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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TRADE OUTLOOK IN TURKEY.
German Manufacturers of Pianos Control the
Market—The Terms of Credit—France a
Good Second—Say American Manufacturers
Are Indifferent—Good Market for Small Mu-
sical Instruments if Developed.
$500, under an agreement that at the end of the
period possession should pass to the lessee. The
sum of $195 was paid on the contract, of which
$75 was paid to the Mondschein Co. before it as-
signed to Sohmer & Co. Mr. Conway died in-
solvent, and the lease was never placed on file
and the title to the instrument is disputed.
(Special to The Review.)
KRELL-FRENCH LINE WITH COLEMAN CO.
Washington, D. C, April 9, 1907.
Consul-General Edward H. Ozmun, located at
The W. C. Coleman Piano Co., No. 213 North
Constantinople, Turkey, in a recent extended re- Tryon street, Charlotte, N. C, have taken the
port upon the market for musical instruments in agency for the Krell-French, French & Sons and
that country, writes as follows:
the Lagonda pianos. Their line consists now
"The introduction of pianos into this market of the Everett, the Krell-French, Harvard, La-
dates back thirty-five to forty years. Two gonda, Dayton and John Church pianos and the
French makes were the pioneers. Other French Peerless electric player and Emerson-Angelus,
makes also had an important and regular sale for which they are the State agents.
for about twenty years. During the last fifteen
Business has been exceedingly good for the
years, owing to the influx of the German piano, past two weeks, reports Mr. Coleman, who sold
these French sales have diminished to not more eleven pianos last week. The Krell-French Piano
than 200. A German oblique-strung piano of Co. are to be congratulated on securing such a
good sonorous tone and solid construction, sell- valuable agency.
ing for about $130, has a ready market. A
cheaper instrument, but of good appearance, is
FRED TIETZ OPENS IN ALBANY.
also sold at about $110. While the French
makers are able to hold their own in the sale of
Frederick W. Tietz, Jr., formerly associated
the higher grade instruments, they are outdis- with his father in the Tietz Music Co., Albany,
tanced by their German competitors in the N. Y., will shortly open a music store of his
cheaper instruments, which are the most in de- own at 15 Clinton street, that city. The store is
mand. The French oblique-strung piano costs a now being remodeled and handsomely decorated.
little more than the similar German instrument
The Tietz Music Co. will remain at their pres-
and suffers in competition in consequence. A
ent location on Broadway, where extensive al-
dealer tells me that there is a growing prejudice
terations are being made.
against the French piano, in that the woodwork
is susceptible to destruction by worms, while the
CONNECTICUT DEALERS TO BANQUET.
German is not. The vertical-strung piano is now
difficult to sell.
The Connecticut Piano Dealers' Association will
"The German makers, who now practically
hold their next meeting in Hartford on next
control this market, offer six, nine and even
Thursday afternoon, April 18, while a banquet
twelve months' credit, and only on these terms
could any share in the trade be obtained. There will be given in the evening. F. A. Sedgwick,
are two principal dealers, both purveyors to the E. C. Wander and John M. Gallup compose the
Imperial Palace (addresses on file at the Bureau committee of arrangements.
of Manufactures). Sales of violins do not exceed
H. MALCOLM CO. OPEN IN DES MOINES.
150 a year, and are imported from France, Italy
and Germany. Mandolins of Neapolitan make
The H. Malcolm Music Co. have opened a
have a ready and considerable sale. Guitars
from Italy are also in great demand. Other branch store at 911 Walnut street, Des Moines,
stringed instruments have a limited sale. There Iowa, to handle their growing trade in that ter-
are but two or three orchestras of music halls ritory in a more satisfactory manner. Mr. Mal-
in the city. The professionals number about 100 colm entered the music business 22 years ago in
all told, apart from the military bands. Orders a very small way, and is now doing a large busi-
for wind instruments for the latter are placed ness throughout the entire State of Iowa. W.
by the Government direct, principally with Aus- H. Rasmusson, who has been with the house for
a number of years, will have charge of the Des
tria, owing to low prices.
Moines office.
"There are no instruments manufactured in
Constantinople. The climate, it must not be for-
LONG DISTANCE PIANO PLAYER.
gotten, is not suitable, as the shores of the Bos-
phorus are inclined to be damp. There is but
According to the Chicago Inter-Ocean, there is
one piano player on the market, which is retailed
at $220. This price is considered too dear, and still another claimant to the proud title of cham-
sales are insignificant. There is a large sale for pion "long-distance" piano player in the person
talking instruments and accessories, but this of Napoleon Bird, of Stockport, who recently es-
market draws its supplies from Germany, even tablished a record that is not likely to be beaten
of the higher-priced American machines. The for some time at least.
He started to play tunes at 10 o'clock on Tues-
principal sale of records are those of Turkish
day night at the Stockport armory, and he con-
melodies, reproduced by a German firm.
"Consul-General L. M. Iddings gives the name tinued to play them without a moment's inter-
of a firm in Cairo doing a large business in mission until 10 o'clock Thursday night. During
pianos, and all other musical instruments, which the forty-eight hours he performed 1,500 separate
can be had by applying at the Bureau of Manu- compositions, accompanied three concerts and
played twice for dancing. Bird is 51 years of
factures, and calls attention to the necessity of
handling all orders promptly, Egyptian dealers age.
complaining of the indifference of American
manufacturers in regard to the execution of
A. B. CHASE ON THE PACIFIC.
orders."
Within one month the A. B. Chase Piano Co.,
PECULIAR ACTION OVER SOHMER PIANO. Norwalk, O., have shipped four full carloads of
instruments to the Pacific Coast, two being play-
(Special to The Review.)
er-pianos and the other two regular A. B.
Milwaukee, Wis., April 2, 1907.
Chase uprights. The orders calling for the rapid
A peculiar action has arisen in Circuit Court, shipment of the four carloads were largely the
in which there is no named plaintiff nor defend- result of the recent trip of C. A. Longwell, the
ant. The case is one brought to determine the A. B. Chase traveler, to points on the Coast and
possession of a piano involved in a dispute be- in the Northwest.
tween Eleanor Conway, as executrix of the estate
of Edward A. Conway, and Sohmer & Co., piano
George B. Allen, the piano dealer, of Santa
dealers. The document filed in court shows that Rosa, Cal., has removed to much finer quarters
Mr. Conway. leased a piano from the S. A. Mond- in that. city. He handles Knabe, Mason & Ham-
schein Piano Co. for forty-three months for lin Ludwig and Packard pianos.
Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
The Victor
and
musical people
To those who know
the facts, it is no exag-
geration to say that the
Grand Opera Records
have taken the Victor
into the highest musi-
cal circles.
There was a time
when a d e a l e r in
pianos might hesitate
as to the value of Vic-
tors to his business.
T h a t t i m e has
passed. The Victor
brings more people—
and the right sort of
people—into his store
than any advertise-
ment possibly could.
Even if the Victor
and Victor Records did
not pay Victor dealers
its sure and splendid
profit, it would be a
good thing for a piano
dealer just to bring
people into his store.
Write us for partic-
ulars.
Victor Talking Machine
Company,
Camden, N. J.