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THE
MUSIC TRADE
11
REVIEW
such facts as, for instance, the same piano being
sold at prices vastly different, and thus the pub-
lic is made to believe that there is a great, big
Established by the Manufacturer—Its Advan-
profit
in the piano business.
tages Over Present Methods Set Forth by
Such education is constantly going on, and is
S. E. Peregrine in an Interesting Contribu-
hurting the entire trade.
tion to The Review.
The dealer with his one-price system may or
S. E. Peregrine, piano dealer, of Colville, Wash., may not have a reasonable price on all of the
who it will be remembered contributed a very in- different grades, and his system is commendable
teresting article on the "Benefits of One Price to the extent that it treats all alike.
But he cannot dictate to his go-as-you-please
Established by the Manufacturer/' and which se-
cured the first prize of $25 offered by The Re- competitor, who only has to match his quality,
view on this subject, has favored The Review and then cut the price in order to make the sale.
The idea that seems to prevail among some of
with another contribution this week under the
the retail brethren, that the manufacturer has no
following caption:
right to fix the retail price, is not well founded.
"Why the Reail Prices on Pianos Should be
It is rather a short process of reasoning that
Named by the Manufacturer Rather Than
arrives
a t the conclusion that all there is in it
by the Dealer."
is that when a dealer buys a piano and pays for
In tlfe first place, the dealer cannot establish it he can do as he pleases with it. As far as the
one piano is concerned it might be so; but it
would be a very narrow business indeed that
did not recognize the interest of the manufac-
turer in the manner of handling his pianos and
looking out for future trade.
A dealer should not expect to be able to get a
second supply if the first was sold in a way not
satisfactory to the manufacturer.
The different grades of pianos when priced
light represent good values, and it is the manu-
facturer who should first stand behind his
product with the proper retail price placed upon
it, for it is he who knows best what to expect of
the hidden parts of the instrument as to its
durability, and hence no one else is so compe-
tent to name the price that tells what the piano
is really worth.
By placing a retail price on such piano the
manufacturer is lining up with the public as well
as protecting the dealer, and if he has given good
value he may expect a permanent demand.
A piano sold out of its class is a left-handed
advertisement for both the dealer and the maker.
When the retail trade is given to understand
that prices must be adhered to or the agency
ceases, they will gladly drop into the groove and
get down to business.
Under such a system a dealer can rest assured
prices that will apply outside of his local agency
that the same piano cannot be had for les^s
and the territory he controls.
The same piano may be sold at lower or at money anywhere on the market, and a reason-
mucn higher rates elsewhere, and if sold at a able profit will t e insured on each sale.
C. S. PEREGRINE.
lower price the dealer is confronted with the
plain fact that he is not furnishing as good value
as can be found on the market, although his
READ & READ CO. INCORPORATED.
prices are right.
If sold, say, $50 higher in some other city, the
dealer who has the right price may use that fact
The Read & Read Co., of Brockton, Mass., have
t" show that his prices are low; but he cannot been incorporated, with $5,000 capital, to han-
fail to see that something is wrong with the dle musical instruments. President, Alfred J.
other fellow who charges $50 above a fair profit. Moorehouse; treasurer and clerk, Alice M. Moor-
The public is not very slow in getting wise to house, both of Boston.
PEREGRINE ON "ONE PRICE "
OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.
Pianos and Other Musical Instruments Shipped
Abroad from the Port of New York for the
Week Just Ended—An Interesting Array of
Musical Specialties for Foreign Countries.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C , Oct. 15, 1906.
The following were the exports of musical in-
struments and kindred lines from the Port of
New York for the week just ended:
Alexandria—19 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $475.
Barbadoes—3 cases music, $490.
Barcelona—1 case piano players and material,
$135.
Berlin—285 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $6,163.
Bombay—4 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $200.
Bremen—3 cases organs and material, $150.
Brus?els—200 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $2,000.
Buenos Ayres—32 pkgs. talking machines and
material, $3,913; 6 cases organs and material,
$980; 11 cases pianos, $1,328; 4 pkgs. music
paper, $100; 138 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $8,217.
Calcutta—2 cases organs and material, $250;
4 pkgs. talking machines and material, $457; 2
cases organs and material, $190.
Callao—1 case piano players and material, $250.
Cardiff—63 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $712.
Colon—6 cases organs, $170.
Corinto—2 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $107.
Glasgow—6 cases organ material, $300; 57
pkgs. talking machines and material, $700.
Guayaquil—2 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $166.
Hamburg—3 cases organs, $318; 17 cases
pianos and material, $690; 27 pkgs. talking ma-
chines and material, $1,200; 2 cases piano play-
ers and material, $104.
Havre—10 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $207; 50 cases pianos, $15,000.
Havana—17 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $231.
Kingston—1 case organs, $115; 2 pkgs. talking
machines and material, $223; 1 case pianos and
material, $150.
La Guaira—3 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $190.
Leeds—42 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $275.
Liverpool—25 cases organ material, $2,537;
1 case musical instruments, $250.
London—86 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $6,953; 1 case piano players and material,
1
D U R A B I L I T Y
SO ESSENTIAL IN PLAYER-PIANOS IS
ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
MASTER (PLAYER) PIANO
WINTER
& CO.
1014=1020 Southern Boulevard
NEW VORK