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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
window, the market can afford to have a great
many of these instruments, for I have never seen
anything more beautiful in case work than this
teak wood piano. The Esteys seem to be leaders
Business Steadily Improving in All Branches—Better Grade of Pianos in Demand—Little "Gyp"
of late in the bringing out of pianos in special
Advertising This Fall—Publicity on Much Higher Plane Than Heretofore—Strawbridge
woods, and particularly in the art finish, which
& Clothier's Piano Department—Gustav Herzberg Doing a Big Business in Grands—The
seems to b,e growing rapidly in favor with the
New Kranich & Bach Scale Wins Many Compliments—Estey Co. Displaying Instruments
Philadelphia purchaser—reported so by most
in Art Finish—Estey Pipe Organs for Churches—R. K. Maynard a Visitor.
houses, although there are some who affirm that
(Special to The Review.)
scorpions, I would advise them to write to Mr. they have little call for the art piano.
The Estey Co. are also in receipt of an Estey
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 23, 1907.
Woolley and get from him the secret of how he
parlor organ in natural finish, for which they
Every week the piano business in Philadelphia drove them out of busineas in Philadelphia.
seems to be growing better. October undoubtedly
Every piano dealer in Philadelphia, when de- expect to have a good sale. Thjs week the Es-
is going to be a very satisfactory month in spite partment stores are mentioned and inquiries teys are making a display in their window of
of the upheaval in the money market, and re- are made as to the business they are doing, usu- several hundreds of the parts that go into the
turns already indicate that it will surpass the ally refers to John Wanamaker, as if he was the construction of an Estey reed organ. It was
business done last year, and the prospects for only man in the trade in department stores who prepared at their organ factory. The firm are
the holiday business being unusually large is was a competitor. They want to forget that idea. about to start on the erection of pipe organs in
already assured. This condition is evident all They want to look to Strawbridge & Clothier as the Presbyterian Church at Woodbury, N. J., the
along the line. It is not the reports from the an equal competitor. This department is moving Christ Reformed Church at Elizabethtown, Pa.,
department stores, from the big piano dealers, along quietly, apparently, but the still hunt al- one in the Baptist Church at Jenkintown, Pa.,
and one in the Bethany Evangelical Church of
or even from those who conduct a business on ways wins out in the election, remember that,
Reading, Pa.
a smaller scale, but in the smaller goods, in sheet and the S. & C. store is doing the still hunt to
The firm received a visit this week from
music and in every line of the trade, the out- perfection. Frank Butler is crafty when it comes
R.
K. Maynard, president of the R. K. Maynard
look in Philadelphia has never been more to the still hunt, and would make a capital wire-
hopeful.
puller in politics. The Strawbridge & Clothier Piano Co., which succeeded the Playola Co. and
Philadelphia has stocked up several times for department is growing with wonderful rapidity, Maynard & Palmer, Chicago. For a great many
the fall trade, and several times have found and just now they are getting quite an addition years he was identified with the Estey piano in
themselves running low. Dealers say they have to the space of their piano department, and as Chicago. Mr. Maynard is a firm believer in the
no trouble whatever in getting stock this year, soon as the holiday season is over the firm are player piano, which he says has undoubtedly
tut they have a trouble in getting good salesmen going to move their picture department to an- come to stay. He reports that business is very
to help them handle the business/ All lines of
other part of their store, and give the biggest good in the West. He says his firm are going to
pianos are selling, but business generally is on a part of that space to pianos. They are not work at a piano and an interior player action
that can be sold for $500 at a good profit, and he
higher plane than it has been for some years. only doing a big business in the regular
believes that this is easily possible. This is one
A better grade of pianos than usual are being upright line, but they have been having
of the objects of the new concern.
taken, and at terms highly satisfying to the exceptional success with their player de-
William B. Maurmann, the Ridge avenue piano
dealer. There are more cash sales, higher com- partment and on the Steck $650 baby grand. I
missions, and collections have eased up con- have no way of knowing figures, but I should say dealer, left on Tuesday for several weeks' so
siderably. More grands have been sold in Phila- that the business on the Steck baby grand in journ through the South.
delphia this fall than ever before as well as more Philadelphia was second only to that done by
JOHN PURVES TO MANUFACTURE.
player-pianos. A few dealers may scoff at this the Henry F. Miller Co. on their Lyric Grand.
statement, and they may personally have rea-
The Miller Co. are keeping up this Lyric Grand
John Purves, a practical piano maker, form-
sons for so doing, but they have only themselves business, and it is a marvel to all other piano
erly connected with the Schiller Piano Co., has
to blame if they are not enjoying with the many
men in the Quaker City. Again their store this
fitted up a factory in Oregon, 111., and expects
this business. Is it because they don't advertise? week is about cleaned up on these pianos. It has
to turn out finished pianos sometime in Novem-
One dealer told me that he had done very little been replenished and cleaned up a number of ber. Mr. Purves expects to turn out two pianos
in grands, although he admitted that his neigh- times this season.
a day in the beginning, though the capacity of
bors had sold a number of them, but then, he
William H. P. Bacon was a visitor to the S. & the plant is much larger. When the business is
added, "we have not advertised our grands."
C. department this week, and reports everything running smoothly, Mr. Purves intends to form
A most healthful condition is noticeable in satisfactory at the factory. Himmelrich, the or- and incorporate a company, but at the present
the advertising of the Philadelphia piano men ganist, is continuing his 15-minute recitals daily time he is furnishing all the necessary capital
this fall. Their "cards" are written about their at this store from 10 in the morning until 4 in himself. For the present, only the Purves piano
high-class goods—not about their bargains and the afternoon.
will be made.
their second-hand pianos. For several weeks I
Talking about the grand business in Philadel-
have not seen a reference in one firm's advertise- phia, Gustav Herzberg is another dealer who has
ment to the "inferior" quality of the goods han- been enjoying an exceptional trade on the grand
"DISTINCTIVELY HIGH GRADE"
dled by their neighbors. This is striking for —the Kranich & Bach. When I called at their
Philadelphia. The trade must also be compli- store this week I found their men busy prepar-
mented upon the entire absence at present of the ing several of these instruments to be conveyed
"gyp" advertiser. On last Sunday I scanned all to purchasers, one of them to Dr. Paul Pontius,
the papers to see whether the "gyps" were get- the famous Philadelphia physician, who made the
ting busy, as this is their season, and I was un- purchase after a very stiff competition among a
able to find one advertisement that scented the number of houses. One thing that Mr. Herzberg
"gyp" dealer. This, in a great measure, may be is taking much interest in showing customers,
due to the active campaign waged against these is the new Kranich & Bach scale, on the slanting
men by President Woolley of the Philadelphia sounding board. Up to this time he only has this
Piano Dealers' Association, some time ago, in scale in the smaller styles of the K. & B., but he
which that piano man actually compelled the is promised some of the larger pianos with this
Philadelphia newspapers to be respectable, a scale as soon as the factory is able to get ahead
feat never before accomplished by an individual of the great demand for these instruments. This
in this city. Mr. Woolley might be a good sub- new scale adds considerable volume to the tone.
ject as a drawing card at Keith's, to be billed In fact, the small uprights have as much volume,
as "The man who compelled the Philadelphia with this scale, as the larger ones, and the larger
newspapers to be respectable." If piano dealers pianos should have a considerably increased vol-
in other cities are troubled with this class of ume of tone. I think this new scale is one of
the greatest things brought out by a noted
house in many long years. Mr. Herzberg
IT WORKS LIKE MAGIC piano
is the greatest success of the day.
has also been having considerable success with
ON PIANOS
It possesses a scale of rare even
the Mehlin piano and has sold a number of them.
After eleven years of re-
search URIAH MCCLINCHIK
ness, a tone of remarkable sonority
As to beauty of case work, there is nothing hand-
gives to the Piano Trade the
and richness, with a quality that
somer shown in Philadelphia.
greatest
CLEANING COM-
POUND OF THE PRESENT AGE.
is highly orchestral. Our latest
Woodford
&
Crouse
have
also
been
doing
very
It Cleans MAHOGANY, BIRD'S-
styles of Grands and Uprights
EYK MAPLE, GOLDEN OAK,
well with the Steger grands, they tell me, hav-
FLEMISH OAK AND WHITE
mark a decided advance in the art
ing sold several the past week. Mr. Woodford
ENAMEL, leaving a polish
equal to the first finish from
of piano-making. We court inves-
continues
on
the
sick
list.
the factory. This Cleaning
tigation. Some territory still open.
Compound is NOT INFLAM-
The Estey Co. are displaying in their window
MABLE; it will not burn. For cleaning and polishing
this week the first art finish piano in Teak wood
pianos IT HAS NO EQUAL.
CHRISTMAN SONS, Manufacturer.
Sample Half Gallon Bottle, Price, $1, F. O.B., New York
ever shown here. This is a new wood to work
WAREROOMB:
FACTORY AND OFF.OK:
URIAH McCLINCHIE, Manufacturer
869-873 EM4 137tli St.
into piano cases, and if the results will always be
35 West l*h St.
152 E. 23d Street
NEW YORK
KEW Y O R K
as satisfactory as the one shown in the Estey
BAe CHRISTMAN
STUDIO GRAND