Music Trade Review

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THE: MUSIC TRADE
RLVILW
E d i t o r a n d Proprietor.
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
J. B. SP1LLANE, Manarfintf Hdltor.
EXCCVTIVE AND REPORTORIAL STAFF:
GEO. B. KELLER,
W M . B. W H I T E ,
W. N. TYLER,
W. L. WILLIAMS,
A. J. NICKLIN,
BOSTON OPFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE :
ERNEST L. WAITT, 256 Washington St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
EMILIE FBANCIS BAUER,
GEO. W. QUERIPKL.
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 86 La Salle St.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
E. C. TORREY.
5 T . LOU 15 OFFICE :
CHAS. N. V A N BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGXK, 426-427 Front S t
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00; opposite
reading matter, $76.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
MANVFACTUR.ER.S
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference for
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NUMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK. APRIL 1, 19O5.
EDITORIAL
R
ETAIL trade in the larger cities has livened up materially dur-
ing the past few days, and indications now point to bettered
conditions all along the piano lines. The heavy snows and rains of
the winter wili benefit the wheat crop, and letters from those regions
where winter wheat is grown indicate most satisfactory conditions.
Music men in Texas and Oklahoma have sent in most favorable re-
ports to this paper during the past two weeks. They say that while
cotton planting has been held back by the recent heavy rains, the
outlook, on the whole^ is most optimistic.
We may say that our advices from all Southern points indicate
a pleasing condition.
F course there is a reverse side to the medal, and in the flooded
districts the volume of distributive trade has been materially
reduced; but the railway earnings reflect a heavy grain movement
and large shipments of iron and allied products. Bank clearings
show an enormous gain over last year, and there is pronounced ac-
tivity in almost every line of trade. Lumber, hardware, paints and
oils reflect a demand for building materials, and in this particular
there is great activity.
O
E R H A P S the best barometer of all is the iron and steel indus-
try, and in this there is a continuous placing of heavy orders
for all kinds of iron and steel, both crude and finished. There has
been recently witnessed a heavy sale of pig iron in the Western
markets, and the largest sale of steel billets ever recorded from Pitts-
burg.
The general condition of stock markets is favorable to busi-
ness, and, take it all in all, the outlook is such as to encourage the
music dealer to go ahead with entire confidence in the business situ-
ation. There will be from this time on a rapid turning of stocks, and
there is no reason why the piano men should not share the good
things in common with other trades.
P
S it not about time to call a halt in certain methods which are
adopted in the retailing of pianos ? By frenzied competition the
life has been cut out of all legitimate profits, and the people by a
ridiculous form of advertising have been educated to a point where
I
REVIEW
they are inclined to look with suspicion on all piano prices. And
they will buy no instruments unless they are offered at special sales.
No matter how low certain instruments may be priced, the members
of a community where these frenzied sales have occurred will not
believe that the prices asked are legitimate. They have been so deaf-
ened with the siren song of bargains that they really don't recog-
nize one when it conies their way.
H
ERE is plain, concrete evidence of the disastrous effects which
must ultimately come from the mere blind beating of the
price drum.
The indications are that in localities where the enlightened
methods of piano merchandizing had been abandoned or have gone
by the board before the blasts of price extinction, that it will be
pretty difficult to resuscitate certain piano reputations. It is high
time to call a halt on piano feuds which drag great names into the
dust and dirt of competitve battles. Not even on the theory of the
survival of the fittest can such methods be justified, for from the
correct merchandizing standpoint the fittest is not he who gives his
goods away, but he who succeeds in doing the largest trade at a good
round profit. Stay out of these piano battles, for they do no good to
anyone, and a certain force is lost that could be well expended in
building up the better side of the business.
S
U P P O S E a dealer has a few pianos left over after an agency
has been withdrawn. Is he justified in holding them, and ex-
ploiting them in the columns of his local papers at a ridiculously
low sum, and when people call for these instruments in response to
the advertisement, they are always ticketed sold, no matter how
early the calls may be made?
It is rank business dishonesty, and the man who indulges in
this sort of tactics can never tell just how soon he may suffer in
turn from the same methods.
Every merchant in this trade should be interested in maintain-
ing piano reputation, which can best be maintained by holding qual-
ity and price well to the forefront.
T
H E question of price maintenance is one in which this trade is
always interested, and is also one in which, too, a great many
people believe is to be found a remedy, of which this trade frequent-
ly complains. Manufacturers should control and regulate the sell-
ing price of their products. There is no doubt that in days to come
this will be generally adopted, as it should be.
The great house of Steinway has not hesitated to advertise
broadcast the retail prices at which their pianos will be offered to
the public in every section of the country, and where Steinway leads
it is pretty safe to follow.
NE price, and the price set by the manufacturers, will mater-
ially assist in helping to relegate to an unhappy past many
shady trade methods. The wise piano merchant, when he sees a
wave of price cutting sweeping over his section, will dodge the com-
petition as far as he is able. He will do all he can to impress his
community with the idea that there is a something more than price to
be considered. He will endeavor to get a reputation for his store
on something besides price. He will take advantage of the situa-
tion, and establish quality and one price. He will talk quality,
style, value.
The wise man invariably will have a spring or fall opening, and
he will get people full of enthusiasm. ] Ic will advertise legitimate
bargains, and he may have special sales. He may work up special
plans dated for many weeks in advance, so that people will be wait-
ing for the occasion. He may serve light refreshments, like Henry
Dreher, which will capture the country people, and he may have a
cozy place in his store where ladies can rest and do a little writ-
ing. There arc a whole host of wavs in which trade can be attracted
besides the offering of pianos at ridiculous prices, and the absolutely
murderous attack upon names and reputations.
O
ND by the adoption of legitimate, recognized and regular
methods, the public will not only be brought into the stores,
but they will have a higher respect for the piano business and for
the piano itself. Of course it requires brains and application to pur-
sue an aggressive, successful business policy; but when we come to
figure it out, how can a man win permanent success in the piano
business to-day without these essentials? He can't do it, and pay
his bills.
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