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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Active Summer Business Now a Certainty Owing to the New Advertising Policy of the Trade
—Manager Woodford's Views—H. C. Pressey Off to the Pacific Coast—Bellak Reports De-
mand for Hardman Pianos—Heppe's Scheme Will Soon Materialize—North Warerooms Be-
ing Overhauled—D. E. Woolley's Well Earned Vacation—Herzberg's Move—Ben Owen's
Summer Plans—Estey Pipe Organ Business Unprecedented.
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., July 25, 1906.
The month of July is closing in quite a satis-
factory way to the Philadelphia piano dealers,
the Philadelphia manufacturers and the Phila-
delphia dealers in small goods as well. There
was a time when little business was expacted
in July. This condition has teen changed with-
in the past five years, and at present much is
looked forward to for the mor.th of July, and
if much is not accomplished, there is a feeling
of disappointment. This is due in a great meas-
ure to the keen compatitio.i which came with
the Philadelphia department stores entering the
field. The department stores must do a certain
amount of business in summer as well as win-
ter, and they make a supreme effort to keep
up their sales in summer, and with this initia-
tive, the general dealers found that during the
few hot months that they usually made little at-
tempts to hustle, the department stores were
piling up business, and the natural consequence
was that they got a move on and made play for
business, and to their surprise found that they
were getting their full share.
The department Stores secured most of their
business through the regular channel—attractive
advertising with unusual summer offers. This
same method was followed by the regular deal-
ers, and the latter carry big cards in the news-
papers the entire summer and set results, while
a few years ago it was very rare to see any
piano advertisements in the daily newspapers
during the hot months.
J. B. Woodford, manager of the Wanamaker
department, says that the business of his housj
during July has been considerably ahead of last
year. "It has required more effort, however,
than it has any other year," he remarked. "The
same condition prevails in New York and Bos-
ton, and generally throughout the East, but busi-
ness has been better in the West, as reports
indicate from that section. There saems to be
a disinclination to spend money, owing, un-
doubtedly, to the condition of the stock market,
the labor market, the San Francisco earthquake
and various other things have had an influence
on ihe trade."
About the middle of last week H. C. Pressey,
Have You
Secured Space
at the
National Music Show
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NEW YORK CITY?
September 19th to 27th 1906
J. A. H. DRESSEL, Manager
1 Madison Ave., New York
of the Lester Piano Co., started for the Pacific
Coast, and from the cities he has already visited
he has ssnt in large orders for early fall de-
livery. He also writes to the same effect as Mr.
Woodford speaks, that business in the West is
very good. He is finding a particularly good
demand for the Lester product, which is sold
more generally wholesale than any other Phi.a-
delphia-made piano. George Miller reports that,
the new case factory is working along nicely
and that by the first of September they expect
to be making all their own cases.
James Bellak's Sons the past week have been
doing consideiable business with the new style
E Hardman, which is considered by many to bs
the handsomest upright that this celebrated firm
of piano makers has yet turned out. They have
one of these pianos in their window, and it is
being very much admired. The firm have also
been doing very well with the Hardman auto-
tone, which is recognized as one of the best
player-pianos sold on this market. Mr. and Mrs.
L. W. Bellak and son are spending the summer
at Atlantic City, and Charles E. Bellak expects
to be away the entire month of August.
C. J. Heppe & Son report that July was veiy
much better than June. The firm are getting
ready to inaugurate their midsummer bargain
sale, which will occur the first week in August.
The Heppe Style 1 and the Marcellus Style BX
are the two best sellers of their manufacture at
present. They have tccn doing a splendid busi-
ness in pianola pianos.
F. J. Heppe is putting the finishing touches
on his scheme for making of the retail end of
their business a stock company, the same as the
wholesale er.d. and most of the officers of the
wholesale end of the Heppe business will ba
included in the retail company. The firm, by
this method, expect to largely increase the capi-
tal stock of their business, and are laying plan-;
to secure lesults r.long about the same line as
the Charles H. Fischer Co.
The firm of F. A. North & Co. have bien hav-
ing their warerooms overhauled. They have
had the walls nnd ceilings repapered and redeco-
rated, and everything has been .brightened with
? new coat of pah t. No definite plans have been
formulated as to what use the firm will make
of the adjoining building which they purchased
some time ago. The time of the present tenants
has not expired. The North Co. are now very
much handicapped in their present quarters.
Almost the entire first floor has been turned into
office apartments, and it looks like a big bank-
ing concern when you enter rather than a piano
wareroom. They are continually adding to their
force of men, and naturally require additional
room.
D. E. Woolley will join his family on the coast
of Maine at the end of this week, to bi gone
at least three weeks. It has been a very active
season for Mr. Woolley and he needs the rest.
The Estey pipe organ business, handled from the
Philadelphia office, has been unprecedented, and
while they have an excellent force of men to
care for this part of their business, yet it re-
quires lots of time and attention from Mr. Wool-
ley. They have the certainty of having this
business continue throughout the coming winter,
as they have a long list of prospective buyers for
the now famous Estey pipe organ. When the
fall business starts in the house expects also to
push the Estey player-piano, as Mr. Woolley has
great hopes for its success, from the flattering
attention it has created.
Gustave Herzberg is still abroad and won't be
home for some weeks, but Harry Herzberg is
going ahead with the arrangements to move
early in the fall. It is thought by the trade
generally that this will be a good move on the
part of Mr. Herzberg, as with the Kranich &
9
Bach, Mehlin and Straube he hau a line o. pianos
that will be good sellers along Cheitnut strest.
At present he is well supplied with all three of
these makes, and in the Straube he has a winner
that cannot be duplicated at its price in this
city.
Ben Owen, of the Gimbel Department, is ar-
ranging for his usual vacation to be spent in the
White Mountains. That is a favorite resort of
Mr. Owen, and he looks forward all the year to
a month in summer in that beautiful section.
Strawbridge & Clothier have had a good btni-
nees the past week with the Krell and Royal
pianos, and have also sold several Pease and
Steck.
CUBAN P1ANOJPREFERENCES.
American Firms Not Furnishing the Style
Wanted According to the American Consul
Who Cannot Understand Why We Cannot
Sell More Than Twelve Pianos in One City.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, July 21, 19li(i.
In reply to a New York letter, Consul Max J.
Baehr explains the piano trade situation at Cien-
fuegos as follows: "There is only one exclusive
piano dealer in this Cuban city. He disposes of
twelve instruments a year, and has now on hand
seven new and twenty second-hand piano?, the
latter used for renting purposes. The sales price
runs from $2tiO to $400 cash, the installment plan
being also used, the payments being $10 per
month and upward. This party states that he
handles four European and one American makes
of pianos, there being very little demand for the
latter, notwithstanding that they pay only 36 2-5
per cent, ad valorem, while the former are taxed
52 per cent. The most popular pianos are the
small French styles in plain cases. The best are
made of solid mahogany and cedar, replacing ve-
neered cases., which suffer greatly in the tropical
climate on account of the worm. The strings
should be plated or gilded. The pegs and all
pieces of iron or metal should be nickel plated to
prevent rust. The demand is for a seven-octave
and three-pedal piano. The Cubans are music-
loving people, and it seems to me out of all pro-
i:ortions'that a dealer in a city of 30,000 inhabi-
tants should not be able to sell more than twelve
pianos a year, and I have no doubt that a good
salesman, speaking Spanish, would find a splen-
did opportunity to introduce American pianos in
this community."
Mr. Baehr gives the names of the piano dealer
mentioned and three Cienfuegos fancy goods
houses who now occasionally effect the sale of
a piano, and they can be obtained from the Bu-
reau of Manufactures. Correspondence with firms
h: Cienfuegos should be in Spanish.
ESTEY ORGAN FOR COLLEGE.
Contract Has Been Let for $5,500 Instrument.
(Special to The Review.)
Sioux City, July 23. 1906.
The contract has been let to the Estey Organ
Co., Brattleboro, Vt., for a fine new pipe organ
for Morning Side College, plans for the pur-
chase of which have been under consideration
for some time. The organ is to be ready for use
September 25.
The instrument will cost $5,500, and when
completed it is believed it will be the finest of
its kind in Sioux City. It will be eighteen feet
high, with a frontage of twenty-four feet. It.
will have three sets of keys and will be finished
in golden oak. The instrument will be placed
in the west end of the college auditorium. The
organist will face the audience.
The committee in charge of the purchase and
instalment of the organ consists of Rev. J. W.
l.othian, J. W. Mather, C. P. Kilbourne, O. W.
Towner and L. J. Haskins. Plans are now
being made by this committee for a recital by
some eminent organist soon after the installa-
tion of the instrument.
B. K. Konk has enlarged his piano manufactur-
ing plant at 452 Broadway, Milwaukee, Wis.,
owing to the demand for his instruments.