Music Trade Review

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TlrlE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
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In tKe Musical Merchandise Domain
SMALL GOODS MEN OPTIMISTIC.
Liberal Inquiries from Jobbers and Dealers
Predicate Liberal Buying This Fall—Cata-
logue Prices the Subject of Discussion—
What the Chief of a Leading House Has to
Say on This Interesting Question—Condi-
tions in Various Sections of the Country
Analyzed.
Notwithstanding the mid-summer condition of
the small goods trade the prevalent feeling is
one of great expectancy regarding business for the
remainder of the year. Some symptoms of what
will undoubtedly materialize in the way of what
every one, without exception, speaks of as a tre-
mendous fall trade, are already in evidence. In-
quiries from jobbers and dealers predicate liberal
buying, and manufacturers, importers and stock
houses are preparing their lines with unusual
care and on a broad basis. To be sure, the au-
tumn is the leading season of the year, and tak-
ing general conditions into consideration the
small goods people feel assured that not only will
a large amount of musical merchandise be pur-
chased by the distributers at satisfactory prices,
but that dealers will move their stocks rapidly
and profitably.
A matter that is occasioning much discussion
is that of catalogue prices. That is to say,
whether the catalogues issued by the importing
and wholesale interests should quote open or close
prices. It is held by those conversant with the
subject, which means practically the entire trade,
that the time has come when other methods than
those established, possibly when John Jacob As-
tor brought over a small lot of flutes at the close
of the Revolutionary War, should be revised and
brought up to date. In explanation and advocacy
of adopting a more satisfactory plan for dealers
relative to catalogue information, the chief of an
aggressive house discoursed at length and most
instructively to The Review, of which the salient
points are set forth in the appended summary of
his remarks:
"It has been a question in my mind for sev-
eral years whether the manner of quoting prices
in catalogues should not be changed radically.
At the present time nearly every Tom, Dick and
Harry, whether professional musicians or quon-
dam teachers, know that the recognized trade dis-
count is 60 per cent., and if a dealer, for instance,
should happen not to have an article called for
in stock, but shows the customer a catalogue and
informs him it will be obtained, there is the long
price and the party immediately figures the sixty
off and leaves little if any margin for the seller.
Now, then, what I would propose, and which
leading dealers throughout the country are ad-
vocating, is either to quote the actual cost of
goods for the private information of the trade
only, or increase the discount, say, to 90 per cent.
This arrangement will give the dealer a chance to
figure his profit safely. Every house now issuing
a catalogue quotes prices that have been in vogue
30 or 40 years; perhaps longer. In fact, it is
surmised old man Noah must have originated the
scheme. This answered very well when the mar-
gin on all lines was large, but goods, especially
staples, are now sold pretty close, from the pro-
ducer down, consequently the average dealer is
placed at a disadvantage. As a matter of straight
truth, the trade is being imposed on by musicians
and so-called professionals, who are altogether
too wise. It is high time some way to circum-
vent these wise ones should be taken. A cata-
logue for the dealer only, it seems to me, is the
proper thing. Besides, were firms issuing cata-
logues to alter their methods more in confor-
mance with an up-to-date system, it would be bet-
ter for all in interest.
"Also, I may add," continued the gentleman,
"there is a marked tendency to carry larger
stocks, more representative, in fact. This is es-
pecially notable with dealers in the far West,
say, from Kansas City to the Coast, and east of a
line drawn from Buffalo south. In the Middle
Western States the stocks of small goods suffer
greatly by comparison with the sections named;
and it is in this central territory where the Chi-
cago mail order houses get in their fine work to
the loss of the dealer. Every town is proud of
the mercantile and social importance of its music
store, and its owner is regarded as above the av-
erage merchant in his status to the community,
and the better stocked his establishment the
greater pride is evinced. Later on I may prob-
ably take this subject up again, if your very
obliging editor will surrender sufficient space in
his invaluable, always reliable, invariably clean
and high-toned journal, for The Review is all
this, and more, too, in the estimation of the trade
at large."
GROWTH OF LOCAL JOBBERS.
An
Interesting
Subject Discussed—A
Competition.
their interests and in many cases become a con-
venient medium for the distribution of their
goods. Business with them is transacted in some
respects on a more comfortable and satisfactory
basis than with the great houses, especially in
view of the fact that prices are not quite so close
and the pressure for lower quotations and more
favorable terms less insistent. There is, too, the
recognition of the great principle that there is an
important advantage in having a multitude of
trade connections instead of being limited to com-
paratively few houses.
"This favor of the manufacturer, importer and
wholesaler is, by the way, an important feature
of the situation and gives the local jobber an
important advantage in his efforts to extend his
trade in competition with the great resources and
admirable methods of the houses which are known
as distributers of small goods throughout the
length and breadth of the land. It looks indeed,
all things considered, as if the small local dis-
tributers would do more than hold their own."
TONK & CO.'S FALL LIST.
New
"A month or so back The Review referred to
the growing importance of the small or local job-
ber," remarked an importer of musical merchan-
dise this week, "and it interested me greatly.
These local jobbers are naturally receiving a good
deal of attention from all classes in the trade.
The dealer knows scarcely how to regard them,
as they sometimes encounter them as competitors,
while at the same time a similar growth in busi-
ness is probably the hope and aim of most of
them. Inasmuch as these local distributers grow
at the expense in good measure of the larger job-
bers, they can hardly expect to be regarded with
favor by the great distributers, especially as the
development of the dealer into the local jobber
ie sure to involve an interruption to a great ex-
tent of his relations wi.th the larger jobbers from
whom he has for years been purchasing a part, at
least, of his merchandise.
"How the large jobber is to carry on his busi-
ness so as to hold his customers as they develop
is one of the problems for which a solution has
not yet been found. The manufacturer and im-
porting wholesaler, however, notes the growth of
these small jobbing houses with unmixed satis-
faction. They do not in any way conflict with
Tonk & Co. have just issued their fall sheet,
descriptive of the large line of piano stools,
chairs and benches, which they have on exhibi-
tion at their factory at 452-45(5 Tenth avenue,
New York City. These embrace a wid t variety of
styles, from the plain caned seat stool to the or-
nate revolving seat chair of solid oak or ma-
hogany. Among the benches illustrated is one in
Gothic design for piano players. AirioiiK the nov-
elties in chairs is one of twisted wire, Japanese
bronze finish. William Tonk said that their sea-
son was opening somewhat earlier than usual,
and orders for fall delivery were now being re-
ceived.
RETRIBUTION.
The musical instrument seller had succeeded
at last in working off a cheap fiddle on a cus-
tomer at four times its value.
"Where shall I send it?" he inquired.
"To 914
street. My flat is on the third
floor."
The fiddle dealer's face fell. He had only
moved with his family the day before.to the flat
on the second floor of No. 914
— street, on a
three years' agreement.
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THE
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