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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
5
A Basis for Straightforward Business Dealing.
How the Piano Trade Has Been Hampered by Traditions—It Took a Long Time to Throw Off
the Shackles of Any-Old-Price But To-Day Piano Merchants Who Desire to be Ranked As
Up-To-Date Tradesmen Hold to Price Rigidity Just the Same As Merchants In Other Lines
—A Sort of Legendary Delusion Existed Among Piano Men That Their Business Was Not
Subjected to the Same Laws Which Governed Other Lines of Trade—The Sunlight of Busi-
ness Progress Has Illumined the Dark Places and Men Realize That Business Methods Must
Apply to the Sale of Pianos Just the Same As Other Accessories of Home Life—The Tide
of Progress Is Moving On and Houses Which Have Been Conducted On an Up-To-Date
Business Basis Have Made Steady Progress—One Price Is Simply Plain Business Honesty and
There Is No Reason Why a Piano Should Not Be Priced In the Same Manner As Other Arti-
cles of Trade and Commerce—No Reason Why One Man Should Be Charged More Than
His Neighbor Who Is a Price Haggler—Unchangeable Prices Appeal to the Good Judgment
of the Piano Buying Public—The House With Such a Policy Wins Public Confidence.
H
OW times have changed the attitude of piano merchants all
over the country towards the adoption of new methods—of
one price, for instance.
It was not so very many years ago when the one-price system
of retailing pianos was looked upon with doubt by a good many
members of this trade.
In the first place, the conditions which had existed made price
stability an unknown factor in many parts of the country when
piano sales were considered, but to-day the one-price system of re-
tailing pianos is considered a solid, practical measure, and wherever
it has been adopted it has done more to establish the trade on a firm
basis of straightforward dealing whereby it commands the confi-
dence of the public more than any other single move which has been
made in years.
There are many men who years ago were disposed to view
one price as applied to pianos as impracticable who to-day admit it
is the only rational mode of selling pianos.
The trouble was in the old days that the men were simply vic-
tims of traditions which had hampered the progress of the trade in
many particulars, and the one-price system, which was formerly
advocated in a half-hearted way by a few firms, and which measure
received its first real impetus by a series of editorials and articles
in The Review years ago, is undoubtedly the rule which is adopted
to-day by piano merchants who desire to be ranked as up-to-date
tradesmen.
In the first place, a fixed price on a piano insures the merchant
a fair—a known—profit because every man should figure a fair per-
centage of profit beyond his selling expenses, and he knows, pro-
vided his prices are rigidly maintained, always how he stands in a
business way when fixed price sales are made.
There has been a sort of superstition—-a kind of legendary
delusion among piano men that their business occupies a peculiar
position in the commercial world and is not subjected to the same
laws which govern other lines of trade.
That delusion is fast disappearing as the age becomes more
practical, and we hear less expressions of opinions alleging that it
is impossible to do in piano selling what is possible in other trades.
Years ago it was common to hear expressions stating such and
such methods were all very well in the dry goods and jewelry busi-
ness, but they would never work in piano selling.
Methods by which men showed confidence in other lines were
viewed as eccentricities in piano selling, but the sunlight of business
progress has illumined the dark places, and men are applying the
same methods to the sale of pianos which govern them in the vend-
ing of other accessories of home life, and the benefits to be derived
from the one-price system are so many and so apparent that it
would seem as if it were unnecessary to argue for its adoption.
But there are still many who believe that while the one price
in theory is splendid, yet it does not work out in practice without
seriously handicapping the one who rigidly adheres to it.
That is not so, and the get-all-you-can and take-what-you-have-
to policy of imposing upon the purchasing public has been the open
door to the catalog houses and improper pricings on stencil pianos
so that it has militated against the best interests of reputable piano
merchants in many ways.
The get-what-you-can policy has cheapened the musical tastes
of the public and it has to a certain extent tinged the business with
a bad flavor.
But the tide of progress moves on and the houses that have
advertised themselves as strictly one-price houses have been gaining
ground steadily, and we have seen scores of warerooms in which
every piano on the floor was marked in plain figures and the dealers
who have held to price rigidity have been pleased with the results.
Such houses have steadily gone ahead and to-day are occupying
positions far superior to those held by their competitors, who still
reserve to themselves the right to get the biggest prices they can
according to the susceptibility of their various patrons.
One of the most successful piano merchants in the country
recently remarked to us that in his opinion the piano business could
never enjoy the prestige to which it was justly entitled until it had
reduced itself to correct business lines and in adopting the one-
price system which should be general in disposing of all kinds of
products.
One price is simply plain business honesty, and when people
understand that prices are irreducible there will be no haggling. •
The people would no longer consider offering a piano merchant
a figure less than was named to them any more than they would
think of offering their jeweler one hundred dollars for a watch
which was priced to them for $150.
Then, again, if one price were general it would be no trouble
to figure out an accurate cost of selling and to put a fair price upon
the various makes and styles of pianos.
A man could estimate approximately what his profits would be
for the ensuing year and regulate his expenses accordingly.
Under the old system regularity was impossible and the profits
on different sales of the same pianos varied greatly, and as a result
of lack of system there were many piano men who were conducting
establishments on such a thin margin of profit that they did not
realize it until called to a final settlement by the manufacturer.
One man should not be charged more than his neighbor who
insists upon beating down the salesman from the asking price.
Even if fewer sales were made the profits would be larger.
A house which takes a decided stand and boldly proclaims its
unchangeable prices will appeal to the good judgment of the piano
buying public. Piano purchasing will be simplified to such an ex-
tent that intending purchasers will not dread it as an ordeal.
They would find it not at all necessary to call in a music teacher
or any other person capable of influencing their decision to render
judgment as to values for the purpose of protecting them from
imposture.
The one-price system will contribute largely to the abolition
of the commission evil and it will rehabilitate piano selling so
that it will be upon a more solid and stable foundation than ever
before.