Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
work. The exhibiting at such affairs is a very
good thing, if properly managed. To merely
place a number of instruments on exhibition
without any effort, is money and time wasted,
Evidence of a Good Fall Business in All Branchesof Trade—Stackhouse Convalescent—Activity at
it is necessary to have men there to look after
Heppe's—Value of the Hardman Trade Mark—VVm. Dalliba Dutton a Visitor—Alterations
things, and to leave nothing undone to make a
at Estey's and No Special Sale—Exhibitors at Trenton
Fair—Woolley and the Music
good impression. The Estey firm tell me that
Show—Herzberg & Son in Their New Quarters—Special Exhibition Building for Music
at the Export Exposition in Philadelphia, held
Trade Men Suggested—The Advantage Pointed Out in Extenso.
several years ago, they got splendid results, but
it was all owing to the effort they put forth, while
(Special to The Hcview.)
of business, the Heppes hold the cream of the some other firms, who had an equally good repre-
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 3, 1906.
Philadelphia trade, for obvious reasons, being sentation, failed to get any results.
There is evidence on all sides of a good fall first in the market, through judicious handling
Almost all the Philadelphia piano men visited
business. The Philadelphia dealers are hustling and by reason of the perfect satisfaction these in- the fair, and D. E. Woolley took a run over to
about doing their best to capture as much trade struments have always given.
New York to see the musical instrument shew
as possible, and although exceptional effort is
There is nothing like a trade-mark for the that was given in that city, and returned quite
necessary, the work of the men is counting, and making of a piano famous—as well as anything enthusiastic, and would like to see a similar
good results are being obtained on all sides. A else—that is, provided a firm sticks to that trade- show in Philadelphia, the only disadvantage in
good, profitable business is being done also, and mark and keeps pushing it for all it is worth. not having one here being that Philadelphia has
the dealers are becoming more independent in Recently the Bellaks have gotten out a very at- no suitable building to hold such an exhibition.
their fighting of the abuses that for so long were tractive card, showing a young lady seated in-
Ben Janssen, the erstwhile jovial piano manu-
a bone of contention in their bodies. The Phila- side of a window playing a Hardman piano, facturer, was a Philadelphia visitor this week.
delphia "commissioner" is not wetting his palm while a young man is passing outside, and has
Gustave Herzberg & Son are well established
as indulgently this fall as he has done hereto- stopped to listen. The sign on the bottom of in their new home, and their move has brought
fore. The reason is obvious. When a business the card reads, "Hark! I hear a Hardman considerable discussion again as to the future
man gets busy he gets "cockey" also, and the Piano." One of these signs, beautifully painted, location of the Philadelphia piano houses.
Philadelphia piano dealers have been having they display in their window, and have used the There are getting to be so many of the n^n
such a good business this fall that they are not illustrated story in various advertising ways. west of Broad street that east of Broad street
as deeply interested in persons who desire com- They are going to push this trade-mark for all and particularly Piano Row is beginning to lose
missions, nor are they courted as generally as that is in it, believing that "See that Hump?" its prestige. It is generally felt that if so many
before. One thing particularly noticeable in "Children Cry for Castoria!" and similar adver- men can move to this section and do business,
looking about the Philadelphia piano rooms at tising is of the character to bring the best re- why should the others remain east of Broad and
present is the fine showing that they are mak- sults.
pay the enormous rents asked and put up with
ing, which is largely due, of course, to the manu-
William Dalliba Dutton was a visitor to the all the inconveniences of the antiquated piano
facturers, who seem to have outdone themselves Bellak warerooms this week, and brought with stores.
this summer in turning out fine instruments. him glowing accounts of the splendid work be-
One dealer made a very good suggestion this
This improvement is not alone represented in ing done at the Hardman factory, and the results week which might be well to look into by the
pianos, but in player-pianos as well, and, in fact, of this work is shown in the recent arrivals at piano men. His idea would be for the piano deal-
ic all lines of instruments.
the Bellak store. In the eyes of the most critical ers to get together and interest a certain number
The Philadelphia dealeis and jobbers in small the Hardman piano has been improved in artis- of capitalists to build a large musical arcade, in
musical instruments, like the piano men, are tic effect this fall, and the Hardman tone ap- which all the piano houses could find homes, and
evidently of the opinion that the fall and winter pears to be more beautiful than ever, as evi- the location of their warerooms would depend on
of 1906 is going to be a banner season, and have denced in the most recent pianos.
the amount of money they wished to spend. All
laid in stock accordingly. Heavier shipments
The Bellaks have recently issued a booklet on they would need would be sufficient room to carry
than ever before of foreign goods have already the Autotone piano, the Hardman player-piano, a representative stock, the remaining instru-
begun arriving in Philadelphia, and all the in which they print a partial list of recent pur- ments to he put in a joint warehouse, all the
Philadelphia manufacturers in turn are making chasers of that instrument. It contains a long firms to bear a pro rate expense. If all the
large shipments to all parts of the country, and list of prominent Philadelphians who use the piano houses would congregate in such a build-
to the European jobbers.
Autotone, and this list can be only duplicated ing it would make piano selling much more easy.
W. S. Stackhouse, of the selling force of the by possibly one other house in Philadelphia, and In this building the dealers in small musical in-
struments could also be housed, as well as the
Heppes, was operated on for appendicitis last that is the Heppe.
week, and is getting along very well. He ex- The Estey warerooms are to undergo consid- sheet music houses and talking machine firms.
pects to be out of the Jewish Hospital in a few erable improvement in the course of the next The remainder of the building could be devoted
days, and hopes, in the course of a week or so, few weeks. Practically the entire first floor is to piano and vocal studios, the walls so built
to be made over, and a new display window will that they would not interfere one with the other.
to be back at work.
C. J. Heppe and Mrs. Heppe have come up from be built. And the most remarkable thing about In this building could be a big recital hall, a
spending the summer at Atlantic City, and Mr. these improvements is that the Esteys will not thing that Philadelphia is very much in need of,
Heppe is feeling very well and is at the ware- have an alteration sale. Last winter the upper as there is no hall in this city quite suitable
floors were very much improved, and one of the for recitals. And finally, in this building could
rooms every day.
The Heppes have been doing a splendid busi- finest piano parlors in the city was arranged. also be located a collecting company, and when
ness all fall, and are in excellent shape for the The firm have always been firm believers in a a piano man made a sale all he would have to
rest of the season. Their factories are turning out fine window display, and have exerted consider- do would be to turn over the papers to this
pianos rapidly, and have quite a stock on hand. able effort in that direction; in fact, no window agency, and they would do all the collecting, at
The Auto-Manual Co., of which they are princi- in town is ever more artistic, and with the new a nominal per cent., thus relieving the firms of
pal owners, are increasing their business rap- window they are having it built in a way that this part of their business, undoubtedly the most
onerous. It is also obvious that an agency
idly. Several additional houses have been added they can get the very best effects out of it.
to the list of those for whom they are making in-
The Trenton Fair last week was quite a suc- such as this would be much more successful in
terior actions, and in this part of their business cess, as far as the Philadelphia piano men were collecting money than would the Individual firms.
Such' a project might, to the reader at a
alone there are orders on hand to carry them concerned. The following firms exhibited: Es-
well through the winter.
teys, Heppes, Fischers, Blasius, Cunningham and casual glance, seem visionary, but it would cer-
Under the careful supervision of Mr. Hille- the Lester. They all had significant displays, tainly work out well, and it might be a good
brand, their Aeolian and Pianola departments and succeeded in doing considerable business, thing for the Philadelphia piano dealers to serl-
are particularly remunerative as, on this class and have long lists of prospects to show for their onslv consider this.
THE
BOGART PIANO
PROGRESSIVE DEALER
FOR ITS TONAL QUALITY.
FOR ITS RELIABLE CONSTRUCTION.
FOR ITS ARTISTIC CASE DESIGNS.
FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL FINISHES.
FOR ITS MARGIN OF PROFIT.
Five Distinct Styles Described and Illustrated in our new and handsome Catalogue, for the asking
ETBTBOGART
& COMPANY, 511-513 K137th"St., NEW YORK
S