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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.
Business for October Has Come Up to Expectation of Everyone—The Outlook for the Present
Month All That Could be Desired—Wanamaker Advertising—Estey Recitals Inaugurated—
Cunningham Advertising—Lester Activity—Other Items of Interest.
(Spvial to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 31, 1906.
The month of October has passed out to the
satisfaction of all the Philadelphia piano deal-
ers. The business done was quite up to the ex-
pectation of every one, and everything points to
an excellent business throughout November. The
dealers are all in splendid shape to handle it.
With very few exceptions the stores are suf-
ficiently filled with stock for all purposes, and
probably not in many years have the dealers
been better prepared than at the present time.
The Philadelphia manufacturers have been en-
jcying a most prosperous fall. Orders have been
piling in rapidly, and the manufacturers are in
such shape now that they are able to care for
al! the business that may come their way. The
day when the Philadelphia-made piano is tabooed
has passed, and the dealers in other cities of
the country find that a Philadelphia-made instru-
ment is just as good as that made in any other
city.
This is also true of all classes of musical in-
struments. In the smaller instruments Philadel-
phia is recognized as one of the leading cities in
their manufacture. In mandolins, banjos and
guitars, the Bauer Co., of Philadelphia, stands
pre-eminent. These instruments are sold and
used all over the world, and are recognized as
first class. The Bauer Co. have the cream of the
Philadelphia business, but not that alone, they
have a tremendous trade in all parts of the
West, and no instrument sold along the Pacific
Coast is more popular than the Stewart. And
this is not alone true of the instruments named,
but the Bauer Co.'s recently put out banjo drums
have created quite a stir in that line of instru-
ments, and the sale has been phenomenal, much
larger than the firm had anticipated, and that
portion of their business has grown with such
rapidity that extensive plans for its future are
already underway.
Since Mr. Woodford, of St. Louis, has arrived
at the Wanamaker store to take charge of the
piano advertising of that house, a number of
unique piano advertisements have appeared in
Philadelphia papers. They have appeared un-
der the heading, "Music Mart." During the past
week two exceptionally interesting piano articles
have appeared with this caption, setting forth
the qualities of the Chickering and Vose pianos.
These articles are always accompanied by an
editorial, and in one last week Mr. Woodford has
the following to say about the Wanamaker
policy:
"When the Wanamaker house cast its eye
about with a view to entering the piano business
it found a condition of affairs not at all to its
liking. The prices people were paying for pianos
were not gauged by the real worth of the instru-
ments, but rather were regulated by the amount
the salesmen succeeded in inveigling the cus-
tomers into paying. As this was the policy, or,
rather the lack of policy, prevailing throughout
the entire trade, and as the piano-buying public
knew just enough about this way of conducting
the piano business to habitually expect a drop(?)
in price on the instrument under barter, there
remained but three courses for the Wanamaker
house to pursue. First, to follow in the wake
of those who were already in the piano busi-
ness; secondly, to abandon the project alto-
gether; thirdly, to ignore all precedents by bold-
ly and fearlessly adopting a policy identical to
the one which had served this store so long and
well, and for the first time in piano history
bring a new department into the world bearing
upon its escutcheon 'Equal rights to all and
special privileges to none.'
"Under this third policy was the Wanamaker
store born and reared, and notwithstanding the
direful prophecies of piano dealers who believed
that people must be fooled into spending their
money, the Wanamaker piano store stands to-day
the greatest success in piano history and a monu-
ment to justice."
This is rather a flowery compliment upon
themselves, but some of the statements are true,
and the regular dealers have come to recognize
that the piano business has been modernized by
the Wanamaker house.
Talking about advertising, I have frequently
said much in the way of .criticism of the Cun-
ningham Co.'s methods of criticising their com-
petitors in their advertisements, but credit to
whom credit is due, and the past week I think
the Cunningham Co. have a most convincing ar-
gument in an advertisement that reads thus:
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.)
'
i
Washington, D. C, Oct. 29, 190&.
The following were the exports of musical in-
struments and kindred lines from the Port^of
New York for the week just ended: .
',
Alexandria—2 cases pianos, $216.
'if'
Belfast—27 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $178.
Berlin—240 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
terial, $2,089.
Bombay—36 pkgs. talking machines, $1,957.
Bremen—2 cases pianos and material, $284;
1 pkg. talking machines, $100.
Bradford—50 pkgs. talking machines and ina-
terial, $333.
Bristol—65 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
PIAXOS FOR .$185!
PIANOS FOR $195!
terial,
$1,530.
PIANOS FOR $225 !
Brussels—25 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
Instruments such as these take from 12 to 15 dnys to
construct—or rather throw together. We spend from
terial, $212.
six to eight months on our pianos, and make each one
Calcutta—5 cases organs, $250.
a masterpiece, for which our prices are reasonable,
Cardiff—64 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
quality considered.
terial, $1,408.
A watch for 98 cents is nevertheless a watch.
A suit of clothes for the largest man, at $;{.75, is still
Cartagena—2 cases pianos, $160.
•a suit.
Glasgow—58 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
A violin for $1.50 may appear to the casual observer
terial, $861; 1 case pianos and material, $300.
as good as the priceless Guarnarhis.
Hamburg—6 cases pianos and material, $177;
Yet these articles are dear because worthless. The
good is the cheapest In the end, in the beginning and 25 cases organs, $1,285; 4 cases music, $150.
all the time.
Havana—1 case piano material, $108; 6 pkgs.
Good, common sense, is it not? and plainly talking machines and material, $122.
Havre—2 pkgs. music cabinets, $160; 1 case
but strikingly presented, and leaves no room
organs, $300; 13 pkgs. talking machines and
for argument.
S. G. Lindeman, of Henry & S. G. Lindeman material, $597; 2 cases music, $100; 19 pkgs.
Co. was a Philadelphia visitor last week. The talking machines and material, $1,010; 3 case3
S. G. Lindeman pianos are sold by Samuel G. piano players and material, $216; 1 case music,
Nittinger, and trade in them in Philadelphia is $100; 1 case music, $312; 2 pkgs. talking ma-
most satisfactory. Mr. Lindeman came to this chines and material, $120.
Kingston—2 cases pianos and material, $214.
city from Reading, Pa., where he sold quite a
La Guaira—14 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
bill of goods to Arthur Wittich, a dealer in that
terial, $318.
city.
Leeds—99 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
W. S. Stackhouse has recovered from his re-
cent operation so rapidly that he is expected terial, $1,379.
Limon—8 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
back to the Heppe store this week.
The weekly Monday evening recitals at the terial, $189.
Liverpool—12 cases organ material, $1,098;
Estey house were begun last Monday evening,
and a fine programme was given. The firm have 278 pkgs. talking machines and material, $1,849;
taken a contract for a fine pipe organ to be 1 case pianos and material.
London—1,251 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
erected in the St. James Church at Leesburg, Va.
The resolutions passed by the Philadelphia terial, $16,153; 39 cases piano players and ma-
Piano Dealers' Association have been handsome- terial, $6,643; 5 cases pianos and material,
lj engraved and framed, and will be presented $1,287; 28 cases organs, $2,215; 6 pkgs. talking
machines and material, $450.
to Mrs. Heppe in a few days.
Manchester—1 case pianos and material, $235;
The Snellenburg piano department, recently
opened, has been doing very well. They have 224 pkgs. talking machines and material, $1,325.
Manila—4 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
sold so many instruments that they find a dif-
ficulty in keeping stock .on hand. They have terial, $402.
Marseilles—4 cases pianos and material, $600.
been doing a splendid business on their Master
Melbourne—15 pkgs. talking machines and
player-piano, which the management considers
second to none. They expect to have about five material, $384; 9 cases pianos and material, $910;
pianos of different makes and prices in their 12 cases organs, $323.
Milan—8 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
stock. The plans are all made for the removal
of the department to a more commodious part of terial, $219.
their store, but they do not expect they will be
Naples—10 cases pianos and material, $1,490.
able to carry them out before the first of the
Newcastle—76 pkgs. talking machines and
year.
material, $394.
Among the Philadelphia visitors this week
Odessa—5 cases organ material, $189.
were: E. W. Furbush, of the Furbush-Martin
Para—77 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
Co.; F. A. Meinberg, of the Biddle Piano Co..
terial,
$1,518; 1 case pianos and material, $600.
and R. F. Meloy, of the Bush-Lane Piano Co., of
Rotterdam—8 cases organ material, $690; 1
Chicago.
A. J. Pommer, of Sacramento, California, was case piano material, $180.
in Philadelphia this week, calling on the Lester
Santa Marta—1 pkg. talking machines and
Piano Co. He left quite an order for Lester material, $110.
pianos, which he says are greatly in demand on
St. Johns—1 case pianos and material, $110;
the Pacific Coast.
1 case organs, $182.
Lester pianos were recently placed in two
St. Petersburg—21 pkgs. talking machines and
prominent institutions in Scranton, through F.
material, $787; 9 pkgs. talking machines and
A. North Co. One was placed in the Elm Park
material, $275.
Church for the use of the Sunday-school, and an-
Sheffield—57 pkgs. talking machines and ma-
other in St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum, being a
terial,
$365.
gift from the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of
Trinidad—1 case piano material, $120.
Mary.
H. P. Madrey has opened a piano store in
Vera Cruz—23 pkgs. talking machines and
the Schleuter Block, Alton, 111.
material, $805.