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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
TRADE OPINIONS ON GUESSING CONTESTS
There is no Question but that Some of the Dealers are Fully Alive to the Evil of the Coupon Schemes and Guessing
Contests, Which, Under Various Titles, have been Carried on in Many Cities Throughout the Union—An Expres-
sion of Opinion from some of the Members of the Trade will be Found in These Columns and it is to be Hoped
that there may be a Free and Open Discussion of this Matter—If Anyone has an Opinion to Express in Support
of this Contention they will be Entitled to the same Courtesy Extended to the men who Condemn the Practices
—If the Plan is good, There is no Reason in the World why Every Dealer in the Country Should not be Interested
and back up the Coupon-Guessing Contest Schemes; if they are bad they Should be Wiped Out—The Review
Columns are open to a Free and Open Discussion upon these Topics—Are You For or Against ?
"Business Will Go Down and Down."
J. W. JENKINS' SONS, Kansas City, Mo.
You are absolutely right in your belief that
such things as the guessing contest, the coupon
picture-puzzle plan, the giving away of jewelry,
etc., can do but one thing as far as the public
mind is concerned, and that is, make the public
think less and less of the piano business and of
the men in it. It is a pity that a business which
in itself brings the merchant in contact with
not merely the richest, not the poorest neces-
sarily, and not the itinerant class of people, but
the very best of all classes, should be carried on
by such unbusinesslike methods.
Our house has never indulged in any of these
schemes, and we certainly do not expect to in-
dulge in them. We would prefer to go out of
business before doing so, but, Mr. Editor, it is not
the dealers alone that are in this. It's our be-
lief that the manufacturers are at the bottom of
all this scheming. We believe that there are
many manufacturers who have men in the field
whose entire time is spent in putting on these
schemes for the various agents; at any rate, we
believe that there would be much less of this sort
of piano jobbery if the manufacturers were to
drop out of it.
The piano trade as a whole already has
enough to carry in the way of public opinion,
because to-day, and for a long time past, many
of the better class of people think of buying a
piano with fear and trembling, particularly be-
cause of the jockeying methods indulged in by
the piano dealers and the tremendous commis-
sions that are being paid in order to make a
deal. We were told only the other day of an
instance wnere a piano was sold and $200 in
commission was paid to one that was apparently
not financially interested in the deal. Now, if
the piano trade must carry, in addition to such
double dealing as the above, these other plans
of selling, namely, the fake imitation check,
bond, due-bills, etc., it is just as you say, the
business will go down and down and be looked
upon with more disfavor than ever. We hope
your campaign will bring about some good re-
sults.
vertising, because it lowers the quality of com-
petition, and because nearly every buyer becomes
a knocker. To switch a saying, You can fool a
few of the people a short time, but you can't fool
any of the people a long time.
"A Scheme Proposition."
0. K. HOUCK PIANO CO., Nashville, Tenn.
I have read your editorials in several of the
recent numbers of your magazine. I am cer-
tainly glad to see you taking up the matter of
"Guessing Contest Schemes."
It seems to me that the dealer who uses these
contest schemes is in the long run injuring his
own business, because he cannot sell his goods at
the long price that he asks on these contest
schemes, when he goes into a legitimate competi-
tive business.
It is also surprising that so many of the buy-
ing public seem to want to buy pianos on this
kind of a scheme proposition.
We are glad to say that our business is not
conducted on this kind of a line. I am enclosing
copy of an affidavit issued and signed by our
president, showing that we will give a forfeit
on any sale wherein our prices on our one price
basis are either raised or lowered.
We believe in a square deal to everybody—
that a piano is worth a certain figure and that
that price should be fixed, not to try to get
more from one customer and less from another.
If the figure placed on the piano is a fair
valuation, we cannot afford to lower it, nor
could any other dealer afford to sell below said
valuation.
"Delusive Methods."
SOHMER & CO., New York.
Regarding the delusive methods advertised by
some manufacturers will say we heartily endorse
your view expressed in same, although we do not
cater to this class of trade.
"Confidence Between the Dealer and Customer
Destroyed."
E. F. DROOP & SONS CO., Washington, D. C.
who in the belief that they are really securing a
great bargain, scrape together their nickels and
dimes for the first payment and enter into a con-
tract for purchase of the instrument with the
greatest confidence. After some months pay-
ments begin to fall behind, for the purchaser is
beginning to realize that what seemed an easy
proposition has become a burden and an obliga-
tion which he finds hard to meet. There can be
but one result in such a case, and that means
the ultimate repossession of the instrument.
Confidence between the dealer and the customer
has thereby been destroyed, which undoubtedly
means an increase in loss of business for the
dealer.
We do not hesitate to say that in our judgment
the piano trade at large, through such advertising,
receives a body blow which will leave its mark
for a long time, for there Is no denying the fact
that in the eyes of sensible and reasoning people
coupon or guessing contest advertising reflects
discredit on an industry that is so closely allied
with—or we might say, co-related to—art in its
broadest aspect.
To emphasize our objection even more strongly,
we say that we consider the average coupon or
guessing contest scheme as presented In our
daily press a direct affront to the intelligence
and a stigma on what once was an industry con-
ducted by men possessing the highest artistic
ideals!
Much more can and undoubtedly will be said on
this subject by others in the trade, and we have
much pleasure in anticipating the receipt of your
valued paper which shall contain your editorials
and letters from others on this subject.
"Fooled the Public."
W. H. RIDER, Kingston, N. Y.
I believe the prize contest is bad for the piano
business. A department store here put out a very
simple guessing contest, as follows: A card three
inches square and the one writing mun the most
number of times to get a piano free, and from
that down to as low as $50 in bond, to be applied
on one of their pianos. Which of course was ask-
ing $100 more for the piano than we did. Now
they simply fooled the public, but it did not take
long to kill that kind of business with the think-
ing people. I notice a great many piano houses
as well as department stores are doing the same
thing, and believe it is bad for the trade in the
end. Am thoroughly in sympathy with you in
this.
We desire to thank you for the assurances given
that you intend to inaugurate a campaign against
"Will Cheapen the Reputation of the Piano." all guessing, coupon and similar advertising
schemes that are now so prevalent in our trade.
LING PIANO HOUSE, Detroit, Mich.
The law stepped in and interfered when the
Prom time to time we have been approached
sellers of tea and coffee placed prizes in the pack- by men who wished to inaugurate one of these
ages, but any old thing seems to go in the selling schemes for us, but in spite of their alluring
of pianos.
propositions we have positively and absolutely de-
A piano manufacturer who engages an expert clined to be a party to such advertising, and you
"A Dollar's Worth for One Dollar."
letter writer and advertisement writer whose may rest assured that it will be the iron-clad
instructions are to evade the law expects to be policy of our company to remain out of these OLIVER DITSON CO., Boston, Mass.
schemes in the future.
We are not prepared to express an opinion re-
received in polite society.
We do not deny that here and there may be garding the "Contest Schemes." What's the use?
My vision may be very narrow, but I see
some difference between the man who steals a found a dealer who conducts a guessing contest We have but one opinion about the conduct of
loaf of bread and the man who "flim-flams" an on a clean and straightforward basis, but where our business, and that is, give everybody one
innocent purchaser of a piano, and the difference one such dealer will be found, there are a hun- dollar's worth for ?1.00.
is all in favor of the man who regards his dred who have no hesitancy in raising their
prices or offering cheap stencils at figures way
neighbor's loaf covetously.
"Hurts Everybody in the Trade."
I have not heard of any guessing contests on beyond what they are actually worth in order to THE S. W. RAUDENBUSH CO., St. Paul, Minn.
"coupon certificates" in Massachusetts. Can it cover the value represented by the coupons or
The running of piano contests of all sorts
be that they have a law there which regards prize certificates they have issued.
where piano bonds, checks, certificates, etc., are
seriously any attempt to publish a misleading ad-
We believe that the principle of the thing is given, is a deception and rank swindle, pure and
vertisement?
entirely wrong, and as far as we are concerned simple. Who started them? Why, the big con-
To the man who can be reached only by a we shall continue to condemn such advertising cerns, who, finding that they could not "hog all
the trade" by fair and honorable competition,
dollars and cents argument I would say that it in the strongest terms.
is bad business, because it will eventually
We may be wrong in our premises, but we be- sought this dishonorable method for greater
cheapen the reputation of the piano, because it lieve that such advertising attracts to the ware- gain. Not satisfied with doing such dishonorable
will increase the number of "rotten" contracts, rooms an undesirable class of trade—a number and fraudulent deeds themselves and hoping in-
because there is no cumulative value in the ad- of people who expect to get much for little, and directly to make further gains in wealth, they