Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE,
7VHJSIC TRKDE
'T'HERE has been a very large increase of membership in the
* Dealers National Association. This, of course, shows a
healthful state, and the way the organization is growing, it will
probably include on its membership roll very many more dealers in
the near future. A bureau of information will be established which
will be useful to the members of the retail trade. When we enumer-
ate some of the leading members of this Association—the houses
of Kimball, Cable, Steinert, Sterling and other organizations which
are vast retailers of pianos—it must certainly be admitted that the
Dealers Association represents an enormous amount of capital.
if we were to take the rating book of the leading commercial
agencies, and add up the total of estimated valuation which is rep-
resented in this Association to-day, it would be surprisingly large in
point of dollars,. Then if we were to figure its distributive possi-
bilities in the way of pianos, we would at once find that the mem-
bership roll of the Dealers Association includes the greatest distri-
butive piano force in America. Thus from two standpoints, finan-
cial and distributing, this Association is a powerful factor to be reck-
oned with. It is doing good work to aid the legitimate interests
of the trade.
' T ' H E scarcity of coal still continues to affect retail trade. It not
* only hits the dealers heavily as far as sales are concerned, but
it has enormously increased the cost of manufacturing. The dif-
ference of factory running expenses when coal was at a normal fig-
ure and to-day is something amazing.
Now this one item alone means a good deal of additional cost
to the manufacturers, some of whom for a long time have borne the
increased cost of labor and material without making a substantial
advance in their instruments. The question of factory organiza-
tion, of labor-saving machinery, and the purchase of material in
enormous quantities will not keep pace with the increased cost to
manufacture when the schedule of prices continues so rapidly in
the ascendancy as far as the cost to manufacture is concerned.
Dealers may as well take a reasonable view of the situation and
not demur at being asked to share the increased cost to manufacture.
There is a fixed market price for everything which enters into the
construction of a piano, but there is no settled price for the finished
product.
HPHE piano business during the past year has shown a healthy
* growth with an increase of a trifle over thirty per cent, over
that of the preceding year.
Now that is an indisputably healthy growth, and the retailers
all over America affirm that there will be a fair increase this year
over the business of 1902.
It is surely gratifying to note this steady development. Piano
manufacturers all over America are busy, East as well as West, but
now the trade is confined to no particular section, which, in itself is
a gratifying feature of the present situation.
There was a time when piano merchants in various parts of the
country would look at pianos of Western origin with a prejudiced
eye. This is no longer the case. Everywhere Western instruments
are treated with respect, and they inspire confidence.
There can be but one primary cause to this favorable trade feel-
ing, Western made pianos have, to use the colloquial expression,
"made good." The piano buyers of to-day spend their money care-
fully, and they have become educated in piano values, so that they
REVIEW
ever have an eye to safeguard their interests as securely as possible
in their purchases. All chances must be eliminated as far as good
judgment can suggest. The growth of the industry in the West
has been phenomenal.
r
"THE young firms who have recently embarked in business are
doing well. This, too, shows a healthful condition of the
trade, and the list of the young men engaging in manufacture is
growing larger every day.
It demonstrates the fact that the industry possesses attractive
possibilities for young men.
It shows healthful indications, and here is a good well-rounded
success to all young firms! May 1903 prove to them a most satis-
fying year in a business sense—a lucky year, notwithstanding the
fact that one, nine, cipher, three amounts to thirteen, believed to be an
unlucky number by some!
P ) I A N O stocks over the country are in excellent condition. By
that statement we do not especially mean that the instruments
are not only kept well groomed and in a condition fit to show to the
public, but that they are in good condition as far as the business pos-
sibilities go. That is they are not over large, and they are being
turned cut in good form. The dealers were energetic even in Janu-
ary and have stimulated active piano buying on the part of the pub-
lic in many sections.
TTHERE will be no radical changes of piano case architecture within
the near future. Some, by introducing unique trusses have
given the instruments some specially attractive features, but the ten-
dency for 1903 will be toward Colonial styles. In fact if we look
over the list of the most active selling pianos in America we will find
that they are the Colonial, or styles which closely approximate.
The ruling fashions in the furniture world are Colonial, Chip-
pendale and Louis XIV., with a strong lead on the Colonial, and
quite naturally pianos follow those lines.
There continues to be a growing demand for pianos of special
design, and a number of manufacturers are organizing special order
departments. Some unique specimens are being produced. For
clubs, dens and studios there is a steady demand in dark woods,
more especially in Flemish oaks. We know of one manufacturer
who has taken The Review hint given some weeks ago, and is pre-
paring a piano a la Mission.
All of the instruments which bear the hall mark of originality
combined with aestheticism will win, but heavy, cumbrous, over-orna-
mented styles are now in their decadence.
/"~\ NE thing piano men should bear in mind is that good adver-
^-^
tising must be supplemented by good road work, for
advertising alone will not sell goods, although it is an indispensable
adjunct to modern business success. First, the article whether pi-
anos, or any other superior creation must live up to the representa-
tions made—for if we take a poor article, one that is not true to the
claims made for it, the whole force of advertising cannot make it a
permanent success. The people won't have it, and they are becom-
ing better educated every day. Art in advertising is one thing, a
good thing, but it must be reasonably truthful. It isn't alone to
make it artistic, because the most artistic conception might still be
poor advertising.