Music Trade Review

Issue: 1902 Vol. 34 N. 10

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRfiDE REVIEW
mond ring came in contact with I^he outside
case, ploughing a deep furrow in the veneer;
$100 off the price.
"Two pianos got personal in their conversa-
tion ; the long pedigreed fellow objected to
the new chap being on the same floor, and
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
called out: 'See that hump.' Of course,
CIITON AND PROPRIETOR.
the Campbell got his back up right away.
J. B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR.
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND The scrap that followed cost us $150, in the
EMILIE FRANCIS BAUER
WALDO E. LADD
price reduction.
Executive Staff:
GEO.
W. QUERIPEL
A. J. NICKI.IN
"An old-time ebony grand called a beauti-
Every Saturday at 3 East 141b street, Newjori ful new mahogany 'a stencilled lobster,' and
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States,
Mexico iivJ Canada, $2.00 per year; all other countries, the stencilled lobster swelled up so much at
$4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per the reflection that he cracked his veneer in
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.oo; opposite several places. We gave that piano away."
reading matter, $75.00.
REniTTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
Great is Philadelphia—her Liberty Bell,
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. her piano men, her piano movers, with their
big sparkling diamonds.
NEW YORK, MARCH 8, 1902.
TWENTY-THIRD YEAR.
REMDV
The extent and magnificence of our piano
stores in the large cities like New York,
Chicago and Boston invariably cause com-
ment from visiting Europeans. Like every-
thing else the American plan of hustling for
business, has succeeded in developing as-
tonishing trade along special lines. Unless
the piano business were worked to-day with
unfaltering persistency there would be a
large decrease in sales, and a consequent
diminution in the number and extent of
the stores, but this is a hustling nation, and
there is no possibility of a slump at the
present time.
Piano men are hustlers,
They dig out trade.
T"* HE dull finish does not seem to be occu-
pying a large share of the attention of
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
1
piano
manufacturers just at the present time.
T" HE PIANO trust as a scheme is defunct,
On the first Saturday of each month
THE
The Review contains in its "Artists' De-
but there is now a quiet move being In other words, interest in this has obviously
ARTISTS
partment" all the current musical news.
DEPARTMENT This is effected without in any way tres-
diminished. The Association will have to
passing on the size or service of the trade made towards trade organization which is
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and
pump more life into the subject, or it will
therefore augments materially the value of The Review being argued by men whose interests are
to advertisers.
become
wholly extinguished.
DIRECTORY OF
The directory of piano manufac- directly involved, and who do not care to
r A
PIANO
turlng firms and corporations found
] HERE is an unmistakable trend toward
MANUFACTURERS o n P&ge 37 will be of great value as work through a discredited promoter. The
a reference for dealers and others.
decorative effects in piano casings.
supplanting of piano competition by com-
Some
manufacturers of cheaper pianos have
bination may be realized, to a limited extent,
within the next five years. The matter of recently introduced a number of styles which
EDITORIAL
organization is being forced into promin- bear serviceable decorative embellishments.
ence by the radical change which has taken Of course, they lack the superb effects reach-
TOPICS OF THE HOUR.
ed in the distinctly high-grade product, but
IANOS with "skin bruises" is truly a place in the methods of conducting trade.
only serve the more to emphasize the fact
Wanamakerian term, and according to
T
T
may
be
said
that
February
trade
has
that decorative effects have come to stay in
the Wanamaker announcement, a man whose
been
in
a
large
measure
disappointing
the piano line.
watch chain dug a furrow in a piano brought
to
the
dealers
in
various
sections
of
the
about a discount on that instrument of twen-
C PEAKING of decorative effects,there are
ty-five dollars, while a picture frame gouged country, for in many localities it did not com-
a number of retail establishments in
another and it meant fifty dollars off, and pare favorably with that of January. The this country which we have visited lately,
a boy who was careless enough to wheel a first part of March, ttx), does not promise to the conductors of which exhibit a keenness
truck against a third one dropped twenty- be brilliant in a trade way, on account of and ingenuity in displaying decorative ar-
five on that, and one piano which was ac- vast sections which have been submerged by rangements which materially augment the at-
cidentally jostled against by another meant the floods, which have carried destruction tractiveness of their stock.
forty dollars off in the unoffending piano, and desolation in their wake, but no country
Decorative wareroom effects pay, and the
on earth is as well prepared to withstand
which was hit by its combatant neighbor.
piano
merchant who fails to make his store
temporary setbacks as this great big nation.
There is real humor in this advertisement,
Although floods and drought may effect attractive is not doing his utmost to advance
and it gives rise to the thought that if these
some sections, the nation's business as a his business interests. Any man who can
discounts are made so liberally on pianos
whole remains uninfluenced by this condition afford to be in business can afford to spend a
with "skin bruises" it might pay possible
few dollars, or a few hundred dollars, or a
of affairs.
piano purchasers to be a party to this skin
few thousand dollars, according to the size of
bruising act. ,
T"" ALKING recently with a gentleman the establishment in the carrying out of such
Who wouldn't try to squeeze between a
prominently associated with the music wareroom details as will set people to talk-
couple of pianos, and incidentally, give his trade industries of Europe, he expressed sur- ing.
watch chain a little careless toss, so that a prise and admiration at the size and gran-
Leaving out the holidays, there is no time
scratch might appear on the polished surface deur of our piano stores, as well as amaze- quite so propitious for lavish decoration
of the instruments against which he pressed, ment at the liberality with which customers and splendid advertising as these self-same
for a cold fifty dollars?
are treated. • In no country on earth, it may Spring openings. To the piano merchant
A man might press the burning end of a be confidently claimed, are conditions so fav- whose store is large and roomy and adapted
cigar on a piano and thereby make his cigar orable to shoppers in all lines, as in these to pretty display, we would suggest a decora-
money for a couple of months in a piano dis- United States, and to none is this fact so tion as largely floral in its character as pos-
count.
apparent as to foreigners making a tour of sible. Easter is the time of flowers, and
Cunningham was not to be outdone by the the country.
your efforts should be in harmony and spirit
Wanamaker announcement, and in an adver-
Our merchants have literally revolution- with the occasion. Your florist will furnish
tisement stated:
ized retail methods, and ere long will teach you with palms and potted plants for a mere
"One of our movers was helping to load a old Europe a thing or two about running trifle. Don't try to get just a few, to look
valuable piano the other day, when his dia- mercantile establishments.
as if you tried and couldn't, but secure a,
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
7^USIO TRKDE REVIEW
sufficient number to produce a little bower of
terfieldian manners, but who has been a suc-
loveliness, something that will charm and
cess as a salesman.
please the eye.
haps, the exception which proves the rule,
Think the people will not
talk about your store then?
You will sell
Yet his case was, per- bv the law.
This must not be carried so far that people
will say, "I aon't like that fellow, he's too
D E T A I L piano advertising is improving,
and there is still room for radical im-
provement. In preparing copy, hurry should
be avoided.
sweet to be wholesome."
There is, however,
a happy medium, and he who reaches it gen-
erally succeeds.
Get a catchy headline and a
Another feature of salesmanship success,
talking phrase, and seek inspiration away
and perhaps one of the most essential, is hard
from the noise of the store.
work, but the most essential feature of all is
Advertisers shouldn't start in with the ex-
pectation of what they plant to-day they
A LL lines of piano manufacturers, high
for without doubt, geniality and courtesy
enough pianos in one week to pay for the have much to do with making a salesman
•.,.-
investment ten times over. Think it over; it successful.
is worth the trying.
Chickering will be afforded ample protection
to be honest.
grade, medium and "cheap" seem to be
basking in the sunlight of prosperity, and
from present indications it would seems as if
the output for the present year would be
limited entirely by the productive power of
the factories; for, as a matter of fact, they
all are moving along in a thoroughly satis-
factory manner.
r
V HOUGHTFUL observers of the stupen-
dous developments of music trade af-
fairs during the last decade have not been
We know of a dealer to whom a salesman
slow to see in them the workings of some
will reap to-morrow; if so, they will be
came chuckling one morning over a sale that
In advertising as in the he had recently made. He had sold a cheap
great principle—the main current directing
often disappointed.
the entire movement, and oftentimes counter-
law of nature, there is a sow time, a hoe time,
piano, and charged about four times more
and a grow time, before the stow time—
than it was worth.
that is the harvest.
Remember that many
an advertisement which doesn't sell a dollar's
worth of goods may do many a dollar's worth
of good, for it brings customers near, nearer
and nearer the store, and the next ad. may
land them.
acting the whole, sweeping 1 aside the efforts
of those who, to all outward appearances, are
Was this young man rewarded for his the leaders in advance. But though this
cuteness?
force was observed, it has not been scienti-
Oh, no; he was gently led aside and plain-
ly told not to repeat the offense again.
fically analyzed, nor has there been any at-
tempt to clearly enunciate the principle be-
The salesman who has got red blood in
his veins, and the milk of human kindness in
hind it, which has been more or less dimly
discerned.
That landing process is always a point that
his breast will succeed, but the fellow whose
After going into the field of biological
interests, and Lord bless you how some piano
veins run icewater, and who avoids truth-
evolution in search of an analogy to this
man can do the landing!
fulness will be left outside the breastworks.
development, we are now prone to admit that
f~\ XE piano man said recently: "I sit down
I N the piano industry the value of a trade
a great factor has been overlooked, and to
to write an ad., and thoughts foreign
mark counts for more perhaps than in
Blumie should be given unlimited credit for
to my subject intrude upon my attention,
almost any other.
Take some of our best
this wonderful transition of affairs, and—
and I am thinking of the note coming due
known names, and they constitute posses-
confound it, we dislike to say it—he was
to-morrow, the sales that are falling behind
or unseasonable weather—inspiration is lack-
sions of great value, which are held by the overlooked in the dinner given to Prince
courts to be one of the firm or corporation's Henry by the "captains of industry." Well,
ing."
assets, as much so as any kind of stock
but it's a cold world.
which they possess.
I T was but a few years ago that great laxity
Very well, then pass this advertising over
to some ambitious young man with a literary
"
. •
.
There are some who believe that a man
There will be a new vigor, and a can always use his own name, but it should
snap in the announcement, and—our word be understood that there are certain names
that have been created into valuable trade-
for it—new results.
instinct.
marks.
•>>•
prevailed in music trade affairs in the mat-
ter of credit.
Men with no capital and with
but mighty little character, were given lines
of credit that reflected more to the trust re-
posed in fellowmen than it did to common-
There have always been imitators, who
I S a newspaper like a plough ?
,
sense.
But to-day the man with doubtful
Yes, my son, in some respects, both the
have sought to profit by the work of others.
character is scanned closely, and made to
newspaper and the plough must have a field
Hire's Sarsaparilla was imitated by another
show up what he possesses in the way of
(or its work, and both must be held straight
man whose patronymic was also Hire. The
chattels before credit is granted him. It
to the line.
courts would not permit him to carry on
isn't as easy to-day for unscrupulous deal-
The more ground the newspaper
covers the better, and more valuable it is,
and the plough produces results in the same
business even in his own name, for it was ers to work piano men as it was in the days
clearly proven that he was trading under
agone.
The Review has a large field, and it the name of the original Hire. The Na-
tional Biscuit Company expended a vast sum \Kl E know some men in business to-day
covers it well.
who insist upon personally directing
of money in advertising the "Uneeda" bis-
Ploughs deeply too.
cuit. A rival concern introduced an "Iwanta" all the little details of their affairs, and
way.
"T HERE is a well defined demand for clev-
er salesmen in both departments of the
industry.
cracker
upon
the market.
The Uneeda
overseeing every minute part of their busi-
people fought the matter in the courts, and ness. The}- are wearing themselves out with
detail work. Thev are small men.
won a victory. The Apollinaris concern
We know of other men who plan cam-
Xow what makes the salesmen successful?
have recently secured an injunction restrain-
It may be a hard question to answer, for
ing another concern from putting Almanaris
paigns, and leave detail work to departmen-
water upon the market.
tal chiefs.
ever\' salesman is so different
from everv
They succeed.
We have had a number of test cases in this
rule that would apply in each and every
trade, and thus far the rights of the famous
Kimball
old houses have been well upheld by court
about details.
case.
Due would say a genial and courteous
manner was one of the essentials, and yet we
ran locate one who is not noted for jiis Cbes-
decisions.
Names of distinguished piano concerns like
They possess ex-
ecutive ability.
other, and it would be hard to lay down a
never
bothered
himself
much
He planned, leaving to others to execute.
Succeeded moderately well, too,

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