered in this contest. Next week
we shall announce the name of the person
who has contributed the best original article
upon "What Would Be the Effect of the
Piano Trust upon the Industry?"
This series, which has included a number
of important and interesting topics, has ex-
cited widespread attention, so much so that
we shall continue this feature, and in a
near issue shall anounce a number of other
topics which will be discussed in the columns
of The Review in a competitive way. Cash
prizes will be offered.
One of the largest and most respected
piano manufacturers of the West writes The
Review: "The writer is intensely interested
in any and all things that stimulate thought
and a free exchange of ideas. The world
is made better for it. Your plan is doing its
share in awakening interest in and drawing
out a variety of expressions on subjects of
The
prize-winner
announced next week
—An interesting topic
—A series which has
attracted wide-spread
interest—Another list
announced later.
such extremely vital interest to the trade."
It is now generally conceded by all think-
ing men of the trade that the prize subjects
taken up by The Review for consideration
have been of manifold interest to the dif-
ferent departments of the industry. The
prize article relating to the effect of a piano
trust upon the industry is of more than or-
dinary interest at the present time. It will
be presented in the next issue of The Review,
and should not be overlooked by any member
of the trade.
INDIVIDUALITY OF THE BUSINESS.
J T is generally conced-
ed that the piano
business possesses pe-
culiarities of its own,
and it is the pos-
session of those features totally dis-
tinct from any other industry, which will
cause it to always occupy an unique place.
There are some men who assert that it will
gravitate to the purely commercial plane
within the near future, but we say that such
a statement has no foundation in fact.
Compare the piano business with almost
any other calling, and we say without fear
of contradiction, that there is no industry
in America wherein so many firms have pre-
served a distinct individuality for their wares
as in the piano line.
For instance: Take any of the names
which have been known for half a century
in the piano trade. While they have under-
gone many vicissitudes, there has not been
any appreciable decline in their value. On
the contrary, has there not been, even under
varying managements, a steady increase in
their popularity ? A fact showing the vitality
of the business, a vitality which is so com-
pletely intertwined with individuality that
it is impossible to separate them.
While the piano industry, as compared
with the steel and iron trade, takes but slight
rank, yet if we study the history of almost
any other industry, we will find enterprises
established by great men in days agone that
have become but a memory.
There are many cases of decline of great
names in the iron trade and steel trade, and
like conditions exist in the dry goods trade.
For illustration:—A. T. Stewart, the great-
est merchant and manufacturer of his time.
He was a typical, hustling, energetic Ameri-
can. He built up a great business and accu-
mulated millions. He built his palace of
marble and filled it with pictures; then died.
The marble palace has vanished, and with
it vanished the last recollection of A. T.
Stewart. The firm name even would not
be known at all to-day save for the gener-
osity of John Wanamaker, who allows the
old name to appear in a small corner of his
advertisement. It was Stewart's ambition to
The remarkable vi-
tality of piano names
—Outlast those of
any other industry—
A comparison with
some notable names
in other lines.