Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE m\JSl
REVIEW
AS THE DEALERS VIEW THE TRADE SITUATION.
13
My stock, compared with January of last
year, is about the same.
Opinions of Leading Members of the Trade Regarding Subjects Which are of Vital Interest to the There are not a great many stencil pianos
Industry—Some Interesting Views—The Outlook Most Encouraging—More Pianos Will be Sold Than sold in this city (none by myself.)
In my opinion, the greatest single question
in 1902—Condition of Stock.
that the Dealers' National Association could
Every manufacturer and every dealer is interested in the trade possibilities of possibly take up for the betterment of trade
the present year. They also will be glad to know the opinions of leading dealers would be to try and induce the manufactur-
ers of high-grade pianos to insist upon their
in widely separated localities regarding important trade topics. We have there- dealers or representatives to hold up the
fore presented the questions which appear below to hundreds of the best known prices on same. It is an outrageous shame,
piano men in America. We are unable to present all their replies, but those that the way first-class pianos, or rather high-
appear on the following pages are fairly representative of the whole, and next grade pianos, as they are called, are slaugh-
tered in this city. I have known of numer-
week we shall publish a second series.
ous cases where these pianos were sold at
actual cost price. There was not $10 in it
In your opinion how many more pianos were sold in your locality in 1902 than 1901?
to the dealer. The. dealer not only ruins his
About what was the average sales price for the past year?
trade, but ruins the trade of the locality he
What per cent, was sold at less than $300.00?
lives in, who does this business. For the
What kind of terms would you estimate were generally made?
customer, wanting to show how smart he
is to his neighbor who wishes to buy a piano,
Have not retail piano methods materially improved in your vicinage?
posts him on the price he paid and in that
Will there be an increase in sales this year over 1902 ?
way it is but a short time before the entire
Has the music trade ever been in healthier condition in your locality than at present?
community will get on to about the cost
Do you figure that the department store will cut any figure as a distributing factor in your locality?
price of goods and no dealer can make a
Are pianos of indefinite (stencil) origin sold in appreciable numbers in your city?
legitimate profit on a first-class piano.
What in your opinion is the greatest single question that the Dealers National Association can take up for
An acquaintance of mine made the rounds
last week to ascertain how cheap he could
trade betterment?
buy a piano. He went to every dealer in
CRESSY & ALLEN, Portland, Me.
that are now sold by the regular dealers. the city of Milwaukee. He got the style and
We think there may have been from one They cannot give any more piano value for cost of every high-grade piano and then
to two hundred more pianos sold here in the money. There is a certain amount of came in and showed me at what price he was
Portland during 1901 than in 1902. The expense to be met in handling pianos, and offered these pianos, in order to close the
average sale price would be less than $300. I don't believe that any of our dealers are sale at once.. Manufacturers reading this
Should say that two-thirds or sixty-six and making a fortune at present prices and terms. will say, "Well, I suppose that was a spe-
The condition of our stock compared with cial case." That is not the case at all. It is
two-thirds per cent, were sold at less than
last
year is larger, not that we had less trade, a frequent occurrence now that a dealer,
$300. Terms ranging from $7 to $10 pre-
vail, with an occasional sale as low as $5. but because we were heavier buyers in the when in competition, will sell a high-grade
piano without any profit before ho would
We do not think that the retail piano month of December.
Very few stencil pianos are sold in this let a sale go by. It will be a great benefit
methods have materially changed in our vi-
to all dealers if the manufacturers would get
territory.
cinity.
In my opinion the greatest questions that together and dictate a retail price; one for
Are unable to say whether 1903 will show
cash and one on time. I believe there are
an increase over 1902 or not, but business the National Association of Piano Dealers
some forty odd places in the city of Milwau-
could
take
up
would
be
to
cultivate
a
better
at the present time looks well.
kee
where pianos are sold in some way or
We think the music trade has never been feeling among the rival dealers, to encourage
other. You may imagine the rest.
cleaner
methods,
better
advertising,
sell
pia-
in so healthy a condition as now.
The department stores do not handle pia- nos in their class, at a decent profit and at JOHN M. GALLUP & CO., Hartford, Conn.
one price, and instead of rival dealers being
nos in our locality.
It is our opinion that the number of sales
The condition of our stock compares fav- bitter enemies, be the warmest of friends. during 1902 have exceeded any previous year.
There would be just as many pianos, sold, It would be a difficult matter to accurately
orably with a year ago.
The stencil piano is not much sold with better profits made, less business trouble, and state the average price received for these pia-
the public would have a higher estimation nos but we are positive it would be less than
us.
We think the greatest question among the and a better opinion of the music trade if $300. The business in our vicinity has been
dealers at the present time to be settled is they were more social and every dealer spoke badly upset by so-called consignment agents,
well of his rival house.
of which we have quite a number, who have
the question of uniform price.
been so eager to place goods that the terms
One of the worst evils in our vicinity at JOSEPH FLANNER. Milwaukee. Wis.
I do not think that there were more pianos both as to first payments and monthly in-
the present time is the selling of low-grade
sold in the year 1902 th...n there were in 1901 stalments have been reduced to a minimum.
pianos entirely out of their class.
in our locality. I would consider the average In fact, some of our competitors of this kind
J. H. TROUP, Harrisburg, Pa.
sale price for the past year $225.
are willing to place pianos on nothing down
We have been trying to focus a picture of
Would consider 50 per cent of the pianos and in some cases as low as $3.00 a month.
the future, but we have not been as success- sold at less than $300.
This we positively refuse to do but we are
ful as we had anticipated, either because our
General terms made: $25 cash and $10 inclined to say that the retail methods in our
chemicals were had, or the figure moved in per month. - A great many pianos, however, city were never in a worse condition than at
the picture.
the present time. The department store ques-
were sold for cash during the year 1902.
In our opinion there were about four hun-
Retail piano methods in our vicinage have tion cuts no figure with us. We think the
dred pianos more sold last year than any pre- anything but improved, in my opinion. most important, subject in business at pres-
vious year in our territory, and the average Piano methods have become worse.
ent is this question of larger cash payment
sale price would run along about $300, rather
There were more fake sales going on dur- and larger instalments. In other words, less
less than above that figure. More than 50 ing the year than in any years previous. of the "no money down and dollar a week
per cent, of the sales made were below the Methods used by some competitors are sim- method.." We would not be surprised if the
sales during this year should fall off some-
$300 mark. The terms generally made were ply vile.
from $10 to $25 down and anywhere from
I do not think the sales of .1903 will be what.
$7 to $10 monthly payments.
much of an improvement over 1902. Do not
I cannot say that the retail methods have consider the trade in this locality in a healthy THE WHITNEY & CURRIER CO., Toledo, Ohio.
materially improved in this territory. There condition.
In answer to your first question as to
seems to be no better understanding between
Milwaukee is far from being in a prosper- "How many more pianos were sold in your
rival dealers than there has been for the past ous condition at present, owing to the exces- locality in 1902 than in 1901 ?" will say that
ten years.
sive scarcity of coal and the exorbitant prices I would estimate it at least 20 per cent. more.
The prospects for the new year compared people have to pay for the little supply they
To your next question, "About what was
with the prospects at this time one year ago can procure. The necessities of life have all the average sale price for the past year?" we
are no better for increased business. That gone up in price.. Wages, however, have re- cannot give that, but will answer your next
is partly caused by the shutting down of a mained about the same. People, as a rule, question, "What per cent, was sold for less
number of our mills for want of coal.
than $300?" we would estimate at least 50
have little money to spend for luxuries.
The health or condition of the music trade
The department stores cut no figure here per cent, sold for less than $300.
in our locality seems to be about normal as in pianos. So far, only one department store
I am unable to answer your next question
regards to payments. We have no depart- handles pianos, but only a very cheap grade, as to "What kind of terms would you esti-
ment stores in our locality handling pianos, but the department stores have certainly tried mate were generally made?" We only know
and don't see how they could figure much in to ruin the sheet music business and with ab- about our own business. We endeavor to
competition with the price and class of goods solutely no benefit to themselves.
make all time sales pay out on an average,