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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
firm had an exceptionally big Christmas busi-
ness, and were able to handle it with much
Holiday Business Better Than Last Year—Henry F. Miller Co.'s Store Virtually Cleaned Out— greater satisfaction than they could otherwise
Four Responses to D. E. Woolley's Circular—Col. Estey a Visitor—Bellak's Hardman have done, owing to their additional building se-
cured during the past year. They had a very
Trade—Heppe Activity—News of the Week in Detail.
large stock of the Hardman when the holiday
season began, but that instrument has gotten to
(Special to The Review.)
one in Philadelphia where good pianos are sold
Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 27, 1905.
and where fair treatment is accorded purchasers. be so popular in Philadelphia that it was hard
The piano business of the year in Philadelphia There are many others, but there are some few to have the big demand upon them supplied from
closed last Saturday night, and this week the and I am glad to say very few, piano stores in the factory. The Bellaks are contemplating still
dealers are looking over their stock to see just Philadelphia where you have to wonder what further improvements in their warerooms short-
how it is showing up and where it has to be re- reason they have for being in the piano business. ly after the new year, and are also thinking some
plenished. The Christmas trade came up pretty It is these few houses that complain about the of giving a series of concerts in the big hall on
well at the end, although it looked somewhat Christmas business of 1905, and they are going the second floor of the new addition.
One thing that has surprised the Philadelphia
dubious for the first two weeks of the month. In to have more cause for complaint in the future
looking over the trade, it is generaly conceded unless they change very greatly their present Christmas trade this year are the number of
pianos that have been sold in the stores off of
that the business for 1905 has surpassed that of
system of doing business.
any other year. This is not only trua of the year
D. E. Woolley has had four responses thus Chestnut street. The good Christmas trade has
been felt all around. For instance, the Heppes
as a whole, but the holiday business also was bet- far to the letters he sent out, the substance of
ter than last year. It required harder work to get which was in my letter last week. These four branch store at Sixth and Thompson street, did
results, but the results came; in fatt, the piano responses were from N. Stetson & Co., Painter & accordingly more business than was done a t
business has tended that way for some time. It Bwing, the Blasius house and Gustav Herzberg. their Chestnut street store, or, rather, the in-
seems to require considerably more work every
James Miller called personally on Mr. Wool- crease at that store was greater than downtown,
year to sell pianos, and as one man said this ley and expressed his sentiments, and the others which goes to affirm a statement that has been
week, "It requires my firm to employ just again as are still to be heard from. Thus far the replies made at various times in this letter, to the effect
many men as several years ago, for where one have been satisfactory, and if still others of the that location ceased to be as great a factor in
man could talk a buyer into making a purchase, same character are received, there should be no the piano business as it was several years ago.
it now requires two."
reason why Mr. Woolley's scheme for the better- Buyers have found that they could examine
Of the twenty leading piano stores in Phila- ment of the trade should not take some tangible pianos with much greater ease in these stores,
delphia, in which number is calculated the de- form after the first of the year. The only two and with less interruption, than downtown, and
partment stores, less than one-fourth but have or the six propositions upon which there is any this has not alone been the experience of the
had a most prosperous holiday season, and the question is that much discussed one of commis- Heppes, but the Ludwig house, whose Columbia
sions, and as to the prices to be paid for second- avenue branch store shows a good increase.
reason the other houses fell off is obvious.
I doubt whether any of the Philadelphia houses hand square pianos. Some of the dealers who Fox, the piano dealer, on the same avenue, and
can show a better holiday result than the firm of try rigidly to enforce a one-price system say the piano dealers along Girard avenue and Frank-
Henry F. Miller & Sons. I visited their ware- that in the transactions of second-hand pianos is ford avenue, have all the same story.
rooms the day after Christmas, and they looked the only leeway they have for making a little
as if a cyclone had struck them. There were less profit. Besides, they say that it is not possible
MORE STECK PIANOS FOR SCHOOLS.
than half a dozen pianos on their upper floors, to set the limit at $50 for the price to be paid
The Board of Education of New York City last
and on the first floor about a dozen, and of all for a square piano, as some of them that are
the Lyric grands they had in stock for the holi- traded in are worth very much more than at week arranged with the Steck Piano Co. for the
placing of fifteen additional Steck pianos in the
day season only two remained unsold. There that price.
Colonel Estey made a flying trip to Philadel- public schools. At the present time there are up-
were several reasons for this success of the Miller
wards of two hundred Steck pianos in use in
house. The first and the one of prime impor- phia on Tuesday last, and took time to look over
tance, is that the Miller piano is very popular in seme of the Estey organs that have recently various educational institutions in New York
Philadelphia. It is a high-grade piano that is been erected in local churches. The Estey Co., City. They have long been favorites with the
sold at a price within the reach of people who can on Thursday last, opened a very fine pipe organ school board by reason of their durability and
purchase such an instrument. No fictitious price in the Ann Carmichael Memorial Presbyterian musical excellence. There is no better test as to
is put on the name. It is a reliable instrument, Church, and the week before Christmas closed the wearing qualities of a piano than its use in a
and always to be depended upon. Then the sec- contracts with the M. E. Church of Leachburg, public school. That the Steck has come up to all
ond and almost equally important reason for the Pa., and the M. E. Church of Catawissa, Pa. The expectations is the verdict of the experts who
success of the Miller house is the courteous treat- Northeast Manual Training School is making pass judgment in such matters in behalf of the
ment that a customer is given at that house. preparations for the dedication of their new Board of Education.
One gentleman told me this week that he went pipe organ, an Estey of the largest size, shortly
shopping for a holiday piano, and among other after the first of the year. This is the first pipe
ESTABLISHING HASBROUCK AGENCIES. .
houses visited was the Miller house, and he said organ erected in a public school in Philadelphia,
he finally bought there because he felt such im- and there are only two or three in such schools
Philip H. Vaughn, general agent of the Has-
plicit confidence in what was told him at that in the United States.
brouck Piano Co., who is spending a few days
James Bellak's Sons have already begun get- in Glens Falls, N. Y., has established several
house, particularly after the many ridiculous
statements made at other houses. No, I do not ting in Hardman pianos as well as the Auto-" local agencies for these instruments within the
mean to infer that the Miller house is the only pianos to replenish their depleted stock. The past few weeks.
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
If you want to make the organ end of your
business prosper in 1906, it will pay you to
investigate the CARPENTER ORGAN
and the CARPENTER SELLING METH-
ODS; both strongly appeal to wide-awake
dealers. It is not too early to plan for the
New Year's business. We are ready with
our proposition.
THE CARPENTER COMPANY
Organ Makers Exclusively
Brattleboro, Vt, U. S. A.