Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
million Lake Shore debentures, subscription to thirty-five million
Cuban bonds and many other large undertakings.
Now almost any one of these factors, to say nothing of all of
them combined, might have deranged finance, had the basis been less
broad and stable.
As a matter of fact, all of these burdens were easily borne,
which shows in the most emphatic way that the country has the
strength to stand any kind of test that it may be put to in a business
and financial strain.
These are matters which should be carefully considered by every
piano manufacturer and dealer who may be inclined to view the trade
situation through indigo hued glasses.
The Baltimore fire was perhaps the most significant test of the
solidity of our institutions. The destruction of property was vast,
not as much as in the historic conflagration in Chicago in 1871. But
how the wealth and stability of the country have grown since then.
big Chicago fire brought wholesale insolvencies and laid
the credit of every insurance company in the country open to
question.
The Baltimore losses are being met with hardly a ripple of
disturbance. We have the money and can stand the loss and ad-
just ourselves to it without hardly a tremor in the business
machinery.
' T S H E great smashes in the industrial stocks, in cotton and coffee,
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which we have witnessed would have demoralized a situation
that was not essentially strong.
All of these things together give one an idea of the power of
this nation to-day to stand any kind of a strain.
When pianos are not moving to suit and collections are not com-
ing in to suit, it is not well to get pessimistic over the situation.
There is no good reason why we should.
H P HERE have been no failures of importance in this industry
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recently save those directly traceable to lack of executive
ability and poor detail management.
The industry has clearly proven its solidity.
We are, how-
ever, still moving cautiously—sailing close to the shore. Specula-
tion in stocks has fallen to the lowest ebb of recent years.
Promoters are out of date, and in a way, this too is a good
sign.
The outlook is certainly clearer, but it will be well to exercise
conservatism. Not too much, however, so that the other fellow
gets the sales, but reasonable conservatism.
HE kind of conservatism which will cause a piano man to scan
more closely the quality of his sales than ever before.
Cut down on quantity, if need be, but watch quality. See that
the party to whom a piano is sold is in a position to meet the
maturing payments, when quantity counts for naught unless the
paying quality be there. It is a good time to look up quality sales.
They're bound to pay.
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They can stand any strain. Quality sales—and plenty of them
—that is a good business slogan. They are worth the fight and the
worth of a thing is never fully demonstrated until some supreme
unexpected test happens along either to certify to it or to discredit it.
Quality sales will stand the test.
GREAT retail business is essentially of endless and relent-
less detail. Now the establishment of Lyon & Healy is a
marvel of system as well as a marvel of size. And a system which
secures such obvious results is a fit subject for study by music trade
men who visit the Western metropolis.
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Notwithstanding the great size of the institution, there is a
perfection of detail which is at once interesting and causes one to
wonder. And how much system has done to create the vast Lyon &
Healy trade. There is no other concern in the world conducting
sales of such magnitude in all the varied branches of musical wares.
I T is interesting to note how pianos with the dull, art or French
finish—take your choice of names—is growing in public favor.
It was but a very short time ago when it was impossible for
the dealer, save in the larger cities, to sell the lusterless pianos. To-
day it is different, customers are actually asking for the dull finish.
A powerful factor in aiding to bring the change in public opinion
has been the furniture men, and with such interests helping the
work along in every town it is only a matter of a short time when
the sales of the dull finish product will equal or exceed the old form
of
finish.
.
. i
r^\ IANO manufacturers who have not made satisfactory tests to
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bring about desired results in the way of dull finish should
lose no time in following up the work. It will be the finish of the
future, no doubt of that. There are many reasons why this work
should be encouraged by manufacturers. Reasons which are obvious
to any one acquainted with the details of varnish work.
HP* HEN, too, from the dealer's standpoint, the general adoption
of the dull finish will do away completely with a vexatious
problem which has been more or less irritating. It will not be neces-
sary for him to spend hours explaining to a purchaser why check-
ing is produced upon the glazed surface of a product subject to ex-
pansion and contraction by changing climatic conditions. It will
not be necessary to hold up piano shipments on account of zero
weather, which is warranted to produce the finest "alligator finish"
by a removal of pianos from cold cars to heated warerooms. There
are many sound practical reasons why the dull finish should in time
supersede the old.
WELL known dealer said to The Review recently, "I have in
times past stopped at nothing to make a sale; have cut out
articles from blackmailing trade papers and held them to use against
particular pianos in competition, but I have reformed and no more
lambasting of a competitor's wares. My salesmen know that a dis-
charge is waiting for them if they fall from grace."
That's progress—and the kind that pays, for why should a
piano man waste his time and breath in talking about the lines of
instruments carried by his competitors and the general unworthiness
of his rivals in business?
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HE same amount of energy and nerve force expended in ex-
tolling the merits of one's own wares pays better.
All the vitality which we can draw from space is well to expend
in making our own methods successful.
Each time we indulge in unfair criticism, back biting or open
denunciation of the methods of some competitor we are losing ground
which should be held. About the surest way to injure our own in-
terests is to interfere with the affairs of another.
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