Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MU3IC TRADE
REVIEW
13
though the good wishes of the Denver piano
men will be with him in any of his ventures.
Lull in Piano Business—No Reasons Given—Big Wanamaker Sale—Annual Banquet of Local As-
sociation—What It Has Done—Other News from the Quaker City.
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., .Tan. 25, 1910.
For some unaccountable reason business has
slackened up considerably in the last week or ten
days. It had started in as if January was going
to be a very brisk month in piano selling, but
towards the middle of the month there was a drop
off, and this has been continuing for the past
ten days and it looks as if January was going to
be as dull a month as last year. There seems
to be no accounting for the varying conditions.
During the past week the dealers have been
trying to force business, but with very little re-
sult. The Heppes have naturally done consider-
able business, but they have just launched a
new scheme which has cost them a great deal
of money, and it is hardly likely that they will
get correspondingly large returns—at least for
the present. Their unique coupon scheme seems
to have taken with the public, and as they have
it copyrighted it is likely they will be able to
claim it as their own.
Wanamaker's Clearance Sale.
On Monday of this week the Wanamaker store
began their large clearance sale. They have
been selling a great many pianos, but not nearly
as many as they have sold at previous sales. Up
to this time they have been far away from ap-
proaching their record day, which is 181 pianos.
They have announced their sale as follows:
"Over 350 used and reduced pianos, player-
pianos, piano-players and organs will be in the
sale. As there has always been thus far a wait-
ing list of many people when the doors opened,
we would suggest that you come as early as pos-
sible. This store has sold as high as 181 pianos
in a single day in one of these sales (which is
about as many pianos as the average store sells
in a year, and therefore early buying is best).
Any terms within reason will be given gladly.
If you choose, pay a few dollars in cash, and a
few dollars each month; if you prefer, pay all
cash; or if you wish it, part cash. I t is not
necessary to have a charge account here at the
store in order to open a piano account."
The Wanamaker ad. mentions no names of
pianos, but states that they have them of all
makes, and ranging in prices from $10 to $650.
Local Association to Elect Officers.
On Saturday evening, February 5th, the Phila-
delphia Piano Trade Association will hold its an-
nual banquet at the Bellevue-Stratford. This
evening will also occur the election of officers to
serve for the ensuing year. The banquet is a
feature that will no doubt be looked forward to
with much pleasure. As to the election of officers,
hardly with much interest. It has been just a
year ago on that day that the present officers
were elected, and during the entire year not one
meeting has been held, not one bit of business
transacted, not one new member added, and
nothing has been done to further the interest for
which the organization was formed. The writer
attended the first meeting of the Philadelphia
Piano Trade Association about fifteen years ago
at the Manufacturers' Club. He has been present
at many meetings and banquets since that time.
He has watched the progress of this organization,
and has given credit for its good work and
criticized its inactivity. The officers have been so
woefully lax during the past year, that even
criticism would seem ridiculous. The first five
years of the life of the association very much
was accomplished. Some of the effects are felt to-
day. Very much has been left unaccomplished,
and there seems to be no inclination to get to
work again—only occasionally to eat.
What the Association Has Accomplished.
While many of the members did not believe
much good had been accomplished in the regula-
tion of actual evils, yet even the most skeptical
was always willing to admit that the association
was the means of bringing the men together, of
making them more friendly, more sociable. There
was a time before Lue association was started
when many of the dealers did not know one an-
other, and those that did frequently passed each
other without an address of recognition. The
association brought an era of good feeling. They
are getting back to the don't talk age again, and
at the coming meeting officers who are willing to
work should be placed at the head of the or-
ganization, and they should at least revive the
former friendly feeling among the dealers. It
ought to be easily possible to get the men together
socially and beneficially once a month. Mr.
Heppe and Mr. Woolley have returned from Bos-
ton with high praise of the pleasant visit they
had there last week attending the session of the
executives of the National association. Why
could not the same kind of a time be had in a
local association. There used to come to Phila-
delphia great men of the piano trade, who used
to find here an organized body to whom they
could address themselves and find a responsive
ear. Why not revive the good old days of ten
years ago, when the Philadelphia Piano Trade
Association was not a thing to be "sneezed at,"
and their banquets were of the finest "scrapple"
order.
NORRIS DETACHABLE PEDAL.
Patent No. 946,260 Just Grjnted to Albert F.
and Clifton H. Norris for This Important
Improvement in Noiseless Pedals—Of In-
terest to Dealers and Manufacturers.
Albert F. Norris and Clifton H. Norris, of the
Norris Noiseless Pedal Action Co., of Boston,
Mass., were last week granted patent No. 946,260
by the authorities at Washington, D. C, for an
improvement in piano pedals. Briefly stated, and
without entering into the technical phraseology,
this improvement enables the entire foot of the
pedal to be detached by loosening a screw in the
toe end of the pedal. In this way pianos can be
built and regulated with skeleton pedal, and
Multum in Parvo.
William Dalliba Dutton, of Hardman, Peck &
Co., was in town last week. In fact he has been
in town a great deal of late, and it is taid that
he has not been confining his attention entirely
to Market street, but has been along piano row
not the least part of his time.
J. C. Whitney, manager of the piano depart-
ment of the Gimbel Brothers' store, is ill with
double pneumonia.
Regarding the business in 1910, F. J. Heppe
says that it has not been as good as he expected.
The last three months of 1909 were so excep-
tionally good that naturally he is somewhat dis-
appointed. Regarding his new club scheme, he
says that they have not been at it long enough
to tell whether it is going to pay or not.
Burton R. Miller, treasurer of the Henry F.
Miller Piano Co., was here this week for several
days. G. Dunbar Shewell, the local manager of
the house, says that business in January has been
only fair. It started off well in January, but the
bottom has dropped out of it, so to speak.
The Bellaks have had exceptionally good busi-
ness of late with the Melville Clarke Solo Apollo,
having sold one of the finest of those instruments
to a party up the State at the end of the past
week.
The Ludwig Piano Co. reports that their Jan-
uary business has been satisfactory, and that they
have made a number of sales of their Style C
and K. They are also very well pleased with the
grand piano business they have been* doing. The
Ludwig grand is becoming more and more popu-
lar in Philadelphia every day.
NORRIS DETACHABLE PEDAL, WITH FOOT DETACHED.
when completed, a bright new brass or nickel
foot can be put on as desired. It is of especial
advantage in brass pedals, as the iron frame
work will not bend, and the bearings are durable.
The improvement covered in this patent ap-
peals to dealers as well as manufacturers. When
pedals are worn, disfigured, or damaged, and re-
quire refinishing, the feet can be detached in a
moment without taking out the bottom frame or
disturbing the regulation of the action at a
trifling expense, and the pedal frame can be con-
tinued in use without interruption until the feet
are replaced.
This pedal with detachable foot is now being
manufactured by the Norris Noiseless Pedal Ac-
tion Co., and has won the largest measure of
favor, both from manufacturers, piano workers
and dealers. Its advantages are obvious.
Like so many of the Norris improvements, this
new patent marks a very simple but thoroughly
effective and valuable advance. It demonstrates
further that the members of the Norris Noiseless
Pedal Action Co. are ever alert to any improve-
ments that will tend to the betterment of the
piano.
FAREWELL DINNER TO W. W. GRIGGS.
WANT PIANOS FOR SCHOOLS.
General Manager of Knight-Locke Piano Co.
Honored by Denver
Association—Future
Plans Indefinite.
New {ndianapolis School Board to Equip Old
Buildings and to Provide Instruments for
New Ones.
(Special to The Review.)
The new Board of School Commissioners of
Indianapolis, Ind., have expressed themselves
heartily in favor of having at least one piano
placed in each new school building to be erected
in the future and have also prepared to have
pianos placed in all the old school buildings.
While the Board will pay all the cost of in-
stalling pianos in the old buildings, they are
formulating plans whereby the teachers will
raise at Teast a part of the price of the Instru-
ments for the new schools, though just what
proportion has not been decided upon.
Denver, Col., Jan. 22, 1910.
Before leaving Denver for California, where
he will remain for an indefinite period, W. W.
Griggs, general manager of the Knight-Locke
Piano Co., of this city, was tendered a farewell
dinner by the members of the local Piano Deal-
ers' Association, of which he was an active
member. Mr. Griggs was very prominent In
business circles, being president of the Hawk-
eye Club, a member of the Traffic and Commer-
cial Clubs, as well as a member of the Chamber
of Commerce, and at one time tried to organize
a musical club.
It is stated that he will dispose of a portion
of his stock in the Knight-Locke Piano Co.,
though he has not said whether he will give up
all of it or not. Aside from taking a lengthy
rest in California, his future plans are indefinite
The Texarkana Instrument Co., Texarkana,
Ark., have Incorporated with a capital stock of
$25,000. Incorporators: S. M. Rayland, R. T.
Benefield, S. Schwartz, Louis Heilbron, W. T.
McCurry, T. A. Bryant, Leo Krouse and J. D.
Head.