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THE
make, or by the establishment of ware-
rooms for the sale of players independent
of pianos or organs.
The only successful method of handling
piano players is to have such rooms in
charge of competent salesmen and demon-
strators and by the giving of frequent re-
citals. Then, too, comes the necessity of
investing a considerable sum of money in
a library of music, with a competent corps
of clerks to handle the sale and circulation
library feature profitably. This all requires
the investment of a considerable amount of
capital and enormous advertising. Proba-
bly a.great deal more than to foot up an
equivalent amount of sales in pianos.
These are factors which will eventually
convince dealers that the piano player busi-
ness is an exclusive one. In this city we
do not know of any cutting of prices ex-
cept by department stores on "slightly
used" players.
* * *
G. Dunbar Shewell, of C. J. Heppe &
Son, had the following opinion to offer:
We consider the future of the piano player
business very great, and that it is at pres-
ent in its infancy. One of our enthusiasts
even went so far as to state "that there
would be more players sold than pianos."
How this would be possible we do not
know, nevertheless the business has been
a decided adjunct to our establishment in
many ways, the piano end of it being bene-
fited largely, and frequently small goods
and music boxes. We find that newspaper
advertising and recitals the most paying
method of drawing attention to the player.
We have a number of specially fitted up
rooms in which the players are displayed,
and every Friday evening in our Aeolian
Hall we give Aeolian and Pianola Recitals,
drawing from 200 to 600 persons weekly.
We are not aware that there has been any
local cutting of prices retail, although one
or two of the stores have advertised special
club plans, and in the instance of one player
we know of a reduction in price of $35 for
a certain length of time, to be paid for on
very moderate monthly payments.
SPECIALLY FITTED ROOM.
[Special to The Review.]
St. Louis, Mo., August 15, 1903.
E. A. Keiselhorst, of the Keiselhorst
Piano Co., said: We have found the piano
player business a paying adjunct to our
establishment. We have found that news-
paper advertising is the most satisfactory
way of drawing attention to the players.
We have a specially fitted up room in
which the players are displayed, and carry
it strictly as a special and separate depart-
ment of our business. We believe the
player business has an expansive future be-
fore it. So far as local cutting in prices of
piano players at retail is concerned, we are
unable to answer this question positively.
Our own department maintains a strict
one-price system. As yet we have never
given any special entertainments to inter-
est the public and doubt whether we ever
will. Would not care to say what we
would consider in numbers a fair year's
business at retail for this locality for
players.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
NOT BIG COUNTRY DEMAND.
[Special to The Review.]
Kingston, N. Y., August 15, 1903.
W. H. Rider when seen said: The player
business with me is not really started yet.
Have set a room apart for them in each one
of my stores and just getting ready to see
what the fall campaign will bring forth in
the player line. I do not think in the coun-
try here there is going to be a very great
demand.
GREAT AS AN EDUCATOR.
[Special to The Review.]
Toledo, O., August 14, 1903.
W. H. Currier, of the Whitney-Currier
Co., has the following opinions to express:
As to the advantage to the business of sell-
ing piano players, their power to win pro-
fits, and the expansion of this business, will
say we commenced selling them when they
were first put on the market and have been
in it from the beginning.
We have specially fitted up rooms and
have given daily and weekly recitals. We
have given a great deal of attention to it
but cannot at this time say that we have
made very much profit out of it, except,
perhaps, we may have made indirect profits
by selling a machine together with a piano
in one sale.
I presume that the prices in this market
have been cut to some extent. We, of
course, cannot state positively, as we know
so little about our neighbor's business.
We have tried to maintain prices from the
start and have done .so.
It is a troublesome business to carry on
on account of the supply of music rolls, and
the want of knowledge of how to operate
the machine by those who buy it, and the
lack of expert mechanics who can look
after and keep them in order.
In the piano business there are plenty of
trained tuners, and we have them in our
employ, but the principle of the pneumatic
machinery is a new one and entirely out-
side of that upon which pianos are con-
structed. W e have some men in our em-
ploy who can do fairly well in adjusting
the mechanism of the piano player.
It is destined in time to be a great busi-
ness, as it is in its infancy at the present
time. There will no doubt be at least forty
or fifty different varieties of piano players
on the market within the next twelve
months. Many of them will reach a state
of perfection that is never dreamed of at
the beginning.
The number that will be sold a year is
problematical. Perhaps 150 or 200 in this
market would be a fair estimate of the
entire sale of the different varieties. This
number will be augmented from year to
year as they are better known and their
capability is better understood by those
who own and buy pianos.
As an educator there has been nothing
invented that will equal it in the music
field. It will teach teachers as well as
those who have never learned to play, and
under the hands of those who study the
peculiar temperament of the machine it
will accomplish great things in duplicating
accurately the great performances of the
greatest pianists.
When it comes to the resources of the
Aeolian and kindred instruments of that
variety, it is simply wonderful what it can
do in rendering artistically the best musi-
cal compositions.
CHANCE FOR MISSIONARY WORK.
[Special to The Review.]
Lewiston, Me., August 15, 1903.
W. L. Lathrop says: We do not handle
players at all, nor does any one in our city
that I know of. This don't seem to be a
field for piano players.
PRICES RATHER HIGH.
[Special to The Review.]
Anderson, S. C, August 15, 1903.
The C. A. Reed Music Co. state: We
have done very little here with piano
players, although we represent two.
Everyone enjoys the music immensely, but
retail prices seem rather high for the peo-
ple in this section—for, as you know, we
are still quite poor in comparison with our
Eastern and Western friends. However,
I really think that the demand will grow
as our country becomes more prosperous.
I have used every effort to introduce the
players, but as yet have only succeeded in
selling two of them throughout this sec-
tion.
GOOD FOR PROSPECTS.
[Special to The Review.]
Bayonne, N. J., August 14, 1903.
E. G. Brown, dealer in this town, says:
I find the player business to be an impor-
tant factor in my business. We find that
our prospects are attracted by the music
when being played for someone else or our-
selves and their attention drawn to it in
that manner.
We have no specially fitted up room to
display the Apollos which we handle, but
merely display them about the warerooms
in connection with our pianos.
We give musicales about every four
weeks during the season, and have a first-
class demonstrator perform on the Apollo.
I do not know of any price cutting so far.
As we do not make any extreme effort
for the player business, we do not feel that
we would be justified in estimating what
a fair year's business would amount to. I
think, however, that the prospects for the
fall will be bright in the player line.
VERY FAVORABLE RESULTS.
[Special to The Review.]
Burlington. Vt., August 14, 1903.
Col. H. W. Hall, manager of Bailey's
Music House at this point, says: We have
not up to within six months done a great
deal with the piano players.
Have
been feeling the ground over, but the
way our trade in the player is de-
veloping in the last six months, we
have deemed it expedient to extend our
business along that line and are meeting
with very favorable results. We have
adopted no special method of advertising
as yet, but shall undoubtedly give recitals
and special demonstrations to bring them
before the public. This, together with the
usual newspaper and special advertising
that we give our business in general, we
believe ought to meet with the required
result. We shall fit up a room especially
for them, as it is very unfavorable in my
opinion to have them on the floor with the